Who Let the Fun Out? Why Whodunit Drama Circles Are My New Favorite Back-to-School Icebreaker

Back-to-school season can be a wild mix of nerves, name tags, and notebooks.

And while I love setting up my classroom (give me all the cozy corners and bulletin board borders), I know that building classroom community is the real magic of those first weeks.

Starting the year with drama circles isn’t just fun—it’s powerful. Drama-based activities help build a safe, inclusive classroom where students feel seen, heard, and connected. Research shows that drama encourages collaboration, empathy, and risk-taking in a supportive space (Gallagher & Neelands, 2011; Podlozny, 2000). It’s a playful way to set the tone for the kind of learning community you want all year long.

That’s where my new favorite icebreaker comes in —
Whodunit Drama Circles.

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What Is a Whodunit Drama Circle?
If you’ve used my drama circles before, you already know the drill — students gather in a circle, each holding a card that continues a dramatic chain of events, filled with movement, listening, and laughs.

But my newest series takes it a step further:
It’s a whodunit mystery — complete with suspicious characters, physical evidence, and a final reveal.

Each student gets a clue to read aloud (and sometimes act out), and together the class unravels a hilarious mystery like:

• The Pizza Party Sabotage (yes, pickles were involved)

• The Stolen Sneaker Scandal

• Who Let the Dog Out?

They're silly, suspenseful, and sneak in a ton of oral language, reading fluency, inferencing, and cooperative learning.

Click on the images above to view these drama activities on TpT.

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Why I Love Using These at the Start of the Year

Let’s be honest — do we really want drama in the first week of school? Yes, please.

👉 Because good drama means…

• Every student is engaged (even the shy ones)

• They’re learning to listen and speak clearly

• They’re practicing turn-taking and teamwork

• And best of all — they’re laughing together

I’ve used these with grades 4–6, and every time, my students beg for more. They’re the kind of activity that builds classroom culture and once these skills are built, gives you a little formative assessment on the side. Win-win.

Drama circles are meant to be fun, collaborative, and full of energy—but a little prep goes a long way in making the experience smooth and successful. Here are a few tips I’ve picked up along the way that help students feel confident, engaged, and ready to shine:

• Give prep time. After handing out the cards, allow students a few quiet minutes to read theirs and think about how they’ll act it out. This builds confidence and helps the drama unfold more smoothly.

• Buddy check. Before starting, offer 2 minutes for students to check in with a friend. They can clarify vocabulary or brainstorm how to say a line—especially helpful for your more anxious learners.

• Big emotions = big fun. Encourage students to go big with their expressions, voices, and movements. The more dramatic, the better! It helps the whole group follow the story and keeps everyone engaged.

• Differentiate where needed. Some cards are more involved than others. When possible, assign cards based on your students’ comfort levels—some kids love the spotlight, others prefer to play it cool. There’s space for everyone in the circle.

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What’s Included in the Whodunit Bundle?
The full bundle includes 6 original mysteries — each with:

• 32 ready-to-read cards (in both colour & black-and-white)

• A mystery format that follows a consistent, easy-to-follow narrative

• A printable rubric for quick formative assessment

And yes — you can run them with no prep beyond printing and cutting. It’s perfect for sub days, team-building blocks, or just plain fun on a Friday.

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If you’re looking for a high-engagement activity that builds listening, cooperation, and a whole lot of laughter, check out the Whodunit Drama Circle Bundle here.

Or grab just one and get ready for your students’ new favorite activity.

Let the mystery begin!

Elevate Learning with Drama Circles: The Ultimate Novel Study Culminating Activity

Are you tired of the routine book reports and presentations for novel studies? Do you dream of adding an engaging, interactive, and imaginative twist to your novel read aloud? Well, if you haven't heard of them before, welcome to the world of Drama Circles, an incredible tool that can take your novel study culminating activity to new heights.

