Drama Unit

1 UNIT PLANNER: The Arts: Drama

UNIT THEME: Emotions Years

NAME:

BAND: Primary YEAR LEVEL: Year 5 STRAND: Arts Practice

OVERVIEW OF THE UNIT This unit of work will give the students an outlook into their emotions and what they feel after certain events in their life occur. The students will be involved in improvisational work, tableau work and role playing performances to their fellow class members. This unit of work will run for six weeks, starting off with activities for the students to gain an understanding of emotions through a ‘cause and effect’ process, working through group work and performances. Detailed lesson plans will be provided for lessons one and two. This way, the flow of the lessons can be understood for the remainder of the unit which will be briefly but clearly explained. The unit of work will be assessed and the unit outcomes evaluated orally through questioning during the class time, through a drama journal which the students will write in after every lesson to reflect on what they have learnt, through teacher assessment methods after every lesson and through peer assessment of the last group performances.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE The class has been working on improvisation and role play through other drama themes throughout the year. This is the second unit of work which will rely on the students’ knowledge on this area. The students have a large understanding of emotions as it has been integrated into the other curriculum areas of the classroom, namely English and Society and the Environment. (See mind mapAppendix 1) It was therefore decided to integrate emotions into the drama curriculum so that the students will be able to appreciate how emotions are portrayed by body language and facial expressions, and so there can be a number of issues that can be tackled in a light and fun way. Essential Learnings focus: ❏Futures √ Identity √Interdependence √Thinking √Communication Key competenciesfocus: information; √communicating ideas and information; √working with others in teams; techniques; √solving problems;

Strand/s:

Key ideas

√ collecting, analysing, organising √planning and organising activities; ❏using mathematical ideas and ❏ using technology.

Unit Outcome(s)

2 Arts Practice √

Arts analysis & Response

Arts in Contexts

Students draw from thought, imagination, data and research, and the examination of social and cultural issues, to demonstrate personal aesthetic preference, and provide imaginative solutions and artistic responses to ideas and issues.

Conceptual (knowledge/understandin g) •

•

Id T KC1 KC2 Students develop knowledge of the styles, forms and conventions of each arts form; refine art skills; apply appropriate techniques; explore, plan organise and employ both creative and abstract thought in the production of arts works. T C KC3 KC6

Outcomes Standard 3

•

Skills ( can do) •

•

Outcome 3.1 Uses thought, imagination, research and experimentation to create/re-create arts works within each arts form that

Students will have an understanding of their feelings and emotions. Student will become aware of social events and the effect of these events. Students will gain an understanding on how their own actions affect other peoples’ emotions.

•

•

convey meaning about issues within their community.

Students will be able to develop their problem solving skills. Students will be able to think about the same thing in different ways. Students will be able to work cooperatively in groups. Students will be able to work through a variety of art practice activities.

Id In T C KC1 KC2 Outcome 3.2 Selects, plans and constructs arts works within each arts form using appropriate combination of skills,

Affective (feel) •

•

Students will develop a positive self image Students will develop a sense of

3 techniques, processes, conventions and technologies. T C KC1 KC3

understanding as to why they feel different emotions •

Students will develop a sense of group work and resolution.

Week 1

Teacher references and resources

Stage 1 - INTRODUCTION;

(List here all equipment, stories, poems, music, materials, website, workshop/practical notes and drama texts- full references.

Explain to the children that for the next few weeks they will be concentrating on feelings and emotions. To start off, read the book ‘When I’m feeling sad’ By Trace Moroney. Ask the students the following questions: – – – –

What makes you sad? What do you do when you are sad? Do you talk to people about your problems? Do you have a special place or special thing you do when you are sad?

Next get the students to brainstorm all the different emotions which people feel. (This will help to guide which emotions the students know and feel strongly about and also can be copied onto flashcards for future activities)

Tambourine is used is all lessons to draw the students attention back to the teacher. Moroney, T 2005, When I’m Feeling Sad, Five Mile Press Pty Ltd, Victoria, Australia.

Whiteboard marker Whiteboard

Ask the students the following questions: – – –

When do we feel happy/ sad/ lonely/ loved etc? Do we have control over other peoples’ feelings? How? How do we try to control our own feelings?

