SECTION ONE
PLANNING A DRAMA FOR YOUR CLASS
What exactly is process drama in the classroom? Process Drama is a problematic event that affects a group of people deeply and changes their lives, possibly for ever. Pupils explore the causes and consequences of that event on those people and places.
What is an aim in drama?
This is a broad target for you to plan children’s work. Linked to strands they should contain aspirational targets which are focussed on Drama content, subject content( if using integration)
Express the areas of co-operation(whole group/ small group/ /individual) and what sort of co-operation is desired-verbal, physical, discussion, other team work).Formal reflection needs to be embedded in the specific aims of the curriculum and be both participative and interactive . These should encompass the range of strategies available including a variety of styles of verbal, nonverbal, embodied and poetic reflection.
How is an objective in Drama different from an aim?
Whilst an aim is aspirational-it is your hope that in the drama overall that children will appreciate or understand an aspect human nature and culture.
Whilst an aim is aspirational-it is your hope that in the drama overall that children will appreciate or understand an aspect human nature and culture.
An objective is an achievable and measurable outcome. Teacher can observe the behavioural change by observation . It will be generally framed by the curricular strands.
In process drama what is a theme?
a theme is sometimes expressed in binary phrases which bookend the drama experience such as “ This drama is about the way young people have different dreams to older people,” or “How young people deal with conflict of traditions in an immigrant family.” A well-written theme gives the reader a snapshot of the sorts of human questions that might be in the writer’s mind, which the characters will experience in the action of the pupils’ drama .
a theme is sometimes expressed in binary phrases which bookend the drama experience such as “ This drama is about the way young people have different dreams to older people,” or “How young people deal with conflict of traditions in an immigrant family.” A well-written theme gives the reader a snapshot of the sorts of human questions that might be in the writer’s mind, which the characters will experience in the action of the pupils’ drama .
What is a good underlying question?
This relates to and evolves directly out of the theme, so in the theme of older and younger people’s dreams, the Underlying question might be "What are the influences on a person’s dreams”? Or ” To what extent do dreams affect people’s behaviour? These open questions all have the human at their heart and fill out the theme. You may use underlying questions to develop two sides of a debate. In a story of Miss Muffet, the questions might be “Do we all have equal rights ? [Should she have sat under that particular tree where the spider traditionally makes their web?] What are the rights of insects? [Should they make their web wherever they like?]. These underlying questions suggest dramatic action (story), as above.
What is a source?
The source of your story may be theme like the cost of Justice, and if so then you need a concrete stimulus to bring the theme to life. This may be a poem, short story, novel, picture, musical piece which
[a] Captures the imagination.
[b] Gives a sense of the theme, and provoke many open questions.
[c] Has sensory appeal and lures the reader into a situation. Typically, this will focus on a person or family, often similar to the pupils in age, to facilitate empathic engagement.
[d] Have sense of a person’s world, including people mentioned and unmentioned. People in the picture and those absent from it.
[e] Suggests tensions which may be interesting to explore.
f] Suggest an event which causes a life change for someone.
Are emotion and tension the same thing?
Emotions such as sadness, or joy are not tensions in themselves; they are unalloyed states of being. Often two emotions need to exist for tension to be felt- one may be sad at the departure of a sibling to work abroad and yet be happy that you will now have a room of your own. The value of this is that the pupil engages with the theme and underlying questions through the actions and emotions of the characters and their response to conflicting situations.
What are existing tensions?
These are those conflicts of will, ideas, thoughts and emotion between the main actors of the drama that may precede the action of the drama, but influence the present intensely.
What is meant by “Main idea” ?
Defined as what you want the children to experience in relation to the stage of the story you are at.
- Context setting: Main ideas may be to engage in the context of characters, place, and time. Conventions such as mapping may be used here.
- Poetic. Where deeper reflection on moment is necessary. Often using non-verbal strategies such as still image.
- Reflective: where the consequences and implications for the characters is examined and weighed. Conscience alley is one such.
Why is Place important?
The sense of the character’s place can ground the pupils and support their going into role. To develop a sense of Place one may think of using the five senses to create total sense of identity for the place and help pupils to suspend their disbelief and accept the fiction of place and time. Not all places will be significant but some will. Think of the concentric circles. The outside circle is the galaxy, then the universe, the world, the continent, the country, the county, the town, street, house, room. The significant ones in Ann Frank were the country, street, house, attic and Anne’s room.
