The Fifth Grade Play

Our 5th grade students experienced what has likely been the most ambitious design thinking project to date! What was it? It was their grade-level play. Each 5th grade class put on their own production. 

In years past, our drama teacher had written a play for our students, and then directed the play. Students filled the roles of actors and stage technicians, with all students receiving direction on roles, duties, and responsibilities. Tasks were pre-defined and clearly explained.

This year, the approach to the 5th grade play could not have been more different, and it was truly a community affair. This time around, the drama teacher and classroom teachers made a determined effort for this to be student-centered, and they took on the role of facilitator/questioner rather than boss or director. Aside from organizing the teams that were needed to put on the production, the teachers did not overtly guide the work. The teams included script writers, researchers, actors, costume designers, prop masters, sound masters, and stage tech crew. Students self-selected into one or more of these teams to put on their production. 

The students decided the theme for their play (all three classes focused on ecology). Students wrote the script - doing all of the research necessary to fact-check their work. Students then began crafting the props and costumes with the help of specials teachers in our wood shop and art classes. Students also delved into the sound effects and music needed for their productions, with our Lower School technology coordinator acting as facilitator of their work. The technical crew led the lights, curtain, and other stage elements for the productions. Students created playbills and invitations to the production as well!

On the day of the performance, the student pride in their work was clearly evident to all who came to the event. Students approached their work with a determined but happy energy. It was incredible to watch the teachers let students take the helm of all aspects of the live performance, from the start time to introducing the production to the closing curtain. 

Students performing one of the three plays

Following the play, our drama teacher, Letty Robinson, guided the students through a live debrief of the production and the process that led students to the performance day. It was really neat to hear the students reflect on their learning, and to watch parents listen to their students discussing their learning. Students were able to clearly articulate the challenges, victories, lessons, and take-aways that their design thinking journey took them on. Even better, students referenced the specific steps of the design thinking process in their debriefing.

Parents listen in as students debrief their learning process

The teachers were so proud of their kids for all of their work, as they should be! All of the involved faculty shared how hard it was to "let go" and let the kids run with their ideas, but they also all expressed how amazing the students were in terms of working through problems and finding solutions to "make it work" in the end. The plays each had a high production value, and in the end, the involved faculty said that the productions were the best they'd seen due to the students' ownership of all aspects of production. Given that the plays had involved props, costumes, scripts, and even songs, this was no small feat.

While the efforts to pull this off were intense, and it required a lot of collaboration and flexibility among the adults in the process, the glow of happiness from our students after they took their final bow made it all worthwhile. Everyone involved feels very strongly that the net result is that our students truly "own" their knowledge about the importance of ecology, as well as the fundamental steps and processes to put on a quality stage production. Kudos to our 5th grade students!