“You are perfectly cast in your life. I can't imagine anyone but you in the role. Go play.”
Lin Manuel Miranda
Drama Classes at Cameron Middle School focus on participation, engagement and effort. The goal isn't to create the next great award winning actor, it is to create people who are willing to participate and try something new.
The center of the Drama Curriculum at Cameron Middle School is Communication. Drama allows students to communicate with and understand others in new ways. Drama classes provide the practical aspects of communication so necessary in today's increasingly information-centered and technology-centered world. Students in Drama are required to have self-control and follow the rules. They will learn to work together, and find the best way for each member of a group to contribute and to listen to and accept the viewpoints and contributions of others. Drama is an important tool for preparing students to live and work in a 21st Century World where businesses are increasingly looking for staff who are team-oriented.
Drama classes also help students develop tolerance and empathy. A Drama student will study how the world looks through another person's eyes. This does not mean a student must agree with another perspective but understand that there are other perspectives and that our Framingham, and Cameron Middle School, Community is filled with diverse perspectives. Drama classes can help build responsible global citizens.
6th Grade Drama Classes introduce students to the exciting world of Drama in 10 fast-paced classes. Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge based on Theatre Etiquette, Stage Basics, Mask Making, Puppetry, Improvisation and more, while reflecting on their work through self-reflection and peer observation.
7th Grade Drama Classes build ensembles within a class and encourage students to take risks and step outside their comfort zone, while always reinforcing that the lessons learned in Drama class can be used in other aspects of their lives. In this semester's long course, students are introduced to Storytelling, Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication, Dramatic Structure, Improvisation and Musical Theater.
8th Grade Drama Classes take on a new element of Drama, Presentations. Throughout the trimester long course students gain presentation skills through a variety of presentations, starting with telling a joke, sharing a family tradition, writing a monologue about overcoming an obstacle, a group theatrical design presentation and finishing off the class with an essay about someone who inspires them. Students will reflect on their work through writing, peer critiques, and in class discussions.
Arts & SEL is a year-long course meeting once a cycle that focuses on SEL Competencies through Drama. Students will engage in thoughtful discussions and reflection on a variety of topics.
Teri Shea
Drama Teacher and Theatre Director
tshea@framingham.k12.ma.us
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