Sci-fi KS3 - Rhinegold Publishing€¦ · There are a variety of short stories that can be used for this scheme. I have included the titles I use in the Resources at the end of the

1Teaching Drama · Spring term 1 · 2016/17www.teaching-drama.co.uk

KS3IntroductionThis scheme of work explores drama using the theme of sci-fi. Physical theatre, improvisation, devising, problem solving, group work, mime, characterisation and symbolism are a few of the techniques and strategies it covers.

The scheme is intended to be delivered to KS3 as part of the introductory work in drama. The overall objective is that students will build on their understanding of drama strategies and subject vocabulary, as well as enhancing their story building skills. Students will devise and perform their own sci-fi play using the skills they have learned from the scheme of work.

Learning objectivesBy the end of this scheme students will have learnt:

f To explore drama techniques through the theme of sci-fi f To demonstrate understanding of how character is developed and communicated through movement and voice

f To demonstrate skills through a devised sci-fi play f To understand and demonstrate how to develop own and others’ work f To assess own work and work of others.

ResourcesAll the text used is listed in the Resources numbered 1 to 3. Resource 1 is a student booklet that can be used:

f To consolidate learning f To check what the student understands of the work covered f To set homework tasks f For teacher assessment of the student f For student self- and peer-assessment.

Resource 1 can be used as part of the plenary at the end of a lesson.

Lesson 1: Science fictionLearning objectivesBy the end of the lesson students will have learnt:

f To explain a freeze-frame and demonstrate three key moments of a story through freeze-frame

f To collaborate and work through the tasks as a group f To demonstrate character and story through symbolism, expression and body.

StarterUsing Resource 2, p. 1 and Resource 1, p. 4, get the students to list as many science fiction characters/plays/films/etc. as they can. Then spend time with them reinforcing their understanding of the genre of science fiction by discussion and sharing their lists.

Main activity 1Introduce the short story. While reading and listening to the story, ask students to focus on who the characters are.

f What do the characters look like? f Where are the characters? f What are the characters doing? f What are the characters feeling? f What does each character sound like?

Engage in whole class reading; each student could read a line or a paragraph before passing it on to the next student.

There are a variety of short stories that can be used for this scheme. I have included the titles I use in the Resources at the end of the scheme.

Key words: f Science fiction/Sci-fi f Narration f Freeze-frame f Key moment f Expression f Symbolism.

ResourcesResource 1, pp. 2 to 5Resource 2, pp. 1 to 4Resource 3 (A science fiction short story that would not take longer than 10 minutes to read).

Resource 2, pp. 1 to 3Resource 1, pp. 2 to 5Resource 1, pp. 2 and 3 introduce students to the content of each lesson in the scheme of work.

Katherine Noble took up teaching in a secondary school after spending time practicing drama and acquiring her actor’s Equity card. Her focus over the last ten years has been the responsibility for creating and delivering Drama to KS3 and KS4.

Sci-fiKatherine NobleKS3

http://www.teaching-drama.co.uk


Scheme of work|KS3SymbolismUsing Resource 2, p. 4, discuss with students their ideas for how the characters move, sound, etc. Then discuss the following:

f Who are the characters? f How can you use narration? (Will it be one narrator? Will different characters narrate?)

f What are three key moments of the story? f What do you need to symbolise? f How are you going to symbolise?

Have the class in groups of 2 or 3 take a space in the room, and then give them the following instructions to symbolise:

f Trapped inside a box f A hot sun f A raft out at sea.

Explain that using symbolism can utilise props, costume, character, set, colour, etc. Symbolism is used to represent something other than its literal meaning. Ask students for ideas for what could be used to symbolise ‘trapped’ for a story with this as the theme.

Ask students what the idea of a hot sun and a raft out at sea could symbolise. What about the colour red?

Do the characters in the story symbolise anything? How can they show that through symbolism?

Main activity 2Narration and freeze-frameStudents should get into cast size groups and then organise characters. They should think about setting, narration and three key moments.

Students should then work out how to tell the story while only creating the three freeze-frames of the key moments. They could try to imagine that they are in a cartoon strip where the narration represents the written word and their freeze-frames represent the pictures of the cartoon strip. They should also think about how they could use symbolism in the freeze-frames. Using Resource 1, p. 6, students can plan or record their freeze-frames.

