One of the things I love most about teaching Drama is the opportunity it gives students to connect and understand the different perspectives and experiences that shape each person. However, this does not innately come with the class, and often we must work hard at fostering the relationships and support a Drama class can bring. In a world where kids are so connected to their devices and social media and struggle to build authentic connections with others, we must support the students and give them the tools to be able to do so.
As teachers, it often feels like we don’t have the time to build this into our lessons, but Drama uniquely lends itself to building empathy, conflict resolution skills, and emotional awareness through our program of studies. If you’re looking for a reset with your students or want to start the new year off on the right foot, I’ve gathered some Social-Emotional Learning activities that can be used in the Drama classroom and beyond. These activities come from my experience as a teacher, as well as insights I’ve gathered from other educators and online resources.
1. Character Walk
Objective: Develop empathy by exploring how characters react to challenges.
Instructions:
Introduction: Start by discussing empathy —being able to understand and share the feelings of others. This is a key skill in both life and Drama, which allows us to step into someone else's shoes.
Character Creation: Provide students with a brief character description (A 14-year-old student who just moved to a new city and doesn’t know anyone, or A young athlete who just got cut from their sports team). You can also let students create their own character with an emotional challenge (e.g., they did poorly on an assignment they worked so hard on, or feeling excluded from their friend group).
Character Journey: Have students walk around the room while embodying their character. Ask them to focus on how their character would move, speak, and express emotions based on their backstory. Offer prompts like: “Your character just had a difficult conversation with a friend. How do they feel?” or “Your character is facing a big decision. What emotions are they experiencing?”
Reflection: After a few minutes of walking, gather the students and ask them to reflect on their experiences. Prompt them with questions like:
· How did it feel to "be" your character?
· What new perspectives did you gain from stepping into someone else’s shoes?
· Can you relate to your character’s feelings or experiences in any way?
Debrief: Discuss how empathy helps us understand others in real life and leads to improved communication and relationships. Reflect on the importance of considering other people’s perspectives in their everyday lives.
2. Emotional Entrances & Exits
Objective: Recognize and express emotions through body language and movement, improving emotional awareness and nonverbal communication skills.
Materials:
· A list of emotions (e.g., joy, frustration, nervousness, pride, sadness, hope, etc.)
o There are many emotion generators online to help prep for this activity.
Instructions:
Introduction: Discuss how emotions are often communicated through body language—posture, facial expressions, and movement can indicate how or what we’re feeling-often better than words can.
Emotional Entrance/Exit: Students will take turns selecting an emotion and performing it physically, without using words. They should "enter the space," take a moment to embody the emotion, and then "exit" the space. Encourage them to use facial expressions, gestures, posture, and movement to convey the emotion.
After each performance, the class will guess what emotion was displayed. Afterward, ask the performer questions like:
How did you choose to express that emotion?
Why did you use certain movements or expressions?
How does body language change how we understand emotions?
Group Reflection: After a few rounds hold a group discussion about the different emotions that were performed. Explore how different people might interpret the same emotion based on their own experiences, cultural backgrounds, or body language.
Extension: As a follow-up, students can work in pairs or small groups to create short scenes based on a specific emotion. These scenes can then be performed for the class, emphasizing how emotion shapes both verbal and physical actions.
3. The Empathy Web
Objective: Strengthen empathy by connecting students’ personal experiences and emotions to those of others.
Materials:
· A ball of yarn or string
· A list of scenarios or questions related to emotions (optional)
Instructions:
Introduction: Explain the concept of empathy—feeling with someone, not just for them. Empathy helps us understand each other better and build supportive relationships.
Starting the Web: Have students sit in a circle. One student will begin by holding the ball of yarn and sharing something that makes them feel a particular emotion (e.g., "I feel nervous before a big test" or "I feel happy when I spend time with my friends"). They will then hold the end of the yarn and toss the ball to another student who shares a similar experience or emotion. This process will continue until the yarn has passed through the whole group, creating a "web" of emotional connections.
Building Connections: As the yarn is passed around, students must make connections between their emotions and those shared by others. For example, if a student shares that they feel anxious about speaking in front of the class, others who feel similarly can respond, "I’ve felt that too," and pass the yarn on. This helps build a sense of community.
Discussion: Once the web is complete, step back and observe how interconnected everyone is. Ask questions like:
How does it feel to realize others share similar emotions?
What does this web tell us about how we are all connected through our feelings?
How can we use empathy to support each other when we feel a certain way?
Wrap-Up: End by discussing how understanding and validating each other’s emotions helps create a more compassionate, connected community.
4. The Apology Game
Objective: Practice conflict resolution, accountability, and reconciliation through role-playing apologies.
Instructions:
Introduction: Discuss the power of a sincere apology. Explain that an apology is more than just saying “sorry”; it’s about understanding the impact of your actions, taking responsibility, and working to repair relationships.
Scenario Setup: Have students create their own scenarios that might require an apology (made-up or real-life) or have a list of scenarios for the class (e.g., "You hurt a friend’s feelings by making a joke about them," "You missed an important group project deadline," "You broke something that wasn’t yours").
Role Play: In pairs or small groups, students will role-play the scenario. One student will play the person who needs to apologize, while the other plays the person who was hurt or affected. The student apologizing should include key components of a meaningful apology, such as:
Acknowledging the behavior ("I realize I hurt your feelings when I said that...")
Taking responsibility ("I shouldn’t have said that. It was wrong of me...")
Offering a way to make it right ("Next time, I’ll be more mindful of how I speak to you...")
Reflection: After each round, have students reflect on the experience with questions like:
What made the apology feel sincere?
What was it like to both give and receive an apology?
How did it feel to offer a solution or promise to change your behavior?
Class Discussion: Discuss how apologies can help rebuild trust and mend relationships. Emphasize that a sincere apology isn’t just about words—it’s about demonstrating that you understand the other person’s feelings and are committed to making amends.
Extension: You can use this as a scene extension from a play you’re studying or as a character development exercise. Students can create a conflict for their character and write a scene that includes an apology.
Closing Reflection for All Activities:
At the end of each activity, gather the students for a brief reflection circle. Ask them to share:
One thing they learned about themselves through the activity.
One new way they can apply what they’ve learned in their personal lives.
This helps deepen the connection between Drama and social-emotional learning (SEL), reinforcing the idea that the skills learned in class can be transferred to real-life situations. It also validates students’ emotional experiences and helps them see how their peers process similar situations.
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