Stage 2 - DEVELOPMENT; Conversations The students will be working in pairs for the following activity. One will be a ‘plum’ and the other will be an ‘apple’. The plum is going to be a brother who is teasing his sister (apple) about a boy that she likes. The students will act out the conversation. Make sure that the students think about how each of the characters would be feeling, therefore what words and expressions they would use. For example: apple may be embarrassed so they could use sarcastic language to brush off what plum is saying to them.

Whiteboard marker Whiteboard

4 Give the students some time to have their conversations. Next, get the students’ attention again and ask a couple of the groups some questions (in their roles): – – – – – – –

Plum: How do you think your sister feels while you are teasing her? Do you think you could make her feel better? How are you feeling about this? How do you think you would feel if she was teasing you? Apple: How do you feel? Do you think your brother understands how you feel right now? Why? Why not? How did you resolve the situation?

Primary Arts, 1997, Drama Trix, Dance/ Drama Educational Consultants, Victoria, Australia

Stage 3 - PROBLEM SOLVING; The next task will require the students to be in groups of 4 or 5, and will allow them to use improvisation and movement drama methods. From the list of emotional words which were brainstormed on the board, each group is given a word and then asked to create an ‘Emotion Machine’ out of their bodies. The students are to think about the actions which would relate to each emotion. Each group is to form a circle. One person starts off in the middle of the circle and makes a noise or gesture for the machine. For example, giggling and jumping up and down for a happy machine. The next person in the circle joins in by adding to the machine with their own unique action. This continues until the entire group is joining in completing the machine. The students are to remember their order and actions which they used in preparation to perform it to the class. They should be given time to rehearse their machine, so they can either give each other ideas, or fix the ‘kinks’ in their machinery.

Stage 4 - PRESENTING AND REFLECTING; Presenting and reflecting: The students will present their work, group by group to the class. After each group, a variety of questions

McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 2, Pearson Education Australia, NSW, Australia

5 will be asked to evaluate the students learning. Questions include: – – – – –

What emotion was this emotion machine? How did you know this? To a group member: Why did you decide to move around this way? (slouching for sad etc) What did you notice about the way the happy/ sad/ angry groups moved? Is this similar to the way you move when you are feeling this way? Do you have a bounce in your step when you are happy?

The students are to then write in their drama journals which will be an ongoing task after each lesson to look at their development during the unit of work. They are to given the following questions to answer: – – – –

How do you believe your group performed today? Do you believe you were able to perform to your best ability? Why/ Why not? What do you think you could do better next week? What has this lesson taught you about emotions? *Teaching Assessment*

Week 2 Stage 1 - INTRODUCTION; A pair of shoes is first shown to the students as a model for the up and coming lesson. Ask the students the following questions: – – – – –

What kind of person would be wearing these shoes? Why do you think that this kind of person would be wearing these kind of shoes? Has anyone seen anybody wearing these shoes? How did they act? Who would NOT be wearing these shoes? Why? How do you think this person feels wearing these shoes? E.g. important, embarrassed, tired etc

Explain that today they will be role playing characters at a bus stop scene using the shoes as their props. They are to think of the questions that were just discussed in the classroom and take this into

Emotional word card (appendix 2)

6 consideration when thinking about what type of person they will be and what their character will be feeling. If you’re tired you wouldn’t wear stiletto heels is an example of this.

Drama journals Pens Questions to glue into the students books (appendix 3)

Stage 2 - DEVELOPMENT; Individual work Three pairs of shoes are placed in the front of the classroom. (If three pairs of shoes are unable to be gathered, three pictures of shoes can be printed off as an alternative) You are sitting at the bus stop waiting for your bus to come. Using your shoes as your props, and as a piece of your characters identity, show a photograph of how you are sitting at the bus stop. Each child is to have a think which pair of shoes they would like to use and who their character is going to be in the following activity. Ask the students the following questions: – – – –

How do you think your character will feel in your shoes? Are they an important person? How do you know this? How do they feel sitting next to the other two people? How can you show a photo of your feelings and emotions in your character?

After discussion the students will get the opportunity to ‘freeze’ into their photograph. A couple of students are asked the following questions: – – – –

Which shoes did you use? How does your character feel in these shoes? The class is asked: How did Ben* show his feelings and emotions in his character? What is your characters story?

