Scene Study in Fifth Grade

Fifth grade students just finished doing their first scene studies in drama classes. I chose eight different scenes from several plays either written for children or with characters who are children and assigned the students a scene and a part in that scene. The plays ranged from classics like Alice in Wonderland to more modern plays such as Afternoon of the Elves.

Once they knew their plays, groups and parts the students had two weeks to plan and rehearse their scenes for final performances on the third week. I chose characters for the students that were intended to stretch them because they were very different from the students' personalities. All of the groups created or brought in props and set pieces to use for their performances. Several groups came in costume and some even memorized their scripts.

I was incredibly impressed by the final performances! It was very clear to me that the students really enjoyed this challenge and gave it their all. They are a very talented bunch and I can't wait for our next unit...we are going to be tackling Shakespeare!