Drama GCSE Unit 3 Drama Home Page

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Week	Details & links	Assessed work / further work / QMA	My Learning	My Thinking	My Research	My Feelings	My Peers
1	Introduction and the Exposition Give handout 1 to the pupils and read through the fable.  Introduce the pupils to the 5 components of creating a good plot – Exposition, Encounter, Conflict, Climax, and Resolution.   Glossary – Structural model – a template or stepping-stones to create the story.  Plot – the structure or storyline of he play.  Plays sometimes have a main plot and a sub-plot.  Narrative – the storyline.  Exposition – setting the scene.  Encounter – a meeting of some kind.  Conflict – the problem.  Climax – point at which all the strands are pulled together.  Resolution – the moment when all the events are resolved. In pairs the pupils are to discuss and outline on the handout where they think one section starts and ends.  This is to be completed throughout the fable extract. As a whole group, discuss about where sections start and end.  Pupils must use reasoning skills to achieve this. Then give handout 2 to the pupils which explains the plot and structure of the fable. Remind pupils that the first 5 minutes of a performance are the most important as you have to grab the audience’s attention. Put on the board the following questions: 1) Where are we? 2) When are we there?, 3) Who is involved?  This will constantly remind the pupils what is required of them in the first section of the piece. Pupils are to create the first opening section.  I usually divide the group into half – farmers and traders.  The groups then get into pairs of the same trade.  They are to create 3 freeze frames that show that they are a farmer or a trader.  They are then to add a noise to each of their freeze frames.  They can then add a repeated movement to each of the freeze frames.  They are then to repeat the sequence. Number the pairs and run the sequence as a whole group.  Have we answered any of the questions yet?  What do we need to do to achieve this? The format that I use is:     Freeze frames to set the scene.  Groups are then numbered to add movement Soundscape of both sides to set the atmosphere Rhyming couplets to introduce the story and what both side does / thinks about the other side, with mimetic gestures The above movement in pairs Whole group movement piece to show the river and its power. Homework:  Pupils are to analyse what they have created so far.  Use these questions – what do you understand the exposition to be?  Describe one effective way of conveying a large amount of information to the audience through the work you have created.  What does it mean to “Directly address the audience”?   (You may wish to video their work after each section and get the pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of what they have created as well.)	The fable - handout Handout 2 - structure Teacher - SOW THE FABLE STRUCTURE (L.G)
2	The Encounter. Put the following questions on the board:  Who meets who? Why do they meet?, What is the outcome of the meeting?  This gives the lesson a focus and allows the pupils to see why they are creating certain sections of work. In the 2 half groups the pupils are to create narration / rhyming couplets that show how the 2 groups of people are connected in a nice way.  They are to show their daily routines and how they get on with each other.  When this is performed both sides will create a freeze frame, one side will come alive, then the other side.  They are to make sure that the answer the questions that were put on the board In groups of 4 – 2 traders and 2 farmers, the groups are then to work out 2 situations where each set of trades are getting an unfair deal e.g. the farmers could be selling the traders a bag full of rotten potatoes and the traders don’t realise this they get back across the river, or the traders could be selling the farmers a dodgy chair that has legs that fall off.  Again no money can be refunded as they have crossed the river.  There may be some comedy situations here!! Number the groups and see the whole of the performance.  Homework:  What have you learnt about the encounter phase of the story? Describe what “Ensemble playing” means.  How did you show the differences between the villagers?
3	The Conflict In mixed trade pairs the pupils are to create 3 insults towards each other.  This is not to be personal but more abut their trade.  No-one is allowed to be physical and we are only using our voices. Line the groups up opposite each other with the river in the middle.  The pairs are to the insult each other.  What is the problem with showing this piece like this to an audience?  Discuss as a whole group solutions to this problem. I usually stand the lines in a “V” shape and work from one end of the line to the other.  I then overlap the vocals and get the group to build up in volume Then allocate the whole class into 3 groups.  It does not matter if they are different trades.  The groups are going to create narration and mimetic gestures to introduce the spirit and highlight the problem.  Group 1 – They are to introduce the spirit.  Who is the spirit?  Why is the spirit there? Group 2 – what is the problem?  Why does the spirit want to punish these people? Group 3 – what is the solution that the spirit is offering to the farmers and the traders? The whole class then have to work out how they can link all of the above narration together to form a sense of togetherness for the spirit. Then at the end of the spirit narration, put the pairs sequence in again to show how they have decided to ignore the spirit’s warning. Again record and evaluate the working process.  Let the pupils see what they have created as a whole class.   Homework – What event caused the conflict in your piece of drama? How was this conflict built up? – answer this in terms of content, What dramatic elements helped to heighten the tension?  Answer this in terms of form. By now you should be able to run the piece from the beginning to the point you have reached as a class.  Video and assess what has been created and discuss as a whole class.
