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The Drama of the Tides

Once Upon a Seashore: Chapter 10

Elementary, Middle

Description

The activities within this chapter demonstrate how creative drama, creative writing, science, music and art can be integrated into holistic experiences for enabling children to inquire into the moods, qualities and behavior of living creatures at the seashore. Students take part in a variety of activities that will enhance their understanding of the situation of other living things.

  • Students will use dramatization to depict various seashore creatures.
  • Students will play a variety of games to enhance their dramatic skills.
  • Students will write stories depicting themselves as seashore creatures.

The activities presented in this chapter are part of a larger compilation, Once Upon a Seashore A Curriculum For Grades K-6.

General Assessment

What skills does this resource explicitly teach?

  • This resource explicitly teaches basic dramatization skills.

Strengths

  • This chapter provides opportunity for teachers and students to develop their personal affinity with the Earth through field trips, observations and discussions.  Students are given the opportunity to harness their creative being through the use of dramatization.
  • Students visit seashore on multiple occasions to observe and to complete drama activities.
  • Students are learning about a unique environment that exists within their very own community.
  • Lessons are well organized with discussion starters and prompts provided for teachers.
  • Purpose of lessons are very specific and vocabulary and terms are provided for teachers.
  • Photographs of students completing the drama exercises are provided for teachers as examples.
  • The importance and rights of non-humans as creatures to the seashore are enforced.

Weaknesses

  • This chapter does not fully expand on the problems and issues that are associated with the seashore creatures that are being studied.
  • The majority of lessons are very teacher directed and students are not given the opportunity to choose some aspects of their learning.
  • Students are not given the opportunity to take action in regards to issues that they have encountered, or have developed an interest in.
  • There are no assessment tools used or provided within this chapter.
  • Students are not given the opportunity to share their findings with peers, adults or community members.
  • Inter-disciplinary teaching style is not used within this chapter.
  • Case studies are not provided for the teacher or students.

Relevant Curriculum Units

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        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.
  • Manitoba
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        • Arts: Drama: To appreciate dramatic works, personal productions and those of classmates
        • Arts: Drama: To interpret short scenes
        • Arts: Drama: To invent short scenes
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        • Physical Education and Health: To perform movement skills in different physical activity settings
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        • Arts: Drama: To appreciate dramatic works, personal productions and those of classmates
        • Arts: Drama: To interpret short scenes
        • Arts: Drama: To invent short scenes
      • Physical Education & Health
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        • Physical Education and Health: To perform movement skills in different physical activity settings
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        • Arts: Drama: To appreciate dramatic works, personal productions and those of classmates
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    • Kindergarten
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      • English/Language Arts
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        • Curiosity and wonder lead us to new discoveries about ourselves and the world around us.
        • Language and story can be a source of creativity and joy.
        • Through listening and speaking, we connect with others and share our world
    • Grade 1
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Arts Education: Dance, drama, music, and visual arts express meaning in unique ways
        • Arts Education: Engagement in the arts creates opportunities for inquiry through purposeful play
        • Arts Education: People connect to others and share ideas through the arts.
    • Grade 2
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Arts Education: Dance, drama, music, and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and story can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Through listening and speaking, we connect with others and share our world
    • Grade 3
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Arts Education: Dance, drama, music, and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating
    • Grade 4
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Arts Education: Dance, drama, music, and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
      • English/Language Arts
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        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Using language in creative and playful ways helps us understand how language works
      • Science
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        • Science 4: The motion of Earth and the moon cause observable patterns that affect living and non - living things
    • Grade 5
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      • Arts
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        • Arts Education: Dance, drama, music and visual arts are each unique languages for creating and communicating.
        • Arts Education: Engaging in creative expression and experiences expands people’s sense of identity and belonging.
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Using language in creative and playful ways helps us understand how language works
    • Grade 6
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
    • Grade 7
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
    • Grade 8
      • Step 3Select a subject
      • English/Language Arts
        • Step 4Relevant matches
        • Language and text can be a source of creativity and joy
        • Questioning what we hear, read, and view contributes to our ability to be educated and engaged citizens.

Themes Addressed

Water (1)

  • Marine Environments

Sustainability Education Principles

Principle Rating Explanation
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives Good
  • Gives a fair representation to the life situations of non-humans.
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
  • Satisfactory: absence of bias towards any one point of view
  • Good: students consider different points of view regarding issues, problems discussed
  • Very good: based on the consideration of different views, students form opinions and  take an informed position
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions Satisfactory
  • Within this chapter the emphasis does not lie in the problems and solutions of the seashore creatures and environment.
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions:

Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.

  • Satisfactory: resource supports the examination of  these dimensions
  • Good:  resource explicitly examines the interplay of these dimensions
  • Very Good:  a systems-thinking approach is encouraged to examine these three dimensions
Respects Complexity Satisfactory
  • Students focus more on becoming acquainted with various types of seashore creatures and their unique characteristics.
  • Problem solving approach is not emphasized within this chapter.
Respects Complexity:

The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected.

