Learning About the Ages & Stages of Children through Dramatic Skits

Middle school students can be high energy and constantly moving!  So, it’s always best to keep them engaged, using interactive lessons and activities whenever possible. This interactive lesson and activity was shared by Donna Cabrera of Martin L. Mattei Middle School, Pittston, Pennsylvania.  In this lesson, Donna has her students learning about the ages and stages of children in a fun, creative, dramatic way; skits!  Continue reading to see how she does this!

Objective

  • Compare and contrast Child Development guided practices according to the stage of Child Development. Identify ways to keep children healthy and safe at each stage of child development.

Set

  • Place students in groups. As a group, students will be assigned a child development age group and fact sheet. Students will read and highlight 2 details about their age group under each sub-heading of the child development fact sheet that they wish to act out. Sub-headings include:  Parenting Tips, Milestones, Child Safety, Healthy Bodies.
  • Developmental Stages are as Follows: Infants 0-1, Toddlers 1-2, Toddler 2-3, Preschoolers 3-5, Middle Childhood 6-8, Middle Childhood 9-11, Young Teens 12-14 (Note: Due to the sensitive nature of the young teen age group, Donna does not include that stage when she teaches middle school, however, high school teachers may want to address it.)

Materials

  • Child Development Fact Sheet (each stage has a downloadable PDF tip sheet on the website)
  • Props for Skits
  • Skit Template/Script
  • Highlighters

Activities

  • After highlighting at least 2 details under each heading that they wish to act out and explain, students begin creating a mini skit. For example:  If they highlighted “talk to your baby”, or “read to your baby”, they will make a skit portraying these details including dialogue and a story line.
  • Students will create props and scenery from class items and materials.
  • The narrator will narrate and explain the details (A synopsis and summary) as they are acted out.  Every group will act out a different developmental stage. The audience will be responsible for taking notes on the information presented in each skit, using the study guide form below.

Attachments

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at Free Digital Photos


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