Stage 3 - PROBLEM SOLVING; The students are to get into groups of three or four for the following activity. The students will be involved in role play work and freeze frame work. The students will then get into groups of three or four and each discuss which shoes they had used for their character, and what the story of their character was.

Appendix 14

Tambourine

McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 2, Pearson Education Australia, NSW, Australia

3 pairs of shoes and/ or pictures of shoes (appendix 4)

7 They are to choose one of the students’ characters’ stories and discuss what happened to this character before they were at the bus stop. They are to work together and rehearse a short scene of what happened before the character reached the bus stop. The scene will start with the frozen photograph of the character at the bus stop as the student had used it in the previous activity. They are to hold this for a few seconds so the audience will know the general character of the person. They will then act out the scene with the rest of the group until they reach the ending scene again and freeze to finish. They should be given time to rehearse this in order to be ready to perform it to the class. Observations can be made of each group by walking around and asking them questions which is relevant to their group.

Stage 4 - PRESENTING AND REFLECTING; Presenting and reflecting: The students will present their work, group by group to the class. After each group, a variety of questions will be asked to evaluate the students learning. Questions can include: – – – –

What happened in the story? What were the characters traits in the story? Why was this character chosen? How did you decide what you character was feeling after wearing these shoes?

The students are to then write in their drama journals for the week. They are to given the following questions to answer: – – – –

How do you believe your group performed today? Do you believe you were able to perform to your best ability? Why/ Why not? What do you think you could do better next week? What has this lesson taught you about emotions? *Teacher Assessment*

8

Week 3 The aim of this lesson is the focus on improvisation skills and role play methods. It will also introduce asides to the children, that being when the students all freeze and the character explains to the audience their feelings.

•

•

• •

– – – – • – – – –

The students will be shown a series of before and after photos. They will discuss what happened between these photos. Explain that today the students will be given the beginnings and ending of stories which they are to fill in the middle of. They are to include asides in this role play. The students are to get into four groups, with scenario cards to give them their situations After the students have completed practising their role plays, a couple are asked to perform to the class. The students of the group are asked a series of questions: Why did you choose to resolve your problem like this? Was this way a good way? How would your character have felt after this scene finished? How could you have handled this differently? The students are to then write in their drama journals and answer the following questions: How did your group work well? Did you think you performed well? What did you learn about emotions today? What did you learn about showing your emotions to your audience? *Teacher Assessment*

Week 4

9 The aim of this lesson is for the students to realise there are certain ways to go about their anger, and to also put themselves in other peoples’ shoes to understand how they would feel in certain situations. It will focus on improvisation and role playing methods. Drama journals •

•

•

•

•

Read the story ‘Ashley the Teenager’. Talk about how each of the characters is feeling. – How is the dad feeling in this story? – What happens when people feel angry? – What should we do when we feel angry? Get the students to improvise the activity in groups of four to show what happens next. When the students have gone through their act get them to sit down in their groups, and in role ask them the following questions: Dad – How did you feel when your daughter had not returned home yet? – Do you think you could have been a little easier on her? – How did you calm down? Daughter – What are your feelings towards your dad at the moment? – Do you understand where your dad is coming from and why he was so angry? – How do you think you would have felt in his shoes? At the end of the lesson get the students to write in their journal books and to ask the following questions: – How did your group work well? – Did you think you performed well? – What did you learn about emotions today? *Teacher Assessment*

Pens Question sheet -Appendix 5

Appendix 14

Tambourine

McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 3, Pearson Education Australia, NSW, Australia

Photos Appendix 6

Week 5

The aim of this lesson is to revise how the students’ bodies and expressions determine the emotions of the characters before the final performance.

