What is Privilege?

A Process Drama for 7th and 8th Grade

Based on the book The Sneetches and Other Stories By: Dr. Seuss
Session Design by Larissa Washburn and Alyssa Landroche

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Content Standards
● Standard 7–8.T.P.4:
o Communicate meaning using the body through space, shape, energy, and gesture.
● Standard 7–8.T.CR.4:
o Define roles, identify responsibilities, and participate in group decision making

Enduring Understandings
● Students will understand everyone experiences different types of privilege as well as oppression, and
individuals can by recognizing their privilege make conscious choices to promote equity.

ASSESSMENT
Performance Tasks
● Students will create a tableau in groups about the star sneetch community in which they show their
roles, perspectives, occupations, and relationships within their groups in order to demonstrate that they
can communicate meaning using the body through space, shape, energy, and gesture.
● In groups students will create a scene where they discuss their characters feelings about their situation
and perform it for the class in order to demonstrate that they can define roles,identify responsibilities,
and participate in group decision making.
● Students will create a tableau with movement in groups about the non star sneetch community and how
they feel about their struggles and will be graded by a rubric in order to demonstrate that they can
communicate meaning using the body through space, shape, energy, and gesture.
● Students will as a group decide their roles in their communities and come to a consensus of what to do with
the “non star Sneetch” problem in order to demonstrate that they can define roles, identify responsibilities
and participate in group decision making. l

Other Assessments
● Students will individually write a one paragraph journal entry based on this prompt: “What is my
privilege and how can I use that to help others without it?” in order to demonstrate that they understand
that everyone experiences different types of privilege as well as oppression, and individuals can by
recognizing their privilege make conscious choices to promote equity.

MATERIALS NEEDED
Teacher Materials
● Suess, Dr. Sneetches and Other Stories, Random House Children’s Books, New York, New York.
● Sneetches Map with cliff and river already drawn
● Pens, Pencils Markers, Crayons
● Posters with and without stars (see attached)
● Acting rubric (see attached)

Student Materials
● Paper
● Pencil
LEARNING PLAN
Framing / Hook
1. Sneetches
a. Explain to students that we will be reading part of a classic children's book and exploring the
story more in-depth using theatre technique.
b. Teacher will read the first half of the book Sneetches and Other Stories by Dr. Seuss to the
class
i. Note: Read to page 7.
c. After reading discuss with students that we will be exploring the story of the sneetches and their
community.
d. Explain that for the next two days they will be exploring the story through drama.
i. Be sure to explain that in a drama we take on roles and characters, and that sometimes
those characters feel/experience situations differently then we will.
ii. Also explain that in a drama it is important to be open and receptive to new experiences
and others input.
e. Have students explore the room set up with posters about star sneetches and introduce them to
the idea of being star sneetches.

Process
2. Map Making
a. Explain to students that we will be entering a new world where we are now sneetches, and just
like in the story some sneetches have stars and some do not but for the first day we all have
stars.
i. Explain that before we begin the drama activity we need to create our communities and
our characters.
1. NOTE: throughout the drama the teacher(s) in role should be sure to mention the
privilege that the star sneetches have, or that the non-star sneetches do not have
in character.
b. share the story of the two sneetches
i. Story:
A long time ago, when there weren’t very many sneetches
there was a great divide amongst them, the history book teaches.
For some sneetches had stars right on their belly
Others did not and the situation turned quite smelly.

For the sneetches needed to move to somewhere new

because their homes had been invaded by the gazzergazoo.
Off they went searching, looking for a new nest
somewhere where they could all be happy and live a life full of zest.

One fateful day a star-bellied sneetch

discovered a hill and a river with a beach.
With excitement he ran to tell his star-bellied friends
that he found the perfect hill where they would forever spend.

He thought about telling the plain-bellied sneetches

that the perfect little hill was well within reaches.
“nah” he thought slyly, “I know afterall
that plain-bellied sneetches don’t deserve it at all.”

“Their plain-bellies, so ugly and plain

are evidence of their small little brain.”
So off they went and filled up the hills
with lavish new houses with fancy shmancy frills.

The only place left for the plain-bellied sneetches

 was secluded by the river on the wet, mushy beaches.
Finders keepers, losers weepers was what they were told
so they settled in on the beeches which smelt of strange mold.

