Chapter 10

Drama, Role Play, and Simulations

in Social Studies

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Looking Ahead
What role does dramatic excitement and

suspense play in the elementary social

studies curriculum?
What is a true educational experience?
What techniques can teachers employ
to help create educational experiences?
What factors must teachers be mindful
of when using these or other
techniques?
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Can You
Explain how drama is a problem solving

activity?
Identify reasons for using dramatic
activities?
Describe different forms of mock trials?
Explain stories and get students to tell
stories in ways that are meaningful for the
learning context?
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Do You
Understand the term dramatic tension?
Understand how to use a variety of

dramatic techniques in social studies?

Understand the difference between role
play and socio-drama?
Understand what a guided fantasy is and
the purposes of this technique?
Understand the concept in-basket
game?
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Focus Activity
In small groups, generate a list of powerful quotes from

speeches and writings of historic figures.

Here are a few examples:
"I have a dream." Martin Luther King, Jr.
"This day shall go down in infamy." Franklin Delano Roosevelt
"Ask not what your country can do for you." John F. Kennedy
Ain't I a woman?" Sojourner Truth
We hold these truths to be self evident Thomas Jefferson
"Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers set forth on this

continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the

proposition that all men are created equal." Abraham Lincoln
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to
breathe free ... " Emma Lazarus
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Focus Activity
Repeat each quote several times going around

the group with each person trying to express the

quote as dramatically and differently as possible.
Discuss the meaning of each quote, and the
nuances that the different ways of stating the
quote add.
What does this say about how we learn from
dramatic and eloquent figures in history and what
we can learn from using drama in teaching?
Share responses with peers and instructor.
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

The Importance of Drama

in the Social Studies
What kind of classroom do you want

to create?
What does drama mean for the
elementary teacher?
What is positive dramatic tension
and how does one create it?
Why should a teacher use drama?
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Drama through Reading

What are/is
Guided fantasies?
Class action dramas?
Readers theater?
Dramatic reading?

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Role Plays and Other

Structured Drama
Techniques
What are/is
Structured role-play?
Sociodramas?
Childrens theater?

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Art and Story Related

Dramatic Techniques
What are/is
Picture pantomimes?
Story play?

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Reenactment
What makes reenactments so

beneficial for students?

In what ways can you incorporate a
reenactment?

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Interactional Drama
What is an interactional drama?
What is suspended disbelief and why

is it important?
Why should you not mimic famous
people?

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Drama Units
What are drama units?
How can one utilize them in an

elementary social studies classroom?

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Story Telling in Social

Studies
Why utilize the story telling

approach?
What are the three requirements for
story telling?
learning to choose a story that is worth

telling and fits your purposes

learning how to learn a story
learning how to tell a story
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Process Drama in Social

Studies
What is a process drama?
What are the key tools to this

approach?
Why should a teacher utilize this
approach?

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Effective Use of Drama in

Social Studies
What are the possible benefits and

pitfalls of utilizing drama in the social

studies?
How important is preparation when
using drama?

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Simulation Games
What are simulation games?
What are the possible benefits and

pitfalls of utilizing simulation games

in the social studies?
What is the most important element
to consider when using simulation
games?
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Mock Trials
What are mock trials?
What are the possible benefits and

pitfalls of utilizing mock trials in the

social studies?
What are the nine forms of mock
trial?

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Looking Back
Elementary teachers who have a

stronger sense of the drama of the

classroom are going to add suspense
and excitement to their teaching.
Among the many other forms of
drama that can be used are dramatic
reading, class action dramas, mock
trials, story play, sociodrama,
simulations, role-play, and story
telling.
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Extension
The final nine weeks is off to a fabulous start.

Your principal informs you that he would like

you to join his in-service training team. He
explains your role would be to develop and
implement in-service training sessions to
current teachers at your school and others in
the district.
You accept but realize after that you must
create three different sample activities that
incorporate drama and related techniques into
the elementary social studies curriculum.
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Extension
Develop three original activities that incorporate

drama and related techniques into the

elementary social studies curriculum (K-6 level
and topic of your choice).
The activities should be engaging and
informative.
Share your products with peers and/or instructor.

Essentials of Elementary Social Studies

By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Self-Test
1. What is a simulation game?
2. Develop an in-basket simulation

game.
3. Describe three types of mock trial.
4. What is readers theater?
5. What is the point of class action
stories?
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Self-Test
6. Why is humor used in so many of the

dramatic techniques?
7. What is the difference between role-play
and sociodrama?
8. What is story play?
9. What are some ways in which a teacher or
student can become a better storyteller?
10.What purposes do different dramatic
activities serve in the social studies?
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013

Resources
Boulton, J., and Ackroyd, J. (2004). The Toymakers

Workshop and Other Tales: Role-play in the Early

Years. Oxford, UK: David Fulton Publishers.
Farmer, D. (2011). Learning Through Drama in the
Primary Years. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.
Pogrow, S. (2008). Teaching Content Outrageously:
How to Captivate all Students and Stimulate
Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Whaley, C. (2002). Meeting the Diverse Needs of
Children Through Storytelling. Young Children,
57(2) (March), 3134.
Essentials of Elementary Social Studies
By Turner, Russell, Waters
Copyright 2013