| TIP #4: “To be, or not to be!” Dramatize it! If you want to see children get excited, pull out a storage bin of fun dress up clothes and assign them someone to be! You’re not going to be able to slow them down. What better way is there to get an “oral report” than to have the child dress the part of what he or she has learned about and repeat back to you the lesson from the character himself! Use a camcorder and record their performances, or assign them roles of newscasters, reporting through an interview with “Queen Elizabeth,” inquiring what she’s going to do about the Spanish fleets of King Philip. Perhaps “Daniel Boone” can share about his travels through the Kentucky wilderness! Dramatizing also allows the child to relate to the character or situation they are studying about. It adds an element of understanding that mere reading or discussion can not do. It’s simple to begin a collection of costume materials. Yard sales and thrift stores are great places to pick up formal gowns or suit coats very inexpensively. A woman’s ruffled white blouse can become a great colonial shirt. Pick up inexpensive pants and cut them off below the knee, stuffing them in high socks for knickers. Often children’s toys such as hats of various occupations can be acquired inexpensively too. A woman’s skirt can become a long skirt of a pioneer or colonist to a younger girl. Shawls, boots, bandanas, and gloves are good finds as well. Keep an eye out for yard sale jewelry that might be fitting for a sixteenth century “Queen,” or to complete a nineteenth century ante-bellum outfit. Look for panels at fabric stores, such as flags, red and white checkered material, lace, and muslin. They will always come in handy! And don’t forget props—swords and guns, “armor,” glasses, fake beards, wigs, hats, whatever you can find that would fit another era. You need to look with a different eye! I once found a large, gold, plastic vase that originally held florist foam and a spray of silk flowers. With the flowers and foam removed, it resembled a chalice that might have been held by King Henry VIII. We’ve since used it for all medieval play. We’ve also used fake fur scraps for “mountain man” acting. Used army/navy surplus is a great way to gather costume material for WWI and WWII. Reenacting is another wonderful way of getting into character! If you study the Civil War, act out a battle! Set up a camp and recruit friends and family. Serve authentic foods and assign names of famous leaders or civilians, such as Clara Barton or Sergeant York. If you can, attend an actual local reenactment. Be sure to ask lots of questions of the reenactors! They will often answer in character, making you feel like you have been transported back in time. Living history museums are also fantastic ways to immerse a child into another era!
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Saturday, August 20, 2011
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