Holiday Movies Inspire Drama in the Classroom

Jump to course: Teaching Drama Across the Curriculum

“Drama is life with the dull bits cut out.”- Alfred Hitchcock

I look forward to the holiday season for so many reasons. Time with family, great food and of courses those holiday movies! Every year in my family, we argue over whether or not Die Hard was actually a Christmas movie and we are constantly switching channels between, A Christmas Story and the Mummer’s Parade in Philadelphia. Thanksgiving and Christmas Hallmark shows are a fun retreat for some, agony for others! One thing we can all agree on is how much our beloved movies and shows have become a nostalgic part of the holiday season.

Holiday movies and shows can also be used to inspire teachers to add something special to a drab lesson plan. For example, instead of teaching the life cycle of a frog, wouldn’t it be more fun to act it out? Instead of lecturing about George Washington, pretend to be him! Have your students ask “George” anything about his time as a surveyor, soldier, general and finally a president! Acting is a great way to keep students’ attention and it also helps them retain important facts. Incorporating high-interest dramatic activities has proven to increase achievement and decreases behavior issues. This season enjoy finding new inspiration for the classroom in those old holiday movies. Check out Teaching Drama Across the Curriculum for quick easy ways to incorporate drama into the existing curriculum.

Teaching Drama Course Clip:

Teachers of any subject area will have a blast creating the materials to use in class, watching students act out a scientific phenomenon or using improvisation to become a historical figure.

This course offers teachers an opportunity to include creative writing, public speaking, preparation and memorization skills and performance opportunities as components of their curricula with the added benefit of 18 hours of professional development. Break a leg!

Projects to be Completed:

• Reflection and Video Response
• Standards Match Up
• Improvisation
• Character Development
• Setting the Scene
• Scene Scenarios and Movie Reels
• Lesson Plan

The Teacher’s Academy is approved to provide professional development in Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Georgia, New York and many other states.

The Teacher’s Academy has made renewing educator licenses convenient, affordable and relevant. Our professional development courses allow you to create custom materials for your own classroom like grade sheets, organizational tools and lesson plans. Teachers earn (well-deserved) professional development hours towards their license renewal requirements for developing classroom materials they can use right away.