Learning Science Through Drama

This edited volume presents interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches to drama and science in education. Drawing on a solid basis of research, it offers theoretical backgrounds, showcases rich examples, and provides evidence of improved student learning and engagement. The chapters explore various connections between drama and science, including: students’ ability to engage with science through drama; dramatising STEM; mutuality and inter-relativity in drama and science; dramatic play-based outdoor activities; and creating embodied, aesthetic and affective learning experiences. The book illustrates how drama education draws upon contemporary issues and their complexity, intertwining with science education in promoting scientific literacy, creativity, and empathetic understandings needed to interpret and respond to the many challenges of our times. Findings throughout the book demonstrate how lessons learned from drama and science education can remain discrete yet when brought together, contribute to deeper, more engaged and transformative student learning.

Contains ready-to-use, tried-and-tested lesson plans for engaging students aged 11-16 in the sciences using drama and role play techniques.

This book presents a wide range of international perspectives that explore the different ways the diverse forms of drama supports learning in science. It illustrates how learning science by adopting and adapting theatrical techniques can offer more inclusive ways for students to relate to scientific ideas and concepts. The theatrical processes by which subject matter can be introduced, thought about, discussed, transformed, enacted and disseminated are shown to be endless. The first section of the book considers different ways of theorising and applying drama in classrooms. The second section provides a range of case studies illustrating how role play, performance, embodiment and enquiry approaches can be utilised for learning in primary, secondary and tertiary education contexts. The third section demonstrates how different research methods from questionnaires, particular kinds of tests and even the theatrical conventions themselves can provide rich data that informs how drama impacts on learning science.

How to increase students' interest and engagement in science is a challenge shared by teachers around the world. Designing effective science lesson plans using drama and role play requires expertise across two very different subject areas and, as a consequence, many science teachers find it difficult to incorporate this technique into their teaching. This book provides busy teachers with ready-made lesson plans for teaching many abstract scientific principles in a fun and novel way that really engages students. Drawing on and combining the knowledge of biology, chemistry and physics education specialists with drama education experts, this book covers topics taught widely in the sciences with pupils aged 11-16. The editors and contributors give a broad background to the value of drama and role play in the teaching of science, including a section summarising, for the non-drama specialist, the main techniques that will be used throughout the book. They also provide guidance on how teachers who have enjoyed using the lesson plans within the book can design their own drama and role play activities.

Dramatic Science is an invaluable tool for any Key stage 1 teachers and primary science leaders. It will also be of use for elementary teachers (overseas) who have classes of 5 - 8 year olds. It provides the busy professional with a range of tried and tested techniques to use drama as a support and aid to the teaching of science to young children. The techniques within this book offer innovative and creative strategies for teaching a challenging area of the curriculum and broadening teachers' own scientific knowledge and understanding. All the activities in this book have been proven to work in a number of primary schools, offering an inclusive way to teach science and the authors provide a pedagogical commentary on the ways that teachers have tried the techniques and how they have worked best. Reflective discussion on the activities will include reflections on how children have responded to these activities and how that has impacted on their learning. This invaluable resource:- Develops critical and creative thinking Scaffolds creative learning Broadens teachers' scientific knowledge and understanding Provides guidance on active and participatory learning Can engage children and teachers at a variety of levels Links science to real life Enhances children's application of science to different situations Develops problem solving skills Enhances and extends speaking and listening skills Any teachers wishing to hone their practice to motivate children and improve their science learning and attainment will find this an invaluable resource. It will also be useful for advanced skills teachers who are involved in supporting their peers and other professionals to improve the quality of learning in science and other subjects, trainee teachers and NQTs interested in developing creative learning in their classrooms.

'Learning Through Drama' contains drama strategies and lesson plans for use with primary school children across the curriculum. The book provides guidance to teachers who have never taught drama before but are considering using it in a subject area such as science or history and offers new approaches to those familiar with common drama techniques (such as hot-seating and teacher in role). The book includes 36 drama strategies and over 250 cross-curricular activities, including practical ideas for inspiring speaking, listening and writing. 'This book is a beautifully laid-out, easy to use resource, full of imaginative and practical ideas to help learning become much more memorable and inspirational.' - Hilary Lewis (Drama Consultant). 'Even the well-practiced and creative drama teacher will find something in this book that serves as a refresher, reminder or quite simply a new idea... a must-have publication for those serious about the teaching of drama in primary school settings.' - Teaching Drama magazine.

Dramatic Science is an invaluable tool for any teachers and primary science leaders who have classes of 5 – 10 year olds. It provides the busy professional with a range of tried and tested techniques to use drama as a support and aid to the teaching of science to young children. The techniques within this book offer innovative and creative strategies for teaching a challenging area of the curriculum and broadening teachers’ own scientific knowledge and understanding. All the strategies in this book have been shown to work effectively in a range of primary schools. The approaches described offer an inclusive and participatory way to teach science and the authors provide a pedagogical commentary on the ways that teachers have tried the techniques and how they have worked best. Reflective discussion on the strategies will include discussion about how the children have responded to these strategies and how the drama experiences have impacted on their learning. This invaluable resource:- Supports working and thinking scientifically Develops critical and creative thinking Scaffolds creative learning Broadens teachers’ scientific knowledge and understanding Enhances children’s understanding of science Provides guidance on active and participatory learning Can engage children and teachers at a variety of levels Links science to real life Heightens children’s application of science to different situations Develops problem solving and enquiry skills Enhances and extends speaking and listening skills Any teachers wishing to hone their practice to motivate children and improve their science learning and attainment will find this an invaluable resource. It will also be useful for science leaders, specialist teachers and other professionals who are involved in supporting schools to improve the quality of learning in science and other subjects, trainee teachers and NQTs interested in developing creative learning in their classrooms.

Grade level: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, e, i, s, t.

In August 2003 over 400 researchers in the field of science education from all over the world met at the 4th ESERA conference in Noordwijkerhout, The Netherlands. During the conference 300 papers about actual issues in the field, such as the learning of scientific concepts and skills, scientific literacy, informal science learning, science teacher education, modeling in science education were presented. The book contains 40 of the most outstanding papers presented during the conference. These papers reflect the quality and variety of the conference and represent the state of the art in the field of research in science education.

This study explored the inclusion of creative drama into science teaching as an instructional strategy for enhancing elementary school students' understanding of scientific concepts. A treatment group of sixth grade students was taught a Full Option Science System (FOSS) science unit on Mixtures and Solutions with the addition of creative drama while a control group was taught using only the FOSS teaching protocol. Quantitative and qualitative data analyses demonstrated that students who studied science through creative drama exhibited a greater understanding of scientific content of the lessons and preferred learning science through creative drama. Treatment group students stated that they enjoyed participating in the activities with their friends and that the creative drama helped them to better understand abstract scientific concepts. Teachers involved with the creative drama activities were positively impressed and believed creative drama is a good tool for teaching science. Observations revealed that creative drama created a positive classroom environment, improved social interactions and self-esteem, that all students enjoyed creative drama, and that teachers' teaching style affected students' use of creative drama. The researcher concluded that the inclusion of creative drama with the FOSS unit enhanced students' scientific knowledge and understanding beyond that of the FOSS unit alone, that both teachers and students reacted positively to creative drama in science and that creative drama requires more time.