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Unit title: Roles, characters, action!
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Description: In
this unit students explore characters, roles, situations and actions through
a range of activities. Students participate in scenarios where role-taking is
used to expand and enhance students’ participation in real-life experiences.
They develop their individual skills and participate as part of a group to
develop and perform a narrative and explore dramatic forms and theatre
conventions. Learning activities address selected ‘learn about’ and ‘learn to’
statements within the Life Skills content of the syllabus and may be
prioritised and selected to suit the needs of students. The unit provides a
range of ways in which students may engage in learning activities and
students should participate at a level appropriate to their abilities and
interests.
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Life Skills Outcomes
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Resources
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A student:
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LS.1.1 explores
characters, roles, situations and actions through drama activities
LS.1.2 explores
a variety of playbuilding activities
LS.1.3 participates
in drama experiences in which role-taking is used to enhance their
understanding of ideas and feelings
LS.2.1 explores
dramatic forms and theatrical conventions
LS.2.2 participates
in the preparation of drama works and theatrical productions
LS.3.1 experiences
a variety of drama or theatre performances
LS.3.2 identifies
and responds to the elements of drama or theatre in performances
LS.3.3 recognises
that drama and theatre performances can communicate meaning and ideas.
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A
range of taped segments from television shows, videos and DVDs, documentaries
Video
camera
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Links
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A student:
English
ENLS-1A listens
and responds in familiar contexts
ENLS-2A communicates
for a variety of purposes, audiences and contexts
ENLS-4A views
and responds to a range of visual texts, media and multimedia
ENLS-12C responds
to texts in ways that are imaginative and interpretive
ENLS-15D responds
to and composes texts that explore personal, social and world issues.
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A student:
Languages
LS.MLC.2 explores ways in which meaning is
conveyed in nonverbal communication
Mathematics
MALS-4NA recognises language used to
represent number
MALS-18NA recognises and continues repeating
patterns
MALS-32MG responds to and uses the language of
position in everyday contexts
PDHPE
LS.9 participates in a range of physical
activities
LS.11 demonstrates safe practices that promote
personal wellbeing.
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For students working
towards Life Skills outcomes in regular classes, teachers may wish to link
the activities in this unit with the sample unit ‘Playbuilding’ in Drama Years 7–10: Advice on Programming
and Assessment (pp 21–38).
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Life Skills Outcomes
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Life Skills content
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Students learn
about:
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Students learn to:
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LS.1.1
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the characteristics of familiar roles/characters
from live theatre, TV, film/video, literature, personal life
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ways to create verbal and non-verbal
communication such as voice, stance and gesture
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the use of improvisation to explore
roles/characters and relationships
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·
identify a range of familiar characters
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explore the use of verbal and non-verbal
communication appropriate to roles/characters
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explore roles/characters through improvisation
techniques
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LS.1.2
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playbuilding strategies such as improvisation,
different stimuli (such as place, situation, theme characters and issues)
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a dramatic sequence – beginning, middle,
climax, end – to convey dramatic meaning
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playbuild using a variety of stimuli to
communicate dramatic meaning
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sequence playbuilt scenes in an ordered way
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LS.1.3
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the fact that taking on a role is like
‘stepping into another person’s shoes’
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showing feelings such as happiness, anger,
excitement in different roles
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participate in role-taking experiences
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display different ideas and feelings when in
roles
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LS.2. 1
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the use of performance and expressive skills
in dramatic presentations such as voice, projection, movement, timing and
facial expressions
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developing confidence, trust and collaboration
with others
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use performance skills to participate in the
making and performing of a variety of drama and theatre performances
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develop confidence when moving and acting in a
designated performance space
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LS.2.2
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production elements such as acting, lighting,
sound, costumes, makeup, sets, front of house, stage management and publicity
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the operation of basic lighting and sound
equipment, finding or making costumes, applying makeup, helping with sets,
publicity, front of house or backstage work
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identify some of the different activities
associated with a dramatic or theatrical production
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participate in a range of activities involved
in preparing for a dramatic or theatrical production
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LS.3.1
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appreciating different performances
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appropriate ways of engaging in audience
participation
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experience a range of live or recorded drama
or theatre performances
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identify and display appropriate audience
behaviour in different situations
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LS.3.2
