For starters, it is not called "Drama" it should actually be "Theatre". Theatre relates into the classroom quite well as almost everything teachers do for students is a performance. From actors such as body and voice control to collaboration just like everyone coming together for one performance. Students are not only learning theatre and a common core standard, but they are also learning how to be themselves and be confident in their learning. There are also seven different types of genres for theatre arts which are comedy, drama, historical, improvisation, melodrama, musical, and tragedy. Infusing the theatre arts can be great for students as it is more rigorous but also engaging and fun. Even though it can be rigorous students enjoy the task and are able to see it is okay to make mistakes.
When it comes to theatre integration, drama is part of real life and prepares students to deal with life’s problems. It is important to remember that drama engages students in creative problem-solving and decision making, develops verbal and nonverbal communication, can enhance students’ psychological well-being, and helps students consider moral issues and develop values. With theatre integration students are able to achieve a new level of empathy and new perspectives or outlooks and they are also able to develop other social skills that content standards do not basically teach. Most importantly, drama offers a learning avenue that enhances other areas of the curriculum and it is entertaining! The kids love it because they are now given an outlet.
“How I Learned Not to Be Afraid of Theater”
Theatre activities improve reading comprehension and hearing and speaking skills. There are many activities that you can do whether they are of bigger size or small and simple, your students are gaining more than they originally were by integrating theatre. One great way is acting out traits from a character out of a story they are reading and having the class guess who it may be. Another one is a wax museum which is especially great when combined with social studies materials. In social studies, students are learning a lot about individuals and their significance so why not bring these people to life through the class? Another great option is reader's theatre which has students acting through script reading. This is not only a fun activity but, it is helping the class get a deeper grasp with reading comprehension as they must use vocal cues and tones and also fluency because they are reading aloud. Lastly, having the class perform a classroom talk show. Pick individuals to portray characters from a situation or book they are engaged in at the moment and have them answer questions as if they are that individual. This quickly helps students gain confidence in speaking in front of an audience and fluency in social interactions.