Teechers by John Godber KS3/GCSE · Voice, Movement and Props boxes for these characters. Main activity At different times, each of the actors playing Salty, Gail and Hobby also play

1Teaching Drama · Summer term 1 · 2014/15www.teaching-drama.co.uk

KS3/GCSEIntroduction This scheme of work explores the play Teechers by John Godber. It is intended to be delivered to KS3 and KS4. The overall objective is to enable students to explore a contemporary play in a social and cultural context, to learn and use Drama strategies, mediums and elements and to reach the higher scale of the KS3 drama objectives.

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

f To know and understand the play Teechers by John Godber f To explore social and cultural issues through Teechers f To demonstrate an understanding of the characters, the events and the issues explored

f To explore the communication of character to an audience f To recognise and use drama strategies, mediums and elements f To understand and demonstrate how to develop own and others’ work f To assess own work and work of others.

The resourcesAll the text used is listed in the Resources section 1 to 3. Resource 2 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.

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

f About the opening scene of Teechers by John Godber f To explore drama from text through the use of role play f To explore the use of thought tracking and narration.

Starter activity (10 mins)Read the first three pages to ‘Morning’. As a class discuss this opening scene.

f Who are the characters in this section of the play? f What are the characters in this section of the play? f Where is this part of the play set? f When is this part of the play set? f What is happening in this section of the play?

Main activityExplain to students what a role play is. They should then work in groups of three to improvise a role play inspired from the play.

Role play: Three teachers in a staff room. They are on their lunch break, talking with each other about the events of their morning.

Select some groups to show their work to class.

Thought trackingStudents are to use the improvised plays to thought track the characters. The groups should be joined together to form a group of six comprising an observer/questioner group of three and a performer thought tracking group of three. The observer group should stop the action at given points and ask questions

The play has three actors who each take on multiple roles in the play-within-a-play sections. I have included reading the whole play within this scheme of work rather than reading it beforehand.

Key words f Text f Script f Role play f Narration f Narrator f Thought tracking f Devise.

Resources f Teechers by John Godber (Read the

first three pages to ‘Morning’) f Resource 2, pp. 2 and 3 f Resource 3, slides 1 to 3.

Resource 2 can be used as part of the plenary at the end of a lesson.

Katherine Noble took up teaching in a secondary school after spending several years practising 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.

Teechers by John GodberKatherine NobleKS3/GCSE

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


Scheme of work|KS3/GCSEof specific characters in the performance. The questions must be about inner thoughts and feelings.

For example, maybe the performers could freeze at the start of their play, and one character introduces the other two characters by expressing personal thoughts about those characters. Or the action could be frozen as a character is opening a lunch bag; it would be interesting to know what the character’s thoughts are on their own lunch and the others’ lunches.

Discuss with students suitable questions that could be asked to prompt inner thoughts of the characters that reveal important information to an audience.

Narration Discuss with students any ideas they have for how the thought tracking exercise could be used as a narration that would enhance the understanding of their plays. For example, could they use narration to give an insight into a character’s real thoughts on the events of the morning? What about using narration to introduce other characters in the staffroom?

Referring to the information obtained from the thought tracking exercise, students should explore narration within their role plays, and then devise the application of a chosen style of narration to their plays. They should be reminded that they cannot drop a character for a narrator, nor add a fourth narrator role.

PlenarySelect the same groups as before to show their plays with narration. Ask the class for a response to the following:

f How did the thought tracking exercise develop your role play? f Based on observation of the performances, how did the use of narration affect the plays?

f What is a role play?

Students should complete p. 3 of Resource 2.


f To understand and explain character f Act 1 of the play Teechers by John Godber f To understand the objectives and motivations of Hobby, Gail and Salty through the use of hot seating.

Starter activity Character listUsing Resource 3, slides 4 and 5, students should spend no more than 10 minutes listing all the characters in the play. They should complete the tables in Resource 2, pp. 4 and 5 with this information.

Discuss: f What is a character? f What are the ingredients of a character?

Ask students for a response to the above questions. Discuss Resource 3, slides 6 and 7.

Main activity: Hot seatingRead the rest of Act 1 of Teechers.

See Resource 3, slide 8. Students are to work in groups of three. They should decide which of the characters they are going to be out of Hobby, Salty and Gail.

In their groups students should ask a minimum of three open questions to each of the characters being hot seated. The intention is for students to discover the aims of each character and the reasons why each character has those aims.

Discuss with students suitable examples of questions.Before beginning this task ask the students for a response to the following.

f What do you need to show when you are in the character of the person being hot seated?

PlenaryAsk the class for a response to the following:

f What objectives/motivations did you discover from each of the characters who were hot seated?

