The concepts evolved from my days teaching Junior and Senior High School Social Studies and then applying that to the Grade Six Canadian Government unit. These concepts continued to develop when I developed a Model Parliament in my classroom to help role play the offices of Prime Minister and Speaker of the House as a role play version of the Grade Six Social Studies program. I used to hold sessions of Parliament in Social Studies and Language and its popularity convinced me to bring at least a version of it into Grade Five. The other throne chair is for The Speaker of The House who usually is chosen from the final ballot of students running for Prime Minister. The Speaker serves as Chairman for class debates and chooses a Sergeant at Arms to supervise classroom tidyness and dismissals.
Students are to clear their desks and make a note of homework before they leave each day.
The success of my first Oliver at St. Clement tempted me to continue on. I then repeated Oliver and produced a version of The Wizard of Oz . I ended up working with Elementary and Junior High classes combined and at that level we produced and performed Cats , Little Shop of Horrors and Camelot . I t's difficult to find material for young students. We found success later with adaptations of The Sound of Music and Big River .