Wednesday, December 21st, 2016– The Roads that Led to America, A Day at the Improv and Seasons Greetings…
THERE’S JUST SO MUCH GOING ON! Last week, The Company of Watson’s Winners was immersed in historical improvisational performances entitled, A Day at the Improv. It was a sold-out show! Some of the paparazzi pics can be seen by clicking on this here link to the Showcase: Watson’s Winners Work Page:
As you know, our over-arching theme in social studies and science is “Force Causes Motion, and Motion Causes Change.” We began our study of American History with the Middle Ages in Europe and Asia, simply as a way for the students to understand how history is an ongoing cycle of cause and effect. Example: The religious forces of the Crusades caused a massive movement of people, goods and ideas, which in turn created great change ~~ the death of the feudal system and advent of The Renaissance. As the intellectual and economic forces in that era grew stronger, a movement of explorers in search of trade routes led to the discovery of the Americas (massive change). More religious and economic forces caused settlement and colonization, and this is where we are now – just past Jamestown and Plymouth.
Previous to this, students completed another culminating piece called The Roads That Led to America. This was Google-based, with Google Drive and Chromebooks utilized throughout. Students used the many websites on my blog, our library research sites, and others they found, in order to research, take notes and make inferences related to the ideas above. They then wove their notes and inferences into “essays in disguise” writing in different historical voices/characters within each era (they also used babynames.com, historical map images for exact locations, Google translate and websites related to formal/middle English vocab, also on my blog). They then drafted and published their essays in disguise. READ THE STUDENT “PICTURE BOOKS” by clicking on the following link to the Showcase: Watson’s Winners Work Page:
For this Improv project, which was also Google-based, students honed in on the life of one historical character from the eras above (Middle Ages through Crusades, Renaissance, Exploration, Settlement) and investigated that character’s life through the lenses of particular questions (see project guidelines: A Day at the Improv!).
They then wrote a first-person “Faux Autobiography” (narrative nonfiction) in the voice of this person, again focusing on the big picture ideas that they researched. Once they “had become their characters” by writing and re-reading their pieces, we conducted a two-part event (with props, costumes and accents) called “A Day at the Improv,” in which by turns two seemingly random people from history were be picked out of my Tiffany Bag and had to hold an improvisational conversation in front of the audience – with the goal of finding out more about each other, but also finding the connections, similarities and differences and historical impacts that they each possess ~~ and seeing the cause and effect aspect of history. Audience members participated after each performance. After all performances were complete, we hosted a post-performance “Mocktail Reception,” at which students mingled in character and held more conversations with each other, all while enjoying some post-performance FESTIVATIONS!
Speaking of FESTIVATIONS, I cannot believe that the Holiday Break is almost upon us. The Company of Watson’s Winners are UBER EXCITED to perform our adorable and fun play, The Santa Interviews, for you ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23rd. CURTAIN RISES AT 12:15 SHARP! We think you’ll enjoy the show…
During this special time of year, it is my fervent hope that you and your family get to take some time and unwind, just to relax and enjoy each other and the dear ones in your world. These are trying times that we live in, and it seems more important than ever that we spend time each day doing the things that really matter with the people who matter most to us. My greatest wish though is that, in the weeks, months and years ahead, our world will become a place in which the love, peace and fellowship of being one humanity will be extended to and felt by all. Enjoy the rest of your Holiday Season!
The Watson's Winners Blog 