Breaking down Drama Circles

I started to make drama circles over 20 years ago for my classroom.  Over the years, my drama circles have evolved from random fun topics that got my students building confidence in drama activities, to a more engaging and kinesthetic activity, offering students a new way to delve into their favorite books or learn more subject-based content.

Why Drama Circles?

Now, you might be wondering, why Drama Circles? How do they provide more value than a traditional book report or worksheet?

1. Active Participation

Firstly, Drama Circles encourage active participation, acting as a great student engagement strategy. Each student plays an integral part, making them feel responsible for their contribution and promoting active learning.  They must follow along (encouraging active listening skills), then follow the instructions on their card to perform once it is their turn.

2. Develops Social-Emotional Skills

Drama Circles are wonderful for building social-emotional skills. They foster empathy as students step into the shoes of different characters, experiencing their struggles, joys, and dilemmas. This is particularly impactful with books like "Wonder," which delve into themes of acceptance and kindness.

3. Enhances Comprehension

By acting out scenes from the novel, students deepen their understanding and comprehension of the plot. Becoming the characters, explaining their motivations, and acting out the conflicts, makes novels like "The City of Ember" or "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" more vivid and engaging.

4. Creativity and Imagination

Unleashing their creativity, students reimagine scenes from novels, add dialogue, and even craft new scenarios. This is a powerful exercise that fires up their imagination, making the learning process fun and exciting.

5. Boosts Confidence 

Standing up in front of the class, performing and expressing oneself helps students improve their communication skills, boosts their self-confidence, and reduces stage fright.  And this is a great thing to remind them of when they are nervous about an upcoming oral presentation - look what you've already done in the classroom!

Implementing Drama Circles in Your Classroom

You can kick-start Drama Circles in your classroom by trying one out at the end of your novel study.  They are easy and no-prep - just print, cut out the cards, and go!  Assemble your students in a large, standing circle (you can do this in the classroom by moving around some desks).  Hand out the cards, in random order, to all students in the class.  Depending on your numbers, some students may have more than one card.  (This is where your 'teacher wizardry' comes in - match the amount of dramatic activity and difficulty of lines to the student's ability as you hand out the cards.  As the lines are bolded on the cards, this is very easy to do quickly).  After you hand out the cards, allow a few minutes for students to read over and plan their moves - they may also want to check with a peer beside them if they have any questions about the words or the meanings.  And then, that's it.  Have the person with the first card step into the middle of the circle and start the drama.  Students do not read out the card numbers, and they only read out the bolded lines on the card.  The actions are not in bold, they are simply to be performed.  Students must listen and follow along so they know when their part is, however, if a student misses their line, the cards are numbered so you can easily pick up where you left off.

Take a step back and allow the children to steer the action. You'll be amazed at how they interpret the text, bring it to life, and, in the process, deepen their understanding of the novel.  And you'll be even more amazed as some of your shyest students come of their shells.

If this is their first drama circle, students sometimes start a little shy.  However, it is amazing to watch how quickly the students catch on and how popular the drama circles become with a little practice as the format for every drama circle is the same.  One teacher friend said, "My students loved these!! They would beg to do them. It was so wonderful to see kids come out of their shells to act out parts. My 5th graders could be a tough crowd at times but they ALL laughed and had fun together during these. Some of my favorite moments from the school year!"

Wrap-up 

Why show a movie at the end of your novel study when you can get your students out of their seats, improving their comprehension and presentation skills, and maybe even grab a drama mark or too (yes, a rubric is included) with a drama circle?  Trust me.  They'll like them.