Homework:Students should complete Resource 2, p. 3 if they have not already done so.

Key words: f Hot seating f Character f Characteristic f Physical f Voice f Objective f Motivation.

Resources: f Resource 1, Teechers from p.3

‘Morning’ to the end of Act 1. f Resource 2, pp. 4 to 7 f Resource 3, slides 4 to 9.



Scheme of work|KS3/GCSE f Name one ingredient of a character f Summarise Act 1 of Teechers.

Students should complete Resource 2, pp. 6 and 7.


f To explore and understand ways in which they can quickly show a change of character through movement and voice

f To demonstrate the relationship between characters through voice and movement

f To identify areas in the script where characters are narrating.

Starter activity Recap Lesson 2 and the contents of character. Students are to use the same characters that they played when hot seating. These three characters play other characters in the play. (See Resource 3, slide 10.) Using Resource 1 and Resource 2 pp. 8 and 9, students should write down the names of all the characters they will play starting with either Hobby, Salty or Gail. They might also be able to fill in the Voice, Movement and Props boxes for these characters.

Main activityAt different times, each of the actors playing Salty, Gail and Hobby also play Oggy Moxon.

MovementSee Resource 3, slides 11 to 12. Gail is described as being ‘loud and bossy, attractive and full of enthusiasm’; Salty is described as ‘a school leaver, bright and fresh faced, rather dirty in appearance’; Hobby is described as being ‘… shy. Should be very large, must be bigger than the other two. She is doing the play despite herself’; Oggy Moxon is described as ‘the cock of the school, looks much older than he actually is, the school bully in a modern age’.

Discuss with students how they think these characters would walk, run, jump, greet someone, be sad, be excited, fancy someone, etc.

Students should walk around the room on their own in the style of their starting characters, Gail, Hobby or Salty. The teacher calls out:

f Greet someone f Be sad f Be excited f Be impressive f Be hungry f Be mean.

Students should adapt their movement to show the same character in the above states.

Repeat this task with everyone taking on the character of Oggy Moxon. This time the teacher calls out the above and also at times ‘Change’. On the instruction to ‘Change’, students will switch between the physical characteristics of Oggy Moxon and either Gail, Hobby or Salty.

VoiceDiscuss with students how they think these characters would talk, shout, whisper, etc. (Resource 3, slide 13).

Would characters speak differently to different characters? For example, would Gail speak in the same tone/pace to Mr Nixon as she does to Hobby? How could an actor demonstrate the relationship between characters through voice in this play without making the audience think that the actor had changed character?

Resource 3, slide 14: With focus on ‘Back of the Sports Hall’ Act 1, from ‘Gail: The cock of Whitewall High …’ to ‘Hobby: Who? All the staff …’.

In acting groups of three, students should first read through this section. They should decide who characters are speaking to (to other characters or to the audience). They should also consider a character’s mood/attitude when speaking (and moving). Any change of character needs to be clearly shown through voice (and movement).

Students should then act out the above section of script applying all their decisions about movement and voice.

Homework:Students should complete Resource 2, pp. 4 to 7, if they have not already done so in class.

Key words: f Emotion f Rhythm/pace/tempo f Movement f Expression f Gesture f Posture f Voice f Accent f Pitch.

Resources: f Resource 1, Act 1: Teechers by John

Godber f Resource 2, pp. 8 and 9 f Resource 3, slides 10 to 14.

At the start of Teechers, the author’s notes explain the set and the music. There is also a list of characters and their descriptions, as well as a list of the characters played by Salty, Gail and Hobby.



Scheme of work|KS3/GCSEPlenarySelect a group to perform the above section of Act 1. Ask the students to comment on the clarity of any narration and change of character. (When were characters narrating? Was it clear that Salty had become Oggy?)

Ask the class for a response to the following: f How did you demonstrate the relationship between characters through voice and movement?

Students should complete Resource 2, pp. 8 and 9.


f To know and understand Act 2 of Teechers by John Godber f To demonstrate understanding of the playwright’s intentions through set design

f To demonstrate understanding of the whole play through a written response.

Starter activity See Resource 3, slide 15. Recap Act 1; students should then read Act 2.

SetHow could this play be staged without the need to take scenery on and off the stage during the play?

Introduce the convention of the split screen/stage - when an acting area is split into two or more areas.

Students should respond to the following: f How many different scenes are there in Act 2? f Resource 3, slide 16: Why does the playwright want to keep the set as simple as possible?

f Resource 3, slide 17: As a whole class discuss ideas for the set in Act 2, keeping in mind the playwright’s intentions.

