Posts Tagged drama

STEM Tuesday– Nuclear/Atomic Science– In the Classroom

By on January 17, 2023   /   books, Cross-Curricular, For Librarians, For Teachers, Graphic Novels, Homeschool Resource, independent bookstores, Nuclear/Atomic Science, Physics, steam, STEM Tuesday, Technology  

 

 

Nuclear science is the study of the atomic world. Atoms are the building blocks of all matter, and everything around us, including our bodies, is made of atoms.

Students can explore the ways nuclear science impacts our world in these books:

Who Split The Atom? by Anna Claybourne  Using a DK-like format, it explores the early history and research into the structure of atoms, the periodic table, radioactivity, and atomic science. Loaded with photographs, graphics, “That’s A Fact!,” “Breakthrough,” and scientific sidebars, as well as vignettes of scientists, it is an accessible and engaging introduction to radioactivity.

 

Atomic Universe: The Quest To Discover Radioactivity by Kate Boehm Jerome  This National Geographic book uses a running timeline across the top of the pages (from 1800 to 1971), photographs, mini-biographies, and “science booster” sidebars to interest high-low readers in an introductory overview of radioactivity, atomic science, and nuclear reactors.

 

Activity

How is nuclear energy produced? In nuclear fission, the nucleus of a uranium atom splits into tiny atoms. The splitting produces two or three free neutrons and releases a large amount of energy. In a nuclear reactor, fission is used to make atomic energy. Divide students into groups and have each group research the process of nuclear fission. Each group should create a visual demonstration of nuclear fission and present it to the class. Get creative! 

 

Meltdown: Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Disaster in Fukushima by Deirdre Langeland On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake ever measured in Japan occurred off the northeast coast. It triggered a tsunami with a wall of water 128 feet high that ripped apart homes and schools, damaging Fukushima’s nuclear power plant and causing a nuclear meltdown. Chapters describe the events as well as the science of nuclear reactors. Each section begins with a readout of reactor status, from “offline” to “meltdown” with the last chapter exploring lessons learned.

 

Activity

Nuclear energy is a much-debated topic. In this activity, students will decide whether or not to support building a nuclear power plant in their town to provide electricity and replace fossil fuel-generated electricity. Divide the class into two groups – one group will support the building of the nuclear power plant, while the other group will oppose it. Have each group research nuclear energy and power and find facts and arguments to support their point of view. Hold a classroom debate and have each side present their strongest arguments for and against the nuclear power plant.

 

Radioactive!: How Irène Curie and Lise Meitner Revolutionized Science and Changed the World by Winifred Conkling  This gripping dual biography provides an in-depth look at the discoveries, life-long personal sacrifices, and professional struggles that Irène Curie and her husband Frédéric Joliot-Curie made in discovering artificial radiation and Lise Meitner made in discovering nuclear fission. It also touches on Marie and Pierre Curie’s discovery of natural radiation, society’s grappling with radiation, World War II, and the atomic bomb. Includes a timeline, Who’s Who section, black and white photos, and fascinating sidebars further explaining the science.

Activity

Radiation exists all around us. It is produced as unstable atoms undergo radioactive decay, and travels as energy waves or energized particles. There are many different forms of radiation, each with its own properties and effects. What sources of radiation are you exposed to in your daily life? Have students research radiation sources and create a list of exposures. They can use this calculator from the Environmental Protection Agency to calculate their annual radiation dose.  What can students do to reduce or limit radiation exposure in their lives?

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Carla Mooney loves to explore the world around us and discover the details about how it works. An award-winning author of numerous nonfiction science books for kids and teens, she hopes to spark a healthy curiosity and love of science in today’s young people. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, three kids, and a dog. When not writing, she can often be spotted at a hockey rink for one of her kids’ games. Find her online at http://www.carlamooney.com, on Facebook @carlamooneyauthor, Instagram @moonwriter25, and Twitter @carlawrites.

