Drama
"Drama fuels imagination, ignites creativity, and brings learning to life."
- Lovena Rawoo
Scootle
Purpose of the Website
Scootle is a fantastic digital platform designed for Australian teachers. The website offers a range of resources and tools for various subjects and year levels, including drama and the arts.
The main objective of Scootle is to provide teachers with the necessary resources and tools they need to deliver a high-quality education.
Strengths:
- Comprehensive resource database aligned to the Australian Curriculum
- A range of digital resources - videos, images, and interactive activities
- Useful for teachers when planning lessons and responding to learning needs of different student cohorts.
- Resources can be modified for various teaching and learning styles
Weaknesses:
- Navigation can be difficult, with many resources to sift through
- Some resources may not be suit specific learning needs or contexts
Teacher-Relevant Elements:
Scootle provides opportunities for teachers to use it as a valuable tool. The platform provides a range of curriculum-aligned resources like the drama content descriptions and elaborations.
Classroom Activity:
One example of utilizing Scootle resources in the classroom is through the drama content description ACADRM028. Below is a classroom activity focused on exploring role and situation with movement and facial expression:
Activity Title: Exploring Roles and Emotions
Age Group: 4-5 years old
Subject: Drama
Duration: 40 minutes
Objectives:
1. To introduce role-taking and its importance in drama.
2. To explore and express different emotions through movement and facial expression.
Materials:
- Masks or props (optional)
- Simple scenarios (e.g., doctor's office, store, family)
Lesson Plan:
Introduction:
1. Welcome the children and explain the concept of role-playing.
2. Explain that they will pretend to be someone else and use their imagination!
Role-Playing Activity:
1. Split the children into small groups. Assign each group a simple scenario.
2. Each group should use facial expressions, movement, and voice to convey emotions.
3. Move around the groups, assisting and encouraging where necessary.
Sharing and Reflection:
1. Gather the children and ask them to share their experiences.
2. Talk about how they used facial expressions and movement to show emotions.
Conclusion:
1. Review the importance of role-playing and imagination.
2. Encourage children to continue to try and explore roles and emotions.
Assessment:
- Children will be assessed on their participation and engagement as a group.
- Assess children's ability to express emotions through facial expressions and movement.
Art Drama Scripts
Purpose of the Website
The Art Drama Scripts website provides a collection of unique and engaging theatre scripts for children, teenagers, and youth. The goal of the website to is to support teachers in promoting children's learning and development in the area of drama, making it a useful resource for teachers.
Strengths:
- Provides a variety of scripts (over 80) catering to different age groups and topics.
- Scripts are designed to be fun, educational, and appropriate for age levels.
- Provides scripts in various styles, including short scripts, one-act plays, full-length plays, monologues, and skits
- The website supports literature that highlights drama's role in children's educational and social development.
Weaknesses:
- There is little information on specific links to curriculum, though educational value is mentioned.
- No concrete evidence of lesson plans or resources that are linked to various curriculum standards
- Limited information on supporting diverse student groups.
Teacher-Relevant Elements:
- Scripts that can be used to teach curriculum topics or the moral/ethical aspects of life
- Emphasis on role-playing, facial expressions, and performance space
Classroom Activity based on Art Drama Scripts:
Lesson Plan: Little Red Riding Hood's Granny
Age Group: Foundation to Year 2
Subject: Drama
Duration: 45 minutes
Goals:
1. To use voice, facial expression, movement, and space to create and perform role and situation.
2. To foster creativity and imagination through drama.
Materials:
- The script or adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood
- Costumes and props (if desired)
Lesson Plan:
Introduction:
1. Introduce the story of Little Red Riding Hood and Granny.
2. Ask students to imagine for a moment that they are Granny and to think about how they would feel, or if they had to act in a certain way, what would they do?
Role-Playing Activity:
1. Group students into small groups and assign them the role of Granny.
2. Each small group is to create a short scene where Granny is waiting for Little Red Riding Hood.
3. Encourage students to use voice, facial expression, movement, and space to show how Granny is feeling - and who she is as a character.
Performance and Feedback:
1. Have each group perform their short scene.
2. Ask students to provide feedback on how well they portrayed Granny, with respect to voice, facial expression, movement, and space.
Conclusion:
1. Review the importance of using voice, facial expression, movement, and space in drama.
2. Encourage students to continue creating and trying out different roles and characters.
Assessment:
- Observe student participation and engagement.
