A semester elective fine arts course for junior high students in speech, drama, and communications was designed and implemented by the author for a private Christian day school in a metropolitan Florida city. The school serves 630 students in grades kindergarten-four through nine. The project\u27s goals were to expand the school\u27s fine arts program, to address the personal needs of the adolescent, and to increase the interactions between the school\u27s junior high and primary and elementary students. Following preliminary activities to assess and evaluate present skills, needs, and interests, students proceeded through sequence of activities to achieve objectives in four areas: listening and observing, planning and teaching, writing and directing, and speaking and acting. Based upon evaluations of individual student performances, the program showed significant results in increased oral presentation abilities. Students and staff alike expressed positive opinions about the activities undertaken by students in the class. The course has been approved as an established part of the school\u27s fine arts curriculum. (Appendices include school enrollment statistics, specific course activities, evaluation instruments, and samples of student work.
