Celebrating the Second Grade Play
In early February, the Class of 2031 performed “Live from Planet Earth! The Story of Rachel Carson and the Interconnectedness of All Things.”
“Live from Planet Earth!” began with a movement piece that took a hard and humorous look at what happens to our trash and recycling after we dispose of it and continued with a short play exploring how issues around sustainability and environmentalism today relate to the work of lifelong nature lover, scientist, and environmental activist Rachel Carson. Carson’s research and work proved that the pesticide DDT not only killed insects, as intended, but was also harmful to the environment, ecosystems, and human beings. She is famous for being one of the first scientists to research humans' impact on the environment and was known for proving that “In nature, nothing exists alone.” The play was developed, devised, and written by the 2nd Grade class with Ms. Larsen, our K-8 Drama Teacher.
Throughout the play-making process, the second graders challenged themselves creatively. Before they started writing the play with Theater Teacher Ms. Larsen, the second graders explored elements of dance and movement to embody the characters, create choreography, learn the techniques and terminology of professional theater, and become confident using their bodies on stage through physical tasks, games, and dance training.
Second-grade students made most of the costumes and props with LS Makery Facilitator Mr. Santos, and second-grade classroom teachers ran the lights and audio-visual equipment. Lower School Music Teacher Ms. Mandelstein provided the musical accompaniment and worked with students on the grand finale!
It was a true Burke's collaboration with several zingers, deep insights, and humor from the 2nd Grade, which help us delve deep into complex and compelling issues around climate change, human consumption, and the ongoing dance between humans and nature.
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