Open Forum

Hey All!

I am a first year theatre teacher in a first year theatre program. I've been asked to have the 4th and 5th graders do Holiday skits at the Holiday concert this year. Most of my students are below reading and writing on grade level so I'm not sure about devising or writing skits with them. My school's schedule is wonky with the 3rd-5th graders. Each grade is divided into 4 groups and I see one group on Monday and Friday that rotates every week and then the whole grade once a week on the day they have extended elective classes. So at most two groups will be able to have 4 rehearsals so I want something pretty simple they will remember easily. Because of the schedule, we will have about 4-5 total rehearsals before the concert. The theme of the Holiday concert is Christmas through the decades. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I can have them do? 

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Willow Brookshire
Elementary Theatre Arts Teacher
NC
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Try identifying the best reader or several. Place them at a microphone to read a holiday book or poem like ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas or The Grinch. Put the rest in costume and have them act out the story or pose in tableaus. I did something like this with a rowdy group of third grade cub scouts, except our text was the book We’re going on a bear hunt. Or, you could have them create ornaments through the decades to hold in their tableaus. It might be impossible to find a script that follows the holidays through the decades. If you need to do multiple holidays, find short poems or excerpts to read and use the same system of tableaus to illustrate them.
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Original Message:
Sent: 11/10/2025 2:17:00 PM
From: Willow Brookshire
Subject: Holiday Skits for Upper Elementary

Hey All!

I am a first year theatre teacher in a first year theatre program. I've been asked to have the 4th and 5th graders do Holiday skits at the Holiday concert this year. Most of my students are below reading and writing on grade level so I'm not sure about devising or writing skits with them. My school's schedule is wonky with the 3rd-5th graders. Each grade is divided into 4 groups and I see one group on Monday and Friday that rotates every week and then the whole grade once a week on the day they have extended elective classes. So at most two groups will be able to have 4 rehearsals so I want something pretty simple they will remember easily. Because of the schedule, we will have about 4-5 total rehearsals before the concert. The theme of the Holiday concert is Christmas through the decades. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I can have them do? 

------------------------------
Willow Brookshire
Elementary Theatre Arts Teacher
NC
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