2014 is racing by, already it less than a week until Groundhog’s Day, on February 2nd. Groundhog’s Day began as a tradition in the Pennsylvania Dutch. Today in Southeastern Pennsylvania g’spiel (plays or skits) are performed as part of the traditional celebrations.
You can take part in the g’spiel tradition in your own classroom.
Your students will have fun learning interesting facts about Groundhog's Day and groundhogs when they read my play "Happy Groundhog's Day" and take part in the original card game "I Have, Who Has? – All about Groundhogs", included with the play. This fun, interactive game will have your class ask and answer questions to help reinforce facts and information shared in the play.
Written with 28 parts, the play is set at a school where the students meet the legendary groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, and are excited to learn all about Groundhog’s Day. Information about groundhogs is reviewed with a special game their teacher made for them.
“Happy Groundhog's Day” is an original play written for use as readers’ theater, as a part of balanced literacy (Read-Aloud, Shared and Performance Reading or Guided Reading), or for an actual play production. In readers’ theater or through one of the balanced literacy approaches to teaching reading, children are not expected to memorize their lines, yet the reading encourages strong oral skills. An added benefit is performing the play for other classes or parents while increasing social skills, cooperative learning and creativity. Using plays in literacy-based classrooms promotes active listening for the performers, as well as the audience, and offers an engaging way to teach reading skills.
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