The sense of the character’s place can ground the pupils and support their going into role. To develop a sense of Place one may think of using the five senses to create total sense of identity for the place and help pupils to suspend their disbelief and accept the fiction of place and time. Not all places will be significant but some will. Think of the concentric circles. The outside circle is the galaxy, then the universe, the world, the continent, the country, the county, the town, street, house, room. The significant ones in Ann Frank were the country, street, house, attic and Anne’s room.
What is an Existing Tension?
It adds depth of tension and focus for a drama. An E.T of place might exist where the territory or resources are contested by anyone in the story. This may be significant if our main character is associated with one contested side or the other ,e.g. Anne Frank. An E.T of time would be where the whole group in the story is under a time constraint: some loss of home, farm, city, country that is imminent.
It adds depth of tension and focus for a drama. An E.T of place might exist where the territory or resources are contested by anyone in the story. This may be significant if our main character is associated with one contested side or the other ,e.g. Anne Frank. An E.T of time would be where the whole group in the story is under a time constraint: some loss of home, farm, city, country that is imminent.
How is time used in drama?
Time give s focus in drama. Think of concentric circles. The outer circle contains the millennium; next circle the century, next the decade, then the year, season, month, day, and time of day. Not all of these will be significant, but some will. E.g. 1944 winter for Anne Frank. A birthday or anniversary can focus and narrow dramatic action usefully.
Time give s focus in drama. Think of concentric circles. The outer circle contains the millennium; next circle the century, next the decade, then the year, season, month, day, and time of day. Not all of these will be significant, but some will. E.g. 1944 winter for Anne Frank. A birthday or anniversary can focus and narrow dramatic action usefully.
What are Roles?
A role may be typical and functional, e.g. the nurse, the doctor. It becomes a character over the life of the drama by being fleshed out fully beyond its functional responsibilities. Not all roles will become characters in your drama. Some will remain as types. The main roles, however , will develop into three-dimensional characters, beyond stereotype, by the addition of both teacher in role and pupil in role experiences. Here we see the various roles and how they influence the main character. This is done through action in role by the pupils and teacher, which creates empathy for the main role. The purpose of which is to invest the children so much that they will want to care about what happens to the character. Many dramas rise or fall on the amount of investment that is put into the drama in this way. The main moment will then be situated or book ended by other scenes, which develop the roles and themes in ways, which build belief in the characters and their situation.
Can you give me an example of a role?
In the Roald Dahl book of the same name, Matilda’s teacher, Miss Honey is responsible for looking after the welfare of her charges, even if it means coming into confrontation with Ms. Trunchbull. Like wise the Dorsey’s have parental responsibility for Harry Potter, but they do not do it well, this providing useful tensions, which we can explore in a process drama. Who in Humpty Dumpty’s life has responsibility for looking after Humpty and the king? These responsibilities may fall into the private and public domains. Domestic roles will include parents, siblings, relatives, neighbours, visitors, and helpers in the home or farm. The public sphere will include formal roles, which have a significant influence the main character. Examples of these may include guardian type roles which have responsibility in education, health, employment, government, religion, commerce, military, legal, social, historical. Each of these roles above will have a clear responsibility. Often their responsibility may be the source of linking your themes, character, and situation. Again using the concentric circle model, the central circle will be the main role, followed by family, neighbours, associates, social carers, state officials, and religious ministers, military or other, based on their closeness to the main character’s situation.
What is a good tension?
For example, Cinderella meets a friendly servant who is responsible for delivering the invitation to the ball and is answerable to the queen . Does the servant tell Cinders that or bring them straight to the queen? How does the servant balance her conflicting loyalties of Role to her friend Cinders and her boss, the queen? The pupil in role as the servant is put into a push /pull tension which explores this theme of loyalty in a concrete way. This is a dilemma: where a conflict of loyalty between a public role( Servant to the queen) and friend( to Cinderella) are in conflict. The threat tension is where the arrival of unwanted change is imminent and how a character deals with it. The tension of secret is where a mistake may be made and covered up. This can cause tension for all involved.
What is a moment?
