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This is a complete play/show I wrote from scratch that could be used for an assembly or end of year stage performance. It connects the themes of Earth and the Solar System/Space with the performing arts and includes an originally written song based on Nina Simone’s - Ain’t Got No. I have made a video with lyrics and the karaoke version of the song to make it easier for the children to learn. The moral of the play is about being ‘yourself’. It is therefore as much about social and emotional health as science. My children performed it last summer and it got rave reviews - to quote the head of school - “It was the best assembly I’ve seen in my decade as a school head”. The children made the roles their own and added a lot of the ideas during class discussions (e.g. using a hula hoop for Saturn, or doing a cartwheel for Uranus). For the song, the children also improvised the actions for the different lyrics - again this was a big part of the learning (we were doing a performing arts unit so working on improvising moves to words/choreography was part of this). While my students were Grade 3 (8-9), this play would definitely work with older children too. After all, the play is just the idea - it is the actors that bring it to life and make it their own!

I used this as a warmer - the children had to name my 6 nieces and nephews by using their pictures and the classification chart/decision tree. Once they understood how it worked I had them make their own classification chart based on identifying 6 chosen members of their class.