Course Profile Dramatic Arts, Grade 10,
Open, Public
Unit 3: Choices and Consequences
Time: 22 hours
Activity 1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3
| Activity 4
This unit deals with the complexity of making informed choices and the sometimes unpredictable consequences which may result. Through a variety of dramatic activities including role play, tableau, sculpting, monologues, storytelling, visual imaging, and reflection, students explore situations which require difficult decisions and choices. Through these activities, students also share their perspectives on issues and choices which concern them. A variety of stimuli and resources are used to analyse issues, choices, and consequences to generate questions and concerns.
Strand(s): Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations: THV.01X, CRV.01X, CRV.02X, CRV.03X, ANV.04X.
Specific Expectations: TH1.01X, TH1.04X, TH2.04X, TH3.05X, CR1.01X, CR1.02X, CR1.04X, CR1.07X, CR2.04X, CR1.05X, CR2.04X, AN1.01X, AN1.07X, AN2.02X, AN2.03X, AN2.04X.
|
Activity 1 |
Starting Points Exercises |
300 minutes |
|
Activity 2 |
Introducing Sources |
300 minutes |
|
Activity 3 |
Deepening Understanding |
300 minutes |
|
Activity 4 |
Exploration Using Improvisation and Role Playing |
420 minutes |
The students will have met expectations as outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grade 1-8, The Arts: Dance and Drama, as well as:
· Units 1 and 2 of this course; teachers should consult the other units in the course as well
· an understanding of the role of the mask in everyday life
· an understanding and experience of several drama forms including role playing, improvisation, and tableau
· some understanding of and experience with working in collaborative groups
· familiarity with writing in portfolios
Key questions which frame this unit are:
· What opportunities does drama give students to develop their ability to make informed choices?
· How can drama give students the opportunities to clarify their beliefs and issues?
· How does meaningful role playing contribute to their understanding of themselves and society?
· Continuity. This unit builds on the work in Unit 2, with the idea of “mask” deepened further into the social roles of humans and the problems they face. The teacher should emphasize that connection in the first few days with language such as “In the last unit we explored the idea of the mask which we wear as individuals. Now we are going to see how that mask works in larger groups by investigating human problems and how we use the mask to protect ourselves; we are going to do this mainly through the dramatic media of role play and improvisation.”
· Strategies for Making Decisions. Throughout the unit, characters will be faced with a number of different choices in a variety of contexts. It is critical that teachers not only help students to clarify the choices and their consequences but also to highlight different decision-making strategies which can be used when faced with making decisions. The effectiveness of each strategy should be discussed when examining the possible consequences of the decision. Strategies might include:
· opening lines of communication with those immediately affected and discussing concerns or simply getting clarification on the facts;
· discussing the concern with a professional, a family member, or friend;
· gathering factual information by researching the issue in health magazines and books, the Internet, government information pamphlets, and elsewhere;
· sorting out emotional responses by writing about personal feeling and thoughts around the issue or rewriting the scenario in the third person;
· developing a pros and cons list;
· developing a “What would happen if I did x…?” scenario that may span one or more decades;
· putting oneself in the shoes of the other people affected by the decision and trying to understand their feelings, their point of view, and their actions in response to the decision.
Students need to be aware of the strategies they use in making decisions and how students might benefit, in some circumstances by using alternative or additional strategies.
· Reflection. The role of reflection is critical to the success of this unit. In this unit, the portfolio continues to be used as the primary reflection vehicle to deepen students’ responses and as a assessment tool. Various writing activities, such as writing in role, are used. Students respond spontaneously to events and ideas as they work and to specific teacher or student questions which arise from the work. The symbol . is used to denote a portfolio activity.
· Community Resources. The intent of this unit is to use drama to provide students with information about problems people encounter so that they can go beyond their own resources if they wish. A list of community resources, including addresses and telephone numbers, should be developed and distributed so that all students have access to the information for their community: police services, women’s shelters, crisis centres (sexual assault), Children’s Aid Societies, drug and alcohol agencies, Alcoholics Anonymous, Alateen, Alanon, and public health organizations. Many of these services provide guest speakers to share information about specific social issues. Teachers must be prepared to refer students to these services if necessary. Involvement with the school’s Student Services department may also be necessary.
· Sources. Sources should be brief and should focus the issue that is relevant to the students’ lives. However, that should not preclude the use of sources from other eras and cultures. The language register used should be accessible to the students.
· The role of the teacher. The teacher initiates the dramatic exploration each session and intervenes during the drama through meaningful, thought-provoking questions and encouraging students to ask meaningful questions. The teacher must be open to hear the concerns of the role-players and plan upon them in a safe context. The teacher is to help students clarify their own thinking about personal challenges. Starting Points exercises should not lead to the development of a story (character, plot) but should be used to examine ideas and issues. Teachers should be mindful that not all consequences are negative.
· Role playing. The key to being in role is for the student to adopt an “attitude” or “stance” appropriate to that role. These attitudes are often based on the “isms” used in the previous unit on masks. The teacher will help the students to connect their work in the mask unit to their role playing in this unit.
· Portfolio. In this unit, a chart with a the headings What I Know, What I What to Know, What I’ve Learned is used to record students’ learning and is updated throughout the unit, as students respond to specific questions. The portfolio is completed mainly in the students’ own time. All aspects of the portfolio are confidential between the student and the teacher. It may be used by the teacher to assist the student to find information or to seek assistance.
· Assessment/Evaluation. The emphasis continues on group work, as it was in the Grade 9 course and in prior units in the Grade 10 course. Teachers should check to ensure that all the students are familiar with all the terminology used in rubrics and other assessment evaluation tools. The teacher assesses one or two groups of students during each drama session using a Role Play Monitoring Chart (Appendix 3.3) and a Group Work Rubric (Appendix 3.7). These tools are used as the basis of a summative evaluation at the end of the unit as well as the students’ portfolios.
· Cultural differences. Teachers must acknowledge and honour the various cultural groups which have beliefs and values different from the dominant group in the class. The teacher also needs to be reflective and sensitive about imposing his/her own personal views, issues, cultural biases, and concerns.
