Drama

English

Primary

Role-playing enables students to uncover black history

KS3 students role-play characters from Mildren D Taylor's book Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, merging black history with English. Segregation is examined in 1930s America by role-playing characters from Mildred D Taylor's Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, charting the life of a young girl, Cassie, growing up in Mississippi. Examining the language and social context of the book, students pick a character and track them through the story, gathering evidence about them for their behaviour. By role-playing, they invent scenarios for their characters and imagine how they would resolve the conflicts and moral dilemmas facing black and white characters living through segregation. The lesson is designed for Key Stage 3 classes, but can also be used with Key Stage 2 pupils.

English and Black History - Role-playing 'Roll of Thunder'

Three ICT resources for teaching primary creative arts

In this episode we highlight three resources for primary drama. Drama consultant Colin Jackson recommends: <ul> <li>PeoplePlay UK - a Theatre Museum website detailing the history of theatre</li> <li>kar2ouche: Primary Shakespeare - an interactive storyboard system</li> <li>Short Films - an example of two stylised short films available from the internet: Grimm and The Piano</li> </ul> Jackson joins presenter Hermione Cockburn in the studio, along with panelists Jan Hamilton, a deputy headteacher and Ray Barker of The British Educational Suppliers Association.

ICT Special: Primary Drama

Using drama to engage children in a maths lesson

How one teacher uses the Drama for Learning and Creativity initiative to incorporate drama into her maths lessons. D4LC, an initiative pioneered by Patrice Baldwin of Norfolk County Council Children's Services. She explains how she uses it to train teachers to improve their drama techniques and deliver drama lessons across all areas of the curriculum. Here, the focus is on a lesson given by Terri English at Great Hockham School in Norfolk. It follows her use of ""Teacher In Role"" as a creative device to make maths lessons more engaging for her pupils, stimulating the creative side of their brains.

KS1 Drama in Maths - Drama for Learning

An exploration into drama workshops for teachers

This programme takes an in-depth look at drama workshops for teachers, focusing on the transferable techniques that can be used by them in the classroom. We follow 14 teachers from Newton Farm Primary School in Harrow as they explore the five stages their pupils would be asked to go through in a typical drama lesson: agreement, focus, visualisation, performance and evaluation. In addition, the teachers are taught about warm-up techniques, thought-tracking and creating both "soundscapes" and "bodyscapes".

KS1/2 Drama - Teaching Drama: A Structured Approach

An opportunity to see drama techniques in action

This programme provides an opportunity to see a range of drama techniques applied in the classroom. We follow three teachers from Newton Farm School in Middlesex as they explore the techniques they recently learnt in a drama workshop. Year 2 teacher Lara Miller tackles the subject of medieval castles with her class, whilst Ian Sutherland uses "frozen pictures" and "thought tracking" techniques to enhance his Year 4 Life in Tudor England project. Meanwhile, Gill Bland engages her Year 6 literacy class as she works on the opening of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit". Both teachers and pupils later reflect on their experiences, discussing how they feel the techniques have worked.

KS1/2 Drama - Teaching Drama: Focus, Freeze and Think

Improving reading and writing through the use of drama

This programme takes a look at how drama can be used to improve children's writing and reading skills. Louise Blakemoore, a Year 6 teacher at Gordon Junior School, is reading The Green Children by Kevin Crossley-Holland. She uses a range of drama techniques to help them engage more fully with the text and develop more insight into the characters. The techniques include Freeze Frame, Role on the Wall, Teacher in Role, Improvisation, Writing in Role and Decision Alley. Each of these enables pupils to explore layers of meaning, extend their vocabulary and this improve their writing. Louise stresses that you don't have to be an actor to use drama; what's important is knowing the class well, being aware of the techniques and planning how to use them effectively.

KS1/2 English - Drama in the Classroom

Drama is used to enhance a SEAL lesson

An insight into the Drama for Learning and Creativity initiative and how one teacher uses it to enhance a primary PSHE lesson. John McConnell of Lionwood Junior School in Norwich, shows how his use of "Forum Theatre" makes SEAL lessons more engaging for his pupils. He uses role play to explore ways of resolving conflict which are relevant to children?s lives, such as arguments over football and fashion, and encourages the children to join in and make suggestions about how to resolve conflict effectively. D4LC is an initiative pioneered by Patrice Baldwin of Norfolk County Council Children's Services. She explains how she uses it to train teachers to improve their drama techniques and deliver drama lessons across all areas of the curriculum.

KS2 Drama in PSHE - Drama for Learning

Primary pupils use drama to express their findings on insects

Teacher Kerry Smith uses drama with her pupils at Hotwells Primary School in Bristol, as they undertake a study of bugs. Kerry encourages her young scientists to use their observations to write poetry, as she uses drama as a tool to deliver elements of the renewed Primary Framework. Her pupils have been researching insects in the school garden and on the web, as Kerry introduces simple exercises regularly used by actors to re-enact what her pupils have discovered. Kerry knows the school has a high proportion of boys and wants to promote techniques that encourage boys' literacy skills, and drama is one of them, as it gives boys the chance to talk before they put pencil to paper.

Literacy and Drama

Use a mind corridor to help solve a dilemma

To help develop character in drama class, the teacher presents a dilemma, then puts the pupils into two lines to form a human corridor that one person slowly walks down. The others each make a comment as the student passes, and at the end, the person with the dilemma can make a more informed choice.

Mind Corridor

Two teachers work with an actress to learn new drama techniques

Elizabeth and Nerys, teachers at South Farnham School in Surrey, work on their drama skills with actress Anna Tolputt at the Polka Theatre in Wimbledon. Both teachers love drama, and get involved with the school plays, but never take on any of the roles themselves. Anna introduces them to Teacher In Role, and challenges both teachers to take a class session in a role. Later their pupils are surprised to be met by investigative journalist ""Nick Macintyre"" and ""Henry VIII"" played by the pair. Anna then shows Elizabeth and Nerys further tricks of her trade, and teaches them about making soundscapes, and objects from pupils' bodies. Finally Elizabeth and Nerys, reflect on what they have learned and are pleased by the pupils' creative responses, and they talk about how they will use the techniques in the future.

Professional Development for Quality Teaching

Subjects

> Primary English

> Drama