Space and LevelsResource 3, slide 18: Are there any moments in Act 2 where the deliberate use of levels in the space would help to convey meaning? What would happen to the relationship between characters if the set objects used by characters are too far apart or close together? How would it look from the point of view of the audience? How can the set be organised so that actors are not blocked from the audience by it?

Split screen/stage and set planIn groups of three (as in previous lessons), students should use Resource 2, p.10 to make notes about Act 1. Students should then discuss and plan the set for Act 1. Using the split screen/stage convention, and keeping in mind the playwright’s intentions, students should determine what and where everything should be in the performance area. They should also consider how the characters will need to move around the space and utilise the objects that they plan for the set. They must not forget the audience. When they have agreed their ideas they should complete Resource 2, p.11.

Main activitySee Resource 3, slides 18 and 19. Recap the play Teechers. Discuss students’ first thoughts on this play. Students should complete pp. 12 to 15.


f Who wrote Teechers? f What do you need to consider when designing the set for a play?

Key words: f Split screen/stage f Space and levels f Playwright f Set f Stage.

Resources: f Resource 1, Teechers f Resource 2, pp. 10 to 15 f Resource 3, slides 15 to 21.

Homework:Resource 2, pp. 10 to 15 should be completed. Students need to bring in any props/costumes that are suitable for a quick change to demonstrate a change of character.

Extension:Research fashion trends in schools from the period of the play. Research popular music of the time.



Scheme of work|KS3/GCSELesson 5Learning objectivesBy the end of the lesson students will have learnt:

f To demonstrate character and story through the use of costume/mask/props, set, expression, voice and movement

f To identify and demonstrate to whom a character is speaking f To select appropriate incidental music and lighting and be able to justify those selections

f To demonstrate an understanding of the cultural, social and historical context of the play through costume, sound and props.

Starter activity (See Resource 3, slide 22.) Read Resource 1, Act 1, first 6 pages – School Hall, A number of corridors, A corridor and The Form room.

Students will be using this extract for the remainder of this scheme of work, and will be required to perform the extract in Lesson 6.

If you have access to a 1987 BBC episode of Grange Hill, you can show your students the common teacher and student dress codes of the time.

Main activityCostume and propsAsk students to show and explain any props or costume that they have brought in.

Discuss: f What were the fashion trends for men and women in the time that the play is set?

f What were the trends in school uniform at the time? f What would be the simplest way to show a selection of different characters being played by one actor?

f What do all the characters have in common? f Could the costume be very similar between characters played by the same actor? f What prop(s) would you expect a teacher to have? f What prop(s) would you expect a student to have?

LightingAsk the students the following questions:

f How could lighting be used? f What lighting colour could be used symbolically to show the time of day? f What about lighting colour for where the play takes place? f What about other areas of the stage space? f When could lighting be used to mark the moment? (E.g. a spotlight on one character.)

If the performance space has facilities for lighting, students could test out some lighting ideas. They should refer to the first six pages of Act 1 and discuss ideas for lighting the performance area and the actors.

They should work in performance groups and record their decisions on p. 16 of Resource 2.

MusicAsk the students the following questions:

f What kind of music would enhance the atmosphere and meaning of the play? f What about the volume of the music? f How are the time it is set and the culture of a play important factors in music choices?

f What kind of music did the playwright intend to use?

Students should follow the script directions and explore the use of music through the same section of Act 1 as in the lighting task.

They should work in performance groups and record their decisions on p. 17 of Resource 2.


f What is useful about using a lighting and sound cue sheet? f What would you do to bring the play right up to date, so that it reflects a school and students of today?

f Was there anything that you didn’t find useful? Why? f Was there anything that you found difficult to do? Why?

Key words: f Act f Props f Costume f Voice f Music f Lighting.

Resources: f Music player and music of the period

(The Fat Boys & The Beach Boys, ‘Wipe Out’; Mel & Kim, ‘Respectable’; Starship, ‘Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now’ – all in the charts in 1987)

f Lighting f Set f Costume (glasses frames/funny

noses/etc.; skirts for females) f A 1987 Grange Hill episode f Resource 1, Act 1: Teechers f Resource 2, pp. 16 and 17 f Resource 3, slides 22 to 24.

Homework:Students should learn their roles in the extract of Act 1.



Scheme of work|KS3/GCSELesson 6Rehearsals, Performances and Evaluation

Learning objectivesBy the end of the lesson students will have learnt:

f To understand and contribute to rehearsal f To demonstrate performance skills that are consistently high and make good use of voice, movement, characterisation, pace, style and timing, as well as staging

f To communicate the intentions of the playwright f To analyse drama in performance, using appropriate language and theatre vocabulary to suggest improvements

f To self-assess own work and assess the work of others (evaluation) f To set their own targets for learning.

