During our class before reading break, we turned the class into a townhall meeting as if we were in Jaffrey. We were trying to have a vote for if we should put in bylaws to protect the western painted turtle. I found this activity super fun and engaging, and it was a perfect form of cross-curricular between science and Arts education. I find that this activity was super fun and I’m sure kids will also really enjoy the activity even if they don’t take it as seriously as our class did. It gives students the chance to practice debate skills, take on roles as other people, and it gives students a chance to do research especially if you limit in the roles they can take on to be more educated characters.
The taking on a role can make some students feel far safer participating in the debate since they are not worried about other people judging them for their position because it is not them it is a different person they are playing. Taking on a role for a debate can also feel safer for those students who struggle with dramatics because they don’t like the idea of everyone looking at them because they are playing a role but also so is everyone else and they can also be using facts and not feelings if that helps them as well.
Pulling out the specific spots from the curriculum that this helps support:
| Subject | Curriculum point | Grade level |
| Art education | elements in the arts, including but not limited to: — dance: body, space, dynamics, time, relationships, form — drama: character, time, place, plot — music: beat/pulse, rhythm, tempo, pitch, dynamics — visual arts: elements of design: line, shape, texture, colour; principles of design: pattern, repetition | Kindergarten- grade 8 |
| English language arts | oral language strategies: adjusting volume, pace, tone, and articulation; focusing on the speaker; taking turns; asking questions related to the topic; making personal connections; making relevant contributions to discussion | Kindergarten+ |
| English language arts | Comprehend and connect (reading, listening, viewing) Use sources of information and prior knowledge to make meaning Use developmentally appropriate reading, listening, and viewing strategies to make meaning Explore foundational concepts of print, oral, and visual texts Engage actively as listeners, viewers, and readers, as appropriate, to develop understanding of self, identity, and community Use personal experience and knowledge to connect to stories and other texts to make meaning | Kindergarten (some of these ideas continue on into high grates or get built off of |
| English language arts | Exchange ideas and perspectives to build shared understanding Identify, organize, and present ideas in a variety of forms | Grade 1 |
| Science | Can change depending on the subject chosen (animals, plants, environments, etc) | |
| Social studies | Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and decisions Explain the significance of personal or local events, objects, people, or places (significance) Ask questions, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the content and features of different types of sources (evidence) Sequence objects, images, or events, and distinguish between what has changed and what has stayed the same (continuity and change) Recognize causes and consequences of events, decisions, or developments in their lives (cause and consequence) Acknowledge different perspectives on people, places, issues, or events in their lives (perspective) Identify fair and unfair aspects of events, decisions, or actions in their lives and consider appropriate courses of action (ethical judgment) | Kindergarten |
| Social studies | Depending on topic it can fit in a lot of places for social studies as well Also many of the points from kindergarten continue to be used in higher grades as well |