· drama exercises: tableaux, images, improvisation
· class discussion
· whole group, small groups
· in-role interviews
· teacher side-coaching
Appendix 3.1 – Portfolio Checklist for Unit 3
Appendix 3.2 – Portfolio Self-Assessment
Appendix 3.3 – Role Play Monitoring Chart
Appendix 3.4 – Teacher Observation Chart
Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric
Appendix 3.8 – Group/Individual Performance Evaluation
Appendix 3.5 – Investigation Handout Sheet
Appendix 3.6 – Notes on Grouping Students
Appendix 3.9 – The Role of the Teacher While Students are Working in Groups
Time: 300 minutes
Students participate in drama exercises after which they observe, reflect, comment, and discuss. These responses will generate issues, concerns, and ideas and will become the foundations for subsequent activities.
Strand(s): Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations
CRV.02X - demonstrate an understanding of group responsibility in the creation of a drama;
ANV.04X - demonstrate an understanding of how role taking and the processes of drama are connected to their lives.
Specific Expectations
TH2.04X - demonstrate the use of movement, gesture, and non-verbal communication to express ideas in a drama;
CR1.04X - demonstrate an understanding of language that is free from bias and stereotyping;
CR2.04X - demonstrate an understanding of audience perspective in the communication of a drama;
AN2.02X - explain connections between their own lives and the metaphor or theme in a drama.
· The teacher uses the Starting Points exercises (Story Narration, Sculpting, Tableaux, Images) based on the students’ needs, interests, and comfort level.
· Some exercises may prove more useful than others for a particular group of students and more time may be spent on them than on others. The teacher selects one or more of these strategies for approximately 150 minutes of class time.
· At the end of each exercise, the teacher asks the students to reflect.
A thorough working knowledge of the drama forms and conventions reviewed in Units 1 and 2, including:
· tableaux;
· role playing;
· collaboration;
· active listening.
The teacher reads a poem or narrates a story about making choices with which the students are familiar, such as the story from Unit 2: “The Offering.” As a class, the teacher and students list the points in the story at which the characters made decisions. The list may be made either on the chalkboard or on large sheets of paper. The following questions are discussed with the whole class:
· Did any of the characters have “isms” which affected their decision(s) or the decision(s) of others?
· Did deception play a part in any of the decisions?
· Did any of the characters hide behind a “mask” or “image”?
· How does our own image affect our decision making?
· How do our images of others affect our decision making?
The class discusses the concept of making choices and the focus of the unit.
The teacher divides the class into pairs and asks the pairs to discuss the following questions and ideas:
· What kinds of decisions are many teens presently faced with?
· What information do they need to help make these decisions?
· Describe your life ten years from now.
· . Once the pairs finish their discussion, the teacher asks each student to write their ideas into their portfolios.
The teacher conducts the following Starting Point exercises for approximately 150 minutes. At the end of each exercise, the teacher may ask the students to reflect upon the work using key questions such as:
· What choices do these people have to make?
· How is the decision made?
· What other options do they have?
Extension/Enrichment: The students may respond to the Key Questions in role if appropriate.
Starting Point Exercise 1: Story Narration
The teacher forms student groups of three or four who brainstorm and write (in point form) a story about a teenager who has had to make an important decision. One member of the group tells or role plays the story in the first person. After the story is told, the other members of the group create a series of tableaux which illustrate some of the central character’s options. The narrator watches the tableaux and articulates the choices the group felt the character had. If time permits, the group may create more stories so that other people in the group have an opportunity to tell a story and have the group create tableaux of the central character’s options.
When all the groups have finished, the group discusses the following question: “Did anyone suggest choices that a narrator did not think of?” Discussion should centre around how people make choices, the consequences, and what information is needed to make a good choice.
Starting Point Exercise 2: Sculpting
Students form pairs, A and B. A thinks of a social issue and then moulds B into a shape which expresses how A feels about that issue. A does not tell the issue to B. B then thinks of an issue and moulds A into a shape which represents how B feels about their issue. Again, no discussion takes place. They may stop at this point, each having expressed only one feeling, or they may continue until each has moulded a series of three or four feelings based on the social issue. All students recreate their images. The teacher moves around the room, touching individuals on the shoulder. As they are touched, students verbalize how their pose makes them feel (see Appendix OV.1 – Voices in the Head).
Extension/Enrichment: All the As sit as audience. All the Bs assume their assigned shapes, unrelated, against a wall as in a mural, while the As regard them as a picture or display. The As interpret what they see. The As then assume their shapes in the mural and the Bs interpret.
At this point, the issues may be revealed or the teacher may need to deepen the work further. The As recreate their mural one person at a time. As each A takes his/her place, they try to group next to someone whose image they think relates to them. Once the mural is complete, the Bs are asked what they see in the mural. The process is reversed with the Bs recreating their mural with new groupings and the As commenting on what they see. A discussion question: “If the feelings relate, do the issues relate?”
Starting Point Exercise 3: Tableaux
In groups of three to five, students make a tableau of the critical moment in a current news story which they feel affects them. They will also attach a caption to their tableau. Once the tableaux are established, students build a second tableau illustrating the possible consequences of the first tableau. Students build a third tableau to illustrate what may have led up to the first tableau. Discussion centres around the questions “What is the real issue?” and “What decision(s) need(s) to be made?” The same exercise may be done with a current social issue. The teacher may also assign the news stories or the issues.
Starting Point Exercise 4: Images
Use a photograph, illustration, painting, or advertisement that includes some characters in action. The class divides into groups of three to four students and each group examines one image. While observing the image, each person describes orally what s/he sees in the image. The students observe and comment on:
· the colours in the image and the effect they have on the action ;
· the objects and their relationship to the characters;
· the lighting and the atmosphere it creates;
· the feelings expressed by the characters based on facial expression and body language;
· attitudes and values of the characters using visual clues.
Once the students have examined the image closely, they discuss the choices the characters had to make to reach the moment shown in the image and what choices the characters might have to make as a result of the action(s) they have taken. The students create a tableau which illustrates the consequences which result from the choices. The class reflects on the drama by discussing whether or not they have noticed these things in pictures and other images.