Students should now demonstrate their completed cartoon strips and be able to explain their reasons for choosing their key moments.

PlenaryAsk the class for a response to the following:

f What is narration? f What did you look for when choosing your freeze-frames?

Students should complete pp. 4 to 7 of Resource 1.



Scheme of work|KS3Lesson 2: Hot seating and role on the wallLearning objectivesBy the end of the lesson students will have learnt:

f To demonstrate improvisation skills in recreating a character with voice and gesture

f The meaning of open and closed questioning f To explore a character through role on the wall.

StarterRecap Lesson 1.

Main activityRole on the wallResource 1, p.8.

Students should choose one of the main characters from Lesson 1. They should then write words around and inside the figure to describe the characteristics/ personality of their choice. They should write aspects of the character that they associate with the mind in the head area. They should write any special physical skills in the area of the body that those skills belong to, etc.

Resource 2, p. 6 can be used to demonstrate the starter activity with the whole class contributing to ideas about a character.

Ask students to take a space in the room. They are to imagine that they are the character for which they did the role on the wall exercise. They should think about everything that they wrote to describe this character. They should then begin to move around the room in character. They should be reminded to show the following:

f How does this character move around a space? f What is the character’s attitude? f How does the character feel? f What is the character going to do? f How does the character move their body parts?

Discuss open and closed questions with students. Ask them which type of question will encourage more than a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. Using Resource 1, p.9, students should formulate a minimum of three open questions to ask a specific character.

Hot seatingUse Resource 2, p. 7 to remind students that when they are in character being hot seated, they should try to demonstrate the character’s voice, gestures, expressions, etc. They should also aim to answer questions with content that makes sense for the character that they are hot seating.

Students can be placed into small groups or this can be a whole class task if the class size is not too large. All students need to be kept actively involved as either characters or questioners. Remind students that they should be listening all the time so that they don’t repeat a question or ask a question where the information has already been given. This task should not last longer than twenty minutes.


f What did you find out about a character that you didn’t know before? f How could hot seating help you in performing a play? f How did role on the wall help you with the characters?

Students should complete p.10 of Resource 1.

Key words: f Character f Voice f Hot seating f Role on the wall f Improvisation.

Resources f Resource 1, pp. 8 to 10 f Resource 2, slides 5 to 7.



Scheme of work|KS3Lesson 3: ActingLearning objectivesBy the end of the lesson students will have learnt:

f To explore action of a story through slow motion and choreography f To devise a performance of the short story f To use narration, voice, expression, gesture and movement to demonstrate character and story

f To recognise the techniques used to show character.

StarterRecap previous lessons.

Warm-upStudents should move around the drama space individually without disturbing others. Ask the students to think of a character from the story that they would like to explore.

Ask the students to move around the room and apply: f Movement of their chosen character (Is their character human? How does their character move? How does their character feel?)

f Gesture and expressions of their chosen character (What is their character thinking about? What are they feeling?)

f What does their character sound like?

Ask students to introduce themselves in character to two other students using the movement, expression, gesture and voice of their character.

Human KnotThis is a short exercise designed to help students work and problem solve together. In groups of 6 or more, students should stand in a circle; they should then put their arms into the circle and take the hand of someone else opposite. Students then have to work together to unravel themselves without letting go of the hand that they hold.

Once completed, discuss with students the skills that they think they used in successful completion of the task. Ask the students what skills they need to use to make their group a good team.

Main activityUsing Resource 3, the story, students should be formed into cast-sized groups. They are going to focus on the action in the story. The main action scenes are to be conducted in slow motion and choreographed.

Discuss with students the meaning of choreography. They can use the same strategies from previous lessons such as narration and freeze-frame, but dramatic scenes that call for a battle or chase must be slowed right down and planned step by step.

They should spend some time organising tasks and characters before trying out their ideas practically.

Once they are satisfied with their actions they should rehearse.

Plenary f Select student groups to perform their plays. f Invite constructive feedback from observing students. f How did the use of slow motion affect the play? f What could you do to improve your work as a part of a group? f What did you learn today that helped you fulfil the main task?

