Program Evaluation

What did you ask students to evaluate their learning? What was your rubric for evaluating them? Students were given a short question to answer at the end of our unit. The Rubric Question was: " My favorite part of drama class was________________, Because__________.

 Students responded: (I enjoyed)....

...making the Emotion Figures/ Puppets. It was fun to make and decorate them.  

...making the dramatic entrances exercise because you get to act out emotions. I liked making the models/ puppets. I liked the clay emotions. 

...acting. It was fun. I like it.

...playing all the (theater) games. It was fun. 

...the Night at the Museum (theater) game. It was fun playing with everyone. 

...making puppets out of clay. I like using clay. 

What responses did you receive from students via your evaluation? (SEE ABOVE) 

Above: Student working lunch. Daily Emotional Check In Sheet.  Movement Theater Games. 

Reflect: How do students' responses inform your understanding of student learning? How does it inform your teaching practice? Students enjoyed using materials to express their ideas of how emotions can be constructed using only colored clay; this was frontloaded by showing students segments of the Disney Film 'Inside Out' and leaning into the world of creation, imagination,  and applied knowledge to create 3D images around emotions. The responses also show us that the students enjoyed the theater games and ensemble-building games as a way to use their bodies and voices and also enforce the soft skills of cooperation, listening, taking direction,  etc. These activities were teacher-led, but the students leaned into the rules of these games with vigor, such as moving their bodies without sound, taking 'risks' on stage by moving their bodies at precise moments (for instance when the 'leader' of the game (or the one who is 'it') is not looking, making dramatic entrances and committing to portraying that emotion to the audience as best as they could. 

Program Documentation

What activities did you work on with students? Write descriptions along with pictures and videos of student work (SEE LIST OF ACTIVITIES BELOW)

Daily Feelings check-in: today, I feel ______ because ______ (use emojis). Students started each day with an emotional check-in sheet. 

Watch Julie's Greenroom. A Netflix child's how staring theater and film veteran, Julie Andrews, muppets, and contemporary stars of the theater world. 

Do Drama-Via theater games and dramatic entrance exercises. Draw + Objective. Students engaged in journaling, where they sketched ideas for their emotion puppets, etc. Games.  Students engaged in theater games to reinforce the tenets of theater: Body, Voice, and Imagination. 

On the final day of class, students were given an exit slip questionnaire. 

Find a narrative of each week below…as taught. 

WEEK ONE: Imagination, Drama and Character. 

Day One: Emotion Video and Movement, theater games, students decorated their Drama Journals where they will keep their imagined ideas for drama, Julie’s Greenroom show, class expectations, How Are You Feeling Pos-Its.t Students wrote how they felt and made an emoji to match then shared out and posted it on the wall for display. 

Day Two: Students made scenes with a CHARACTER and a SETTING in groups. They then drew that STAGE PICTURE on paper. Theater games: Kitty Wants A Corner—Julie’s Greenroom. 

WEEK TWO: Emotional Entrances…

Day One: Ibid. Students share their stage pictures from last week. New Activity: Students make emotional entrances based on ‘emotion words’ given to them on an index card. 

Day Two: No Class. Holiday. 

WEEK THREE: Emotion Puppets. Drafts and Finals. 

Day One: Ibid. Introduce the idea of Emotional Puppets. Watch a video on popsicle stick puppets, which are drafts of their clay Emotion Puppets. Students sketch/pre-plan their puppets in their journals before making them. 

Day Two: Students begin creating their CLAY Emotion Puppets for the final display. 

WEEK FOUR: Days 1 and 2 are the same. Students prepare their puppets for the display. Teachers write overview signage and students credit signage for the display. Students work on presentation of theater games and dramatic entrances for the end of session showcase.