ABSTRACT
Drama can mean many things to different people. Some may think of it as a scripted way of learning; that is the children take a role or part in a play all organised and choreographed by the teacher. Another common interpretation of drama in the classroom is that of children ‘enacting’ concepts, such as moving as if they are particles in jelly, chocolate or even an electron in a circuit. The children can be invited to change their movement to represent what happens if the jelly is heated and melts or the chocolate is left on a sunny window sill (and spreads as it becomes more runny, turning into a liquid) or the torch (containing an electrical circuit) is switched on and the movement of the electrons (creating an electrical current is) symbolised by passing a key along the ‘chain’ of children holding hands. These are quite common views about the ways that drama can be used to teach science and are perhaps the most usual forms applied in classrooms. However, there are many additional ways that theatrical techniques can be adopted to engage children actively in thinking about – and acting out ideas in – science. This chapter elaborates on some of these.
