WHY LOUISIANA AIN'T MISSISSIPPI... OR ANY PLACE ELSE!

Curriculum Supports and Suggestions for Grades 3-5; 6-8; 9-12

OBJECTIVES

Students will cover historical information about the Mardi Gras season in New Orleans.
Students will cover some African American History of Louisiana
Students will write a narrative as a script, to perform.

EDUCATION STANDARDS: SOCIAL STUDIES, ELA, Theater Arts

Louisiana Social Studies Standards: 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.6, 8.7(a-d), 8.9b, 8.12d, 8.15(a, b, g), 8.17a
Louisiana ELA Standards: Writing: 8.3(a-e), 8.6
Louisiana Theater Standards: TH-CE-M6, TH-CE-M3, TH-CE-M4, TH-CE-M2

MEDIA RESOURCES & WEBSITES

Why Louisiana Ain't Mississippi... Or Anyplace Else Video Clips
- Congo Square Part 1
- Congo Square Part 2
Handout Material
- Mardi Gras Playwrights

MATERIALS NEEDED

Internet, Computers

SUGGESTED TIME

Teachers may allow students to work on this as a center, whole group lesson, or as a fast finisher task.

VERIFICATION
Checks for Understanding- additional questioning, observations.

ACTIVITY/LESSON

Social Studies/ELA/Theater Arts

Teacher will break students into three or four groups. Each group will take a different topic to create a play or skit to be acted out by the group.
Topics are: Mardi Gras Indians, Congo Square, Second Line, Modern Day Mardi Gras-more detail given on the instructional document.
Student groups will write a play or skit giving the history and facts about their topic in an interesting story format (either comical or dramatic). To increase interest, students may want to create costumes or props, which will also contribute to the realism of the skit. Mardi Gras Playwrights

VOCABULARY