News reports are often short “features” on current issues such as the plight of the homeless as winter approaches. Sometimes news stories generate reports on social issues such as a traffic accident due to one of the parties being impaired, which raises the issue of drinking and driving. Further examples of news stories which raise issues are listed below.
The news story might be about:
· a 15-year-old who drowns in a snowmobile accident;
· a health official who is concerned about lengthy waiting times in the hospital emergency room;
· a girl, 15, reported missing and later found safe in Vancouver;
· five young people caught in a break-and-enter but only one is charged.
The teacher instructs the class to brainstorm contemporary social issues in groups of three. After discussing the dramatic possibilities of each, they select an issue, create and present an oral news story as either a TV or radio report. One person is the news anchor, one is a reporter in the field, and the third is either a victim of an event or an “expert” on what happened. The teacher discusses with the class what a news anchor and field reporter do. The third person develops their role on their own, if possible or with the assistance of the teacher. The students prepare the presentation while the teacher facilitates and monitors their progress on the tracking sheet.
. Following each presentation, the following questions may be used for reflection in a discussion setting or as an additional portfolio-writing assignment:
· What is/are the underlying issue(s)?
· What criteria would you use to assess the importance of these issues?
· What choices did the characters have to make?
· What, in your opinion, motivated the choice(s) made by the characters?
· Did they make the most informed choice(s)?
· What consequence(s) might the character(s) encounter?
Appendix 3.1 – Portfolio Checklist for Unit 3
Appendix 3.2 – Portfolio Self-Assessment
Appendix 3.3 – Role Play Monitoring Chart
Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric
· To assist visual learners, all subject specific terms and vocabulary related to drama work could be posted on a bulletin board. Symbols could be used where appropriate to clarify the meaning of the terms (e.g., freeze, tableaux, focus, concentration, give and take, energy, etc.).
· Samples of outstanding reflective writing (with names removed) could be made available as models for students who have difficulty with writing and reflection.
· Students who are unable to write can tape-record their responses or the teacher might seek a parent or community volunteer to act as scribe for students.
· ESL students can be paired up with peer mentors. In whole class work, the ESL students may mirror the mentor’s actions and activities until s/he understands the activity and then work on his/her own. In small groups, the ESL student works in the same group as his or her mentor in order to ask questions and get clarification as the work progresses. The peer mentor may model the work until the ESL student is able to work on his/her own. If the peer mentor speaks the ESL student’s first language, s/he may explain exercises in the ESL student’s first language when appropriate or necessary.
· If written text is used in the drama work, it can be given ahead of time to students with reading difficulties.
· Students who have difficulty reading/understanding instructions should be given time to process the information, then conference with the teacher about their concerns.
· Students who have difficulties attending to tasks or who have organizational problems could be provided with a checklist of specific steps to follow during the rehearsal sessions.
· Instructions for extended projects can be posted on a bulletin board as visual reminders for students who have difficulty focussing on task, concentration, or difficulty completing assignments. Individual daily goals can be set either by the student in conjunction with a peer, the teacher, or the student’s group.
Current newspapers and magazines (local, regional, national)
Stones, Rosemary. Don't Pick On Me. Pembroke Publishers, 1993. ISBN 155138017X
Gibbs, Jeanne. Tribes. Centre Source, 1987. ISBN 0932762085
Plue, Leo. Teacher Advisor Groups. Irwin Publishing, 1999. ISBN 8772527458
Appendix 3.1 – Portfolio Checklist for Unit 3
Appendix 3.2 – Portfolio Self-Assessment
Appendix 3.3 – Role Play Monitoring Chart
Appendix 3.6 – Notes on Grouping Students
Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric
Appendix 3.9 – The Role of the Teacher While Students Are Working in Groups
Time: 300 minutes
Students are introduced to a strategy for utilizing a source in drama. They practise this drama technique using a number of different sources. Students continue making entries in their portfolios.
Strand(s): Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations
CRV.03X - create drama through research or the interpretation of a source.
Specific Expectations
TH1.04X - demonstrate an understanding of the process of structuring drama;
TH3.05X - identify dramatic conflict or tension within a source;
CR1.04X - demonstrate an understanding of language that is free from bias and stereotyping;
CR2.04X - demonstrate an understanding of audience perspective in the communication of a drama;
AN1.01X - describe the skills, theories, and concepts being demonstrated as a drama is developed.
· Sources. The drama structure outlined in this activity is a teaching strategy for understanding and analysing the characters, conflict, and setting in any source, from any time period or from any cultural group. The sources should be very short and the topic should be relevant to the students.
· Stereotypes and Bias. The bias in the source needs to be considered by asking questions such as
· What kind of person wrote this? How would you describe him/her?
· Why do you think the character(s) said/did what they said/did?
Stereotypes should be discussed using questions such as:
· Are there any stereotypes in the source?
· What makes them stereotypes?
· How could they be made more life-like?
· Questions. When working in any drama where information is gathered through questioning, either in or out of role, students need to be able to ask open-ended questions that will allow the character to express his/her feelings and ideas fully and deeply. If students have difficulty asking open-ended questions, the teacher brainstorms with the class a list of specific questions, e.g., What kinds of questions might you ask the father (or any other character in the given scenario)? After a list is established, they analyse the questions. Which questions give us the best information for our purposes? Why are these good questions? Which questions are not as appropriate for this character? Why? The list of questions may be posted in the classroom so that students who need extra support can use them for reference, much the same as a reporter might use a notebook. Students also need to learn how to ask a series of questions which follow one line of thought. Grouping questions which deal with descriptions of things, feelings, timelines, motivations, etc., helps students build a clearer picture of the story they are investigating or the character’s motives.
· Interviews. If students have difficulty formulating meaningful questions, the teacher assists them by encouraging them to brainstorm a list of questions in small groups or with the whole class. The questions should be appropriate for the character they wish to interview. The in-role interviews are conducted. Only people in the source who are alive and can communicate may be interviewed, depending on the maturity of the class; teachers could consider interviewing others if time allows and students are able to maintain a serious approach. The student sustains the role while the class asks important questions to reveal information about the circumstances surrounding the event and reveal character motivation. The class creates their questions on the spot or they brainstorm to pre-plan before the in-role interview begins. Students take turns asking questions of the volunteer. The volunteer or the teacher may control the flow of questions from the class.