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different ways to express ideas about drama,
such as in drawing or collage, class discussion, or on computer
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different responses to drama, such as
displaying empathy for a particular character in a drama, expressing
enjoyment in response to a comedy, agreeing with an idea or issue raised in a
performance, or describing how the interaction between characters affected
the mood of a particular performance
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communicate responses to drama and theatre in
different ways
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communicate responses to their work or the
work of others, or to live or recorded drama and theatre performances
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LS.3.3
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ways to turn their ideas into a monologue or a
playbuilt scene
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the way and individual drama or theatre
performance, TV show or film has conveyed ideas
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express their own ideas in a piece of drama
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recognise that drama and theatre are ways for
individuals and groups to convey meaning and ideas
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Focus: Characters in real life
Outcomes: LS.1.1, LS.1.3, LS.3.1, LS.3.2
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Outcomes
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Integrated learning experiences and assessment
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Evidence of Learning
(words in italics refer to Life Skills outcomes)
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Feedback
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LS.3.1
LS3.2
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Students view a range of selected television
programs, films/videos, historical documentaries and/or live theatre presentations, and explore featured
characters. This may involve:
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identifying characters/roles such as policeman,
tennis player, chef, pilot, doctor by responding to pictures/photographs
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matching characters/roles with costumes using
pictures or photographs
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indicating their preferences for particular
characters by responding to pictures/photographs
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identifying the age, physical and personal
characteristics of particular characters
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indicating their preference for particular characters
and giving reasons for their choice
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Identification of
familiar characters may involve experiencing
a variety of drama or theatre performances and/or identifying and responding to the elements of drama or theatre in
performance.
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Oral, visual and/or tangible
feedback and prompting by the teacher to guide and affirm students:
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identification of various characters from
television and film etc
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LS.1.1
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Students match and label photographs/pictures
to identify features of the characters, eg
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how they look
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how they move
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how they communicate – verbally and nonverbally
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how they dress
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how they treat others
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Identification of the
features of characters may involve exploring
characters, roles, situations and actions through drama activities and/or
identifying and responding to the
elements of drama or theatre in performance.
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identification of features of characters
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LS.1.1
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Students explore the role and features of a
selected character. This may involve:
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using gestures
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using simple props
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using simple costume items, eg hats or shoes to walk
or move like the character, and/or interact with others like the character
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Exploring the role and
features of selected characters may involve exploring characters, roles, situations and actions through drama
activities.
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Teacher encourages,
supports and affirms students’ involvement in exploring a character.
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continued
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Focus: Characters in real life (cont)
Outcomes: LS.1.1, LS.1.3, LS.3.1, LS.3.2
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Outcomes
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Integrated learning experiences and assessment
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Evidence of Learning
(words in italics refer to Life Skills outcomes)
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Feedback
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LS.1.1
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Students explore movement appropriate to a
range of characters, eg
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walk like an important person
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jump or leap like someone who has just scored a
winning goal
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adopt a pose of someone who is scared
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gesture like a bully
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Exploring movement
appropriate to a range of characters from television, film and/or live
productions may involve exploring
characters, roles, situations and activities through drama activities and/or
identifying and responding to the
elements of drama or theatre in performances.
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Teacher encourages,
assists and affirms students’ involvement in exploring movement appropriate
to a range of characters.
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LS.1.1
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Students explore verbal and nonverbal
communication appropriate to a range of characters, eg
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use facial expression, gesture to communicate
feelings such as pride, happiness, fear
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use an appropriate tone and volume of voice to
communicate feelings such as anger, excitement, pain
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Exploring verbal and
nonverbal communication appropriate to a range of characters may involve exploring characters, roles, situations
and actions through drama activities.