Acting on Learning Poor/Not considered
  • There is no opportunity within this chapter for students to take part in authentic action experiences, or attempt to make change in their communities.
Acting on Learning:

Learning moves from understanding  issues  to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community,  or for the planet

  • Satisfactory: action opportunities are included as extensions 
  • Good: action opportunities are core components of the resource
  • Very Good: action opportunities for students are well supported and intended to result in observable, positive change
Values Education Satisfactory
  • Students spend quite a large amount of time experiencing the seashore creatures through first hand experience and observation.
  • Students are encouraged to take on the role of various seashore creatures, hopefully increasing their awareness of the needs of specific creatures.
  • The issues that exist for specific creatures are not discussed fully within this chapter.
Values Education:

Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values.

Empathy & Respect for Humans Poor/Not considered
  • Emphasis of this chapter is on non-humans.
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.).
Personal Affinity with Earth Very Good
  • Students are encouraged to visit the seashore as a class on multiple occasions throughout the chapter.
  • Students use dramatization and observation to gain a greater understanding of seashore creatures.
Personal Affinity with Earth:

Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.  

  • Satisfactory: connection is made to the natural world
  • Good: fosters appreciation/concern for the natural world
  • Very Good: fosters stewardship though practical and respectful experiences out-of-doors 
Locally-Focused Learning Very Good
  • Students learn about seashore creatures by visiting the seashore and observing these creatures first hand.
  • Seashore is a local habitat that is part of students own communities.
Locally-Focused Learning:

Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community. 

  • Satisfactory: learning is made relevant to the lives of the learners
  • Good: learning is made relevant and has a local focus
  • Very Good: learning is made relevant, local and takes place ‘outside’ , in the community 
Past, Present & Future Satisfactory
  • Students focus mainly on the present during this chapter, although they do discuss recent past and immediate future as they discuss tidal waves and the ramifications this has to the seaside creatures.
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future.

Pedagogical Approaches

Principle Rating Explanation
Open-Ended Instruction Satisfactory
  • Instead of just teaching students about the adaptations of various seashore creatures, they are asked to observe the creatures first hand.
  • If students make an incorrect response the teacher is encouraged to ask students to take a closer look at the creature they are observing.
  • For the most part, activities within this chapter are very teacher directed.
Open-Ended Instruction :

Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer.

Integrated Learning Satisfactory
  • Although there are multiple opportunities for an interdisciplinary systems-thinking approach, these opportunities are not expanded upon to their full potential.
Integrated Learning:

Learning brings together content and skills  from more than one  subject area

  • Satisfactory: content from a number of different  subject areas is readily identifiable
  • Good:  resource is appropriate for use in more than one subject area
  • Very Good:  the lines between subjects are blurred 
Inquiry Learning Satisfactory
  • Students are asked to discover the adaptations of specific sea creatures on their own through observation.
  • The creatures that they are asked to observe are often chosen specifically by the teacher.
Inquiry Learning:

Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.   

  • Satisfactory: Students are provided with questions/problems to solve and some direction on how to arrive at solutions.
  • Good: students, assisted by the teacher clarify the question(s) to ask and the process to follow to arrive at solutions.  Sometimes referred to as Guided Inquiry
  • Very Good:  students generate the questions and assume much of the responsibility for how to solve them.  . Sometimes referred to as self-directed learning.

 

Differentiated Instruction Good
  • There is a variety of discussions, and ways to clarify understanding presented to students.
  • Students with a variety of learning needs will appreciate the visits to the seashore, and the dramatization activities.
Differentiated Instruction:

Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.

  • Satisfactory:  includes a variety of instructional approaches
  • Good: addresses  the needs of visual, auditory &  kinesthetic learners
  • Very Good: also includes strategies for learners with difficulties
Experiential Learning Very Good
  • Students make visits to the seashore to observe the seashore creatures that they will be learning about.
Experiential Learning:

Authentic learning experiences are provided

  • Satisfactory: learning takes place through ‘hands-on’ experience or simulation
  • Good: learning involves direct experience in a ‘real world context’
  • Very good: learning involves ‘real world experiences’ taking place’ beyond the school walls.
Cooperative Learning Satisfactory
Cooperative Learning:

Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.

  • Satisfactory:  students work in groups
  • Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught and practiced
  • Very Good: cooperative learning skills are explicitly taught, practiced and assessed
Assessment & Evaluation Satisfactory
  • Students actively demonstrate their knowledge of the adaptations of the seashore creatures that they have observed through dramatization and discussion.
  • Assessment tools are not used or provided within this lesson.
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc.
Peer Teaching Satisfactory
  • Incidental teaching of what students have learned occurs as a result of group dramatization activities.
Peer Teaching:

Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.

  • Satisfactory: incidental teaching that arises from cooperative learning, presentations, etc.
  • Good or Very Good: an opportunity is intentionally created to empower students to teach other students/community members. The audience is somehow reliant on the students' teaching (students are not simply ‘presenting')
Case Studies Poor/Not considered
  • Relevant case studies are not provided within this chapter.
Case Studies:

Relevant case studies are included.  Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore  concepts in an authentic context.

Locus of Control Poor/Not considered
  • Many of the activities are very teacher directed, and do not give students the opportunity to choose how they will present their knowledge.
  • Students are not given the opportunity to go deeper into a specific issue.
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue.

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