The following are ways that I will incorporate what I have discovered into my own classroom.

1. We are doing a unit called the Gift of Age. After the students have read some books with an older person as one of the main characters, I will let them reenact the story and then write a diary entry from the viewpoint of the older person in the story.

2. I will use the “Story Time” improv game to jumpstart my kids’ creativity before writing. Five kids go up front and stand side by side. The audience gives them a topic. The first person starts the story and continues until the teacher points to the next person who continues the story. This is usually done mid-sentence. It continues till the teacher stops the story. Our story could relate to an older person to go with the theme of our unit.

3.  The students will be interviewing an older person as a part of our study. I will have them role-play the interview before they actually conduct one. As they go through the role-play, this should generate more questions.

4.  We encounter a lot of new vocabulary as we research. I will have them keep a list of words that they discover in their folders. We will set aside a special time for them to share their new words with the class. They will do this through creative drama. They will have choices of using charades of a skit.

5.  One of the aspects of our study is taking a closer look at stereotypes and prejudice. I like the idea of using creative drama to diffuse difference. I will give them different scenarios that involve younger and older people when prejudice may be involved and let them follow through with how the scene could be done to avoid the prejudice. Ex. An older couple is walking in the mall for exercise and a group of teenagers are just hanging out. There is an accidental “encounter.”

6. Another way the kids could use creative drama to experience what it’s like to be older with a handicap is have them take on a physical handicap experienced by an older person for a short period of time such as putting cotton in both ears so they can’t hear as well and play out a scene with a grandchild.