4	The Climax Put the question on the board – “How do the strands (where, who, what) combine to bring the events to a climax? Each half group are to create a chant that shows how much they hate the other group.  Again this must be regarding their trades and should not be personal.  The half groups have to work out how they are going to create tension and show anger in their voices and faces.  The groups can add gestures / movement / levels etc to help create this atmosphere. The teacher then calls out as the spirit “I warned you”. Pupils are then to experiment as a whole group how to show the flood sweeping through the villages.  I usually get the pupils to focus on a spot on the whiteboard and imagine that there is a great wave coming towards them.  By using their eyes and facial expressions they are to show the change from anger to terror.  I get the pupils to do this section in slow motion.  I also add some classical music to add tension and atmosphere to the piece. The pupils are then to experiment with staging and their own bodies to show how they create the two pillars of people that form over the river.  I usually get the pupils to form a line and have 2 people on shoulders that join.  Remember that the formation must be safe.  I still use the music to add effect at this moment. Slowly the pupils are to dismantle the image and then create a whole class piece of narration that demonstrates how the villagers avoided the flood.  Use the handout as a guide to help the whole class achieve this.  I usually select a leader for this section of the work. Video and assess what they have created Homework – How did you mark the climax of the scene?  How was movement used in this section?  How might you draw a graph to represent the level of action against performance time?
5	The Resolution Put on the board – How do the strands (where, who, what) become sorted or untangled? The pupils need to understand the importance of silence and lack of movement at this point.  This becomes the quiet after the flood.  I get pupils to go from the whole class narration of the previous section and then to spin out to form an interesting position in the space.  They pupils are then to count to 30 in their heads and to slowly move to an upright neutral position. In 4 small groups the pupils are to create 3 supportive images.  The final image should show friendships forming.  These images are to be symbolic.  As a whole class the pupils are then to create some narration to explain how the bridge came to be made – through the pillars of the two groups.  They can use the previous image or they can create another one.  I usually get the pupils to address the audience and use either chairs or their bodies to create a bridge.  Each person says a line and then spins into the centre to form part of the bridge.  Form the bridge image first and then work out the narration. I usually leave one person at the end to speak a little more.  They are to tell the audience about the reconciliation that has taken place. I then get the pupils to create a harmonious soundscape that shows how the two groups of people get on together.  They are still in their bridge formation. Video and evaluate what they have created.   Homework – How was the drama resolved? Did you create an soundscape?  If so how was this created and what effect did it produce?  How did you “Make” the bridge?
6	Rehearsal and lighting Allow the pupil’s time to rehearse their piece until they think that it is up to performance standard. Video what they have created and stop at important moments where you think lighting would add effect. Go through the lighting board and the effects that can be created and get the pupils to suggest how they can use lighting to enhance their work. Rehearse with the lights and discuss as a whole group how this makes them feel as a performer Video again with the lighting effects created.
7	Reflection and final performance Depending on the weeks in the half term you may have a week 7 or you may not.  It is hoped that we can show these to the other GCSE drama groups, or maybe have a preview evening after school. Use this week to reflect on the process of creating a good piece of drama, the plot and structure of the piece and the new techniques that the pupils have experience. What do they feel was the best part of the process / performance and why? What was not so good abut the process / performance and why?  What improvements could have been made?   Homework – after watching their own performance on video they are to answer the following questions: As an audience member did you understand the story?  Did it make sense? Did you understand why the performers had used symbolic movements?  Gestures etc? Are the group focussed as performers?  Is it clear that it is an ensemble piece of work? Does the use of performance support (lights / sound) over dominate the piece or does it enhance the performance? What changes do you think could be made to the performance and why? As a performer Do you feel that you were focussed in the final performance? Do you think that you were focussed in the devising process? What was your favourite part of creating the performance and why? Do you think that you contributed enough ideas to the final performance? What have you learnt from creating this piece of performance?   The pupils can either write out the questions and answer them fully or they can use the above as prompts and write as paragraphs.  This is up to the individual pupil.  However all of the above questions must be answered.  The mark for the above homework will then form the QMA mark for the portfolio section of the QMA sheet.