People of all ages respond to drama. Interest in drama starts at an early age when children are exposed to television. It becomes a part of their play when they “pretend.” As children grow older, their interests change, of course, but they still like to dramatize stories and to see a good drama.

Students like to create and act out stories. From the time they are very young, children like to play-act stories that they have been told or read, that they have seen on television or at the movies, or that they have made up themselves. Psychologists tell us that the play of children is their work and that when they are pretending, they are, in fact, sorting out life and learning how to deal with other people, their environment, and problems as well as having fun.

Drama for older teens and adults serves essentially the same purposes as it does for children. As all good literature does, good drama teaches us what it is to be human. True, as we become older, we are more likely to become consumers of drama than we are to be producers of drama, but still, drama plays an important part in our lives in entertaining us, in educating us, and in helping us understand ourselves, others, and our world.

Wise teachers capitalize on popular culture in the classroom because it is a doorway to learning. They begin with what is already familiar and interesting to students and use that knowledge and interest to open the door to new knowledge. Create-a-Drama builds on the existing knowledge of and interest in television situation comedies, one-hour dramas, and made-for-TV films; theater; radio; and movies. It can be used as a unit in creative writing or as a unit on dramatic production. It may be used as it is written or it may be used in parts.

Create-a-Drama will help develop students’ abilities in observing, recalling, applying, analyzing, interpreting, concluding, synthesizing, and evaluating and will encourage divergent and convergent thinking. At the same time it will contribute to the development of students’ oral, written, and imaginative skills, with the additional advantage of being fun. Finally, it can give students three end products—knowledge, a script, and a production—of which they will be proud.

Create-a-Drama is designed to save thinking and preparation time for teachers and to encourage planned creativity. Some teachers neither need nor want minute descriptions of teaching approaches and objectives, while other teachers, because of time limitations, need more detailed instructions. All teachers are capable of modifying an idea to suit their own purposes, and most prefer to innovate rather than copy. Therefore, teachers may use Create-a-Drama any way they wish with only their imaginations limiting the various possibilities.

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Grades 4–12.

The lessons and activities in this series align with the following Common Core State Standards*:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3, 5.4
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3, 6.4
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.3, 7.4
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.3 ,8.4

Text Types and Purpose
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
Orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally.
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, description, and pacing, to develop experiences and events or show the responses of characters to situations.
Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to manage the sequence of events.
Use concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.
Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated experiences or events.

Production and Distribution of Writing
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
With guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

*Authors: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers
Title: Common Core State Standards English Language Arts
Publisher: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, Washington, D.C.
Copyright Date: 2010