Super Heroes to the Rescue: Entry 3
12:42:00
It was easy to pick the theme for my first drama lesson with my grade 5s. What was going to keep them engaged? What was going to be interesting to them? Easy, heroes.
Kids LOVE Superheroes.
Correction: Everyone loves superheroes!
When creating my first drama lesson for my students, I was a little nervous. I have such little background in drama, how was I going to be sure that I knew what I was talking about during the lesson? But there was one thing that I was definitely sure of, kids have a LOT more creativity than I do.
As this was our very first drama lesson together, we started with a classic warm up game, Fruit Salad. There are a million variations of this game online but essentially each person was assigned one of 5 fruits and when their fruit was called everyone had to run to the centre of the circle and find a new chair leaving one person behind to call the next fruit. Seems easy right? At first it was going so well, lots of laughing and they loved it. Well my class knew how to make anything a competition and eventually after about 9 rounds, people were fighting so we called it off and moved on.
I then used props to reveal to the students what our theme was going to be for the lesson. I would show them a prop and they had to tell me who it could belong to, what it might be used for, etc.
We started with an eye mask and I got all sorts of answers: robber, kidnapper, burglar, hero (ding ding ding) spy, and even mime.
Then we looked at the cape. Some students said magician, bull fighter, but most thought hero.
This was a fun way to analyze props and discuss props when there may not be enough available for students to actually use them. It was also a really fun way of introducing the theme of the lesson because they were so pumped once they started to clue in.
After that it was up to the students to create skits in small groups about Superheroes in various situations/settings.
- superhero who has a cold,
- superhero who gets distracted all the time,
- and superhero and villain who are both really really old.
Students were actually evaluated primarily based on their peer evaluations and how well they could participate and work in a group. Overall, the skits were well presented and pretty hilarious. Watching one student "chase" the other while they both pretend to have walkers and are hunched over is endlessly entertaining.
I've attached the lesson plan below:
Unit/Subject: Drama
Grade: 5
Lesson Title/Topic: Superhero Skits
Curriculum Expectations:
Overall:
B1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process (see pages 19–22) to process drama and the development of drama works, using the elements and conventions of drama to communicate feelings, ideas, and stories;
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Specific:
B1.2 demonstrate an understanding of the element of role by selectively using some other elements of drama (e.g., time and place, relationship), to build belief in a role and establish its dramatic context.
B1.3 plan and shape the direction of the drama or role play by collaborating with others to develop ideas, both in and out of role.
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Fundamental Concepts
• role/character: adopting a variety of roles; considering both the inner and outer life in developing a character; sustaining familiar and unfamiliar roles; varying position (e.g., full front, quarter, profile, full back)
• time and place: establishing a clear setting (e.g., using simple objects and props to represent time and place)
Learning Goals:
By the end of this lesson students will be able to:
- recognize the use of props to illustrate a theme or convey a message
- create a skit in groups surrounding the appropriate theme
- determine how props could be used appropriately
- work in groups and peer and self-evaluate
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Success Criteria:
- I understand how props can illustrate a theme
- I can identify a theme based on props
- I can work well in a group (share my ideas, listen to ideas)
- I can learn and practice at least 3 lines
- I will self evaluate and peer evaluate my group members
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Modifications / Accommodations:
Environmental - Students will be placed in mixed ability groups to allow for students to learn from one another by either taking on a leadership role or by following a group leader.
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Lesson Sequence:
Minds-On:
Fruit Salad - Warm Up
(5 minutes)
- Students will warm up in the drama room by playing a circle game. Students will brainstorm as a class a list of fruit for our “fruit bowl”. Each student will then be assigned one of the fruits for our game.
- During the game, one student is in the centre of the circle and will call out a fruit. Everyone of that fruit name will get out of their seats and switch to a new seat with the person in the centre trying to move to an empty chair, leaving a new student in the centre.
Whose Stuff is this? Theme identification with props
(5 minutes)
- Students will be shown a prop or a picture of a prop and be asked “Who could this belong to?” Students will discuss one at a time what type of character could use that prop, who they might be, or how it could be used. Students will also have the opportunity to act with that prop or demonstrate its use.
- As each new item is revealed a theme will be uncovered. Students will be prompted to recognize the connection between the props to determine what today’s theme might be.
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Action:
Creating Super Scenario Skits
(30 minutes)
- In predetermined groups, students will work to create a skit about a superhero. Each group will be given a unique “scenario” for their superhero that they will have to convey to the class in their presentation. The rules of the creation of the skit will be outlined in the success criteria.
- During the creation phase, teacher will walk around and question and/or prompt students to extend their skit or deepen their roles.
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Consolidation:
Presentations
(20 minutes)
- Students will present their skits to their classmates, after which the audience will be invited to try to guess what their scenario was or what was happening.
- Students will also have time prior to and during the presentations to complete their peer and self assessment checklist to reflect on what they did and what their group did.
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Assessment:
Assessment Task:
What are the students doing to be assessed?
Group Skit Creation
Self & Peer Evaluation Form
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Assessment Tool:
What are you using to assess them?
- Anecdotal notes during the presentations for voice, composure (silliness), and enthusiasm.
- Students will also be assessed at how well they built a believable scenario that could be guessed by their classmates.
- Self & Peer Evaluation checklists for cooperation, participation, effort, and reflection.
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