Drama Bits

Egyptian Social Pyramid

Lesson Summary

Students studied the social pyramid of Ancient Egyptian culture. To emphasize the differences in social roles, groups of students created a short skit showing the cultural practices of a given class. Students incorporated gender roles, beliefs, customs, traditions, and daily life activities to help explain the ancient class structure.

Arts Benchmark

Connections, Relationships and Applications

B. Explain the relationship between concepts and skills used in drama/theatre with other curricular subjects.

Indicator: Use dramatic/theatrical skills to communicate concepts or ideas from other academic content areas.

Academic Benchmark

Peoples in Societies

A. Compare cultural practices, products and perspectives of past civilizations in order to understand commonality and diversity of cultures.

Indicator: Compare the cultural practices and products of the societies studied including: a. class structure; b. gender roles; c. beliefs; d. customs and traditions.

Buddha and the Five Visitors

Lesson Summary

Students have studied Buddhism and its impact on ancient Chinese culture. Students will read the play, “The Buddha and the Five Visitors,” from the book 24 Exciting Plays for Ancient History Classes. Seven select students will practice and perform the play in front of the class. Students will identify characters used in traditional plays as personified in this short play. The class will then interpret the characters and their relationships and how their interactions (both verbal and non-verbal) lead to a deeper understanding of the Buddhist philosophy.

Arts Benchmark

Analyzing and Responding

B. Discuss the collaborative nature of drama/theater as a vehicle for the expression of ideas.

Indicator: Differentiate between character types and relationships.

Academic Benchmark

People in Societies

A. Compare cultural practices, products and perspectives of past civilizations in order to understand commonality and diversity of cultures.

Indicator: Compare the cultural practices and products of the societies studied including a. class structure; b. gender roles; c. beliefs; d. customs and traditions [6A1]

Glorious Government?

Lesson Summary

In small groups, students will reenact a situation based on a type of government assigned to the group.

Situation: “Your group has to perform as skit for the class. You are to pretend that a new school has just been built and your group has to decide what to include in the play area. In your skit, the group has to function as if they were a(n) democracy (monarchy, dictatorship, anarchy.)”

Arts Benchmark

Connections, Relationships and Applications

B. Explain the relationship between concepts and skills used in drama/theatre with other curricular subjects.

Indicator: Use dramatic/theatrical skills to communicate concepts or ideas from other academic content areas.

Academic Benchmark

Government

C. Compare the defining characteristics of democracies, monarchies, and dictatorships.

Indicator: Describe the defining characteristics of democracies, monarchies, and dictatorships.

Walk Like an Egyptian

Lesson Summary

After watching a Power Point presentation on the style and technique of ancient Egyptian art, students mimic these techniques in their own paintings. Students are given a choice of five thematic questions to “answer” through stylistic Egyptian art techniques. These paintings reflect interpretations of Egyptian themes which are derived from the 6th grade Social Studies Benchmarks.

Arts Benchmark

Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts

B. Create a work of art which incorporates the style or characteristics of artwork from a culture other than their own.

Indicator: Analyze and demonstrate the stylistic characteristics of culturally representative artworks.

Academic Benchmark

History

B. Describe the political and social characteristics of early civilizations and their enduring impact on later civilizations.

Indicator: Compare the geographic, political, economic and social characteristics of the river civilizations in the Tigris and Euphrates (Mesopotamia), Nile (Egypt), Huang Ho and Indus valleys before 1000 B.C. including: [6B4] a. Location; b. Government; c. Religion; d. Agriculture; e. Cultural and scientific contributions.

Mesoamerican Art

Lesson Summary

Students were required to research an artistic element of their choice (music, drama, visual art, or dance) that represents a part of Mesoamerican culture. Students had to present their findings orally to the class and create a research report.

Arts & Academic Benchmarks

Arts Benchmark

Visual Art

Connections, Relationships and Applications

Apply and combine visual art, research and technology skills to communicate ideas in visual form.

Indicator: Describe the function of art in the daily lives of their communities and cultures.

Drama

Connections, Relationships and Applications

Identify recurring drama/ theater ideas and concepts that occur across time periods and/or cultures.

Indicator: Collaborate in a dramatic/ theatrical activity to achieve a common goal.

Dance

Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts

Perform and describe dances from various cultures and historical periods with emphasis on cultures addressed in social studies.