- Evaluate student ability to use voice, facial expression, movement, and space to convey Granny's character.
Child Drama.com
The Purpose of the Website
This website is a platform for sharing lesson plans and resources for teaching Creative Drama and Theatre Arts to students of all ages. The website's purpose is to provide teachers with practical and proven lesson plans that will enhance their students' learning experience.
Strengths:
- Contains a wide range of lesson plans organized by age group and type
- Lesson plans that have been tried and tested in classroom
- Provides information/resources to assist with teaching various drama techniques, ie. narrative pantomime, improvisation, and role-playing
- Includes lesson plans that cater to different learning styles and age groups
Weaknesses:
- Limited information regarding specific curriculum links, although some lesson plans reference supporting Social Studies or History curriculum
- Lack of clear evidence of resources specifically designed for diverse student cohorts
- Some lesson plans may require variations to fit the teacher's teaching styles or classroom needs.
Teacher-Relevant Elements:
- Lesson plans with specific instructions and activities for teaching drama techniques
- Resources for teaching various age groups, from Pre-Kindergarten to older students
- Opportunities for students to develop creativity, imagination, and critical thinking skills.
Lesson Plan: Story Dramatization - "The Three Little Pigs" based on Child-Drama.com
Age Group: 4-5 years old
Objective:
To introduce young children to storytelling and role-playing through an enjoyable and engaging activity.
Lesson Plan:
Introduction:
1. Read a simplified version of "The Three Little Pigs" to the students (or tell the story orally).
2. Ask the students to identify their favourite character.
Role-Playing Activity:
1. Divide the students into small groups and assign them the simple roles (e.g., pigs, wolf).
2. Encourage students by telling them that they will be acting out the story using props and costumes.
3. Support students as needed, providing guidance, as well as encouragement.
Conclusion:
1. Gather the students and ask them to share what it was like to act out the story.
2. Discuss the story and its characters.
Benefits:
1. Develops creativity: Students use their sense of imagination to act out the story.
2. Encourages social skills: Students worked together in groups.
3. Builds confidence: Students increased their confidence through role-playing.
Bell Shakespeare
The purpose of the Website
The goal of the Bell Shakespeare website is to facilitate the appreciation of Shakespeare, through educational programs, performances, and resources that make the experiences associated with classic theatre readily available to all Australians.
Strengths:
1. Comprehensive resources: The website provides a good level of resources, including lesson plans, study guides, and activity ideas.
2. Educational programs: Bell Shakespeare provides educational programs and performances that cater to students and teachers.
3. Promotes creativity and critical thinking: The website's resources and programs' goal is to enhance motivation, creativity and critical thinking to help students understand and appreciate what the world of Shakespeare has to offer.
Weaknesses:
1. Limited accessibility: Some of the resources are contextualized to the Australian curriculum or productions, which limit how relevant they could be in other countries.
2. Complexity: Shakespearean language and themes may be challenging for younger or less experienced students.
Teacher-Relevant Elements:
1. Lesson plans: All lesson plans are aligned to the curriculum, they provide students with structured activities for teaching Shakespearean works.
2. Study guides: Study guides provide students with contextual information, analytical interpretation, and discussion questions.
Classroom Activity:
Concept: "Shakespeare's Language"
Activity Title: "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
Age Group: 4-5 years old
Objective:
To introduce young children to storytelling and role-playing through a fun, enjoyable and interactive Shakespeare inspired activity.
Lesson Plan:
Introduction:
1. Introduce the story of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in a way that is simple and easy to understand.
2. Show students pictures or props that may help spark their interest.
Role-Playing Activity:
1. Divide children into small groups and assign roles (Puck, Fairy, Donkey).
2. Encourage and allow children (as a group) to act out scenes from the story.
3. Use simple props and costumes as available to make it more enjoyable.
Creative Expression:
1. Give students different art materials (crayons, paint, etc.) to create their own character fairy or donkey.
2. Allow and Encourage the children to use more than just what was given to create their characters using their imagination and creativity.
Conclusion:
1. Gather the children back together and ask them to share their experience.
2. Have a discussion on the story and its different characters from the story.
Benefits:
1. Develops students creativity: Children are using their imagination when acting out the story and creating art materials.
2. Working on social skills: Children are working together in groups.
3. Introducing children to Shakespeare: Children are actively engaging in Shakespeare's world in a fun and interactive way.