Warm-upSee Resource 3, slide 26. Using the objectives explain to students that this is a performance and evaluation lesson.

Vocal and physical warm-upsRandomly select a student to explain why vocal and physical warm-ups are

helpful in drama.

Whole class exerciseSimple Simon followed by a tongue twister such as, Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers? If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked? (Or decide on your own physical and vocal warm-up.)

Main activityStudents could work in groups of six for the purpose of taking it in turns to provide technical assistance to the performing trio. Performers should have a clear plan of set, lighting and music and should discuss their plans with the supporting trio.

Give students time to rehearse the section of Act 1 from Teechers that they worked on in Lesson 5 with the intention of performing it and being judged by peers (Resource 3, slide 27). During performance they should aim to demonstrate the following (Resource 3, Slide 27):

f Performance skills that are consistently high and make good use of voice, movement, characterisation, pace, style and timing, as well as staging

f Communication of the intentions of the playwright.

AudienceObserver students should aim to provide a written and oral analysis of drama in performance, using appropriate language and theatre vocabulary to suggest improvements. Students should be respectful as audience members.

Students should observe each performance 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.

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

EvaluateUsing Resource 2, pp. 18 to 19, students are to write a review of the performance that impressed them the most, using appropriate terminology and giving reasons for their opinions.

Students should then write about their own work in Resource 2, pp. 20 to 23 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 performance, and other people’s performances

f Use the appropriate terminology when reviewing performances f Write about their contribution to the work done in class.

Key words: f Rehearsal f Performance f Evaluation.

Resources: f Props and costume f Resource 1: Teechers by John Godber;

the first six pages of Act 1 f KS3 Drama Objectives f Resource 2, pp. 18 to 23 f Resource 3, slides 26 and 27 f Lighting f Music player and music.



Scheme of work|KS3/GCSEPlenaryEvaluatingChoose 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 2 neatly, using the expected standard of grammar and spelling.



Scheme of work|KS3/GCSERESOURCES

Resource 1: resources needed, but not supplied with this scheme f A copy of Teechers by John Godber f KS3 Drama Objectives f Costume f Props f Set f Lighting f Music: 1987 chart music f Music player f (Optional) BBC Grange Hill episode from 1987.



Scheme of work|KS3/GCSEResource 2: Student Booklet

http://www.rhinegold.co.uk/downloads/catalogue_supporting_materials/Teechers.pub

TEECHERS

Key Stage 3/4

Contents

Workshop notes —Role Play Character List Workshop notes —Hot Seating Personal Character List Play background notes Stage/set design/Lighting/Sound Review Evaluation

Page 3

Describe the role play that you improvised. How did narration affect your play?

Page 4

Character list

Nam

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Cost

ume/

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ops

Page 5

Nam

e A

ge, j

ob

Cost

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Page 6

Which character did you hot seat? Describe the character? Describe the movement of this Character and explain why.

Page 7

Describe the voice of this Character and explain why. What else did you discover about this character?

Page 8

Use this space to make notes about the character’s that you

Nam

e Vo

ice

Mov

emen

t Pr

ops

Page 9

Nam

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ice

Mov

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ops

Page 10

How can this play be staged without changing the set every time a scene is changed? How many different scenes are there in Act 1?

Where are these scenes? List them in order. What objects do you need and could reuse for each scene?

Page 11

Draw a plan of the set for the stage play in Act 1. Label any objects.


http://www.rhinegold.co.uk/downloads/catalogue_supporting_materials/Teechers.pub


Scheme of work|KS3/GCSE

Page 12

What is the title of the play? _______________________________ Who wrote the play? _______________________________ When was it written? ______________ Where is it set?__________________ What is the play inspired from? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________

Page 13 Page 14

What were your first impressions of the play text? _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Write a summary of what the play is about. _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________ _____________________________

Page 15

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Lighting cue sheet.

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Sound cue sheet.

Page 18

Write about the best performance that you observed. Use key words and terms to describe what you saw.

What did the actors do to show a change of character?

Explain why this was the best performance in your opinion.

Page 19

Page 20

Write about the section that you chose to perform.

Explain what you think the playwright intended from this section and give your reasons for your point of view.

Explain what you did to show different characters.

Use key words and terms in your writing.

Page 21

Page 22

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? _______________________________

_______________________________

Page 23

Creating Performing Evaluating

What could you do to improve? _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________ _______________________________



Scheme of work|KS3/GCSEResource 3: PowerPoint

http://www.rhinegold.co.uk/downloads/catalogue_supporting_materials/Teechers.ppt

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Documents

Teechers by John Godber KS3/GCSE · Voice, Movement and Props boxes for these characters. Main activity At different times, each of the actors playing Salty, Gail and Hobby also play