Key words: f Devising f Choreography f Improvisation f Emotion f Movement f Expression f Action f Narration f Actor f Actress.

Resources f Resource 2, slide 8 f Resource 3 (whichever story you used

in Lesson 1).

HomeworkAll students should complete Resource 1, p. 11.

Key words: f Improvisation f Devising f Choreography f Movement f Expression f Gesture f Character f Story.



Scheme of work|KS3Lesson 4: The MissionLearning objectivesBy the end of the lesson students will have learnt:

f To devise a short play from a given set of instructions f To devise characters that help to shape the story f To collaborate and provide equal contribution to a group task.

StarterRecap previous work.

Main activityStudents are required to create a mission for an alien agent to follow. They should do this in groups of 4 to 6.

Discuss with students what is meant by instructions for a mission; they should be no more than a short paragraph in length and must also be written in their neatest handwriting.

ModelInvite students to make suggestions for a mission and collaborate to create a working example of how it should be written.

Students in groups should then work on an original idea that is not a copy of the modelled version.

Each group should have one piece of loose paper on which to write their missions.

Once completed, the missions should be collected by the teacher.See Resource 2, p. 10.The teacher should then cut the missions up and redistribute them among

the groups so that students have missions set by another group, and also have the first task of reassembling the mission to find out what it was. Hand out sticky tape so that they can fix the paper once reassembled.

DeviseResource 2, p. 11.

Students should then collaborate to devise a play that demonstrates the story of the mission. As before they need to decide character, movement, voice and how they are going to show the story of the mission clearly.

They should also be reminded to carry out action/battle/chase scenes in slow motion.

PerformStudents should perform their mission plays to the rest of the class with focus on showing the mission, the story and the characters clearly.

PlenaryAsk students who are observing to comment constructively on the clarity of the story, the characters, and what the mission is.

Ask the class for a response to the following: f What could be done to improve these plays? f What would the group who invented the mission have done differently to the group that devised a play from it?

Resources f Resource 2, slides 9 to 11 f Paper and sticky tape.



Scheme of work|KS3Lesson 5: Science fictionLearning objectivesBy the end of the lesson students will have learnt:

f To collaborate fully with all members of a group f To understand the importance of staying in character f To devise an original play based on the science fiction genre f To communicate a convincing character using words, movement and gesture f To think of and apply different ideas to enhance a performance.

Warm-upRecap the work in previous lessons.

Resource 2, p. 12.Explain that students will be devising their own science fiction play using one

of the following titles as their starting point: f The Thing f Journey to the Omega Galaxy f Landing Party f The Invisible.

Have students get into groups of 4 to 6. Call out the following scenarios that students have to demonstrate as a team in 30 seconds:

f Inside a bus travelling on a very bumpy road f Outside walking on a very dry sandy beach f Dancing at a party f Outside climbing over rocks and boulders f Making and eating a family dinner.

Choose the best groups to demonstrate their 30-second pieces. Ask students to comment on how clear the pieces are. For example, if they hadn’t been told to play a bus on a bumpy road, would an audience guess that that was what was happening/the setting? Ask students to put forward ideas for how the pieces could be improved. Ask students to comment on how they could improve as a group in collaboration tasks.

Main activityAsk students:

f What ideas do they have from the four titles? (They should be reminded that they are creating a science fiction play)

f What ideas do they have that would make their play a science fiction? f What kind of characters could they include? f How do characters sound or move? f Are all characters seen or heard? f Where is the play set? f Are they out in the open, in a built up area or inside something?

In groups of 4 to 6, students should choose a play title and then devise a story. Once they are happy with the story outline, they should record any narration, actions, characters and dialogue in Resource 1, pp. 12 to 15. They should work as a team and remember how they demonstrated setting as a team in the starter activity. They should keep going back to asking ‘Will the audience understand this?’ They should continually revise and evaluate their work. Each team member must contribute to the success of the task.

Students should act out their ideas as they go along. They should be prepared to make changes if they don’t all feel that something is working well. Students should be able to accept that they should not consider their first draft of practical work as the best work they can do. They should be looking to produce a polished piece.

Students should be reminded about hot seating, role on the wall, and freeze-frame used previously to develop character and story.

