Experience G.R.E.A.T.: Immigration is a life-changing collaborative arts learning project bringing together theatre arts and social studies focusing on students’ family immigration stories. This project effectively addresses the concept of diversity as it enriches our communities and our classrooms bothpersonally and collectively. An additional goal of this project is to increase the number of fourth grade students participating in high quality theatre arts learning opportunities.
Through a family member interview students will find out where their family immigrated from, who was the first to come, the reasons they left their home country, how they got here and what they brought with them. Many students will find a lot of new information that they didn’t know about their family. These 4th grade students are proud and excited to share their stories with the class. Stories about how their family can be traced to the Mayflower, or how an important heirloom is sitting at their house and they never even knew. Some students are excited to share that they are the first members of their family to come toAmerica.
Teaching artist Chris Brown, GREAT’s Education Director, collaborates with the students to create an original play using the students’ writings with lesson time dedicated to reflection and evaluation. These stories are developed into an on-stage drama “Coming to America; Stories of Immigration” performed by the students for their entire school community and their invited guests. Over three weeks the learners will participate in theatre exercises as they develop their theatre vocabulary, skills, and on-stage presence in preparation for the final performance.
Current Partner Schools:
Oak Ridge Elementary
Pine Meadow Elementary
Madison Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Westwood Elementary
Kennedy Elementary
Discovery Elementary
Oak Hill Elementary
Clearview Elementary