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Theatre in Our Schools, Middle Grade-style

By on March 10, 2021   /   Articles  

March is Theatre in Our Schools Month, a designation celebrated and promoted jointly by the Educational Theatre Association, the American Alliance for Theatre & Education, and the International Thespian Society. Here are some ways we can help fulfill our middle graders’ theater needs this year!

In our Pennsylvania county, “spring musical season” was suddenly curtailed last year as many middle schools and high schools first postponed their shows, then canceled them out of Covid necessity (for many, after months of rehearsals). Throughout this year, while a few schools in our area planned socially-distanced plays and musicals with precautions like face shields, many other districts have not slated any productions.

The beauty of theatre, though, has always been its flexibility, its resourcefulness, and its creativity. As teachers, librarians, and parents, we can offer theatre opportunities in plenty of ways other than traditionally staged and performed productions. Let’s talk about a few ways we can allow the show to (safely) go on.

Many drama activities are perfect for flexible classroom situations, social distancing, or remote learning, with or without an in-person or remote audience:

  • Students can fill the role of director by choosing a scene, screen-sharing a script, casting roles, and leading fellow student-actors in a remote read-aloud.
  • Learners can study script format, then become playwrights of short scenes. Follow up with socially-distanced readers’ theatre performances of students’ original work.
  • Perform a favorite novel scene adapted as a radio show; this format is great for working vocal skills and facial expression, and those who would prefer a technical role can prepare and perform the recorded or live sound effects.
  • Explore the history of theatre from the Greeks to modern times in a mini-unit, or how theatre, historically, differs from culture to culture.
  • Have students complete and share mini-research projects on the technical side of theatre: stage composition, blocking, scene design, set construction, lighting, sound, effects.
  • Monologues! Actors can write their own or adapt a character speech from a favorite MG book for class performance.
  • Ever consider a class study of a dramatized version of a middle grade story? Dramatic Publishing Company, Dramatists Play Service, Theatrefolk, and others carry scripted, stageable adaptations of some middle grade modern favorites like Bud, Not Buddy, Walk Two Moons, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, as well as classics like The Jungle Book and Anne of Green Gables.
  • And if your own kids or students are missing the school production they usually look forward to, consider staging a socially-distanced scene, one-act, or play in your classroom, library, or home school environment, or via remote means. You can keep it super simple with easy props and representative, homemade costume pieces. (Remember, Shakespeare did some pretty successful shows without any of that fancy stuff like lighting instruments, elaborate scenery, or microphones; you don’t need them either!)
  • Some drama licensing vendors have a convenient e-script format: just pay and print (sample pages are usually available online for free). Theatrefolk offers a list of short plays with flexible casting intended for classroom production, with livestream and Zoom options for performance; if a live audience is not your goal, classroom study of a play is only a few dollars per student for a downloadable, printable PDF. Some even have free study guides!
  • Finally, offer your thespians a middle grade read or two that might be new to them. Here are a few middle grade favorites featuring characters with a flair for drama:

The Marvels by Brian Selznick – Lose yourself in hundreds of amazing sketches that tell the story of the Marvel family, generations of brilliant actors whose drama-filled lives—on and off the stage—keep audiences spellbound for centuries. Theatre-lovers will especially enjoy the drawings of backstage, ropes, pulleys, drapes, flats, scenery, footlights, costumes, and a gorgeous proscenium arch.

Replay by Sharon Creech – Leo’s big, drama-filled family almost upstages his experience playing a great role in a class play. What Leo lacks in stage experience, he more than makes up for in passion, heart, empathy, and expression. And—bonus!—the play that Leo’s class performs is scripted at the end of the novel, in short, very stageable scenes for small groups or classes.

Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle – Eighth grader Nate knows he is Broadway-bound, even if he has to run away from western Pennsylvania the whole way to NYC to make it happen.

How to Stage a Catastrophe by Rebecca Donnelly – Sidney and best friend Folly try to save their beloved community theater, getting caught up in some bad drama along the way.

Thanks for reading and considering how to make theatre in our schools a reality, no matter the challenges!

 

 

 

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