Using Activities that don't require technology in the Social Studies Classroom

I've done a similar project with a class. The students selected a historical figure to research. The only criteria was that the person could not be currently living and they had to have had an impact on society in some way. Then, like your idea (which sounded like it must have been amazing to watch!) the students wrote monologues (speeches.) We started the process by writing biographies, identifying a significant moment in that person's life. Through a series of creative writing activities (eg. write about an image your character would want to and then another that your character would not want to see/touch/ smell, etc.) they built their monologue to present to an audience. The students worked in pairs, staging and directing one another's work, and the project ended with a presentation to other classes of differing ages. Each monologue was followed with a Q&A, and it was amazing the discussions that took place. Some of the historical figures that were represented included: Nelly Bly, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Adolf Hitler. I think it need be said - I was very impressed with the care and honesty with which my students treated the assignment and their representation of who their character was in life.

Kimberly, I love the idea of monologues and the addition of staging and directing in pairs. I will certainly use this idea :) Thanks for sharing.