Shenmei Elementary School, Keelung City—Shenmei Small Theater Children's Stage

Life is like a play, and every child is a born protagonist! Drama is more than just performance on stage; it encompasses profound aesthetics, language, and the spirit of cooperation. This year, why not embark on a journey of exploring the world through art with the "Shenmei Little Theater: A Child's Big Stage" school-based curriculum for third graders at Shenmei Elementary School in Keelung City!
The most amazing thing about this course is that it breaks down the traditional class boundaries. The 160 children throughout the school year are dispersed and divided into 5 different theatrical genres according to their interests, and 6 instructors and multiple subject teachers work together closely across classes.
The curriculum is based on SDGs 4 "Quality Education", 11 "Sustainable Urban and Rural Areas", and 12 "Responsible Consumption and Production", and connects four major areas: Mandarin, visual arts, self-directed learning, and performing arts. Starting from students' creativity, it guides them to implement the spirit of "learning by doing" in real-world situations.
Through a complete process from "text reading," "script adaptation," "costume design and set construction," "stage rehearsal," to the final "stage performance," students explore diverse theatrical genres such as stage plays, shadow puppetry, string puppetry, musicals, and hand puppetry. From reading texts and rewriting dialogues to personally creating props and sets using environmentally friendly leftover materials, students transform their boundless imaginations into concrete works of art.
The course incorporates SEL (Social Emotional Learning) more deeply, encouraging students to learn to listen to peers' opinions, become aware of their own growth, and make responsible decisions for the overall performance of the team through group rehearsals and cross-class collaborations.
This time, let's write the script together, step onto the stage, and learn to work together as a team. When theater enters our lives, every rehearsal and communication, every handmade prop, is a most touching dialogue between students and art!