Learning Science through Drama

Abstract

The inclusion of creative drama into science teaching as an instructional strategy for enhancing elementary school students' understanding of scientific concepts.

Keywords

Science, Drama

Introduction

Drama is any text written with the purpose of portraying a story through dialogue. It is one of the best literary forms through which dramatists can directly speak to the audience and they can receive instant feedback of audiences. Dramatists use their characters as a vehicle to convey their thoughts and values

Drama can be used as a teaching and learning tool to help students make meaning of a number of skills they need to be a well rounded individual. It further allows them to experience and explore the world around them through different characters and roles, further building on their relationship with others and things.Since drama uses spoken words and dialogues, thus language of characters plays a vital role, as it gives clues to their feelings.

The major elements of drama includes characters, dialogue, plot, setting, stage,direction and theme.  Students always learn best when they are engaged and interested, as well as, when they are actively involved. As students are strongly focused and concentrating, their overall understanding simply increases. Drama simply helps students further understand the importance of values they are already aware of, as well as, it guides them in developing and forming additional values. 

Through different characters, students share the opportunity to expand their problem solving skills both verbally and non-verbally, making room for a sense of creativity. As well, students practice and build upon various communication skills through the use of body language, facial expressions and different voices.

Fun is learning, and learning is fun. If we remember this and try to incorporate fun in  teaching, students will definitely enjoy the learning process. Students enjoy dealing with and discussing real life issues and problems, they like figuring things out, doing interesting things, doing things differently .Science is viewed as a rigorous, logical, structural, and serious discipline and  the students feel boring to great extend and difficult to understand, in order to remove this difficulty in students the genre of drama was incorporated into the science.

Define keywords

Science-area of study that tells about facts

Drama- art that represents performance

Methodology

In order to incorporate drama into science, the textbook that was selected was NCERT standard five text.The text had different chapters, out of them one chapter was selected which was based on the phenomenon of Photosynthesis in plants.Drama script was prepared with the title ‘What the Tree Said’, it had two scenes namely in Playground and Under a Tree respectively, five characters were there and the Mother nature herself becomes a vibrant character.

Conclusion

Drama can be used as a teaching and learning tool to help students make meaning of a number of skills they need to be a well rounded individual. It further allows them to experience and explore the world around them through different characters and roles, further building on their relationship with others and things.Taking various roles in character allows students to use all senses and characteristics in order to understand the character, as well as, the scenario or story at hand. Learning how to express oneself in different ways and through different means, helps build a strong character and personality. Through different characters, students share the opportunity to expand their problem solving skills both verbally and non-verbally, making room for a sense of creativity. As well, students practice and build upon various communication skills through the use of body language, facial expressions and different voices.
Drama simply allows students the opportunity to rehearse roles, further giving form or shape to the individual and personal ideas and feelings they are naturally experiencing. Overall, this allows students to make sense out of their ‘real’ life  problems. Drama can be used as a teaching and learning tool to help students make meaning of a number of skills they need to be a well rounded individual. It further allows them to experience and explore the world around them through different characters and roles, further building on their relationship with others and . Drama simply brings students together, allowing them to find different characters that best suits them, different roles to express who they are, and different ways to build upon and develop social awareness.