IN THE CLASSROOM:

Shannon Hahne’s sixth grade class at Andersen Elementary had some unique visitors Friday, including a car salesman, an auctioneer, some grandparents, a baby girl and even the president of the United States.

It’s all part of Hahne’s playwright unit, when students learn the elements of a play, from introduction and setting to character, conflict and climax. When Hahne wants her students to understand the elements of a character, they act out a range of personalities.

The class of about 30 students simultaneously hunched over and wheezed and groaned their interpretation of a grandfather. A moment later they were boisterous, waving their hands and giving orders like George W. Bush.

A chart against the wall diagramed the emotional roller coaster an audience is likely to feel when watching a good play. According to the chart, the who, what, where and when of the play climbs along with the conflict and ultimately the climax. The drama is followed by resolution for the characters and audience.

Breaking down a play to its basics gives students a greater understanding of what they’re reading or watching.

“I think it’s important that you can understand other stories and if you grow up to be a playwright you’ll know how to do it,” said 12-year-old Charlie Griffin.

Ashley Kayl, 12, has seen a couple of plays in her lifetime. Now that she’s begun learning about protagonists, antagonists and the structure of a story, she appreciates “Little Women” and “Mamma Mia” a little more.

The more students understand the ingredients of a story, the more it seems their imaginations come alive.

Hahne was inundated with questions Friday as the students took a crack at writing their own play.

“How many characters can I have?” they asked; “Is it OK if my main character travels back in time?”

“I think this is so much fun for them,” Hahne said between inquiries. “It’s interesting to use what they’ve learned not to read one but to write one.”

The unit comes to a climax Dec. 21 when professional actors, arranged by Hahne, will come to Andersen and act out the students’ plays.

It’s her version of a nice send-off for students going on Christmas break, she said.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].