Students should aim to: f Have a completed play by the end of the lesson. f Have a play that clearly falls into the genre of Science fiction. f Have included characters who have a voice and movement distinctly different from the actor’s known character.

f Have a clear story that can be clearly understood by an audience. f Use dialogue, mime, actions and narration to help the audience understand time, setting, objects, characters, etc.

Key words: f Improvise f Symbolism f Devise f Evaluate f Rehearse f Audience.

Resources f Resource 1, pp. 12 to 15 f Resource 2, slide 12.



Scheme of work|KS3 f Use slow motion for battles and chases (which should not last longer than 10 seconds).

f Adhere to Drama safety rules. f Include symbolism that reflects their story.

Recap symbolism from Lesson 1Students should discuss ideas and decide on a symbol that can be used throughout the play that expresses something. For example, if they have access to lighting colours, they could use blue lighting to depict cold in all its meanings. They could use a picture of the moon to represent something mysterious throughout their play.

They should use Resource 1, p.15, to record their final decision on the symbolism used in their play.

ObserveStudents’ groups should observe another group’s work in progress to give constructive feedback on a play’s clarity of story, actor’s expression and movement, science fiction content as well as propose ideas.

Students should continue to develop their plays with the purpose of being ready to perform them as their end of scheme assessment in the next lesson.


f Why is it important to stay in character? f What ideas have you applied/intend to enhance the performance of your play? f How did feedback help you to develop your play?

Lesson 6: Performances and evaluationLearning objectivesBy the end of the lesson students will have learnt:

f How to show character and story to an audience f To understand communication through movement, mime and gesture f To perform work to others, conveying story and character from the science fiction genre

f To evaluate their own work and the work of others f To set their own targets for learning.

Main activityResource 2, p. 13.

Using the objectives, explain to students that this is a performance and evaluation lesson.

Allow students time to rehearse and organise any props, etc.

PerformAllot about 5 minutes for each group.

Students will present their plays to an audience. Presenting students should not review their own plays on p.17 of Resource 1. They can review their own work on pp.18 and 19.

AudienceStudents should aim to provide a written and oral analysis of the plays, using appropriate language and theatre vocabulary to suggest improvements.

Students should be respectful audience members.Students should observe each play carefully and decide on their favourite

performance by judging the quality and standard of the performance by the standards set out in the drama objectives as well as its comic impact.

Students should be asked for constructive feedback at the end of a performance.

They should be able to comment on how successful the play was as a science fiction, as a clear story and as a performance. They should also comment on the use of symbolism and what they think it represented.

EvaluationUsing Resource 1, p.17, students are to write a review of the play that impressed them the most, using appropriate terminology and giving reasons for their opinions. They should also comment on what they learned from their favourite performance.

HomeworkStudents should have completed plays ready for the next lesson which will be a performance and evaluation lesson. They should also complete pp. 12 to 16 of Resource 1.

They should also organise any extra rehearsal time that they feel they need, as well as revisiting any targets they have for progression in Drama.

Key words: f Audience f Performance f Evaluation

Resources f Student targets taken from the

appropriate key stage Drama objectives

f Description of effort levels f Resource 1, pp. 16 to 19 f Resource 2, slide 13.



Scheme of work|KS3Students should then write about their own work in Resource 1, pp. 18 to 19

and answer the following questions: f What have you found the most difficult to do in this topic? Why? f What did you do well? Explain. f What do you need to focus on to improve/achieve your targets? (Write three targets one each for creating/making, performing and evaluating/responding.)

They should aim to: f Make constructive comments about their own work, and other people’s work f Use the appropriate terminology when reviewing performances f Write about their contribution to the work done in class.

PlenaryChoose students to give examples of written comments and performance reviews.

Ask for feedback regarding what students have learnt over the whole scheme. f Did they enjoy the work? f Would they like anything included in the scheme that wasn’t covered this time?

f Would they like to see any other changes to the scheme of work? f What did they learn? f What was their favourite aspect of the scheme?

Students are to complete Resource 1 neatly, using the expected standard of grammar and spelling.



Scheme of work|KS3RESOURCES

Needed but not supplied here:KS3 Drama ObjectivesMiranda Zupp, Allamagoosa or another science fiction short story. (Many can be found online for free.)



