Creative Dramatics – n.
An informal dramatization of a story using simple means of staging. The creative dramatics has, if any, limited stage sets and costumes upon which the dramatic performance itself is based around an original story idea. Creative dramatics is usually formulated as skits, plays and scripts within the classroom setting, unlike its larger counterpart which may take place in an auditorium with more elaborate performance technology (lighting, set designing, costumes, make-up, choreography, etc).
History
The history of creative dramatics is obscure. Drama and dance on their own have existed throughout human history because of man's innate impulse to behave and act differently from their norm. Much of being an actor is to manipulate one's feelings; all in all, pretending to be someone or something else.
It can be said that drama became structured in Ancient Greece, where it is said that it is where people began to act accordingly to religious themes. Also, during the middle ages, drama was used as a vehicle to teach its audiences the importance of religion. However, most of the actors in the medieval plays were merely people of the local community, meaning that they did not act as a profession.
Reasons for Using Creative Drama in the Classroom
Creative drama can help students in the following ways:
1. It helps students (especially young children) develop social skills by working in small or large groups. There is a sense of community formed when working with others towards a common goal.
2. It helps students become aware of their community by developing all of their senses. Sense awareness is deeply emphasized within the dramatic arts.
Bibliography:
http://www.education.ne.gov/read/FRAMEWORK/glossary/general_a-e.html
http://www.susancanthony.com/resources/timsav/creativedrama.html
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Critical Theory – n.
The examination and critique of society and culture drawing upon knowledge available through social sciences and the humanities. Critical theory is shown within the classroom through analysis of the literary works. Usually it is complimented by questions posed through inferential, literal, evaluative means.
Bibliography:
TBA.
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Cultural Literacy – n.
The ability to conversate effortlessly by using literary devices such as idioms, puns, allusion and other familiar content that has been produced and established in a dominant culture. An important aspect to cultural literacy is the ability to understand the dominate culture’s similarities and differences to one’s own through the means of each other’s customs, values, and beliefs. Cultural literacy may be implemented to one's curriculum by referring and exposing students to literature that enables them to think critically about a world other than their immediate own, outside of the school, the city, the state and onwards.
Some authors that have written culturally diverse literature:
Alice Walker
Amy Tan
Bharati Mukherjee
Christopher Paul Curtis
Gary Soto
Gene Luen Yang
Gordan Korman
Khaled Hosseini
Langston Hughes
Marjane Satrapi
Maya Angelou
Merle Good
Mildred Dawson
Naomi Shihab Nye
Nikki Giovanni
Octavia Butler
Richard Ammon
Richard Wright
Steven Izuki
Walter Dean Myers
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