Content Area: Visual and Performing Arts

 

Index: 1.5B Grade 4 CPI 2

 

Standard: 1.5 - World Cultures, History, And Society

 

Strand: B - Skills

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 2 -  The student will examine art as a reflection of societal values and beliefs.

 

Grade: 4

 

Sample Activities:

 

The First Playwrights - Introduce students to beginning of formal theatre and ground breakers of theatre history.
·        Ask students to respond to -How do you think theatre first began? Write a journal entry or short paragraph.
·        Share and discuss journal entries with the class.
·        Introduce Greek god, Dionysus, and related information, explaining that theatre was a festival honoring the Greek god of the Harvest, Dionysus.
·        Show photographs and film clip of Greek chorus as a model and explain that the class will create their own Greek chorus.
·        Students brainstorm important information about Dionysus from the teacher's presentation.
·        As a class, students create short choral odes to Dionysus.

      ·        Split students into groups, distribute worksheets on Greek playwrights for homework.

      ·        Create choral ode to the specified playwrights. Use chant and movement.

      ·        Practice and perform choral odes.

 

Essential Questions:
·        How did the first playwrights influence theatre?
·        What other dramatic devices might be used to accomplish the purpose the chorus served?

 

Reflective Practice:
·        Write a journal entry reflecting the degrees of success of the odes you observed.
·        How did using chant and movement enhance the communication & information about the playwrights?