Year 9 Drama Description:

In Year 9, Drama students are given opportunities to refine their knowledge and skills to present drama as an event, by safely using processes, techniques and conventions of drama. Students develop drama based on devised drama processes and appropriate, published script excerpts, using selected drama forms and styles. Student work in devised and scripted drama is the focus of reflective and responsive processes supported through scaffolded frameworks using drama terminology and language.

Drama forms and styles for Year 9: Melodrama, Commedia Dell’arte, Scripted Drama and Monologues.

SM1: Week

Objective Teaching Focus Content Addressed Resources

1 To learn about the concept of stereotyping and identify their own perceptions of various stereotypes.

Understand that role play, using stereotypes, is useful in exploring exaggerated and comedic roles.

Introduction into role-play. Explain role –play. (Shown here briefly)

Role- play requires you to actually talk and behave like other people, either by exaggerating what they say and do or by focusing on one particular facet of their lives or personalities. Role play is often used to create stereotypes. Stereotypes are useful for exploring exaggerated roles and situations.

Brainstorm and discussion

What is a stereotype? Brainstorm well known stereotypes. E.g. surfie, gym junkie, nerd, football jock, dumb blonde, etc.

Ask students how they would describe a princess? Normally portrayed as young, pretty, beautifully dressed and wealthy. This is a stereotype.

Introduce the concept of overacting and exaggerated roles.

Activity Students into pairs, select A and B. Students are to use spontaneous improvisation and improvise a scene with the characters I call out. Students will only have 3-4 minutes for each character.

- Round one: A ‘cheerleader’ and a Grandma/Grandpa sharing morning tea.

- Round two: A ‘jock’ asking a ‘nerd’ for directions.

- Round three: A hypochondriac going for a job interview.

Students will then stay in their pairs and form a circle, where they will have the opportunity to show one of their scenes.

Practical:Devised drama based on research and selected drama forms and styles

Approaches to characterisation suited to the demands of the text or devised drama.

Drama processes through shaping one or more elements of drama (role, character and relationships; voice and movement; time, space and situation; mood, atmosphere and dramatic tension; language and text; symbol and metaphor) to shape dramatic meaning and engage audiences in different relationships

Voice and movement techniques for selected drama forms and styles.

Preparation techniques for voice and movement for selected drama forms and styles.

Stage geography, blocking notation and the impact of promenade and traverse stages.Imaginary spaces controlled by stage components and properties; the elements of drama and audience.

TERM 2

Week

Objective Content/ Strategies/Methodology of Teaching

Content Addressed Resources

1 Understand the

differences between high and low status characters

Identifying the way our body’s feel, move, react and who we become once we know our place

Understand being the puppet and being the puppeteer, as all characters have the ability to be lead astray, lead astray, lead towards disaster, manipulated, tempted as well as the

Class Bonding/ Reflection on last term Discuss Unit of Work – Commedia Dell’arte Warm up activity (At teacher discretion)

Fruit Salad, Name tag, Ball Tag etc

TAG TAILS RED VS YELLOW

Extension activity Red turns into Master > yellow turns into servant. Second round servants cannot take masters tag but servants can ‘protect themselves’ by sticking together. Link back to Commedia –Q- How do the servants change their body and approach to the situation

NOSE LEADING ACTIVITY

Students get into pairs, person A is Master and person B is servant. Master holds out finger in front of the servant’s nose and the servant must keep a steady eye on the master’s finger and follow it at all times. Masters then sit in the audience and watch the mannerisms of the servants. SWAP Masters/Servants.Reflection/closure

How do peoples body reflect their

Voice techniques (articulation, pace, pause, pitch, projection, tone and emphasis)

Movement techniques (facial expression, posture, gesture, gait, weight, space, time, energy, and proxemics)

Drama conventions and Drama forms and styles for devised drama: structures performance as a news station with conflicts behind the scenes.

Drama processes and The elements of drama (role, character and relationships, situation, voice, movement, space and time, mood and atmosphere, dramatic tension) focusing on characterization developed through the combination of physical and psychological approaches to role and

Yellow and red tags

Ball

tempter/scheming manipulator.

status? What non-verbal techniques can be

evident in this change?

Lesson two: Warm up activity (At teacher discretion) Reflection on last lesson: How does the body

change depending on status? Playing with Status

Students are to walk through the room imagining they are of high status (picture yourself as the most important person in the world). Look at other people in the room and look down on them but do not interact with them. At the given signal everyone is to imagine they are of low status (picture yourself as the least important person in the world). Teacher is to then split the class in half. Half the class is of high status and half is of low status. The only form of communication is eye contact. At the given signal they groups swap.

