Impersonations

Conversations with the Elizabethans
Grades: 9-12
Ongoing? N/A
Here is a lesson plan that requires students to collaboratively write and perform impersonations of Shakespearean characters.  To prepare for the presentations, students research both on- and off-line resources.

From Congress to the President
Grades: 4-12
Ongoing? No
This is a project in which K-12 and college students used the Internet to participate in a government simulation.

Letters to Jefferson
Grades: 3-12
Ongoing? Yes
Students e-mail questions to the staff at Monticello, who in turn answer in the voice of America's third president, Thomas Jefferson.

Letters to Santa
Grades: K-12
Ongoing? Yes
You will be overwhelmed with good cheer when you visit this site.  In this project, younger students e-mail letters to Santa, which older students (proxy Santas) reply.  Both parties gain writing skills and receive "warm fuzzies" in the process!

Telecommunications Impersonation Project (Columbus)
Grades: 4
Ongoing? No
Here's an example of how literature, technology, and curiosity combine to make a powerful learning experience.  Read how fourth graders e-mailed questions to impersonators of characters from books such as Pedro's Journal, A Voyage with Christopher Columbus, The Sign of the Beaver, Indian Captive, The Story of Mary Jemison, and What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin.  Such activities could be replicated with just about any grade level with any genre of literature.

Victorian Lives and Letters
Grades: 9-12
Ongoing? Yes
Rich conversation develops between students and a Charles Dickens impersonator.  This is a great resource for any teacher helping students to explore the Victorian era.