Year End

It’s that age-old drama classroom conundrum: Final projects have been completed, but there are still a handful of school days to fill before the year officially ends. This can be a challenging time for teachers who are expected to keep their students occupied in creative and appropriate ways. To help fill this drama class downtime, here are four activities to keep your classroom engaged all the way to year's end. Theatre Game RoundupIf your classroom is anything like mine, you know that some classroom activities are more popular than others. Whether they are warm-up exercises, focus activities, or improv games, these are the games and activities students want to participate in again and again. So why not fill these extra days AND provide an informal review of previous classroom activities by leading your students through a re-playing of your classroom’s “greatest hits”? • Work with your class to generate a list of their favorite classroom theatre games and activities. Help them remember activities that happened earlier in the year they may have forgotten. • Write each item on a slip of paper. • Place the slips of paper into a hat (or bag, box, etc.). • Have a student pull a slip from the hat and read it out loud. • As a class, go through the steps of the game. • Have a student lead the activity. • At the conclusion of the activity, have a lightning round discussion asking students why they like the game and what they learned by playing it. • Draw the next slip of paper and go again! Lip Sync BattleA classroom lip sync battle is an engaging, high-energy activity where students perform choreographed routines, lip-syncing to popular songs. Groups can compete head to head, or in a round-robin format where everyone goes at least once. Here is how to structure a classroom lip sync battle: • Students work in small groups, either chosen or approved by the teacher. • All lip synced songs must be approved by the teacher. • Song cuttings will be between 30 and 90 seconds long. • Choreography must be included and must be school appropriate. • Props and costumes are welcome but not required. Personal or common classroom items can be used. • Groups are given a set amount of time to choreograph and rehearse their songs. • Determine how winners are chosen (e.g., enthusiasm of audience applause, teacher input). • Awards such as Most Creative, Most Dramatic, or Best Use of Props can be presented, making sure that every group receives an award. • If you want to use a rubric, review with students the rubric criteria ahead of time. Of course, it can just be for fun too! Click below for a Lip Sync Battle Rubric! Improv OlympicsOrganizing a classroom Improv Olympics involves dividing students into teams, setting up varied improv game challenges, and scoring based on creativity, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Here are some quick, simple improv games that are great for head-to-head competition: • Questions only: Players create a scene in which they can only ask each other questions. The first player not to ask a question will get buzzed out and a new player will come in to challenge the remaining player. • ABC Game: Two players will create a scene in which they must start each sentence with the next letter of the alphabet. Students can challenge each other by trying to successfully get through the alphabet in the shortest amount of time. Mistakes in the order of the alphabet result in a five-second penalty. • Operation Gibberish: Two teams of two compete in this game. • Both teams are sent into “isolation.” • While they are in isolation the class determines a secret objective that must be completed by the team (say a word, perform a simple task, etc.). • The first player of Team 1 is retrieved and told the task they must get their teammate to accomplish. However, the first player may only speak in gibberish. • Their teammate enters and the scene begins. Player one speaks in gibberish trying to get player two to accomplish the assigned task. • The scene is timed and the time ends when the second player completes the assigned task. • Player one from Team 2 is then brought in and given the same challenge. • Player two enters and the scene begins. • Team 2 plays until the objective is met. Their scene is timed. • The team with the quickest time wins a point. Click below for more games! Shakespearian Insult PostersIf you have a group of students who are reluctant to engage in performance, you can set them on this fun design project instead. Shakespeare was famous for his clever and cutting insults, and the imagery he used was quite colorful. Consequently, his insults are a perfect vehicle for visual interpretation in poster form. Here’s how to bring it into your classroom: Materials • Poster-sized paper • Markers, crayons, or other art materials To create poster • Put students into small groups. • Give each group a list of Shakespearian insults. (A list of insults is available for free below.) • Have each member of a group choose one insult they would like to illustrate. • As a group, have the students design the layout of their poster. Have them think of the following: • A “frame” element around the edge of the paper • A title block for the poster • The design of their individual images • The location of each illustrated insult • The uniform size of each illustration • A coordinated color pallet • Have students determine who is responsible for each section of the poster. • Give students a set amount of time to work on their poster. (If you have a large amount of time to fill, require more elements and details on their posters.) • When time is up, have students present their posters to the class. Their presentation should include information about: • Their design process • Why they chose their insults • The most challenging part of the project • What they enjoyed the most Click below for a list of Shakespearian insults!