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Teacher provides
demonstration, modelling or advice to support and affirm students’
exploration of verbal and nonverbal communication appropriate to a range of
characters.
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LS.1.3
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Students set up and participate in a mock
interview (hot seating) with one or more characters in role. The role of the
character may be taken by the teacher, another adult (an outsider) or the
student. Students prepare and ask questions to assist in exploring:
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the background of the character, eg their family,
where they live
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the feelings of the character, eg what makes them
happy, who do they love
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how the character treats others
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Setting up and
participating in a mock interview with one or more characters in role may
involve participating in drama
experiences in which role-taking is used to enhance understanding of ideas
and feelings.
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Teacher provides
encouragement and affirms students’ participation in mock interview activities.
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continued
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Focus: Characters in real life (cont)
Outcomes: LS.1.1, LS.1.3, LS.3.1, LS.3.2
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Outcomes
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Integrated learning experiences and assessment
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Evidence of Learning
(words in italics refer to Life Skills outcomes)
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Feedback
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LS.1.3
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Students video the mock interview and discuss
the character’s responses to the questions
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Videoing and discussing
the mock interview may involve participating
in drama experiences in which role-taking is used to enhance understanding of
ideas and feelings.
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Teacher affirms student
involvement in mock interview activities by highlighting the character’s
response in selected video excerpts.
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Focus: What’s my role, what’s your role?
Outcomes: LS.1.1, LS.1.3
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LS.1.1
LS.1.3
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Students explore real-life situations through
scenarios with students in role, others in role (outsiders), and/or teacher
in role (as narrator). This may include:
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using the telephone to place an order and/or return
faulty goods to a store and/or relate to helpful or unhelpful staff
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engaging in contingency planning for unexpected
events such as locking themselves out of the house, missing a bus, making
another choice if the preferred item is not available for purchase
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giving an explanation for personal actions, eg losing
a friend’s wallet, arriving late at school
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asking for assistance from known/unknown people using
personal communication strategies (perhaps using a support network card)
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dealing with a bully in the playground, at the bus
stop, on the sports field
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Participating in
scenarios to explore real-life situations may involve exploring characters, roles, situations and actions through drama
activities and/or participating in
drama experiences in which role-taking is used to enhance understanding of
ideas and feelings.
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Oral, visual and/or
tangible feedback and prompting to encourage, guide and affirm students’
participation in role taking experiences.
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Focus: Exploring,
developing and performing a narrative
Outcomes: LS.1.2, LS.2.1, LS.2.2, LS.3.2, LS.3.3
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Outcomes
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Integrated learning experiences and assessment
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Evidence of Learning
(words in italics refer to Life Skills outcomes)
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Feedback
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LS.1.1
LS.2.1
LS.2.2
LS.3.2
LS.3.3
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Students create a series of scenes around an
identified theme, story or event with an identified beginning, middle, climax
and end. These scenes may later be used as the basis for a group/class
performance. These scenes may include:
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using images or photographs of students participating
in a celebration or school event, accepting a prize after a sports carnival
and developing a series of scenes to explore the sequence of events relating
to the photograph. A student then develops a narrative to indicate what
happened before, what happened next, what happened after.
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developing a sequenced narrative to recreate an event
or incident from a selected television show/video
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re-creating an event from history or recent past and
developing a narrative to relate the sequence events, eg the capture of Ned
Kelly, landing on the moon, an accident to a star sportsperson on the field
or in the pool
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Creating a series of
scenes around an identified theme, story or event may involve exploring a variety of playbuilding
activities and/or exploring
dramatic forms and theatrical conventions. It may also involve participating in the preparation of drama
works and theatrical productions and/or recognising that drama and theatre performances can communicate
meaning and ideas.
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Teacher encouragement and
affirmation of students’ participation in the creation of a narrative that
includes a series of scenes.
