Cambridge Public Schools Drama Collaborative

CURRICULUM GUIDE Unit Title: Heroes Grade Levels: K-2 Subject/Topic Areas: heroes, poetry, literacy Key Words: hero, firefighter, police, poem Unit Designers: Karen Kosco School:Haggerty School Time Frame: 1 week Click here for Teacher Resources: Guide for vocal warm-up exercises Theater Games Link to Massachusetts Standards: Language Arts #1 (discussion), #2 (questioning, listening, contributing), #4 (vocabulary and concept development), and #18 (dramatic reading and performance). Brief Summary of Unit (including what students will understand as a result of this unit) Children will read books about heroes, talk about what makes a hero and write poetry, all in preparation for a special guest visit of a firefighter and/or police officer to the classroom. Drama Strategies Oral presentation, performance of poems Key Concepts (What statement(s) clearly expresses what I want students to know and understand?) Heroes do not have to be people we admire from far away -- they're not just people from history that we learn about in school or people we see on TV. There are heroes in every town, men and women whose job it is to protect us, such as firefighters, EMT workers, police officers, lifeguards and others. Sometimes heroes are people who perform important feats, such as a firefighter saving a house or a life. Other times they are people who give much of their lives to an important cause, like Ghandi to peaceful resistance or Lincoln to the end of slavery. Essential Questions (What specific questions will guide this unit and focus teaching and learning?) What makes someone a hero? How will you know a hero when you meet one? Why are heroes important? Students will know Students will be able to What kinds of feats heroes accomplish and under what circumstances--the kinds of jobs firefighters, police, EMT workers do Identify a herooic act or person and write descriptively about heroes in a poem Facts and information about heroes such as Mohammed, Ghandi, or Eleanor Roosevelt Take on the role of a character from history and react to other characters "in role" Beginning acting techniques such as vocal variety and articulation Perform short skits so they can be heard and understood EVIDENCE OF STUDENT UNDERSTANDING: Summary of performance tasks and projects Students will learn to sing "Wind Beneath My Wings" Students perform choral reading Students write a poem, "To a Hero" Summary of quizzes, tests and prompts. n/a Other Evidence (e.g. observations, work samples and dialogues) Teacher's observation of students' reading to guest Teacher's observation of quality of student Q&A session with guest SEQUENCE OF ACTIVITIES: What sequence of teaching and learning experiences will equip students to develop and demonstrate the desired understandings? 1. What is a hero? Read aloud book "Fire fire! Said Mrs. McGuire" and other books about heroes or firefighters. Teacher directs choral reading of Fire Fire! (xerox copies and assign parts). Leads discussion of firefighters, and help class brainstorm a list of other jobs that have heroic qualities. 2. How many kinds of heroes there are! Teacher distributes lots of books about heroes: Lincoln, Sally Ride, Mohammend, Ghandi, etc.. Students can read whichever books interest them. Teacher leads discussion: what does a hero do? Makes list and posts it in classroom. Teacher assigns students each a heroic character from history (can use six heroes, many students can play the same one). Brainstorm list of adjectives about each of the heroes assigned. Teacher opens box of costume pieces and lets each student pick out something that suggests their assinged character - a hat, scarf, clipboard, glasses, etc. 3. Heroic characters Using the character assigned and the costume piece chosen, teacher instructs students to take a frozen pose in their character. Teacher walks around room and taps each student on the shoulder. When tapped, student tells the rest of the class something about her/himself in the words of the character. Teacher sets up "tea party" using classroom tables, chair, a tablecloth and real cups and a teapot. Teacher assigns one student to play a waiter. Teacher selects three characters to have tea. One by one, characters enter the "cafe" and sit down improvise short scenes. When action gets slow, send in the waiter. Rest of class watches. Switch characters. 4. Heroes in our Neighorhood Teacher leads brainstorming session on "questions to ask a hero." Talks about the police officer or firefighter who will be visitin the classroom. Students draft a poem, "to a hero" that they will read aloud the following day. 5. The Visit Visit by a local hero. Students participate in Q&A session with visitor, then read the poems they have written for them. What resources are helpful and/or necessary to accomplish this curriculum?   Books Any age-appropriate books about heroes: Anne Frank, Sally Ride, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Ghandi, etc. Fire fire! said Mrs. McGuire   Websites www.jimmytingle.com (nice 9/11 poem)   Materials Box of costume pieces: scarves, hats, fabric, eyeglasses, purses, canes, etc. Tea party materials: tablecloth, teapot and three teacups, spoons, etc.   Curriculum developed by the Department of Drama and Dance, Cambridge public school teachers and Studebaker Theater artists involved with the Cambridge Public School Drama Collaborative, a project funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. CPSDC is a multi-year teacher training program that helps teachers integrate drama into the curriculum.