Master and Servant 1 – Establishing Status

Divide into pairs. One person is high status (the master) and one person is low status (the servant). The characters can be of any type. Examples:

o Coach and athleteo Two builderso Employer and employeeo Shop assistant and customer

In the exercise the high status character wants the

dramatic action refined through improvisation.

Effectively and creatively integrating design and technologies in performance to maximize dramatic meaning and audience impact.

Self-Management and group management skills and processes

Drama reflections; Reflective writing, in their own and others’ work, evaluating the impact of choices in drama making and using specific drama terminology and language.

low status character to complete a task. Both characters should display a dominant character trait. The high status character is often unreasonable about their demands but the low status character is always willing to impress. Swap characters. Selected groups can perform to the class. Review on what a tableaux is. Activity: Status Line Students are to get into groups of 5. Each member is numbered from 1 to 5. Number 1 is highest status, number 2 is next in line and so on. Numbers 2 to 5 may only speak to the character either directly above or below them. Number 1 is the leader and can speak to anyone. The members al respect the status of number and the number immediately above them but can be less courteous to the number below them.The group completes a task, for example the packing of highly sensitive scientific equipment or canisters of smelly gas. As the work is passed down the line, number 1 supervises proceedings and attempts to keep the others in line. Of course accidents and problems occur and blame is passed down the line, with number 5 always being blamed for everything. The leader can sack members and move them down the line if they wish. Participants can plead for mercy of bribe the leader to stay in their current position.Reflection/recap

2

Understand how a character’s center of gravity effects their body movement and non-verbal communication

Apply prior knowledge of animal’s movement to commedia stock characters

Understand Centre of gravity and how body

Lesson one: Warm up activity (At teacher discretion) EXPLORING ANIMAL BODIES: Students are

asked to think of their favorite animal. Students begin walking around the room as their animal, adjusting their % of animal/human traits. Discussion about posture, facial expression, gestures, movement style.

COMMEDIA ANIMALS Students are split into pairs, one pair on the Left side of the room and the other on the right side. Each pair is given a balloon which they must share. Students must have two hands touching the balloon at all times, no throwing or attempting to burst. The balloon acts as the center of gravity of the animal – they must place the balloon where they believe the center of gravity in the animal is and must lead with this area. Peacock – The lovers (balloon in

chest Monkey (baboon) – Zanni (balloon in

butt or at feet) Monkey who wants to be a Gorilla – Il

Capitano (balloon in chest) Gorilla playing a peacock- La Signora

(Balloon in chest) Turtle – Pantalone (Balloon in back) Chicken – Dottore (balloon in belly)

something about food or science

Balloons

Commedia character posters.

posture and movement is different in Commedia

Understand the correct posture and movement for each character and apply it to their bodies

Reflection:Becoming a character and being recognizable as soon as you appear on stage is key. The character, emotion and conversation to the audience must be shown through not only mask and costume but also non-verbal communication (use of body)

Lesson two: Warm up activity (At teacher discretion) Introduction to ZANNI - Looking at Zanni

poster Students standing in a circle – Standing in neutral Commedia position (feet shoulder width the part, moving feet out on a 45-degree angle, knees bent, arms loose) slide one foot out straight – should be to the side. Arms light and often moving a lot as ZANNI is a servant and does lots of work.

ZANNI STANCE ZANNI JUMP ZANNI WALK FORWARD (flicking legs

out to each side) ZANNI BACKWARDS WALK (flicking

legs out each side but moving backwards and shaking hands)

ZANNI SNEAKING WALK (like they are getting pulled up by a string then lowered when lifting opposite hand to opposite leg

ZANNI DOUBLE FLICK WALK

Distribution of Commedia booklets Students write reflection of walks and ZANNI character. Lessen three:

Warm up activity (At teacher discretion) Introduction to OTHER CHARACTERS-

Looking at Pantalone, Dottore, the lovers, Ill Capitano, La Signora posters

PANTALONE Shoulders forward, hips tucked under,

legs move a lot but very little movement, hunched to protect money on belt, neck out forward. If he gets chased, he will often move his legs double speed but doesn’t cover any more distance than his normal pace – almost running on the spot.

DOTTORE STOMACH out, sways side to side due

to large belly THE LOVERS

Walk with purpose, like a string is pulling them across the room from their chest. They will have two stances, light with ballet pointed toes and hands when they are in love, and when they are in protection mode then have fists cleansed. They float across the room and can never touch

Il Captiano

Monkey who wants to be a Gorilla so he opens up his body like a body builder to look bigger. Strides across the room and will always finish with a grand turn

La Signora Very masculine but pretends to be

feminine. Often attack and then retreat and look wounded. She will always use her body to seduce others

Reflection:Students choose one character to write about in their booklets

3

Define ‘Slapstick’

Understand safe practices and apply in class and with use of the slapstick both in rehearsal and onstage

Understand conventions (what makes something

Lesson one: Warm up activity (At teacher discretion)

Slapstick: Physical Comedy

‘Slapstick’ is a term used to describe a style of comedy that incorporates falling, hitting, tripping, balancing, breaking, chasing and hiding to create humour. It places emphasis on showing comedy rather than creating comedy through dialogue. TV programs that use home videos of people in situations where accidents occur are a good example of how slapstick humour still appeals to audiences today. Home videos are about real mishaps; slapstick is about creating the illusion of mishaps.