· Research. Students continue researching the items they listed in their portfolio about which they wanted to know more. Research may involve interviewing experts, community members, searching the Internet, reading books, or listening to radio or TV programs. They may include articles, images, letters, or poems that discuss or debate aspects of the items they want to know more about. Students are also encouraged to reflect in their portfolios on what is happening in class.
· Sufficient copies of the source material are required for class use.
· questioning skills
· work in fundamental drama forms
· ability to build and sustain a role
The students sit in a circle and the teacher hands out copies of a short source. For example, the source could be a newspaper story such as “Mother Found Guilty. A mother of three has been found guilty of striking her children aged two, three, and five with an extension cord to stop them from crying. The twenty-eight year old woman has been convicted of two counts of assault.”
The teacher reads the source aloud and gives the class a brief time to look at it. The teacher leads the class through the following series of guiding questions. The responses are noted on chart paper or the board.
1. What do we know for sure?
2. What logical assumptions can we make?
3. What do we need to know?
4. Who in the story can answer our questions?
After discussing these questions, the students have sufficient information to proceed with an in-role interview which the teacher sets up. Students volunteer to role play a character from the story whom the class wishes to interview. Characters from the story who might be interviewed can include characters implied in the story, but not mentioned directly, for example: a police officer, a neighbour, a parent.
Following the in-role interview, the class discusses the drama process, using reflective questions such as:
· How satisfactory are the answers given by the characters in-role?
· Why are the answers satisfactory/unsatisfactory?
· What are the issues in the story?
· Did anything happen in the interviews to raise other issues?
· Do any of these issues relate to us? How?
A new source of a similar degree of accessibility is distributed to the class. The class is divided into small groups. Each group discusses the four guiding questions (see Strategy 1) and agrees on the facts in the story. Each person assumes the role of one of the characters in the story if possible.
The teacher selects one group to work in role while the class interviews them. The group introduces their character to the class and begins the interview. Each group member follows this process until all the characters are interviewed. At least one more group is interviewed. The class discusses how each group’s interpretation of the source differed and how point of view and bias alter the story. See Planning Notes for further guidance.
. Portfolio: How does questioning help you in everyday life?
Appendix 3.3 – Role Play Monitoring Chart
Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric
· Students who are unable to write can tape-record their responses.
· ESL students can be paired up with peer mentors. In whole class work, the ESL students may mirror the mentor’s actions and activities until s/he understands the activity and then work on his/her own. In small groups, the ESL student should work in the same group as his or her mentor in order to ask questions and get clarification as the work progresses. The peer mentor may model the work until the ESL student is able to work on his/her own. If the peer mentor speaks the ESL student’s first language s/he may explain exercises in the ESL student’s first language when appropriate or necessary.
· Any stories that will be used in the drama work can be given ahead of time to students with difficulty reading.
De Bono, Edward. Six Thinking Hats. Penguin of Canada, 1990. ISBN 014013784X
Plue, Leo. Teacher Advisor Groups. Irwin Publishing, 1999. ISBN 8772527458
Appendix 3.1 – Portfolio Checklist for Unit 3
Appendix 3.2 – Portfolio Self-Assessment
Appendix 3.3 – Role Play Monitoring Chart
Appendix 3.4 – Teacher Observation Chart
Appendix 3.6 – Notes on Grouping Students
Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric
Appendix 3.9 – The Role of the Teacher While Students Are Working in Groups
Time: 300 minutes
Using a variety of drama techniques, students learn to uncover important information about character, situation, and issues. This information helps students understand the issues involved in making choices. Students will record the strategies they learn for acquiring information, e.g., talking to others (friends, family, community members), questioning, observing body language, and personal reflection.
Strands: Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations
ANV.04X - demonstrate an understanding of how role taking and the processes of drama are connected to their lives.
Specific Expectations
CR1.02X - demonstrate an understanding of the element of risk in playing a role;
CR1.04X - demonstrate an understanding of language that is free from bias and stereotyping;
CR2.04X - demonstrate an understanding of audience perspective in the communication of a drama;
AN1.07X - demonstrate an understanding of the universal meaning in drama;
AN2.04X - analyse various roles to gain a deeper understanding of the personal and social inherent in a drama.
· Teachers select sources which suggest consequences and choices, from newspaper and magazine articles, student-written scenarios (used anonymously, with permission), poems, images, moral dilemmas, and lyrics.
· At the beginning of each of the activities, the teacher briefly reviews the work to date with the class. The teacher asks a open-ended, reflective question such as:
· Does anyone have a question or comment about what we did yesterday?
· Does anyone want to share a section of their portfolio?
This will encourage other students to think more deeply about their entries in their portfolio.
· . Portfolios. During this activity, the students can use their portfolio to respond to questions similar to these:
· What do you think about the choices the class made in the drama?
· Would you make the same choices? Why? Or why not?
· Do you agree with the consequences that the class illustrated for a particular choice?
· What decision-making strategies could the character use to make a more effective choice?
. In their portfolio, students should keep a list of different ways of gathering information and strategies for making effective decisions.
· questioning skills
· ability to work in fundamental drama forms, to build and sustain a role, and to work collaboratively
The teacher organizes several small group improvisations in groups of four to explore ideas, issues, concepts, and roles. For example, an improvisation might be about a decision which the student will have to make such as course selection for next year. The roles might be a parent, a friend, and the media (in the form of a reporter reporting on the current job market and trends in available work in various fields). When assigning the roles the teacher ensures that each student understands the attitude or “stance” of their particular role. The teacher then explains the scenario and outlines the four roles. In all cases, at least one of the roles will be making a decision in the course of the improvisation, with the other roles trying to affect the decision. At appropriate moments, the class gathers to discuss and reflect upon the exploration. Through the discussion some groups share their work in order to demonstrate an idea. The same organization could be used with a text-based source.