Indicator: Recognize and explore dance as a communal activity (e.g., European folk dance, African dance and Native American dance).

Music

Connections, Relationships and Applications

A. Compare and contrast common terms used in and for the interpretation of music and other arts disciplines.

Indicator: Identify different functions and uses of music in their own and other cultures.

Academic Benchmark

Social Studies Skills and Methods

A. Analyze different perspectives on a topic obtained from a variety of sources.

Indicator: Complete a research project that includes a bibliography. [6C5]

Mesoamerican fabric and clothing styles

Aztec feather shields

Sacrificial knife

Ceremonial masks


Quipus

Jewelry

Adobe homes

Sacrificial bowl

A Trip to Mesopotamia

Lesson Summary

Students will study Hammurabi’s Code of Law, which is the first set of written law in Ancient Mesopotamia. The Code of Law is written in cuneiform and presented in the center of town. Students discuss the reasons for creating such laws. After exploring and studying Hammurabi and his Code of Law- students will learn how to write cuneiform- the ancient language used to write this law on a stella displayed in the center of town. Using the ancient techniques of writing cuneiform, the students will copy one law in a rolled clay tablet, using a reed. Each tablet will be fired so the law is etched permanently in the clay. Students will discuss the functionality of artwork as both beautiful (visual expression on the stella) and purposeful.

Arts Benchmark

Creative Expression and Communication

B. Create two- and three- dimensional original artwork that demonstrates personal visual expression and communication.
Indicator: Explore ways that art making functions as a means of personal identification and expression.

Academic Benchmark

Government

A. Explain why people institute governments, how they influence governments, and how governments interact with each other.
Indicator: Explain reasons for the creation of governments such as: a. protecting lives, liberty and property; b. providing services that individuals cannot provide for themselves.

Dr. Matney, associate professor of archaeology and a Miller South parent, teaches cuneiform "old school" style.

Our room is transformed into scribe school!

Students practice their lessons in wet clay.
First lesson, copy a code from Hammurabi's Code of Law.

Perfect penmanship!

Fired Clay Tablets

Dr. Matney brought ancient Mesopotamia to life by sharing his archaeological finds with classroom students.

Ancient Artifacts: Can you guess the purpose?

A real cuneiform tablet!

Sumi-e Painting

Lesson Summary

Part One: Using a PowerPoint presentation and actual physical examples, students will examine Sumi-e paintings to learn and evaluate this special art form. Students will be exposed to ancient and modern Sumi-e paintings. Students will examine and assess the paintings to find common themes in the art work. They will learn techniques and qualities that are specific to Sumi-e paintings. The purpose of this activity is to prepare for creation of student initiated Sumi-e paintings.

Part Two: Using Sumi-e techniques studied, students will create an original artwork that consists of the following elements: chops, calligraphy, and a natural theme. Sumi-e painting traditionally used the themes of landscapes, flowers, birds, and plants. In individual paintings, students will artistically demonstrate how the agriculture of ancient China influenced the development of the Huang Ho river civilization.

Arts Benchmark

Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts

A. Compare and contrast the distinctive characteristics of art forms from various cultural, historical and social contexts.

Indicator: Compare and contrast visual forms of expression found throughout different regions and cultures of the world.

Part Two ~ Visual Arts

Historical, Cultural and Social Contexts

B. Create a work of art which incorporated the style or characteristics of artwork from a culture other than their own.

Indicator: Analyze and demonstrate the stylistic characteristics of culturally representative artworks

Academic Benchmark

Part One

History

B. Describe the political and social characteristics of early civilizations and their enduring impact on later civilizations.

Indicator: Compare the geographic, political, economic and social characteristics of the river civilizations in the Tigris and Euphrates (Mesopotamia), Nile (Egypt), Huang Ho and Indus valleys before 1000 B.C. including: [6B4] a. Location; b. Government; c. Religion; d. Agriculture; e. Cultural and scientific contributions.

Part Two

Geography

C. Explain how the environment influences the way people live in different places and the consequences of modifying the environment.

Indicator: Describe ways human settlements and activities are influenced by environmental factors and processes in different places and regions including: a. bodies of water; b. landforms; c. climates; d. vegetation; e. weathering; f. seismic activity [6C5]