Discuss: What are some television shows that you have watched that use slapstick comedy. What has made them

Slapsticks

humorous) of comedy

Learn and apply safe practice for falls, trips and slides

Define ‘Lazzi’

Understand traditional uses of Lazzi’s

successful/unsuccessful? Activity: Watch excerpts from “Australia’s

Funniest Home Videos”. Discuss why the clips are funny for the

audience.

Lesson two: Warm up activity (At teacher discretion) Recap: What is slapstick comedy? Slapstick: Students are given slapsticks and

have a classroom discussion about preparing before the hit and suitable places to hit each other (thigh, shoulder, butt)

Activity: Students are to find space in the room and attempt the slapstick exercises on Trip, slip, side fall, collide, stuck, double take and lazzi (see attached sheet). (For safety reasons it may be best to do this activity in a large grassed area). Have selected students show the class one of their slapstick exercisesLessen three:

Warm up activity (At teacher discretion) Recap: What are safe practices for using the

slapstick? Introduction to LAZZI

Lazzi are essentially "gags" or stock jokes which can be added into a commedia dell'arte play or performance in order to ensure the comic action keeps pace. Traditionally the writers and actors in a troupe would have lazzi memorized so that they could insert them where needed. This trick kept up

in theater into the motion picture era, and some film and TV writers still use stock jokes to enhance their work. Activity: students get into pairs and are given a lazzi each

LAZZI of the coin Zanni cleaning putting an item in and

stupid zanni 2 removing it Zanni stealing from Pantalone while he

sleeps and then he wakes up Pantelone trying to push Zanni who

doesn’t notice and then Pantalone hurts himself trying

Il Capitano trying to fight his shadow/frightened of his shadow

Or any others – trips, falls, slides, etc

Students perform to each other and select 3 things for them to change > focusing on the comedic value, use of sound effects etc.

4 Students apply their physical traits to characters.

Students to incorporate conavaccio in their performances.

Story lines with Zanni and Pantalone & Lovers movement

Students rehearse story lines Students incorporate own Conavaccio for

characters. Students need to use movement and the

character’s motives Students use masks in performance Students preform key scenes and give

feedback.

Commedia – story lines

Commedia masks

Lesson two: Lovers:

Get into a lunge position with chest pushed out.

Strength in body Point toe down on one leg and be grounded

on the other. Gesture one hand to the heart and the other

towards someone.

Once physicalisation has been learnt for the lovers – students will be given a story line and must come up with their own conavaccio. If time students perform to the class and give feedback.

5/6

Students to recap on the content learnt this term.

For students to have further opportunity to work towards their performance

Lesson 1: - Recap on Commedia terms: Lazzi,

Conavaccio, characters etc. - Characters and their motives.

Hand out task sheet - Students get into groups and begin planning

Lesson two: 5 / 6 Rehearsing for Performance Task

Students will need to complete planning sheets and incorporate the following design components:

Task sheet

Planning sheet

assessment task. - Costumes- Props- Staging

7/8Students perform and receive constructive feedback.

Students to give constructive feedback using parts of the marking criteria.

Students to be assessed on the skills they have learnt on Commedia.

Students watch back and reflect on performances with a focus on the elements of drama.

Week 7 lesson one: Students do a showing of their performances and get feedback from their peers.

Lesson two: Polishing off performances and applying feedback

Week 8 Lesson 1: Students perform - 5-minute focus warm up- Students will have 10 minutes at the

beginning of the lesson to prepare for their performance.

- Students perform and will be recorded for marking purposes.

Week 8 Lesson 2: Watch back performances- Use hand out to record information for

written reflection.

Task 6: Marking criteria

Device for recording

Handout for reflection notes.

9 Students to reflect and respond on their performances.

Students complete reflection / response Task 5:

- Handout reflection worksheet. - Studenst complete under test conditions.

Task 5: Reflection on Commedia

10 Revise over Term 3 content.

Hand out Term 3 assessment scheme.

Theatre games

Semester 2:Term 3 Scripted Drama

1-2 To further previous knowledge of scripted drama to begin to explore a dramatic script.

To understand the elements of drama and how they effect a script.

Begin Scripted Drama

Introduction and Discussion into scripted drama. - What do they know about scripts?- When have they come across scripts in the

past?- How is a script put on stage?- Identify and illustrate features on the board;

dialogue, stage directions etc.