An audience member takes the place of one of the students who has to make the decision in the improvisation. S/he assumes the role played by the previous student. However, s/he improvises a different point of view or attitude, and makes a different choice. The scene may be replayed several times by different students. The class may choose to focus on a different character in the scene. Students may play a different role each time the improvisation is repeated.
Enrichment/Extension: Side Coaching
If students find difficulty in the improvisation, or if the class needs to be challenged more, the teacher may side-coach the performance by giving the performers prompts which help the student find an appropriate action or a direction for the scene. The performance does not stop, but the action may be suspended for a moment while the teacher makes brief, precise comments or asks questions; the performers stay in character while side-coaching occurs. Side-coaching may directed at the performers' role: “Dad, you’ve heard this before; what are you going to do about it?”, “Mom, are you going to let him get away with that lie?” or at the whole performing group: “Don’t give up. Find a way to solve the problem. Listen harder to each other.” No side-coaching may be given which deals with how the performer speaks or what they say. The teacher should be prepared to end each improvisation quickly if the performers find the task too difficult. The class and performers discuss the effect of these directions on the direction and depth of the performance.
The teacher freezes the improvising group and taps each student on the shoulder. As the student is tapped, s/he speaks aloud what s/he is thinking or feeling in role. The class should discuss the results.
An improvisation is stopped when one character is on the verge of making a decision. That person remains in the playing area. Then three volunteer class members stand behind the player. One represents logic, one represents conscience, and one represents emotions. Each, in turn, advises the player what decisions to make based on their stances of logic, conscience, and emotions. The player does not look at the mind categories. The advice continues until the player signals that s/he has made a decision. The player tells the audience his/her choice and explains which arguments persuaded him/her. This exercise may be repeated several times with different players working on the same issue.
Using a new source or the consequences of a decision from the previous activities, students select a new consequence. The consequence may be negative or positive. In small groups, the students improvise the scene that leads to the consequence selected and includes the choices made by the character. Instant Replay, Student side-coaching, Overheard Thoughts, and Mind Categories may be conducted after viewing the improvisations.
The students work in pairs, A and B. Using a new source or a decision-making situation from a previous improvisation, the teacher gives general information about the situation to the whole class. For example, the setting and situation might be that a couple is on a date at an expensive restaurant, the couple don’t know each other well, and the bill is about to arrive. The teacher then takes the As aside and tells them their specific attitude to the situation and their goal in the role play. For example, the man wants to pay the whole bill to impress the woman. The teacher then instructs the Bs in similar fashion. For example, the woman believes she should pay her share. The teacher signals the role play to begin. After the scene, the teacher chooses a means to reflect on the issues. For example, the teacher may ask various pairs to re-play a critical portion of the scene or may question individuals in role. Some questions for class discussion: Do you agree with the attitude and choice(s) your role made? What do you think will be the consequences of the choice(s) your role made? To what extent can we predict the consequences of our choices?
. The following questions, answered by students in their portfolio, may be discussed at the end of each improvisation:
· Do you agree with the consequences that the class illustrated for a particular choice?
· What decision-making strategy do you think the character used to make his/her choice? Could the character have used another decision-making strategy to make a better choice?
· What do you think about the choices the class made in the drama?
· Would you make the same choices? Why? Or Why not?
Appendix 3.3 – Role Play Monitoring Chart - assessment
Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric - assessment
· Students who are unable to write can tape-record their responses.
· ESL students can be paired up with peer mentors. In whole class work, the ESL students may mirror the mentor’s actions and activities until s/he understands the activity and then work on his/her own. In small groups, the ESL student should work in the same group as his or her mentor in order to ask questions and get clarification as the work progresses. The peer mentor may model the work until the ESL student is able to work on his/her own. If the peer mentor speaks the ESL student’s first language s/he may explain exercises in the ESL student’s first language when appropriate or necessary.
· Any stories that will be used in the drama work can be given ahead of time to students with difficulty reading.
Morgan, Norah and Juliana Saxton. Asking Better Questions. Pembroke, 1994. ISBN 1551380455X
Morgan, Norah and Juliana Saxton. Teaching Drama. Hutchinson, 1987. ISBN 009172350 7
Neelands, Jonathon. Structuring Drama
Work. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
ISBN 0521376351
Appendix 3.1 – Portfolio Checklist for Unit 3
Appendix 3.2 – Portfolio Self-Assessment
Appendix 3.3 – Role Play Monitoring Chart
Appendix 3.4 – Teacher Observation Chart
Appendix 3.6 – Notes on Grouping Students
Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric
Appendix 3.9 – The Role of the Teacher While Students Are Working in Groups
Time: 420 minutes
This activity is the culminating activity in this unit. It allows the students an opportunity to explore further the social issues that emerged during the unit. In groups, students will investigate a specific issue by gathering research materials, investigating important questions, and testing their solutions through improvisations. The groups plan and rehearse a short presentation for their classmates which not only gives information about the issue but also shows the struggle with decision making. Any new understanding about the decision-making process is included in students’ portfolio entries.
Strand(s): Theory, Creation, Analysis
Overall Expectations
THV.01X - demonstrate an understanding of the conventions of role play and structuring dramatic works;
CRV.01X - use various ways to sustain a role within a drama;
ANV.04X - demonstrate an understanding of how role taking and the processes of drama are connected to their lives.
Specific Expectations
TH1.01X - demonstrate an understanding of the theory of “willing suspension of disbelief” both as performer and as audience;
CR1.01X - demonstrate an understanding of methods for developing roles that clearly express a range of feelings, attitudes, and beliefs;
CR1.07X - identify and use effective styles of collaboration in drama;
CR2.04X - demonstrate an understanding of audience perspective in the communication of a drama;
AN2.03X - demonstrate an understanding of the interactive processes that promote respect for the ideas, feelings, and perspectives of others in developing the roles and circumstances of drama.
· Facilitation. The teacher’s role in this activity is to facilitate the students’ work, monitor their progress, and evaluate their achievements.
· Resources. The teacher provides the students with access to research, writing materials, and other resources that they may require. These may include the Library/Resource Centre, the Internet, a short script or story, the telephone numbers of local social service agencies, or a video.