The end of the school year usually comes with a couple of school days that didn’t quite fit into the calendar. Final projects and presentations have been completed, but there are still one or two class periods left to fill. Add to that, everyone is tired and just wants to have some fun. When those days come along, try this project that combines creative problem solving with costume design. It’s hands on, encourages student collaboration, and is FUN! Recycled Fairytale FashionMaterials • A supply of tape — something cheap and plentiful such as masking, painters, or duct. • A large collection of clean, recycled materials: paper, styrofoam, plastic sheeting, foam peanuts, etc. Instruction • Assemble students into groups of four. In each group three people will be the Designers and one person will be the Model. • Tell the groups they will be designing and building the costume for a character from a fairytale. They may choose a character from one of the following tales, or suggest an alternative character (to be approved by you): • Cinderella • Red Riding Hood • Prince Charming • Puss in Boots • Give groups 10 minutes to plan the design of their costume. A Brainstorm Sheet is provided in the download to give students a place to think about the character’s personality, how that can be translated into clothing, and the look the group is going for with their costume. Body silhouettes are also provided so groups can sketch out their ideas. • Groups will present their finished costume and explain their fashion and design choices. A Costume Breakdown Sheet is provided in the download for students to gather their thoughts. • Give each group a roll of tape. • Groups will build a costume on their model using the tape and available recycled materials. The costume can include such items as: • Hat • Dress • Shirt • Pants • Shoes/boots • Cape • When all groups have completed their costumes, they have five minutes to figure out how they’re going to describe their costume, and how everyone in the group will participate in the presentation. • It’s fashion show time! Each group will present their costume and describe their fashion and design choices while the Model displays their work. Help your students start the design process with a set of body silhouettes, a brainstorm sheet, and a costume breakdown sheet. Click below!

The end of the school year is a challenging time for drama teachers. Teachers are tired, students are distracted, and the curriculum doesn’t always fit the remainder of the calendar. These issues are compounded when you have a classroom full of non-drama students who are reluctant to perform. So here are two projects that encourage your non-performers to tap into their artistic/creative side and allow you to finish the year on a high note. Recap MapThis is a great review activity that reminds your students of what they have learned and how far they have come over the course of a year. • Divide students into small groups and tell them they are going to document what they have learned in this drama class. • Students will work together to create a list of the most memorable units and lessons they participated in over the past year. The list should be between 5 and 10 items long. • The groups will then design a map. Each item on their list will be represented by a location on their map. For example: • The acting unit is a location. • The daily journal entry is a location. • The game Kitty Wants a Corner is a location. • Every location on the map will be represented by an image, depicting a lesson or unit, drawn by the students. For example: • The acting unit could be represented by a star on a stage. • The daily journal is illustrated as a book, a clock, and a question mark. • Kitty Wants a Corner is a picture of a cat. • Their maps should have a starting point, follow a chronological path, and end in the present. THE PATH SHOULD NOT BE A STRAIGHT LINE. • Groups will decorate their map, including all of the “locations” of memories. Encourage the groups to be as creative as possible when drawing their maps. Consider including: • A border/frame • Mythical creatures (fairies, sea monsters, yetis, etc.) • Geographic features such as lakes, rivers, and mountains • Groups will present their finished maps to the class, sharing why they chose the units/lessons they did, what made them memorable, and how they can take what they learned into future classes, or even into real life! • When all groups have finished presenting, display their maps in the classroom or hallway as a visual representation of how far the class has come. To help kickstart group discussions, download the End-of-Year Reflection sheet! Musical MemoriesThis project will allow students to interpret their memories of your class as a musical montage. • Put students into groups of five. • Lead a discussion reminding your students about various lessons and activities they participated in over the course of the year. What stands out? What did they learn that they could take into a different class? Or even into real life? • Ask each group to discuss and decide on five lessons or projects that were most memorable to them. What stands out about the lesson/project when they remember it? Groups are to write a description of each memory and why they chose it. • Tell students that each group is going to create a playlist of five songs that they believe best represent the memories they have chosen. • Each person in the group is responsible for one memory and its accompanying song. • Students may use either available classroom technology or personal technology to access their songs. • Groups will decide upon the final list and order of their songs. • Groups should also design cover art for their playlist and give the collection a title. • Once the groups have assembled their five songs, their order, designed a cover and decided on a title, their next task is to create a tableau (a picture using people) for each of the five memories and songs they have chosen. • Each tableau must include everyone in the group. • Each tableau is a single frozen image, not an active scene. • The person whose song/memory is being interpreted will act as the “director” of that tableau. They must also be included in the tableau. • When all groups have completed their five tableaux, each group will present their songs, their reasons why they chose them, and tableaux to the class. • For an extra challenge, have the groups present their songs and tableaux without providing any explanation, and challenge the rest of the class to correctly identify the memory they are presenting. Then groups can explain their rationale for each memory. To help your students kickstart their memories of your class, have them complete an End-of-Year Reflection Sheet. Download below!