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LS.2.1
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Students explore characters and/or roles in
depth within the framework of the narrative they have developed. Students may
do this by identifying, with teacher assistance, one character in the
narrative that they would like to focus on. Further activities may include:
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identifying items of costume that the character may
wear
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selecting, from a range, an image of what the
character may look like
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selecting, from a range, descriptions of personality
and appearance which match the character
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creating a character profile, eg determining age,
occupation
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undertaking activities, eg walking, talking, moving
in the manner of the character
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Students’ exploration of
characters and/or roles within the framework of the narrative may involve exploring dramatic forms and theatrical
conventions.
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Teacher offers positive
and constructive advice and encouragement on student involvement in exploring
characters/roles within the framework of a narrative.
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continued
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Focus:
Exploring, developing and performing a narrative (cont)
Outcomes: LS.1.2, LS.2.1, LS.2.2,
LS.3.2, LS.3.3
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Outcomes
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Integrated learning experiences and assessment
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Evidence of Learning
(words in italics refer to Life Skills outcomes)
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Feedback
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LS.2.2
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Students research theatrical techniques such
as the use of:
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lighting techniques that enhance dramatic impact, eg
how spotlights work, how lighting can be dimmed to create mood
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sound effects that can be produced using technology
and/or real objects
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music that creates and enhances the atmosphere
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costumes, props and scenery that enhance the drama
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make up techniques that enhance the qualities of the
characters
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Researching theatrical
techniques may involve participating in
the preparation of drama works and theatrical productions.
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Oral, visual and/or
tangible feedback by the teacher to guide and affirm students’ research of
the elements of drama.
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LS.2.2
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Students use theatrical techniques in the
context of preparation for performance. This may involve the use of:
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appropriate lighting techniques to enhance dramatic
impact
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sound effects appropriate to the action
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music to create and enhance the atmosphere
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costumes, props and scenery to enhance the drama
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make-up to enhance the qualities of the characters
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Using theatrical
techniques may involve participating in
the preparation of drama works and theatrical productions.
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Oral, visual and/or
tangible feedback by the teacher to guide and affirm students’ identification
of the elements of drama in the context of preparation for a performance.
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LS.2.2
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Students use pace/timing during the scenes to
heighten the dramatic tension
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Using pace/timing during
scenes may involve exploring dramatic
forms and theatrical conventions.
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Teacher provides
affirmation of the effectiveness of pace and timing.
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LS.2.2
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Students explore and engage in activities
associated with theatre productions,
eg choice/selection of performance space/venue, seating, sale of tickets, preparation of programs, role of ushers |
Exploring and engaging in
activities associated with theatre productions may involve participating in the preparation of drama
works and theatrical productions.
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Teacher provides advice
and assistance to students to clarify choices and issues.
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LS.2.2
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students participate in final rehearsals
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refine scene linkages
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present sections to the class
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respond and/or reflect on the performances of others
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Participation in final
rehearsals may involve participating in
the preparation of drama works and theatrical productions.
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Teacher gives support,
encouragement and oral, visual and/or tangible feedback throughout the
rehearsal process.
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continued
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Focus: Exploring,
developing and performing a narrative (cont)
Outcomes: LS.1.2, LS.2.1, LS.2.2, LS.3.2, LS.3.3
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Outcomes
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Integrated learning experiences and assessment
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Evidence of Learning
(words in italics refer to Life Skills outcomes)
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Feedback
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LS.2.2
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Students perform the event, incident or
scenario for others in the class, and/or in the school/community
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Performing for others may
involve participating in the
preparation of drama works and theatrical productions.
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Teacher discussion with
students to affirm the successful elements of the performance.
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LS.2.2
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Students evaluate their performance in terms
of feedback from the audience and/or video recordings
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Evaluating their own
performance may involve identifying and
responding to the elements of drama or theatre in performance.
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Teacher coordinates
discussion to affirm student evaluation.
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