Hello hard-working administrators, fellow educators, and theatre nerds (don’t worry – I’m one, too!)! Thank you for checking out Quest Theatre, a small, but mighty, theatre for young audience company. For more than 39 years, Quest has been introducing young people to a world of imagination, creativity, and personal development. Whether it’s through shows, camps, or in-school programming, Quest offers kids an opportunity to explore characters, interpret stories, learn about the world, see multiple perspectives, practice vital social skills, experience physicality in new ways, and play. The Artists in School program allows for professionals to facilitate a week of creation with students from all grades. Educators can choose whether they want ‘Story’, where a childhood classic influences the piece; ‘Creation’, where a virtue is incorporated; or ‘Shakespeare’, where children are encouraged to dig into abridged Bard productions. These experiences are formative and creative – and since they also meet curricular outcomes, that’s just as awesome!
If you’re a teacher like myself, it’s hard to justify hiring a theatre company “just because”. I know from filling out paperwork, budgeting is a real concern and there’s pressure to connect ‘fun’ to learning outcomes. A little about me – I graduated university with a BFA in Drama and a BEd in Early Childhood Education. For the last eight years, I have had the chance to intern with Quest for a whole year, become an Artist/Instructor with their school programs, and join the Calgary Board of Education. I’ve been a substitute and classroom teacher, working with students from kindergarten to grade twelve and I am no stranger to administrative practices.
Coming from the best of both worlds as an educator in the school system and a “Questie” in a professional TYA company, I can clearly see the enormous educational implications that Quest Theatre provides.
Quest asked me to provide a resource document entitled, “Connections between Quest Theatre’s Artists in School Program and Alberta Education’s Elementary School Curricular Outcomes”, to support elementary school principals and teachers in identifying curriculum ties. Scrolling to the respective grade level, teachers can see which of Alberta Education’s curricula goals are met by the Artists in School program in any subject – math, physical education, and science included. If there’s not enough time to digest all those particulars, a page afterwards provides a summary of how Quest programming matches with the basic learning outcomes of each program of studies. I must admit, I’ve always valued drama as a class, and I’ve always been able to defend why it’s important for kids to try, but while writing the document I was amazed at how many curricular outcomes can be met in a single week of a Quest program.
A week with Quest can meet curricula from every school subject. This can depend on multiple factors – which program type (from the aforementioned list), the grade level, and the input from the classroom teacher. If there are any learning objectives significant to the educator, their class, or the school, Quest welcomes them! Learning about the many adaptations of animals? No sweat! Perhaps there’s a butterfly or two in A Midsummer Night’s Dream that casually hide from their predators against a lush theatrical setting. Or maybe you’re studying transformations? Students can delve into slides, reflections, and rotations in their physical warm-ups. Don’t be afraid to speak to your class’ Questie and voice your suggestions. As a sidenote, Quest is aware of the transition into the new curricula of certain subjects, and these curricular changes will be incorporated where they apply.
In a nutshell, Quest meets curricular outcomes in a variety of ways. The following are simply a few examples of how Quest can meet provincial expectations. Physical movement, warm-ups, and games practice fine and gross motor skills, explore the representation and control of different emotions, and relate to ideas like the passage of time and seasons – all concepts outlined in the physical education and wellness curricula. In relation to English Language Arts (ELA), using stories and classic literature as inspiration introduces character development, plot structure, and literary devices, like metaphor and onomatopoeia. The use of verbal and non-verbal communication in drama tasks directly correlates to curricular concepts in physical education, health, social studies, and ELA. During play creation, students use grouping – which can be connected to skip counting, multiplication, division, and other mathematical concepts. Sequencing is common, as well as vocabulary terms such as, “more”, “less”, and “total”. Shapes and sizes of 2D and 3D objects are discussed when using and building set pieces and props, as well as measurement. Set design can relate to scientific notions like properties, as well as the movement of objects (type, speed, direction, pathways, and levels). In many student creations, scientific lessons are incorporated, such as the life cycles of animals, types of weather, electricity, and more. And then there’s Social Studies. By collaborating with the Questie and their classmates, students explore their own talents, creativity, and abilities; appreciate the aptitudes and participation of their peers; as well as explore a sense of identity and what it means to belong to a community. They learn to create with and listen to one another to achieve goals and talk about how different groups of people interact to resolve conflict. It’s also important to Quest that a multitude of texts and ways of storytelling are included to acknowledge different cultures, traditions, and history.
Thank you for coming along as I’ve endeavoured to explain the “Connections” document that I hope many of you will read and use. Educators work extremely hard every day, and it’s my goal that this document will help make booking Quest easy by clearly outlining curricular connections and explaining how these outcomes are met. How could I end this blog post without wishing you the best of luck for getting through the final months of the year? As we say in the ‘biz’, “break a leg!”