· Assessment and evaluation. This will be the final time in this unit that the teacher uses the Role Play Monitoring Chart (Appendix 3.3) to assess, track, and record student progress. Students will complete a Group Work Rubric (Appendix 3.7) for this assignment. Students are given the evaluation criteria before they begin the unit.
· Selecting eight issues.
· Some selected issues may be culture-specific. The teacher’s role is to promote a level of understanding and emotional security for all students so that their work is rich and contextualized.
· If group consensus is difficult to achieve, the teacher makes the decision for the class, based on his/her best judgement.
· Grouping Students. Consider reviewing Appendix 3.6 – Notes on Grouping Students, for suggestions on how to group students effectively for maximum success in this activity.
· Class set of Appendix 3.5 – Investigation Handout Sheet
· Class set of Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric
· Class set of Appendix 3.8 – Group/Individual Performance Evaluation
· fundamental drama forms
· collaborative skills
· decision-making strategies covered in previous activities
· basic presentation skills
· interviewing techniques, note taking, questioning skills, basic research skills
· basic understanding of how to develop and structure a drama work
· knowledge of the use of symbols in drama work
The teacher distributes a copy of the instructions for the assignment (Appendix 3.5 – Investigation Handout Sheet) and the evaluation criteria (Appendix 3.8 – Group/Individual Performance Evaluation) to each student, reviews the instructions and answers student questions. The class brainstorms a list of issues they would like to investigate in their final assignment. The list is discussed and narrowed to eight issues through consensus. Students are assigned their issue and start to work in their groups discussing it, considering scenarios for their presentation, and making plans for researching and gathering their materials.
See Appendix 3.9 – The Role of the Teacher While Students Are Working in Groups. The teacher monitors the class by circulating and speaking with each group to clarify any issues. While students work in groups, the teacher monitors and facilitates the work through active observation and listening. The teacher also clarifies the evaluation criteria (the students can be given a checklist) and the Group Work Rubric (Appendix 3.7). Once the students begin to rehearse, the teacher helps them by watching parts of the presentations and offering feedback. The teacher also reminds the group of the need to set aside time to rehearse the technical part of the presentation, particularly if they cannot run their own equipment and need a student(s) from another group to assist them. To avoid confusion, the teacher may set up a schedule for the use of equipment. Teacher makes comments and notes on the tracking sheets (Appendix 3.4 – Teacher Observation Chart).
See Appendix 3.5 – Investigation Handout Sheet. The teacher designates part of the period to be used for preparation. The students then gather to begin viewing the presentations and during the remainder of the class one or two groups present to the class, as time permits. Before the presentations begin, the teacher reminds the class that they should be watching for the following:
· Is the information given in the presentation clear?
· Do the characters in the drama make appropriate and realistic choices?
· Do you agree with their choices? Why?
. The students observing each presentation make notes in their portfolio. The discussion after each presentation may include responses to some of these questions:
· What do you think about the choices the group made in the drama?
· Would you make the same choices? Why? Or why not?
· What sources did the group use to gather information?
· Were the consequences that the group illustrated for a particular choice realistic? What other consequences might occur?
· What decision making strategies did the characters use to make their choice?
· What advice would you give to the character?
· What was the most effective moment in the drama and how was it achieved?
In their portfolio, students list different ways of gathering information and strategies for making effective decisions.
The final groups present while the class observes and records their observations in their portfolios. The students discuss each presentation. Students hand in their portfolios and their Group Work Rubric (Appendix 3.7) at the beginning of the next session.
Appendix 3.4 – Teacher Observation Chart - assessment by teacher
Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric - assessment by individual students for homework
Appendix 3.8 – Group/Individual Performance Evaluation - evaluation by teacher
· Students who have difficulty reading/understanding the instructions should be given time to process the information, then conference with the teacher about their concerns.
· Students who have difficulties attending to tasks or organizational problems could be provided with a checklist of specific steps to follow during the rehearsal sessions.
Boal, Augusto. Games for Actors and Non-Actors. Routledge. 1992. ISBN 0415061555
Booth, David. Games for Everyone. Pembroke Publishers Ltd. ISBN 092121703X
Fairhead, Wayne and Elaine Vine. Remove
the Blindfold, Book 2. Oxford University Press, 1987.
ISBN 0195405234
Morgan, Norah and Juliana Saxton. Asking Better Questions. Pembroke, 1994. ISBN 1551380455X
Morgan, Norah and Juliana Saxton. Teaching Drama. Hutchinson, 1987. ISBN 009172350 7
Neelands, Jonathon. Structuring Drama
Work. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990.
ISBN 0521376351
Appendix 3.4 – Teacher Observation Chart
Appendix 3.5 – Investigation Handout Sheet
Appendix 3.6 – Notes on grouping students
Appendix 3.7 – Group Work Rubric - assessment by individual students for homework
Appendix 3.8 – Group/Individual Performance Evaluation - evaluation by teacher
Appendix 3.9 – The Role of the Teacher While Students Are Working in Groups
|
Activity |
Portfolio Entry |
Assessment (Complete/Incomplete) |
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Activity 1 |
Chart - What I know...What I Want to Know...What I’ve Learned |
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What decisions do you presently face? |
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What information do you need to help you make each decision? |
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Describe your life ten years from now. |
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Activity 2 |
How does questioning help you in everyday life? |
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Chart - What I know...What I Want to Know...What I’ve Learned |
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Activity 3 |
Do you agree with the consequences that the class illustrated for a particular choice? |
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What decision-making strategy do you think the character used to make his/her choice? Could the character have used another decision-making strategy to make a better choice? |
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What do you think about the choices the class made in the drama? |
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Would you make the same choices? Why? Or Why not? |
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Chart - What I know...What I Want to Know...What I’ve Learned |
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Activity 4 |
Presentation observation notes |
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List of decision-making strategies |
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Chart - What I know...What I Want to Know...What I’ve Learned |
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Read the statements on this sheet, then assess your portfolio. Use this form to improve your entries in the future.
Quantity: Fill in the blanks.