The play adaptation project, where students adapt a text into a play, is a great end-of-year project for advanced drama students. It involves every aspect of the theatre process, from playwriting to performing. Students get to apply everything they’ve learned and they don’t have to worry about coming up with a story from scratch; they just have to focus on how they’re going to bring it to life onstage. Review the project steps and see if this is something that would work for your students and situation. Introduce the task and project criteria. 1. Introduce the task and project criteria.Students will work together to choose a text, write the adaptation, organize and execute technical elements, and perform it for a specific audience, for example, fourth and fifth graders from a nearby feeder school. The chosen text has to allow for a cast of a certain size (which will be specific to your own situations) and be appropriate for the specific audience. It also must be something that can be performed on a school stage and can be technically achieved by the class. Students are responsible for the entire process and are the actors, producers, directors, playwrights, and technicians. 2. Pick the source material.This is an area where you can give students ownership of the project from the very beginning, including picking the source material that they will adapt into a play. Once you have discussed the criteria, students should come to the next class with text suggestions. As a class, brainstorm title suggestions, discuss how each fits the criteria, make a final list, and then each student should be allowed a vote. The final text will then be chosen and students will read it as a class. 3. Cast the production.This may be a different step than you’re used to: casting the show before it’s even been written. In this process, the story is divided into scenes and the actors script their own scene during rehearsals. Do what works best for your situation and your students. Here’s how you cast early in the process: • Identify all the necessary characters. • Every student has to complete an audition “activity.” For example, they do a short improv scene related to the story. • Those watching take notes: What are the strengths of the actors in the scene? What are some areas of improvement? What character would be a good fit? • Students can identify a part they’d like to play. • All students then vote on who will play which part. All of the ownership for casting is on the students. • Consider having a conversation with students about how they may not get the role they want, or they may get a smaller role than they want. That is how casting works. Also, those who have smaller roles are given larger technical roles. 4. Assign technical roles.All students are assigned a technical role in the show. As stated above, if a student has a smaller acting role, they will have a larger technical responsibility. Students can choose what crew area they would like to work in (costumes, sets, props, sound, stage management, assistant direction), or if you feel it works better for your situation, you can assign roles. The role with the most responsibility is the stage manager. They will monitor progress across the different technical crews, and start writing daily rehearsal reports to identify what was done and what needs to be done. 5. Make a plan.Decide on and share a regular routine for rehearsals and technical work. For example, every Monday discuss with students the plan for the week when it comes to adaptation and technical work. Decide how students will divide their time between adaptation and tech responsibilities. During the week the stage manager will check in with each crew to see what they’re working on, what they need, and fill out the rehearsal report. These reports can let you know which groups need support or time management suggestions. Then Friday is the Production Meeting. Each technical crew will present what they have worked on and groups will share their scenes. More on the production meeting in a moment. 6. Begin scene-by-scene adaptation.Break the text into sections or chapters. The actors who are in each section are responsible for coming up with dialogue and determining action. To continue with the concept of student ownership, consider having a student director, or if you’re directing, assistant directors. Their task is to check in with each group, support consistency between the groups, and act as a coach. After scenes are presented on Fridays, the class will discuss and offer feedback. Groups will then rehearse scenes as they are finalized. The length of the play is going to depend on your situation, your selected audience, and how much experience you’ve had with this type of work with your students. Perhaps the first time you do it, it’s a 15-minute play. If you return to the project year after year, you can work up to something closer to an hour. Keep in mind that the longer the final product, the more time you will have to dedicate to the adaptation. 