State History Acting and Podcasting

Throughout the year my students study a large number of historical periods which make up the history of our state. These are interesting periods for children to study, and they naturally take to “putting themselves in the shoes of the past.”

During each major period of study, students will take on the role of a historical character with extreme attention given to historical accuracy through research. Whenever possible, primary source documents will be used to create these characterizations. As part of the creation of this character, students will need to work collaboratively to design and create historically accurate costumes. They will then work in groups to prepare a script to present the relevant historical information in a play for other classes. Their group work will continue as they record an interview of the historical figure to feature on a class podcast.

At that point the students will use digital cameras, camcorders, and Tool Factory Home Page software to create a web page featuring their learning. They will then use Tool Factory Podcasting software to publish the class podcasts. My intention is for my students to share the information with other classes through their web page and podcasts, thus continuing the learning cycle.