Your drama will normally aim for a climax moment often near the end of the drama . This may include a key life decision made by the character; certainly, it will be a moment of significant physical, mental, or moral change for them. However, for this to work at any depth, the pupils must be invested in a number of prior steps along the way so that they will empathise and want to take responsibility for the actions of their characters. Typically, these will include moments of pretext and context.
What is a stimulus?
This is the story,pretext or poem that launchers the children into the fictional drama.
This is the story,pretext or poem that launchers the children into the fictional drama.
What do you mean by “Specific Teacher Language”?
This is the language you use to introduce and activity. It will include instructions how to achieve the task .
This is the language you use to introduce and activity. It will include instructions how to achieve the task .
What is a pre-text?
Pretext is defined here as the situation that pertained up to the start of your drama, or back story. It should include the main character’s, their previous situation and foreshadow of significant change for all involved. This change may be a potential dilemma( moral choice between two options) a threat( a potential loss from outside) The pretext is set by dramatic activities in place, time, and previous history of events, which lead up to your opening. In this we understand why events happened in the way they did.
What is Context?
Includes the influences and pressures on the place, time, and roles. The next stage is to develop the story through action.
What is Briefing?
The brief is the information needed to succeed in the role. A pre-role activity which creates pupil investment in the dramatic improvisation. A necessary ingredient is tension, which is put in by the teacher, not the pupils. The tension is usually a push/pull conflict, which may be external or internal; if external then the main role is conflicted by a choice of accepting present reality or taking gamble and going on by making an alternative. If internal, the role may be morally conflicted, but a choice of commercial gain over loyalty. Can be achieved with role cards for clarity (esp. if class are new to drama ) though it will eventually settle down to an open brief (What are the concerns of the character you are about to play?) or closed ,where the intention is made explicit( You want to go the disco. Your task is to persuade your mother of that) . It may be hidden to raise tension ( Tell the mother role information but not the children).
The brief is the information needed to succeed in the role. A pre-role activity which creates pupil investment in the dramatic improvisation. A necessary ingredient is tension, which is put in by the teacher, not the pupils. The tension is usually a push/pull conflict, which may be external or internal; if external then the main role is conflicted by a choice of accepting present reality or taking gamble and going on by making an alternative. If internal, the role may be morally conflicted, but a choice of commercial gain over loyalty. Can be achieved with role cards for clarity (esp. if class are new to drama ) though it will eventually settle down to an open brief (What are the concerns of the character you are about to play?) or closed ,where the intention is made explicit( You want to go the disco. Your task is to persuade your mother of that) . It may be hidden to raise tension ( Tell the mother role information but not the children).
Focus: This briefing will provide sharp focus the pupils on the task in hand. It must be clearly expressed in terms of “desired outcome.” This conflict of desired outcome provides very useful tensions, which provide the energy for autonomous engagement in the improvisation. Done well, it means that the teacher can hand over creative power to the pupils and simply watch the events unfold. Each pupil must have his or her own desired outcome. They need to know where they are going if they are going to get there. You provide the map, they make the journey.
Assessment: The three strands of the curriculum are
- Making and exploring drama
- Co-operation and communication in drama
- Reflecting on drama
There should normally be three objectives, one objective per lesson per strand. However, it is meet to note that these objectives, like all objectives must be evidence based. We must be able to assess that each pupil has achieved the stated objective in that particular lesson. This can be an educational/ subject objective, like measuring Columbus’ cabin (Maths; Making and Exploring), or a drama skill based objective, (Carry out a brief with conviction in a scene between Beanstalk Jack and his mum.) . Sometimes the strands will overlap, but the emphasis for this lesson will suffice. For instance in the scene between Jack and his mum, the teacher is, clear that whilst they must Co-operate and Communicate (strand two) to achieve the goal, that her objective for this lesson is on Jack speaking with belief in the scene with his mother (strand one). This should clarify boundaries and make progress clearer when writing reports. Assessment is usually based on a portfolio of pupils’ work kept in a folder during the year, as in art.
Why is Reflection important for primary drama. Surely it should be about fun?