7. Have weekly production meetings.As mentioned above, every Friday is sharing day: a weekly production meeting. Each acting group will present the scenes they have worked on during the week, and each technical group will share their completed work and upcoming goals. As a class, students will discuss: • Continuity of story telling • Design cohesion • What is working and what needs adjustment • Any decisions they need to make Your directors, assistant directors, and stage managers will work as a team to take notes on these discussions and execute during the next rehearsals. 8. Facilitate rehearsals.The above routine should carry your students throughout the rehearsal process. Groups will continue building individual scenes, discussing and deciding on script choices, and directors/assistant directors will focus on consistency and cohesion of the overall product. As students finalize the script, they will then need to transition to traditional rehearsal activities, memorizing lines, solidifying blocking, practicing transitions between scenes. Your stage manager should keep an eye on how the different technical teams are progressing and if more time needs to be allotted during rehearsals to build technical elements. Your job is to remain as much of a facilitator during this process as possible, rather than a decision-maker. 9. Do final run-through and performance.Then it’s time for the final run-through and performance! Conduct dress rehearsals with a complete script and all the technical elements in place. Have students discuss what final changes need to be made. After students perform, emphasize how they did all the work themselves. Celebrate the ownership, collaboration, and final product! Final Thoughts for Teachers The first time you take on this project, you’ll probably experience a lot of trial and error. Let it happen and note any changes you’ll need to make for next time. Be open to flexible outcomes (like shortening the piece if needed). It takes time to build accountability and ownership. Students don’t always all of a sudden become self-managing and task-focused. Having a structure in place is helpful. Observe how students in leadership positions (like a director or stage manager) talk to their peers. Enjoy the process! It’s a great way to allow students to demonstrate what they’ve learned as well as practice important life skills like collaboration and communication.

Wow — we’ve made it to the end of the year. Teaching has looked very different recently, but give yourselves a pat on the back for a job well done. We have the opportunity now to rest, reflect, and rejuvenate, so we can start the new year fresh, armed with the knowledge and experiences that have gotten us through the year. Take a few moments to think back over your teaching experiences, and jot down any feelings or ideas that arise. Think about how your experiences this year have shaped you and your style of teaching. Whether you’ve been teaching online, in person, or a combination of both, you have accomplished a lot! Be proud of the work you’ve done, and enjoy a well-earned break. 1. How do you feel right now compared to the start of the year? How are you the same? How are you different 2. What have you learned this year? 3. What has worked well? How can you do more of that next year? 4. What hasn’t worked so well? How can you adjust it to make it work better in the future? Or, could you eliminate it entirely? 5. How have you grown and changed as an educator? 6. Did you feel supported by your administration this year? Why or why not 7. How were you able to advocate for yourself/your students/your program? 8. What has been your biggest win this year? Describe it in detail. How did you feel afterwards? How can you continue this success going forward? 9. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced? How did you overcome it? Can you re-frame it to become a learning experience? 10. What was the funniest thing that happened this term? Check out the following articles for more reflection questions: • Exercise: Year End Reflection (For Students) • Do You Still Have Passion for Teaching Theatre?

