This document discusses how to incorporate drama across the curriculum. It defines drama and identifies common myths, such as needing acting experience. Drama can be used through various strategies like role-playing, readers theatre, and hot-seating. These strategies help students learn by encouraging communication, cooperation, imagination and critical thinking. The document provides examples of using drama in subjects like history, science, math and ESL. It emphasizes that drama creates an engaging learning environment and helps students learn in fun ways.

1. Drama as a
Teaching Tool
Incorporating Drama Across the Curriculum

3. *What is Drama?
*Is drama easy?
*How can I incorporate drama if I have no prior
training?
*What does the Ministry of Education say about Drama
education?
*How will drama help my students learn?
*What strategies would be useful in my subject area?

4. What is Drama?
Drama is defined as “the enactment of real and imagined events through
role-play, play making and performances, enabling individuals and
groups to explore, shape and represent ideas, feelings and their
consequences in symbolic or dramatic form.” (SACSA, p.12)

5. What are the basic elements of drama?
Brian Woodland (1993), describes the basic elements of drama as:
• Role Playing
• Acting as if you were someone else
• Acting as if you were yourself in another situation
• Narrative
• Ordering events to create meaning
• Using narrative as in story telling and plotting
• Language
• Verbal
• Non-verbal such as, body language, facial expression, the use of space
• Symbols and ritual
• Use of space and movement

6. Common Myths About
Teaching Drama
• You need to be a good actor
• You need to be creative and artsy
• You need specific timetable allotment
• You need a large space such as an
auditorium
Want to hear the good news?
NONE OF THESE MYTHS ARE TRUE!!

7. The Ontario Arts Curriculum grades 9 and 10 document (2010) also
asserts that “Education in the arts involves students intellectually,
emotionally, socially, and physically. Learning through the arts
therefore fosters integration of students’ cognitive, emotional,
sensory, and motor capacities, and enables students with a wide
variety of learning styles to increase their learning potential. For
example, hands-on activities can challenge students to move from
the concrete to the abstract, and the students learn that, while the
arts can be enjoyable and fulfilling, they are also intellectually
rigorous disciplines” (p. 4)
The Ministry’s Viewpoint

8. The Ontario Arts Curriculum grades 1-8 document (2009)
asserts that “education in the arts is essential to students’
intellectual, social, physical and emotional growth and
well-being…The arts provides a natural vehicle through
which students can explore and express themselves and
discover and interpret the world around them” (p. 3)

9. “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I
may remember. Involve me and I
understand”
-Chinese Proverb

10. How Will Drama Help my
Students Learn?
Here are a few reasons why you should use drama in your
classroom…
- Encourages Communication and Social Skills
- Teaches Cooperation
- Fosters teamwork and collaboration
- Nurtures Imagination
- Strengthens Critical Thinking Skills
- Teaches Culture
- Reinforces Concepts
- Fosters self-confidence and personal growth

11. How Should I Include
Drama in my Classroom?

12. Readers Theatre
 Readers Theatre is a dramatic presentation
of a written work in a script form.
 Readers read from a script and reading
parts are divided among readers.
 No memorization, costumes, blocking, or
special lighting is needed.
 Scripts are held by the readers.

14. Hot-Seating
 Questions are asked to someone sitting in the
‘hot seat’ who answers in character.
 Students in the class have the opportunity to ask
questions to a character or expert in the field
they are studying
 Students can be asked to research historical
characters with opposing points of view and
then be hot-seated by the class as part of a
debate.

15. Mantle of the Expert
 The learners are framed ‘as if’ they are experts
 Through their work they create an imaginary
enterprise
 The enterprise has a client that commissions them
to work on a project
 The emphasis is on the tasks the students need to
do, to make the “enterprise” a success and to
serve the needs of the client
 The project work creates opportunities to explore
the curriculum creating meaningful, cross-
curricular contexts for learning

16. Role-Play
Involves an activity which a student
or a group of students dramatizes his
or their real reactions to certain
problematic situations
The purpose is to find out how
students will normally conduct
themselves once they are confronted
with a particular kind or conflict or
difficulty

17. Role-Play
Special Education:
Role-playing real-life situations allows students to rehearse a skill or scenario which
they may encounter in their daily routines. This develops familiarity with the potential
actions and motions before they occur in a real setting
ESL:
Role-playing in an ESL classroom, provides a practical forum for students to put
vocabulary and expressions into proper context. In an ESL classroom there are
many opportunities to use role-play. A trip to the bank, ordering food at a restaurant
or a conversation between friends are just a few examples of how role-play can be
used.

18. Role-Play
Science:
students examine case studies revolving around a particular dilemma: carriers of
cystic fibrosis are considering having a baby; a person’s father has just been
diagnosed as having Huntington’s disease.
History:
Drama makes history come alive. Role-play a great way for students to develop
empathy and understanding for the challenges of living in another time period.
Students could enact a group of soldiers having a conversation in the trenches.

19. Now let’s see role-play in action!
https://www.youtub
e.com/watch?v=m
MblT0ormuc

20. https://youtu.be/6ijNxnSf7qQ
Still Not Convinced?
Let’s hear how other educators feel about
drama based instruction

21. Drama can also be incorporated into other
subjects such as math and science!
https://www.teachingchannel.or
g/videos/enhancing-learning-
through-drama#

22. Drama is the Smart
Choice!
There are a plethora of resources available to help
educators incorporate drama into their daily
instruction.
Not only will this create a fun engaging atmosphere
in your classroom, it will help your students learn!

24. Resources
Drama Toolkit. (2015). Hot Seating. Retrieved from http://www.dramatoolkit.co.uk/drama-strategies/hot-
seating
Eduyan, Kirstal. (2013). Role Playing Approach in Teaching. Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/KirstalEduyan/role-playing-approach-in-teaching
Mantle of the Expert. Mantle of the Expert. Retrieved from http://www.mantleoftheexpert.com/
copyright-notes/
South Australian Curriculum. Standards and Accountability Framework, primary years band.
Retrieved from http://www.sacsa.sa.edu.au/ATT/%7B85CFF734-68DE-4F6D-A626-
4EA1EDEC69C2%7D/SACSA_5_PYB.pdf
The Ontario Ministry of Education. (2010). The Ontario curriculum, grades 11 and 12: The arts. Ontario:
Queen’s Printer for Ontario.
The Ontario Ministry of Education. (2009). The Ontario curriculum, grades 1-8: The arts. Ontario:
Queen’s Printer for Ontario
Woolland, B. (1993). The teaching of drama in the primary school. Essex, UK: Pearson Education Ltd.