How many entries should I have? (See Appendix 3.1 – Portfolio Checklist for Unit 3) ______
How many do I have? ______
How many pictures/drawings/other relevant notes do I have? ______
How much time do I spend outside of class working on my portfolio? ______
Quality: Circle the number in the column after each statement that you feel best describes the quality of your work.
|
4 = strongly agree, 3 = mildly agree, 2 = barely agree, 1 = disagree |
I have thought clearly and written about what I am learning through drama. 1 2 3 4
My entries average at least five sentences and/or contain thoughtful images,
photos, drawings, or collages. 1 2 3 4
I have found many creative ways to reflect. 1 2 3 4
I have generated some of my own questions. 1 2 3 4
My entries were made immediately after the experience. 1 2 3 4
The mark I deserve (out of 20) is _________
My reasons are:
Student _________________________________________
Select one or two of the criteria listed on this form each time you monitor a student’s progress in role playing. Observe the student for no less than two to three continuous minutes on numerous occasions in order to arrive at an accurate description of his/her ability to role play.
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Criteria |
Observations / Comments |
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Maintains concentration and focus |
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Uses physical gestures, language patterns, and behaviour consistent with the role |
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Portrays a believable role |
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Responds consistently from the role’s point of view |
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Alters point of view when playing different roles without relying on stereotypical responses |
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Aware of and sensitive to the character’s relationship to other characters in the role play |
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Listens attentively to other players and responds appropriately |
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Distinguishes between his/her personal point of view and the role’s point of view when reflecting |
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From 3-D English, Volume One Teacher’s Guide, Prentice-Hall Inc. 1994 Used with permission.
Ongoing observation of _______________________ Activity _______________________
Notes are based on student’s responses during group work and reflection sessions from _____________ to ________________.
|
Ability to communicate ideas, feelings, and insights: |
Ability to follow a sequence of thought: |
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Sensitivity to others: |
Quality of solutions: |
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Ability to make connections to the real world: |
Depth of understanding: |
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Student conference notes: |
Next steps: |
Adapted from: 3-D English, Contemporary Canadian Scripts, Prentice-Hall Inc. 1994.
Used with permission.
Each group should have four to six students. Five is ideal.
Day One
· As a whole group, brainstorm five issues which you might like to explore. Discuss each one with a view to its appropriateness and some tentative ways of approaching the issue.
· Select your issue by consensus. Be sure that everyone in the group can “live with” and contribute to this issue.
· Brainstorm the information you need and where you can find it quickly. Make sure that all of you are clear on what you need to bring to the next class.
· Brainstorm and try out some possible scenarios including characters, setting and relevant background information, problem(s), choices. Remember that the presentation will be five to seven minutes long.
Day Two
· Look over the material everyone brought to class and highlight words, phrases, or statements that you feel you might want to include in your presentation. Include images in your list of “ideas to keep.” Anything which does not clearly fit the issue should be set aside – do not throw it out; you never know for sure whether or not something may be useful later on.
· Establish your scenarios by going back to your research and organizing it to fit your scenarios. What parts of the research does the class need to know to understand the scenarios? How can you fit that information into your presentation? Jot ideas/scenes on a separate piece of paper. Sequence the ideas in a dramatic and logical order.
· Is there a need for minimal technical enhancements in your presentation? How can lights and what you wear help you to get your point across? Think about things like the effect of colour and how colour can be used to help communicate feelings. Is it appropriate to use music in the presentation to add meaning and to create atmosphere?
Day Three
· Rehearse the sequence ordered the previous class. Discuss the results with the group. Use the criteria on the Group/Individual Performance Evaluation (Appendix 3.8) to guide your discussion and decisions.
· Add music and lights (if you are using them).
· Make adjustments. Go back to your original research if necessary. Make plans to gather more research if necessary.
· Do a second run-through without stopping, no matter what happens. Get feedback from each other. What really works? What needs work?
· Work on the problem parts as a whole group or in smaller groups. Each time you go over a scene consider making changes in one or more of the following in order to improve the dramatic impact of your scene: refine your lines, work with silences, add additional movements for clarity or dramatic effect, focus on a specific prop, change the pacing, add a monologue, etc.
· Run through again.
· Continue to do run-throughs, making adjustments before each one.
Day Four
· Polish the presentation. Concentrate on making sure that transitions are smooth and that the message is clear and says what you want it to say.
· Final run-throughs should focus on production details (Is the presentation fully planned and organized?), voice (Can you be heard clearly?), and movement (Can you be seen clearly?)
· Do any last-minute adjustments. Discuss any last-minute preparations for next class.
Day Five
· Perform your presentation for evaluation.
· Remember that your role as an audience member is very important to the success of each group’s work.
· After watching other groups’ presentations make notes in your portfolio about what you learned regarding decision making, the issue and its importance in your life. You can elaborate on your notes for homework.
· Complete your portfolio entry and Group Work Rubric. Be prepared to hand them in next class.
The ability to work in a group is an important life skill. Group work develops leadership skills (e.g., active listening) and organizational skills (e.g., time and resource management). In drama, collaboration is critical and integral to the creative process. Individual students need the opportunity to discover how they function best in collaborative work and to have the opportunity to broaden their group work skills. It is important that the size of the group always be appropriate to the task.
As the course progresses, students find out with whom they can do their best work, so it is important that they work with everyone in the class more than once. When the teacher structures the groups at the beginning of the course, the students get to know everyone. As well, some students may be reluctant to take on the responsibility of working with others and may form cliques. Each student should be able to work with most of the others, although they may need to be reminded of that from time to time. In addition, the teacher may structure the groups for the class in a variety of ways, such as:
· preparing the groups ahead of time;
· numbering students: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, then grouping all the 1s together, all the 2s, etc.;
· dividing the class alphabetically;
· having the students form pairs, then groups of four or six, etc.
· The “atom” game from Improvisation, by Booth and Lundy (see Resources in the Course Overview). If students cannot repeat being with the same students in each succeeding “atom,” the teacher can simply stop playing the game when the groupings will be productive for the main activity.