We always ask our drama students to reflect on their experiences, and for good reason. Reflecting helps students gain a deeper understanding of the lessons taught, skills learned, and experiences practiced in the drama classroom. Students can consider what they’ve learned and how they can use those skills in the future. The end of the year (or semester, or term) is a natural time for students to reflect on their theatrical process – what they’ve learned, what resonated with them, what they liked or disliked, what surprised them. These reflections can also benefit you. Your students’ thoughts and opinions can give you insight and help you shape your lessons and classes in the future. The following questions can be used together as a long written reflection assignment, or used individually as exit slip questions. Feel free to include or omit questions as appropriate. Alternatively, challenge students to record themselves on their smartphones responding to these reflection questions verbally, and submit them electronically. • Why did you decide to take drama? • What expectations did you have coming into the class? • Did your experience live up to your expectations? Why or why not? • What skills, topics, or lessons were you hoping to learn (or learn more about) in drama class? Were they covered to your satisfaction? • What skills, topics, or lessons would you have liked to study, that weren’t covered in drama class? • What unit did you enjoy the most? Why? • What unit did you enjoy the least? Why? • What unit was the easiest? Why? • What unit was the most challenging? Why? • What was an ah-ha or lightbulb moment for you? (In other words, what was a moment that strongly resonated with you or stuck with you?) • What was a moment in drama class that you’d like to do over, if given the chance? • Describe a moment in drama class when you felt proud of yourself. • Who was your favourite scene partner? Why? • My most memorable moment in drama class was __________. I’ll never forget it because __________. • What is one thing you know now that you didn’t know before taking drama class? • What was a lesson you learned in drama class that could be applied to the real world? • Will you take another drama class in the future? Why or why not? • What advice would you give to a future drama student after having taken this class? For more thoughts on reflections, check out the following articles:• Coming to the End: Reflecting on Your Process • Reflection: Looking Back and Looking Forward • A Classroom Skills Reflection for Drama Teachers

A class showcase is a great way to share and celebrate what your class has learned in drama class. It gives your students the opportunity to demonstrate the skills they have acquired and put those skills into practice. It also gives your students the chance to take steps towards the role of producer, and mount a show on a smaller scale rather than a full-on production. Putting on a class showcase involves a collaborative style, with students contributing ideas and acts to perform in a variety-show style of production. A good length for a class showcase is 1 hour or less. This provides each student with enough time to share something, without the event lasting too long. Here are a few things to think about during your planning stages: 1. Determine the purpose of the showcase.Is this a final project for the class? Is participation mandatory or voluntary? Will the performances be graded or will marks be given simply for participating? Will the showcase act as a fundraiser for the drama department, school, or a particular charity? Identify the purpose, so that everyone is on the same page. 2. Decide who will participate in the showcase.Will this be a single class project, or will all the different drama classes participate? Will you allow non-drama students to participate? • From this, will all the students participate onstage, or will students participate in backstage capacities? At the very least, you will need: a stage manager to run the showcase, sound and lighting operators, and a front of house team. Will those students also be required to perform? • How much involvement will you, the teacher, have? Will you coordinate the showcase or will only students coordinate the production? Will you or students assign and/or direct the acts? • How will you introduce the acts? Will you have an MC to present each act, or will you create a written program describing the action (or both)? Will you or your students complete these tasks? 3. What will your students present at the showcase?• Will students present a selection of pieces in small groups, like a variety show, or will the class create a full-group production? Will there be a theme to the showcase? Who will decide the theme? • Will your showcase focus on all students presenting the same style of theatre (improv, mime, tableau, monologues, etc.)? Or will each small group present a different style? 4. When will you present the showcase?Mid-semester? At the end of the semester? Year-end? Will you hold it during class time? At a school assembly? At night? On a weekend? Further to that, who will attend the showcase? Is this going to be a private performance during class, or will you sell tickets to the public? 5. How much time will be devoted to planning and rehearsing acts?Will you give students class time to plan or rehearse, or will you expect them to do that on their own time? Once you’ve created the outline for the showcase, it’s now time to figure out the logistics of the performance. How many students you have will determine what you are able to present. With an hour-long program, if you have 30 students, each student would get two minutes or less to perform an individual piece (which includes transitions, so it would be closer to one minute each). It’s generally easier to have students perform in small groups. Will you let your students choose their own groups, or will you assign them to their groups? If some students really want to perform on their own (say, a monologue), how will you incorporate that into the showcase? These questions are meant to help you shape your showcase and get your students on the right track. Once groups are selected and topics are determined, it’s time to plan the show order and rehearse. Students will need to come up with a logical order for the acts, so they flow nicely and keep the pace of the show going. It’s especially important to time the acts, so you don’t run over time and so that there is variety between longer and shorter pieces. Be sure to include time for transitions–students need to have time to enter and exit, change sets/tech (if needed), and if you have an MC, they will need a moment to introduce each act. So much of creating a showcase comes down to careful planning. This may seem like a lot of work, but the more students map out in advance, the easier the showcase will be when it comes to actually performing it!