c. Have students draw on a large sheet of paper a map of their town

i. Explain that we will now create our own map of the sneetches community, both the star
and non-star sneetches.
ii. NOTE: the paper should be large enough for all students to participate and must have
these qualities already drawn on.
1. A river dividing the star and non star sneetch communities
2. elevation of some sort that the star sneetches live on
d. Give students 5-8 minutes to draw both the star and non star communities on the map.
e. Give students 1 minute to explain their map to the teachers.
i. Hang the map somewhere in the classroom for easy reference throughout the drama.
3. Tableau
a. Split students up into groups of 3-5 sneetches.
b. Have students in their small groups create a tableau (still image) about what their sneetch
characters are doing during school, (e.g. lunch, class, in between, etc.)
i. Explain to students that to create an effective tableau we need to use our bodies to
communicate meaning through space (a continuous area or expanse which is free,
available, or unoccupied), shape (the external form or appearance characteristic of
someone or something; the outline of an area or figure), energy (the strength and vitality
required for sustained physical or mental activity), and gesture (a movement of part of
the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning).
1. NOTE: If students are struggling with the concept it might be helpful to give a
demonstration of a strong vs. weak tableau.
ii. Give students 2-4 minutes to prepare their tableaus.
c. Each group will present their tableaus to the other groups and give feedback.
i. what do we see in this tableau
ii. how do we know that is what is happening
iii. is anything confusing to you
iv. how could we make this more clear?
v. NOTE: introduce terms of space far or close, up or down, position of bodies individually
and collectively , shape energy, level of intensity and gesture use of body.
4. Telephone
a. Have students stand in a circle.
b. A teacher in role will start off the circle by stating one rumor they have heard about the “plain
belly sneetches.” One by one have students say a rumor that they have heard about the non-
star sneetches.
c. After each student has gone have them say one by one in the circle how they feel about being a
star sneetch.
5. News cast
a. A teacher in role as a newsperson will come and inform the students that a new mayor has
been elected in their community, and they are a non star sneetch. The new mayor has decided
that they want to create unity and understanding between the two communities and are planning
on starting some “initiatives” very soon in the star community.
b. Another teacher in role will ask the students as a fellow member of their community how they
feel about this news
i. The teacher in role should ask some incendiary questions like “What if they take our
jobs?” or “But what about our rights?” and incorporate the rumors shared by the students
previously to get the students discussing their feelings about the situation.
6. Inciting incident
a. Teacher in role comes back as a representative from the mayor saying that the non-star
sneetches school has flooded because of the river. And as part of the mayors new initiatives
they want the non-star sneetches to go to the star sneetches school, star academy.
 b. The representative asks to take a vote of if the non-star sneetches can come to the school, but
before the vote they facilitate a pro and con list of allowing the students into Star Academy.
i. NOTE: The teacher in role should physically write the list down on either a piece of
paper or whiteboard.
c. After the list is created students will take a vote on whether or not to let the non star sneetches
go to school in the star community.
END OF DAY 1
7. Hook
a. Students will sit in a circle in the classroom. The classroom will be decorated like a non-star
sneetch classroom. The posters are not as nice, there aren’t as many resources (all the books
are soggy and brown), students have to sit on the floor, etc.
b. Explain to the students that they will be playing the non-star sneetches and that this is what the
map of their part of town looks like referring to the map from the day before.
c. Read to students the following narrative of what the Non-star sneetches go through.

The Life of a Plain Bellied-Sneetch

The Plain-Bellied Sneetches, unfortunately, aren’t very lucky.

In fact, where they live is all ucky and mucky.
The river that runs through their part of town
likes to flood things, turning everything soggy and brown.

The Star-Bellied Sneetches thought they were too bland.

To invite them up to their nicer, drier land
So the Plain-Bellied Sneetches stayed and tried to make due
with their soggy part of town which smelt of mildew.

The Plain-Belly Sneetches spend most of their time

fixing flooded homes and cleaning up slime.
Because of the water they wear big galoshes
and tromp around the town making squishes and squashes.

The Star-bellied Sneetches would turn up their snouts,

and say, “you plain-bellied sneetches are in need of a drought.”
They would then go to their mansions high on the hill
Without a single thought of compassion or goodwill.