Take a peek at my new (with more being added all the time) line of Drama Circle Novel Culminating Activities by clicking HERE or on some of the titles below:

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  Because of Mr. Terupt
  
• Fish in a Tree
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
• Holes
• The City of Ember
• The One and Only Ivan
• The Wild Robot
• Wonder

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New Christmas Drama Circle Activities

The month of December always brings out the excitement in my students, and for me, one of the best ways to take advantage of that excitement and energy is to pull out the drama circles and let them perform!  Drama circles aren't just for drama though, they are also perfect for engaging in morning meetings, oral reading activities, reading with fluency and expression, following instructions, listening, cooperative learning, and risk taking ... all bundled into a fun activity that always has my students asking to do the activity again.  With December just around the corner, I have created two brand new Christmas Drama Circle activities - 'Twas The Night Before Christmas and Santa's Workshop - that will be so much fun in the upper elementary classroom!

Drama Circles are similar to the "I Have / Who Has" game.  Each drama circle contains 40 cards that follow in a sequence, with each card having a different instruction to act out or say aloud. Students assemble in a circle to perform their scenarios. Cards are passed out randomly, and students can have more than one card (so all cards are used).  As each student finishes acting out his or her card, the student with the next card in the sequence starts acting out his or her card. The game continues until the last card is acted out. 

One of my new drama circles, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, could also be used for a Christmas play or Christmas concert idea.  The format of this drama activity is slightly different - cards alternate between a "narrator card" and an "audience card".  The classic poem is read by the narrators, with the audience (students with audience cards) interrupting and interacting after every few lines.  Narrators could be standing together, with a seated audience scattered around them.

My newest drama circles also contain black and white versions of the drama circle for an ink-saving option, as well as an assessment tracking page to observe and grade your students' performances.

You can take a peek at these Christmas activities individually, or check them out in a Christmas and Winter-themed Drama Circle bundle featuring 6 different drama circles perfect for the month of December and beyond.  This bundle contains:

• Christmas Drama Circle
• Twas the Night Before Christmas Drama Circle
• Snow Day Drama Circle
• A Christmas Carol Drama Circle
• Santa's Workshop Drama Circle
• Winter Drama Circle

If you're new to drama circles and would like to give them a try for the first time, please give my FREE Fairy Tale Drama Circle a try.  Download it HERE.  Enjoy!

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Drama Circles

Are you looking for a fun, cooperative learning activity that builds confidence in your students AND helps with following directions AND oral fluency practice?  A Drama Circle just may be the answer!

Drama Circles aren't just for drama classes - they are great for any class, at any time.  My class loves them so much they don't even realize they working on so many academic skills at the same time.

Drama Circles Set the Tone
I like to start using drama circles right from the very beginning of the school year as it can really help set the tone for a successful year.

• Students need to actively listen to each other to keep the activity going.
• They must wait their turn, and give their attention to one student.
• They need to cooperate with their classmates and build on the previous action.
• They need to follow the directions given to them.
• They will learn to be open to new experiences.
• They will share a fun activity that has them learning to be comfortable with acting, performing, and reading aloud in front of their classmates.

How They Work

Students assemble in a circle, facing each other.  The teacher hands out the cards in a random order (there are 40 cards in most of the drama circles, so some students will have one card and some students will have two).  From there, the activity is similar to the "I have ... who has?" game because students need to listen to their classmates to know when it is their turn to act out the instructions on their card.  Students are encouraged to use large, over-the-top actions and reactions because it not only adds to the fun, but it also makes it easier for the other students to follow along.

Tips to Make Drama Circles Even More Successful

Sometimes you get that class that just LOVES to perform - this class won't need any help with drama circles.  They they will beg you to do them ... every single day.  But sometimes you have a class that is a little quieter, or a little more shy, or just lacking in the confidence needed to perform ... but having done drama circles from the very beginning of my teaching career, I have a few suggestions.

