Drama and Mathematics

Fun in math.. who would have known!!

DRAMA + MATHEMATICS = FUN

Bringing math and drama together gives students, who may struggle with mathematics, the tools and confidence to keep working and be engaged while learning. In my one grade 4 placement students were learning about money, how much they would need to purchase something, how much change they should receive our give, etc. Being in the drama course gave me the confidence that I could find a way to bring drama into their mathematical learning process. 

After teaching students the strategies of adding and subtracting monies, I introduced to them the grocery store activity. Firstly, we practiced using a virtual grocery store on the smart board, so students could practice adding, subtracting and making sure they were giving the correct change. Once students felt confident in this activity I introduced them to the activity. I borrowed two cash registers (one from a family friend's old business, and a play one from the kindergarten students). Each student picked a role out of a bucket. The roles consisted of different people, a mom who needed to buy groceries for her children, a cashier at work, a young couple, etc. Each student's slip was either given a grocery list of everything they needed to buy and or what their role consisted of. Each student as given an envelope with play money. 

Students were given 25 minutes to get into character, chat with their acting peers, determine how much money their envelope had and try to get ready for their shopping trip. Around the classroom there were posters of items at a grocery store and the cost of it written next to it. Students had to write down the cost of their items on their list and once they collected all the information (groceries) they needed they needed to go to the cashier and purchase their groceries. It was the cashiers task to give the appropriate amount of change to the actors.

All students stayed in roles and had lots of fun! Later on in that week we had attended a bulldogs game and all students knew when buying popcorn, pizza or a poutine how much money they would get in return after paying for their treats! The drama activity stuck with students and they were able to use the mathematical thinking, through the drama activity, afterwards in a real life situation!!

Another fun activity that can be done in the classroom with drama and mathematics could include dice. Students could roll a dice and when it lands on a particular number those students in that group must come up with that amount of characters, settings, events, etc. These can then all be combined for students to create a scene and present together.

Drama - oh the fun!! 

Emily