Reflection on motives, implications, and consequences should happen regularly through discussion in role and other hot seat activities. Leave the theme in the pupils’ unconscious, which will do the work for you. To make a theme explicit can take the magic out of the drama and impede the ripple effect of authentic thinking, which is so desired in this art form. Once we say something like ”So stealing is very bold isn’t it?”, we deny the child the right to make up her own mind in this instance. Of course, we make it clear that we do not condone stealing, by saying that the actions refer to the story and not to our lives. Pupils should be clear that it was Tom in Tom, Tom the piper’s son stole a pig, and away he ran who stole the pig and not one of us here in this classroom. Try to reflect whilst in role if possible. To talk as the family of the widow who had her pig stolen about the food implications for them is reflection, but it is done in role. This could just as easily be still image of the widow’s family three days later.
How do I link each scene so pupils see a connection between each day’s drama class?
This can be done in class by teacher telling another bit of the story, or the arrival of a message or referral to another piece of news or new character. It is important that this be thought out in advance to facilitate the maintenance of belief. An exercise given at the end of the drama such as a diary entry, picture or other empathic exercise will keep the drama narrative alive until time allows you to return to the story. This should be a drama exercise, but may also be integrated with another subject.
How do I finish off the drama?
This may happen sooner that you expect, should pupils change the energy or focus of the drama. Remember that it is partnership and if teacher insists on finishing a drama that has finished its shelf life, then stale food is the only fare ,and no one wants that. If the interest appears to be waning, and you feel that there is more to explore in your theme, add in another tension. A new character or new information, which confounds the present situation. If that does not work try asking the pupils” Well, I am flummoxed. I haven’t a clue what Jamie might do/say now…I wonder what do you think …if I gave you say one minute could you have a chat in pairs about the options for Jamie now. It would be great to come up with one really good idea that you think might work.” This is an example of Teacher Language: Direct engagement with pupils with the purpose of guiding them into role or task. It may be used pre- task as above or post-task, for reflection, depending on your purpose.
What is integration in drama?
Drama by its nature is integrative, offering opportunities to pupils to develop and embed their learning . Teachers can consciously use these opportunities as they emerge in the work, and develop them in projects. Alternative approaches include the conscious use of a civilisation drama to explore either history or geography, e.g. Ancient Egypt, India today, or Columbus’ voyage to the New World. For this approach to succeed it is necessary to embed information relevant to the character’s context beforehand.
Is drama Acting the story?
Drama is exploring the story ,the causes of events not the actual events themselves. An eviction image tells us little. But the causes of that eviction and its effects explored in images will allow deep empathic learning t occur, based on children’s own understanding.
Should I concentrate on how the image looks?
Classroom Drama is not what it looks like, it is why ( cause) it happened and the future implications ( effect) of that event and peoples’ response to it.
Are there any short texts that I can read up on for planning?
Making sense of Drama (1984). J. Neelands. Esp. Ch. 9. “Planning Drama.”
Structuring Drama Work (2000). J. Neelands, T. Goode.
SECTION TWO
TEACHING DRAMA IN YOUR CLASSROOM
Should I tell the pupils that we are doing drama?
At first, the advice is generally-no. Let pupils realise that they are working in this way. Just say ”For the next activity I need you to get into a circle”. If they then ask, redirect the pupil, and move on.
Should I teach in the class room?
Yes, preferably. Clear space in break or use pupils to help. If this is not possible, adapt the drama to pairs and fours which can still be taught in rows.
If I teach in the hall, how do I prepare?
Prior: Break class into four groups. Limit the drama space in the hall with 4 benches. If using four benches then ask group to sit at a bench assigned in advance. Set up sound equipment etc. in advance( at break). Agree and practise an absolute silence code- hand in air ( not whistle).
Set up a verbal contract based on positive participation( we all want to be able to take part…what do we need ot do, say hear? How can we best do this? Only write contract if necessary.
How do I bring pupils from class to the hall?
Entering the space: Stop at hall door. Ask for silence. Instruct pupils as to what you want them to do when they enter.
If working in role in class, think about putting sign on door to avoid interruption at wrong moment.
How do I bring pupils back to normal class?
Leaving the Hall: set up a pattern ritual that pupils get used to. Wrap up with children all on benches again and ready to go back to class. Do not go until all are seated and have heard what ever instructions are necessary for safe passage back to classroom. If in class ,then develop similar pattern of return to normal work. A short circle reflection ( in small groups- feed back from about four/five group rapporteurs) on the value of that drama , can help settle.