When students are able to choose their own groups, the class can be instructed as follows, “Please find a space on your own, standing (pause). Please form groups of five (etc.) and sit in a circle.” Students quickly adapt to this as a matter of everyday practice. It is a sign that a student can work well collaboratively if s/he chooses to work with anyone and everyone. In order to ensure that students work with everyone, after the initial groups are made, the teacher can say, “Now find another group of five.” These instructions can be repeated several more times until the teacher is satisfied that the groups have been formed spontaneously. The students can be instructed that this is their final group.
Teachers may also instruct students to find a group of three (or any appropriate number) they haven't worked with in the past week, or last few exercises. It is critical that the members of the groups change continually throughout each lesson, unless constant groups are required as during a longer group assignment.
Cliques can be a problem. If it is evident that this is happening, the teacher should consider picking the groups. Each individual should be able to work with most of the rest of the class and should demonstrate that. If the teacher has to structure the groups, the teacher should inform the class why this is happening. The class may want to discuss this issue in the context of improving their group skills.
A few students in the class may have difficulty forming an appropriate group. The teacher should make it clear that forming groups is the students’ responsibility unless otherwise specifically instructed. Students learn quickly who brings out their personal best.
The teacher must always be sensitive to what is best for each individual student while maintaining a positive class atmosphere. Creative solutions improve individual students’ progress. Sometimes it is necessary to give a weak student a chance to work with a very strong group so that s/he will learn by example. At other times a student will benefit from working with other students at his/her developmental level providing him/her with meaningful leadership opportunities. Improvisation, by Booth and Lundy, is also an excellent source for exercises designed to teach leadership and group work skills. Chapter 10 in particular, and the “Implementing a Personal Decision” exercise on page 80 work well.
In rare instances, there may be an individual in the class with whom no one else in the class is able to work. The teacher will need to consult with the Student Services department to see if an accommodation is possible.
(adapted from Grade 9 Public Dramatic Arts Course Profile)
This rubric might be used with students as a basis for developing a task-specific rubric, or as a starting point for teacher assessment and evaluation.
|
Task-Specific Criteria |
Level 1 (50-59%) |
Level 2 (60-69%) |
Level 3 (70-79%) |
Level 4 (80-100%) |
|
Listening |
- rarely listens to others |
- sometimes listens others |
- usually listens to others |
- consistently listens to others |
|
Encouragement |
- rarely uses encouraging phrases |
- sometimes uses encouraging phrases |
- usually uses encouraging phrases |
- consistently uses encouraging phrases |
|
- encourages inappropriate actions or contributions of others |
- encourages some appropriate actions or contributions of others |
- encourages only appropriate actions or contributions of others |
- encourages appropriate actions or contributions of others, discourages inappropriate work |
|
|
Task commitment |
- needs encouragement to stay on task |
- needs some encouragement to stay on task |
- stays on task |
- stays on task and contributes beyond the assignment |
|
Negotiation |
- rarely negotiates toward consensus |
- sometimes negotiates effectively toward consensus |
- negotiates effectively toward consensus |
- leads negotiation effectively toward consensus |
|
Participation |
- rarely expresses ideas |
- sometimes expresses some ideas |
- often articulates ideas |
- clearly articulates ideas |
|
- takes on limited share of work |
- takes on a small share of the work |
- takes responsibility for a fair share of the work |
- puts needs of group above own needs |
|
|
- limited work as part of the group |
- sometimes works as part of the group |
- regularly works as part of the group |
- consistently works as part of the group |
Note: A student whose achievement is below level 1 (50%) has not met the expectations for this assignment or activity.
Group members
THE PRESENTATION
Group organization _______________________________________________
Dynamics _______________________________________________
Development of problem _______________________________________________
Development of solution(s) _______________________________________________
Accurate reflection of life _______________________________________________
Appropriate structure _______________________________________________
THE STUDENT
Use of role-play conventions _______________________________________________
Focus and concentration _______________________________________________
Suspension of disbelief _______________________________________________
Group work is a powerful teaching methodology in Dramatic Arts. Once the students have been assigned the task, the teacher’s role usually changes from direct instruction to facilitation. This means that the teacher:
· clarifies the task with each group, e.g., Are the instructions clear? Do you anticipate problems?
· checks that the group has established a good atmosphere for collaboration, e.g., What happened to Jake’s idea?
· assists the students in achieving consensus in their ideas, e.g., How do these ideas fit together?
· offers suggestions through asking questions, e.g., What other themes can you think of that relate to this one? What would that look like if you make a tableau to represent it?
· reminds the groups about time, e.g., You have another few minutes to prepare your scene.
· interrupts all the groups to give further instruction, clarify, or share ideas;
· assists a fast-moving group in deepening their work, e.g., What other ideas you would like to try?
· checks progress, e.g., Please show me what you have planned so far.
· provides assessment feedback to students in a comfortable, informal atmosphere, e.g., Can you think of another way to organize this?
· assists students with technical equipment and logistical issues.
The time when students are working in
groups is often the best time to assess the progress of individual students,
class dynamics, and other important classroom issues. It is important that the
teacher not leave the room, or do anything else which would put the work or the
student at risk.
The teacher’s sensitivity to the group’s progress is key. Listening (for positive interaction, task commitment, enthusiasm, etc.) and watching (for body language, attentiveness, etc.) are functions which help the teacher formulate the strategy to use when approaching each group. Often, walking around the room at an appropriate distance from each group, but within earshot works well. The teacher can then decide the kind of intervention that each group needs, if any, to progress to the next level of achievement.
The teacher must be aware of how and when to interrupt a group. For example, allowing students to explore an idea which has just been shared may be more important than the teacher’s suggestions at that point. When students are working well – obviously focussed and active – it may not be necessary for the teacher to do much other than to remind them about time, or respond to a group’s request for assistance. Often, this may be done by speaking to only one or two from the group, and allowing the full group to continue their work. If a group is in difficulty for some reason, it will show in their behaviour: a student or students will not be focussed, a member of the group may be absent from the group or the group is slow to commit their ideas to exploration and development. If any such signs are visible, the teacher should go to the group as soon as possible and address the situation.
Adapted from N. Morgan and J. Saxton. Teaching Drama. Hutchinson, 1987. ISBN 0091723507
Used with permission