• Number the cards on the back (the majority of the drama circles I have made are numbered, but some of my very earliest ones are not).  That way, if the circle breaks down, you know which number needs to go next.
• Scan the cards as you are handing them out - give cards with a little more talking and actions to some of the more confident students in your class who love performing - you know who they are.  ;)  
• Some teachers highlight the speaking parts on the cards - I have used a bold font for the speaking parts on my newer drama circles.
• After handing out the cards, allow students a minute or two to read over their cards.  They can check with the teacher or person beside them if they have any questions about some of the words, or brainstorm ways to perform the actions on the card - it helps build excitement this way.
• If time permits, let them repeat the circle if it doesn't go perfectly smoothly at first - I have found this is THE KEY to performing drama circles with a class that is a little more subdued - the second time is always better.  Let students switch cards with others in the circle - they will often see a card that they really want to perform - and will have already planned their actions and responses.
• Have fun and let loose.
• If you have the space and the weather is cooperative, take the circles outside!
• And lastly ... but most importantly ... get in there and participate with your students!  Make memories with them.  :)

Are you convinced yet?  I've got a fun FREE Fairy Tale Drama Circle you can download and try with your class right away.  Just click HERE or on the picture to the right to grab a copy.  You can check out ALL my drama circles by clicking HERE.

We've had so much fun with the drama circles in my classroom, I've made some sets of Math Circles which follow the same format.  They are SO.MUCH.FUN when reviewing a concept right before a test - anything that gets them up and moving while learning is always a HIT in my class.  Click HERE to see all my math circles.

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Drama Circles Guest Post

I'm SO excited to be doing a guest blog post on Laura Candler's Corkboard Connections today.  Laura is a fantastic teacher and author, and is the owner of the Teaching Resources site - a virtual treasure chest for teachers in grades 3-6.  Laura was the very first teacher site I followed on facebook, and I have learned so much from her over the years.


For my guest post, I wrote about my drama circles - go on over and check it out.  For a special treat, I've created a brand new Fairy Tale Drama Circle freebie just for this post - be sure to download it after your visit.  I hope you enjoy!!!  Click on the picture to the right to read all about it!

While you're visiting Corkboard Connections, be sure to check out Laura's Graphic Organizers for Reading and Power Reading Workshop books.  I have both of these resources and love what they have added to my literacy blocks.

Thanks for the opportunity, Laura!

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Hunger Games - A New Drama Circle

We didn't officially read The Hunger Games as a novel study this year, but almost half my class has read it this year during independent reading, and ALL of them have seen the movie, so I thought it would be fun to make a Hunger Games Drama Circle for them.

A few weeks ago I was missing quite a few students, it was a Friday afternoon, and the weather was beautiful. We spent our afternoon outside doing a few of my drama circles ... and they had a blast!  They begged me to make a few more.  I have also had quite a few requests from my followers to make more drama circles.  So here's my first new one.  You can click HERE or on the picture to preview it.  Right now all my drama circles are still only $2.00.  Just in case you have a few on your wish list,  I wanted to warn you that the price will be increasing a bit this summer.

As always, if you think you could use this in your classroom, I would like to send a free copy to the first three people to leave a comment with their email address.

Happy Tuesday, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

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Thank-you, Amazon

I was doing a little online Christmas shopping last night ... okay - I was doing A LOT of online Christmas shopping last night.  I wasn't planning on buying anything for myself - really, I wasn't ... until I went on Amazon. Now, books are my weakness, I've admitted that before, but I was going to hold strong - I had really convinced myself I didn't anything new.  AND THEN ...

You know that little advertising tool that they have - the one where it recommends books based on previous purchases ... oh, I know you know what I'm talking about.  I was just planning on taking a quick peek - just out of curiousity ... and I couldn't believe my eyes ... and just as quick, I added it to my shopping cart - The Chronicles of Harris Burdick.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg is a classroom favourite of mine.  It is my hands-down absolute go to book for inferring and creative writing.  LOVE IT!  I have it in hard cover, and in portfolio version.  My favourite activity is to scatter the portfolio sheets on the floor of the gym, then turn out the lights.  I have my students enter the darkened gym with flashlights and sit around me in the centre of the gym.  They turn out their flashlights and I turn on mine.  I read the introduction to them, and when they are hooked, I let them turn on their flashlights and have them do a walk around, pausing at each sheet (they must do this step in silence).  After the entire class has had a chance to see all the pages, I turn back on the lights.  In groups of three or four, students choose their favourite page and create a 3 pose tableaux about the picture (before, during, after).  When we return to class, I have the students use the page they chose as a prompt, and they create the story.  I've even had classes create entire books using a story-in-the round method.  Once we even created a real book, complete with illustrations.

