Middle Mania: Imaginative Theater Projects for Middle School Actors (Young Actors Series)

By Maureen Brady Johnson

Book Overview

Middle Mania is a compilation of interactive, collaborative projects written for middle school teachers who spend a good part of their summer sifting through piles of plays in search of the perfect... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1575252546
• ISBN13: 9781575252544
• Release Date: December 2001
• Publisher: Smith & Kraus Pub Inc
• Length: 140 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.3" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Essential!

Drama got added to my music teaching schedule this school year and I had no idea what to do! I've never had a drama class in my life! This book saved me. The projects are interesting, fun, and involve the whole class. Better than that, the book spells out specifically what to assign when, things to watch out for in terms of management, and how to deal with assessment. I've seen lots of books with general ideas, but this book walks through projects day at a time with information about each piece. This book is a real lifesaver. I recommend it for anyone teaching drama, especially if you are new to the field or if it's not your specialty.

Innovative!

Maureen Brady Johnson is a playwright as well as an experienced teacher with a fabulously creative mind. Her ideas fairly explode off the page. I guarantee these projects will open new ways of thinking and new approaches to acting. "Middle Mania: Imaginative Theater Projects for Middle School Actors" is a gift! - Robin Rice Lichtig (playwright)

If you work with middle-school students, buy this book!

Easy to use lessons, projects, and ideas for the middle-school drama teacher or coach. I liked that you could pick and choose what works best in your program. I think every middle-school teacher should own this book, not just drama coaches - the creativity and energy and response will enlighten any classroom.

A Review from THE BOOK REPORT, Sept./Oct. 2002

Almost as soon as I began reading Johnson's book, I was thinking of individuals in our school with whom I could share it. Although it is written for theater teachers, it's useful for any teacher or administrator that might occasionally need an activity for community building. The book is written for middle school environments, but the ideas could easily be transformed for high schools or elementary schools as well. The chapters consist of seven different activities that promote involvement from all students, even the shyest, that are also fun for adult moderators. A few of the activities include Mask/Movement, Clan Drama: Solving a Mystery, and Rock `n' Roll Playwriting. Step-by-step instructions for developing and organizing the projects are broken down into chapter sections. I especially like the preface that summarizes each chapter and activity into single paragraphs. Following the activities, Johnson provides curriculum summaries, assignment sheets, grade assessment charts, and reflections on the book's projects. Every school should have at least one project. Highly Recommended.

Fun! Creative! What a relief!!

I teach middle school drama to 8th, 7th, and 6th grade every day! Approximately 600 students rotate through my curriculum each year! The activities presented in MIDDLE MANIA have prompted me to revamp my whole approach in teaching drama. They are fun, creative, easy to do and feel a lot less stressful than continually preparing for large-scale productions. What a gift! Thank you for sharing, Maureen!!