| Teaching with the multiple intelligences in | | | | scripts, create their own costumes, sets, |
| mind is an admirable goal - and a difficult | | | | props, and sound effects, and finally present |
| one. How do you effectively incorporate the | | | | their adaptations to the class. Some students |
| multiple intelligences, meet the requirements | | | | choose to stage live performances, while |
| of your school's curriculum, and make sure | | | | others video tape their performances. Each |
| that your students are developing their | | | | performance is evaluated by the audience as |
| verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical | | | | well as by the performers.In the past, my |
| intelligences all at the same time?In most | | | | students have adapted Shakespeare's Julius |
| cases, the answer is: you don't - at least | | | | Caesar using the following themes: a |
| not all at the same time. With careful | | | | super-hero theme, teenage conflicts using |
| planning, teachers can create a balance in | | | | stereotypical social groups, Disney films, |
| their lesson plans so that they accomplish | | | | etc.In addition to the traditional |
| all three of these goals over a period of | | | | verbal-linguistic and logical-mathematical |
| time. Teachers who try to accomplish this | | | | intelligences used to write about and analyze |
| feat every day will burn themselves out and | | | | literature, this writing assignment asks |
| will probably succeed in entertaining their | | | | students to call upon the spatial, |
| students rather than teaching them.Every once | | | | bodily-kinesthetic, musical, and |
| in a while, an assignment has the ability to | | | | interpersonal intelligences. The |
| meet all of these requirements, and better | | | | self-evaluation used at the end of the |
| yet, has the potential to reach all of the | | | | project even incorporates the intrapersonal |
| multiple intelligences (as opposed to two or | | | | intelligence.This writing assignment is |
| three). The Performance Adaptation Project is | | | | particularly well-suited to Shakespeare's |
| my personal favorite because my students were | | | | works, but it will work successfully with |
| so deeply engaged in the process. I watched | | | | other dramas as well as other types of |
| students who very rarely participated in | | | | literature.I have had more success with this |
| class exchanging ideas, helping to decide | | | | project than any other I have ever attempted. |
| what music best suited a particular scene or | | | | The students love it and the quality of their |
| whether or not Brutus had to die in order to | | | | work demonstrates a far greater understanding |
| fulfill the theme of the play.The Performance | | | | of the literature than they would have |
| Adaptation Project is a writing assignment | | | | otherwise achieved. It requires a bit of work |
| that encourages students to use | | | | to arrange, but it is well worth the |
| non-traditional skills and talents to respond | | | | effort.Visit The Writing Tutor lesson plans |
| to literature. The purpose of the writing | | | | section for more information. Handouts are |
| assignment is to assess the skills learned | | | | available for most lesson plans and writing |
| during the unit and to foster a deeper | | | | assignments.Michele R. Acosta is a freelance |
| understanding of the literature through | | | | writer, a former English teacher, and the |
| extended analysis and discussion. Students | | | | mother of three boys. Acosta has recently |
| are organized into groups of approximately | | | | completed her first self-help writing book |
| five or six and are asked to adapt a work of | | | | called Improving Sentence Structure. The |
| literature according to a specific theme. I | | | | ebook format is available from A to Z |
| provide suggestions, but also allow students | | | | Publishing. Acosta's newest web site, |
| to select their own themes. When presenting | | | | Writer's Help Desk, offers freelance provider |
| the project, I use Charles Dickens's A | | | | listings and freelance job listings as well |
| Christmas Carol as an example since most | | | | as other resources for freelance writers. |
| students are familiar with it. Adaptations of | | | | Visit The Writing Tutor for the ecourse |
| this classic include old black and white | | | | version of Improving Sentence Structure and |
| versions, cartoons like The Flintstones and | | | | for more articles, professional writing and |
| Mickey Mouse , and modernized versions made | | | | editing services, and other writing and |
| for TV and film.Several ready-to-use handouts | | | | educational resources. Copyright (c) |
| guide the groups of students through the | | | | 2004-2006 The Writing Tutor & Michele R. |
| analytical process. Once the analysis is | | | | Acosta. All rights reserved. |
| complete, the students write their own | | | | |