So, when I saw The Chronicles of Harris Burdick, I knew I had to have it.  Van Allsburg and 13 other authors (including Kate DiCamillo, Stephen King, Lois Lowry, Louis Sachar, etc.) have written mysterious and poignant tales to accompany the images.  I'm so looking forward to sharing this with my students (and I think I'll even grab my class from last year to share it with them, too).

Oh my goodness - I CANNOT wait for this book to get here ... just like a kid at Christmas.  ;)






With all my Christmas shopping last night, I was still in a Christmas mood today.  So I put that good mood to good use (why waste a good mood on laundry) and created a Christmas Drama Circle activity.  I've done two drama circles with my class already this year, and they have enjoyed them so much, I knew they'd love one for Christmas, too.  If you wish, you can click on the picture to get a preview of the product.  And, because I'm still in a Christmas mood, I'll send a copy to the first two people to leave a comment below with their email address.  Happy Saturday!!!

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New Products At My Store

I uploaded two new products to my TpT store today.  Click on the pictures to download a preview of the products.

Any Day Drama Circle
This drama activity with a general theme has a similar format to the "I Have / Who Has" game. This is a fun any day activity. There are 40 cards, that follow in a sequence, with each card having a different instruction. Students assemble in a circle to perform their scenarios. As each student finishes acting out his or her card, the student with the next card in the sequence starts acting out his or her card. The game continues until the last card is acted out. 

Paper Bag Character Study
This assignment is a fun alternative to the traditional book report. Using a paper bag, students draw a picture of the main character, report on his or her likes and dislikes, and interactions with other characters, and analyse how the character has changed throughout the novel. Inside the bag, students include 10 items that are related to the character.
A version of this resource is included in my Characterization Resources for Language Arts and Literary Elements Resource Binder.





Lastly, I read a great article on the Teacher2Teacher Blog today - 10 Tips for First-Year Teachers.  If you are a first year teacher, or just got your own classroom, you really need to go over and check this one out.

Happy Wednesday!!!

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Integration - The Name of the Game

As a teacher who is responsible for teaching ALL subject areas (except French), I have had to become a master of integration (just my humble opinion lol).  The amount of curriculum expectations we have to teach keeps growing.  Every time we have new P.D. something else seems to be added on.  The presenters always begin with, "This isn't new ... I'm sure you're already doing this in your classroom ... BUT ... JUST ONE MORE THING ..."  It's a good thing I love finding ways to integrate the subject areas, and the teacher nerd in me loves how I can get multiple subject assessments from one assignment.

This was a fun assignment we did near the end of the year - and the best part was I got a math, media literacy, art, health, and drama mark from it.  We were studying volume and surface area of rectangular and triangular prisms in math.  I paired the students up and gave them two pieces of bristol board.  The pairs had to draw the nets for both prisms, then assemble them.  I set a challenge to see what group could create the prism that had the largest volume and the largest surface area.  When the groups had finished, as a whole class we checked the volume and surface area of all the prisms.

Then the pairs had to turn one of their finished prisms into a cereal or candy box.  They had to include specific information on each of the panels (including nutritional information for health).  When the pairs had completed their product boxes, they had to create a 90 second commercial for their product using one of the methods of advertising we had studied in class.  The commercials were so much fun!  Many of the groups even created jingles (although it wasn't required).  I videotaped the commercials, and the students couldn't wait to watch them.  We even popped popcorn for the event!

Happy Tuesday!!!

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