10 •

• •

•

•

•

•

•

• •

The students will be shown a variety of pictures of people with different emotions. The students are to look at the way in which each of the people are pictured in the photos. Go through each of the photos and see if they can guess the emotions. Ask: – How they knew these were the emotions? – What makes the look work? (facial expressions etc) – Is the body positioned in a certain way? Why do you think the scared person is crouched down? The students are then told that they will be in a museum display today. They are to get into partners. One person is to be a plum, and the other is to be an apple. The plum is to sculpt the apple into an emotional sculpture first. Once they have finished the models are to stay still while the sculptors walk around to look at the other creations. A couple of the models’ sculptors are picked to be asked (in role) about their model by the teacher (a buyer from a London Museum). Ask the student: – What is the emotion of this model? – Why have you sculpted it like this? – What were you thinking of when sculpting this model? – If you could change it now is there any way you would? After going through a few of the models, the apple then becomes the sculptor for the plums. The same process is followed. The students are to write in their drama journals at the end of the lesson. They are to answer the following questions: – What is one thing that you used from the previous weeks for this sculpting lesson? – What is the most important thing when being a model and showing emotions? – Do you believe your drama skills have improved over the last few weeks? *Teacher Assessment*

Week 6

Scenario cards- Appendix 15

Drama journals Pens Questions sheet Appendix 7

Appendix 14

Tambourine

Lesson adapted from: Primary Arts, 1997, Drama Trix, Dance/ Drama Educational Consultants, Victoria,

11 Australia The aim of this week is for the students to revisit their past experiences with emotions and portraying this in a drama classroom. It will focus on improvisation and tableau methods.

•

• •

•

•

•

• •

•

Read ‘The King’s Dog’ to the students up until the sentence ‘the child kept pointing to the dog and screaming ‘doggy bite’. Ask the students what the feel after they have read the story. How did the King feel? Explain that this is not the end of the story. In groups of five the students are to think of an ending and talk about this together. They are to use improvisation and tableau methods to finish the story as to what they think is going to happen in the end. The students are to work through their improvisations and then choose what their tableaus are going to be. This is to then be rehearsed to be shown to the class. All of the tableaus are shown to the class. The class is to guess what the rest of the story. The group will then act out the story and explain what they thought the rest of the story would be. Every group in the class will be included in this process. After each group has performed ask the students: – Why they chose this ending? – What did they want the audience to feel after watching it? – What did you make sure you did really well in your group so the audience would see your emotions? The audience is to assess each group on the peer assessment sheet. Then read the rest of the story to the students. Now ask the students how the story made them feel. – How do you think the King felt now? – How do you think he would change his behaviour from now on? In the students drama journals get them to answer the following questions: – What did you learn about emotions this lesson? – Do you think your look on your emotions

‘Ashley the Teenager’- Appendix 16

Drama journals Questions sheet- Appendix 8

Appendix 14

Tambourine

12

– – –

and other people’s emotions has changed since the first lesson? Do you believe your drama skills have improved? What is something important that you have learnt about emotions in drama? What has been your favourite thing you have learnt? *Teacher Assessment*

Pictures of people- Appendix 9

Drama journal

13 Question sheet- Appendix 10 Pens

Appendix 14

Tambourine

Story taken from: McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 2, Pearson Education Australia, NSW, Australia

‘The Kings Dog’( Appendix 17)

14

Peer assessment sheet- appendix 12

Drama journals Pens Questions sheet- appendix 13

Appendix 14 Assessment strategies

•

•

The students will be assessed weekly by observations during the classroom. It is important for the students to not only concentrate in their group work, but to also watch and listen to other groups carefully when they are not performing. This will be marked on the weekly assessment sheet. (Appendix 14) The students’ responses in their drama journals will also be assessed and

15

•

considered, as this determines what the students have enjoyed, learnt and achieved in relation to the unit outcomes. (Appendix 3,5,7,8,10 and 13 are the questions for each week) Lastly, the students will be peer assessed for their last performance. This has been chosen as the story can be finished in many different ways and the students need to be able to portray the emotions to the audience from the skills which they have learnt in the past 5 weeks. (appendix 12)

Evaluation of unit outcomes indicators: •

Students will know how different emotions happen from an event which has occurred in their lives. The will know how to portray these emotions on their faces and through their body language.

•

Students will understand that every action of theirs has a reaction on other people.

•

Students will be able to use problem solving strategies when an incident occurs. They will be able to work cooperatively in a group situation and construct a character in a role play.

•

Students will have worked through a variety of arts practice activities and ultimately achieve the SACSA framework outcomes 3.1 and 3.2.