d. Have the students explore the classroom and the materials in it.
Process
8. Tableaux with Movement
a. Have students go into their small groups from the day before after they have explored the
space.
b. In their groups have students create tableau with movement about how their characters feel
being non-star sneetches (i.e how they feel when they walk into the school, how learning in this
environment it, how they are during lunch, etc).
c. Make sure to review space, shape, energy and gesture.
i. NOTE: explain to students that a tableau with a still image, so no movement, but now we
are adding small movement, not large or exaggerated movement, something to really
show that they can convey meaning by using their bodies through space, shape, energy
and gesture.
d. Give students 3-5 minutes to create their tableaux.
e. Each group will present their tableaus and will be graded by the teacher using a rubric.
9. Scenes
 a. A teacher in role as a news reporter will come into the class and tell the students how a “Plain
belly sneetch” has just been elected to mayor, and has plans to improve the life of the “plain
belly sneetches”.
b. The reporter will approach a few students and ask them what they hope the mayor will change
and then leave.
c. In their small groups have students create scenes based on the news of the newly elected
mayor.
i. NOTE: be sure to mention to students that it is important to define roles and work
together in groups when making creative decisions about a scene.
d. Give students 3-5 minutes to create their short 30 second scene.
e. Each group will perform their scenes for the class. Periodically during the scenes the teacher
will pause the students and with their consent touch them on the shoulder to have them say
what their characters deep personal thoughts are about the events and/or scene.
10. Mayor is in Town
a. After students perform their scenes a teacher in role will walk in as the newly elected mayor.
i. The mayor will walk in shaking hands with the students acting all “mayor like”
complimenting them and chatting with them before sitting down.
b. The teacher in role will then sit down and give a brief introduction about their life. How they grew
up in the same neighborhood as the students, went to this school, then left to go to college and
came back to help their fellow “plain belly sneetches”.
c. Have the students ask questions to the mayor, anything from their experiences growing up in
the neighborhood, or what the mayor plans to do for the students.
d. Give the students 5-8 minutes to ask questions and then have the mayor leave on “urgent
business”.
11. Flooding
a. Using sound effects alert the students that the school is currently flooding because the river has
overflowed.
b. Have students get in a single line and then pantomime walking against the current of the water
that has flooded into the school exiting the room.
c. Have students close their eyes as you narrate the destruction of their school. During this time
the other teacher will take down the non star posters and make the classroom look “destroyed”
(i.e. books on the floor, papers on the floor, etc).
12. Picking up the Pieces
a. Once the classroom has been altered have them open their eyes.
b. Have them walk around and see what has happened to their “school.”
c. A teacher in role will come in as the mayor and explain to the students that they have gone to
the star sneetches with a solution to the problem of their school being destroyed by flooding.
They have asked the star sneetches if they can go to their school, Star Academy.
d. If the students voted to let the non star sneetches into their school the day before then the
students can draw a bridge on the map of their communities while the teacher narrates
i. “The star bellied sneetches realized how fortunate they were to live in a place that did
not flood all the time, and that they should help each other because they were all one
community and there really wasn’t much different between the star and plain bellied
sneetches. They invited the plain belly sneetches to come to their school and although
they had a lot to do to understand each other they started the process of building the
bridge between the two sneetches”.
e. if students voted to not let the non star sneetches into their school then take them out of role for
narration of what happened to the non star sneetches.
i. “The star sneetches were worried that if they let the plain belly sneetches use their
school that they would lose their own rights, jobs, and quality of education. They voted to
let the plain bellied sneetches figure out their own problems and fix it themselves,
besides they had worked hard for what they had and so must the plain belly sneetches.”.
13. Bridge
a. Have students split off into two groups.
b. One by one each student will step forward in front of the other student saying a solution or belief
on how the two sneetches can come together and fix the problems in their communities.
 i. NOTE: the students are basically creating a bridge between the two communities using
their bodies.
c. After students have created the bridge have them sit down in a circle for the reflection.

Reflection
14. Round Robin
a. Explain to students that the drama is now done and they are themselves again.
b. In a circle have students say a short phrase of what they are feeling, what they learned, or what
they have a question about.
c. After each student has gone follow up with these guiding questions:
i. How does this drama reflect our society? Our community? Our school?
ii. What did it feel like to be a star bellied sneetch?
iii. What about a non star sneetch?
iv. Did the star sneetches/non star sneetches have much control of what their
circumstances were?
v. What is privilege?
vi. How does privilege play into this?
vii. Do we experience privilege in our lives?
1. if so how? If not why?
viii. Are there different kinds of privilege? Race? Religion? Gender? Physicality?
15. Journal Entry
a. Have students return to their seats and write a one paragraph journal entry based on this
prompt: “What is my privilege and how can I use that to help others without it?”
i. Students should have 10-15 minutes to write this prompt.
ii. NOTE: If there is no time at the end of class have them take it home and turn it in the
next day.    
Name:  _________________________________________   Date:  ________________________  
 
Sneetche’s  Scene  Rubric  
 
  1   2   3   4  
Shape     Student  did  not   Student  used   Student   Student  
use  their  body  to   some  shape  to   inconsistently   consistently  used  
communicate   communicate   used  shape  of   shape  of  body  and  
their  character   meaning,  but  did   body  or  group  but       group  and  was  
not  commit  to  the  
did  not  fully   fully  committed  to  
movement     commit  to  the   each  movement  
movement  
Space   Student  did  not   Student  used  the   Student  utilized   Student  fully  
utilize  the  space  to   space  to   the  space  to   utilized  the  space  
communicate   communicate   communicate   to  communicate  
their  character   their  character,   their  character,   their  character  
but  not   but  was  lacking   through  
consistently   somewhat  in   consistency  and  
and/or  fully   consistency   extent  of  space  
and/or  the  extent   used  
to  which  the  space  
was  used  
Energy   Student  was  not   Student  was   Student  had   Student  was  
energetic  in  their   somewhat   energy,  but  was   energetic  and  
character   energetic,  but   lacking  in  that   effectively  used  
portrayal   their  energy  was   regard  and/or  in   that  energy  to  
not  used  to   their  use  of  energy   communicate  their  
communicate   to  portray  a   character  
character   specific  character  
Gesture   Student  did  not   Student  may  have   Student  used   Student  effectively  
utilize  gesture  in   used  some   gesture  to  portray   used  gesture  to  
their  character   gesture,  but  it  was   character,  but  was   portray  character  
portrayal   not  clear  and/or   lacking  somewhat   with  clarity  and  
was  not   in  clarity  and/or   commitment  
committed   commitment  
 
Score:  ____/16  
 
 
14-­‐16=A  
11-­‐13=B  
7-­‐10=C  
3-­‐6=D  
0-­‐2=F