Scripted Drama Booklet: Read and Discuss Read and discuss briefly pages 5,6,7,9 which cover

topics of the elements of drama, characters, performance area, dramatic tension, onstage positions and movement. Students are then to look at pages 14-16 which shows an example of a script, with the features highlighted. Also briefly cover pages 149-152, which offers a glossary of commonly used terms related to scripted drama. This will need to be referred to throughout the unit.

Activity: Year 9 Are Animals.

Students are given one small scene from the play Year 9 Are Animals. Students are to read the one scene in groups of 4 and add, in written form, any stage directions, timing, movements, entrances, exits or sound effects to the scene. Students may also like to include a cast list giving a basic outline of characters present in the extract. Groups are then to either explain the decisions made to the class or perform a section of their scene to demonstrate, possibly also speaking the stage directions to emphasise their decisions.

Read Script: Law & Order Fairytale. - Read cast list- Discuss first impressions – what is going to

happen in the play?

Script interpretation of a scene or section through the elements of drama to shape and manipulate mood and communicate themes to audience.

Devised drama exploring national themes based on research and selected drama forms and styles

Approaches to characterisation suited to the demands of the text or devised drama.

Drama processes through shaping one or more elements of drama (role, character and relationships; voice and movement; time, space and situation; mood, atmosphere and dramatic tension; language and text; symbol and metaphor) to shape dramatic meaning and engage audiences in different relationships

Voice and movement techniques for selected drama forms and styles.

Stage geography, blocking notation and the impact of promenade and traverse stages.Imaginary spaces controlled by stage components and properties; the elements of drama and audience.

Scripted Drama booklets (1 per student)

Script: Year 9 Are Animals

Script: Law & Order Fairy Tale style.

Term 4 2015

1. Students will learn about monologues and will explore the conventions of monologues in script and in performance.

Hand out Scheme of Assessments

Drama Warm up: Focus/ Energy warm up

- Cat Stretch - Claw- Downward Dog - Touching Toes

What is a monologue?- Reading monologues.

(Use monologues from Introduction to Theatre Arts book by Suzi Zimmerman page 44-47)

Continue reading and understanding monologues and performing them practicallyRe-cap on what a monologue is.

- Looking at scripts with monologues- Finding clues and evidence- Deconstructing monologues

(Use monologues from Introduction to Theatre Arts book by Suzi Zimmerman page 44-47

Devised drama based on research and selected drama forms and styles

Approaches to characterisation suited to the demands of the text or devised drama.

Drama processes through shaping one or more elements of drama (role, character and relationships; voice and movement; time, space and situation; mood, atmosphere and dramatic tension; language and text; symbol and metaphor) to shape dramatic meaning and engage audiences in different relationships

Voice and movement techniques for selected drama forms and styles.

Preparation techniques for voice and movement for selected drama forms and styles.

Stage geography, blocking notation and the impact of promenade and traverse

(Use monologues from Introduction to Theatre Arts book by Suzi Zimmerman page 44-47)

stages. Imaginary spaces controlled by stage components and properties; the elements of drama and audience.

Design and technology to emphasise dramatic tension and mood. Design principles (balance, contrast, repetition) used to make meaning and add to experience of theatre

2-3Students will use improvisation and role play to explore the effect of being a soldier.

Page 34: Look at extract 1 of Jim Martin. Read excerpt discuss and do writing in role tasks. Students do group work and then write their own monologue.

Do freeze frame exercises on page 38.

Students share their short monologue with one another.

Get good students to show to the class.

Page 42 – 44Re-cap on monologuesExploring contrast exercise.

- Bingo- Whole class role play

(Use monologues from Drama Active by Madonna Stinson page 34-44)

- Pair role play

Class discussion.

Do both versions of grandma’s footsteps look at mood and atmosphere.

Page 43 – 44Writing in role exercise

4 Students will do creative writing exercises to help assist with the development of their monologues.

Hand out task sheet: To create a monologue for a soldier going to war.

Creative writing

5,6,7 Students’ use class time to rehearse and select costumes and props for their performance task.

Students will also need to work on monologue booklets.

Putting the monologues into practise Focus on voice Physicalizing the monologue Focus on movement.

Characterisation workshopsGet students to show each other work and get feedback: what’s working and what’s not working.

Hot seating & interviews.

Focus on costumesFocus on staging

8 For students to perform their assessment tasks

DUE: Monologue Performances Assessment

rubric/

9 Students respond and reflect to their performances.

Students watch their performances and reflect on their work and their peers.

Self Reflection Worksheet

This is for information only. If you would like to use this for professional purposes, please contact the Head of Department.This is a working document and is subject to change.