Winner, 2019 Writing Award, Lone Star College
Rising Water is an English language textbook that teaches spoken communication skills through the performance of an engaging and compelling one-act play. This action-packed original play is about a rebellious teenager who finds himself in the middle of a flooded city!
Whether it''s reader''s theater, an in-class performance, or a full production, putting on a play is the ultimate group project.
And drama is a powerful tool for learning spoken communication skills! Students take on acting skills like using body language, gesture, intonation, and other non-verbal cues to communicate better. They are exposed to natural language in a realistic setting. And they are motivated and engaged!
A range of activities prepare students to perform as they practice language skills:
- Background readings on topics raised by the play: how cities are fighting climate change and responding to natural threats, the unsung heroes of Hurricane Harvey, and why teenagers love risk!
- An original one-act play written for ELLs about a typical teenager who just can''t seem to get it together. When his city is hit by a flood though, his conservative parents and overachieving friends are helpless! Ajax''s recklessness may the only thing that can save the day
- Pragmatics lesson on asking for help and recognizing sincere vs. insincere offers
- Drama games about speaking with emotion and using emphasis to make meaning.
- Scaffolding to prepare students to produce a play including
- Lessons on attentive listening
- Guided questions to analyze the play
- Ideas for auditioning, learning a part, and marking scripts for emotional content to improve line readings.
- Tips for staging a play
- Post-Performance Activities, including a talkback, a mini-debate, writing a new scene or even a sequel or mining the play for useful language
- An optional assignment to host a panel discussion about how to best prepare teenagers for the future.
- Assessment rubrics and an answer key
Your students will look forward to class with this innovative resource that utilizes drama in language teaching! The play''s the thing!