Scheme of work|KS3Resource 1: Student booklet

DRAMA Page 9

Write down open questions directed towards one specific character from the story in the last lesson. Think about what you would like to know about the character’s history, their reasons for why they do what they do etc. 1. 2. 3. 4.

DRAMA Page 11

What is devising? -———————————————————————

———————————————————————

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Describe the story that your group devised.

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———————————————————————

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Page 8

Role-on-the-wall.

Page 10

What is hot-seating? --------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------

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Name two things that you found out about a

character in hot seating.

———————————————————————

———————————————————————

What role did you play?

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Page 2

3 Freeze Frames

SCI-FI Year 7

DRAMA Name …………………………….

What is the name of the story that you read? _________________________________ Who are the main characters in the story? _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ Who are the other characters ? _________________________________ _________________________________ How important are the other characters to the story? _________________________________

What is Science Fiction? _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ List examples of Science Fiction film or Television programmes. 1. 2. 3. 4.

DRAMA Page 3

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Explain what a narrator does. ____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

Describe how a narrator was used in

your play.

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

1

5 74 6

9 118 10

32



Scheme of work|KS3

DRAMA

During this course you can achieve the following levels: Creation Level 4: • I can build on other people’s ideas when working in groups • I can devise simple scripts through improvisation

Use this page to write down your story.

Page 18

Self Assessment Look at your personal targets and the level descriptions. Are you on track to achieving your drama targets? Yes? No? What do you need to focus on in improving/reaching your targets? _____________________________

_____________________________

_____________________________

What did you do well? _____________________________

_____________________________

Discuss a performance that you were impressed by, and give reasons for your choice. (This can be a group or a person) --------------------------------------------

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--------------------------------------------

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DRAMA Page 17 Page 16

Draw a picture with labels of the character that you performed.

Draw a picture or write an explanation about the symbolism that you used in your play.

DRAMA Page 19

Creating Performing Evaluating Effort Level What could you do to improve? ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________ ________________________________

13

17 1916 18

20

151412



Scheme of work|KS3Resource 2: Science fiction PDF

What is Science Fiction?

• List 5 plays/films/characters that belong to the genre of Science Fiction.

Objectives: Lesson 1

• To know and use freeze frame to demonstrate three key moments of a story.

• To collaborate and work through the tasks as a group.

• To demonstrate character and story through symbolism, expression and body.

1 2

• What do the characters look like? • Where are the characters? • What are the characters doing? • What are the characters feeling?• What do the characters sound like?

Narration and freeze frame.

Explore story and character through narration.

Create a freeze frame of three key moments in a

story.

3 4

Sci-fi 2

• Hot seating• Role on the wall

Role on the Wall

5 6



Scheme of work|KS3

Hot Seating

• Use the character’s voice• Does the character have any special

gestures or movement?• Show the character’s feelings.• Show expressions.

• Careful planning of movement• Facial expression• Health and safety• To show character through gesture

and stance.

3. Slow motion, choreography, physical movement and expression.

7 8

4.A New Mission

• Create a set of instructions for an alien to follow to fulfil a mission.

Your Alien Agent could:• Save someone who has been kidnapped.• Retrieve a secret weapon or gadget.• Deliver an important object.• Or your own idea.

A New Mission

• An Alien Agent goes to a hotel room for the night. The next day a cleaner enters the room, and finds torn up paper on the floor.

• This is the Agent’s mission.

9 10

Lesson 4

• Using the missions as inspiration, improvise a play.

• Include stating the mission at the start.• New characters• A clear story• The audience.• Action scenes in very slow motion.

5.Devise a play from one of the following titles:

• The Thing• Journey to the Omega Galaxy• Landing Party• The Invisible

All plays must be from the Science Fiction genre.

11 12



Scheme of work|KS3

Evaluation

• What will make a successful play?• What does an actor need to include in the

performance of character?• What happens if an actor does not stay in

character?• How can the audience help the

performance of the play?

13


Documents

Sci-fi KS3 - Rhinegold Publishing€¦ · There are a variety of short stories that can be used for this scheme. I have included the titles I use in the Resources at the end of the