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