Appendix 1

16

Appendix 2

happy

sad

17

angry

excited

lonely

scared

worried

loved

Appendix 3

Week 1 Drama Journal Questions –

How do you believe your group performed today?

–

Do you believe you were able to perform to your best ability? Why/ Why not?

–

What do you think you could do better next week?

– What has this lesson taught you about emotions?

18

Appendix 4

19

Appendix 5

Drama Journal Questions Week 2 – How do you believe your group performed today? –

Do you believe you were able to perform to your best ability? Why/ Why not?

–

What do you think you could do better next week?

– What has this lesson taught you about emotions?

20

Appendix 6

Before

After

Before

After

21

Appendix 7

Drama Journal Questions Week 3

–

How did your group work well?

–

Did you think you performed well?

–

What did you learn about emotions today?

– What did you learn about showing your emotions to your audience?

22

Appendix 8

Drama Journal Questions Week 4

–

How did your group work well?

–

Did you think you performed well?

– What did you learn about emotions today?

23

Appendix 9

Appendix 10

Journal Week 5

Drama Questions

24

–

What is one thing that you used from the previous weeks for this sculpting lesson?

–

What is the most important thing when being a model and showing emotions?

– Do you believe your drama skills have improved over the last few weeks?

Appendix 11

25

Appendix 12

Drama Journal Questions Week 6

–

What did you learn about emotions this lesson?

–

Do you think your look on your emotions and other people’s emotions has changed since the first lesson?

–

Do you believe your drama skills have improved?

26 –

What is something important that you have learnt about emotions in drama?

– What has been your favourite thing you have learnt?

Appendix 13

Peer Assessment Sheet Circle the number which best describes the group’s performance. Use the number key for each group. Be honest! 1= Not up to scratch 2= Needs improvement 3= Average applause 4= Take a bow 5= Encore! Encore!

Group 1

1

2

3

4

5

27

Group 2

1

2

3

4

5

Group 3

1

2

3

4

5

Group 4

1

2

3

4

5

Group 5

1

2

3

4

5

Appendix 14

Drama Journal Questions Week 6

–

What did you learn about emotions this lesson?

–

Do you think your look on your emotions and other people’s emotions has changed since the first lesson?

–

Do you believe your drama skills have improved?

–

What is something important that you have learnt about emotions in drama?

– What has been your favourite thing you have learnt?

28

Appendix 14

Teacher Assessment Sheet: Drama-emotions Student

Improvisati on

Group Cooperatio n

Confidence

Willingness to Perform

Audience Skills

29

Appendix 15

Scenario Cards A boy is feeling angry because he was given a hard time by two classmates over a girl he spent some time talking to at lunch time. The story ends with him giving a cool response such as ‘Haven’t you got anything better to do than spend lunchtime watching me?’ and calmly walking away.

A girl is angry because her mother will not let her go to stay at a friend’s house for the weekend because the girls family are expecting visitors for the weekend themselves. The story ends with the girl doing a deal with her mother to go to her friend’s house after dinner with the visitors on Saturday night and come back early on Sunday morning.

30

A boy is angry because someone has borrowed his basketball without asking. The story ends with him firmly asking the kid not to do it again. A girl is angry because two classmates tell her that they don’t want to sit with her at lunchtime anymore. The story ends with her calmly tackling them later about why they are upset with her.

Appendix 16

Ashley the Teenager Ashley, a teenager, has gone out to a friend’s birthday party. Ashley’s father considers him/her child to be irresponsible, living only for a good time. He has permitted him/ her to go on the strict understanding that he/she will come home by the curfew. Ashley’s mother has made him/ her promise that the curfew time will be respected and has bribed him/her with a $2.00 coin in return for the promise. The father as yet knows nothing of the $2.00 bribe.

31

It is past the curfew hour. Mother has gone up to bed, Father shouts up noisily from downstairs that Ashley has not come home...

REFERENCE LIST McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 2, Pearson Education Australia, NSW, Australia

McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 3, Pearson Education Australia, NSW, Australia

Moroney, T 2005, When I’m Feeling Sad, Five Mile Press Pty Ltd, Victoria, Australia.

Primary Arts, 1997, Drama Trix, Dance/ Drama Educational Consultants, Victoria, Australia Images from: www.google.com