Lesson Plan: Week 1

Lesson step/
drama phase

Learning experiences

Roles

Use of space (S)
Resources (R)

Preliminary discussion
10 mins

• Explaining the unit
• laying down the rules
• outlining the basic structure
• engaging the students
• Listing the structure of the session
• Explaining the story concept

Teacher explanation:

This is an adventure

Ravensbourne is the name of the fictitious place where we are going.

Rules and responsibilities

Explanation of the drama rules:

• Have fun
• Take a risk - have a go (Do you get a funny feeling in your tummy when you have to talk in front of the group? Do you have that with an important sport activity? Yes! This is the feeling that comes with taking a risk.  You will feel more like taking a risk if people are supportive of you.)
• Be supportive of others
  • What is supportive behaviour?
  • What do we do when the students go up on stage? (clap)
  • What do we do at the end? (clap)
  • Be supportive of the teacher as well
• Keep your hands and feet to yourself (unless I ask you to do differently)
• Drama circle
  • What is the pattern? (girl, boy, girl, boy)
  • When I need your attention, I will say "3, 2, 1", just like in the movies.
• Star of the week
  An award for participation, behaviour or a good idea (maybe in group work). The star of the week could be the whole class, a group or just one person.
• Consequences
  1. Warning
  2. Removal and write outs
  3. Office trip!

Are you all cool with the rules - everyone agree?

Out of role

Students in a drama circle (boy, girl, boy girl) (S)

Teacher standing/sitting in drama circle as part of the group (S)

Introductory focus game.

4 mins

Drama focus game:

Students to form a drama circle

Teacher counts backwards from 10 as the students move into circle - to focus the students and get them sitting in their circle quickly and quietly

Name game:

The students then stand in their drama circle and say their name and put a silly movement with it. All the students copy saying the name and doing the movement. eg "Laura" and does a running movement - all the students in the class copy. If students do a dismissive or shy movement, the students in the class can copy that to keep the game moving and to positively reinforce interaction.

Out of role

(S) Drama circle - boy, girl, boy, girl

Introduction and reading of story

7 mins

Find a piece of carpet and lie on it - but you must be away from anyone else. If you know you are going to be distracted by someone - move away.

Close your eyes (if you have trouble doing this - put your arm over your eye to help so that you won't be distracted)

Actively engage your imagination - this means use your brain to listen and visualise what you hear

Chapter One of Ravensbourne story:

(Considered dramatic reading)

Teacher quietly instructs the students to open their eyes and return to the drama circle

Out of role

Students on the carpet - lying on their back - separated from others (S)

Ravensbourne story (R)

Discussion of the story in drama circle - narrative development

4 mins

What do you think of that first chapter?

What stuck in your brain?

What were the pictures in your mind? (denotative elements)

What do you think this might be about? (connotive elements)

Positive reinforcement of the recall of the story - the pictures, images and concepts that the students have gleaned.

Students respond to teacher-led questions

Drama circle (S)

Group work.

Forming the experimental role play and freeze frame

Building belief

5 mins

Students work together to make the map of Ravensbourne - (Physical Theatre)

In a group of six use your bodies to make the map of Ravensbourne - students use gesture and movement to accompany words.

"I am (the top of the mountain) and I am (holding up the island)" (freeze frame)

"I am the ocean and I am surrounding the island"

In the performance, the first student will enter the space and say what he/she is and do the accompanying movement then freeze. The next person will join the first and say what they are and do their movement and then freeze. By the end all six students will have made the map (like a puzzle!!)

Students move to the rehearsal space

Students using role play and freeze frame in a group of six

In groups in space outside and inside.(S)

Presenting: Students performance of movement and frozen image as a group

10 mins

Students return to the classroom space (count backwards to settle)

Organisation of students into a stage/audience space - draw an imaginary line across the room to differentiate the audience and the stage

Reminder of being supportive (clap to support first group)

Student selected (positive reinforcement of good conduct) to use the movie clapper and start the scene with "Three, two, one, action)

Response to the group which performed

(2 stars and a wish)

Eg.

I like the way you.....(stayed in character), I like the way you.....(moved your arms to show the trees moving), but I wish .....(you had spoken a little louder)

Teacher feedback to the group about the performance. Positive reinforcement of the dramatic language used in the performance "I liked your use of the words "jagged rocks" - it really made us able to visualise what you were performing

Applause to finish the group's work

Working through each group’s performance with feedback from the students and teacher.

Students as actors

Students in stage/audience performance space (S)

Map (graphic design) revealed

5 mins

Do you want to see the map of the island?

Graphic design of the island revealed.

What makes sense on this map and is consistent with the story?

Reminder of the groups who live on the island (fishing village, mining village and mountain villages) and discussion of where the different groups of people may live (referencing the map)

Announcement:

We are the mountain people.

Do you remember about the crevasse?

• The mountain people are split in half by the crevasse
• Recall information and feelings about the two mountain groups

Out of role

Map of Ravensbourne (R)

Students sitting as audience (S)

Explanation of the role

Building

3 mins

Your task is to make the rules for your area, decide what your people would do in the day and where on the map they would do it.

Groups:

• Decision makers
  • what are the rules of the village?
  • what happens if a rule is broken?
• Medicine people
• Hunters
• Gatherers

Bathing and washing areas

People who make rituals - what happens if someone is born, dies, gets married, etc.

Tasks:

• Label where your group would be on the map
• Work out what is involved in doing your job -
• Eg Where would they have washed? - What would they wash clothes with?
• How do you make soap? (whale blubber and ashes from a fire)
• Describe what you do in your work day?
• Demonstrate those activities and write down your responses so that you can go through this with your teacher in class.

"It's going to take some time, but you are responsible for working out what your group would do."

Out of role

Drama circle (S)

Role play , discussion and negotiation of roles

7 mins

Students divided into groups to take on the roles of the islanders and work out their daily activities.

Role playing, discussing , and negotiating

Inside and outside (S)

Pens and paper to record responses (R)

Reflection and conclusion

4 mins

Reminder that the class teacher will follow up in class, consolidating the roles of the groups before next week.

Star of the week award.

Thanks for participation.

Out of role

Drama circle (S)