Process Drama IDEAS

LOCAL ISSUES – GLOBAL IMPACT
Jessica Dunham

Date: Friday 13 April, 2007

Period: 7 & 8

Duration: 100 minutes

Year: 9

Contextual
Comment: Religious, co-ed school

Aims: Exploration of cultural differences and similarities
Investigation of cultural inclusion
Development of problem solving skills

Teaching
Objectives: To lead students in an exploration of cultural differences and similarities
To encourage students to investigate and appreciate other cultures in our society
To work with students to develop problem solving skills

Learning
Objectives: Students will explore cultural differences and similarities
Students will investigate and learn to appreciate the presence of other
cultures in our society
Students will develop problem solving skills, particularly in the area of
cultural inclusion

Continuity: Part of an investigation into local issues that have a global impact

Progression: Students will develop an understanding of how the decisions they make
can affect their futures

Curriculum: Follows Essential Learnings framework of:
Thinking – Inquiry and reflective thinking
Personal Futures – Being ethical
Social Responsibility – Valuing diversity

Materials: Pre-texts: Poem, images, music recordings
Projector and laptop
TIR costume
Student journals (students should be reminded to bring these in previous
lesson)

Procedure Start 0:
Have images projected on screen and music playing. Invite students into room and ask them to find their own space on the floor. Encourage students to take in sounds and images around them. When students have settled, project poem on screen, turn music down and read poem to them.

10 mins:
Ask students to form groups of 3 or 4 and brainstorm 3 emotions that the poem expresses. Get students to create a group tableau for each emotion. Students present tableaux.

20 mins:
Ask students to stay in groups and using tableaux they have created, come up with a soundscape of noises to represent those feelings. Ask students to stand in circle and combine as whole class soundscape.

30 mins:
Enter teacher in role as a foreign student Jorini. Jorini shares some information about why she has come to Australia and what her life was like in the country she has come from. She also shares her interests and desires ie. playing basketball

35 mins:
Set a scene for students where it is lunch time at school and Jorini wants to join in a game. Divide students into two groups. One group to improvise a scene where Jorini is accepted and the other group a scene where she is not. Ask students to present scenes in parallel.

45 mins:
Jorini is not accepted. Students all to take on the role of Jorini and write a short journal entry about how they are feeling after being rejected. Some students to share.

55 mins:
TIR as Jorini – incorporates student responses, but tells how some children saw her playing basketball and wanted her to play with them. Ask students to get into groups and form 3 snap shots of this scene. Students to present snap shots.

70 mins:
Get students to sit in circle then discuss with the person next to them something positive that Jorini can bring to the school community and an action to represent that. Ask pairs to demonstrate these actions one by one as the teacher moves around the circle so in the end everyone is contributing to a working model. Actions can have sounds as well.

80 mins:
Ask students to divide into groups and create short scenes that show how they would stick up for Jorini if someone didn’t accept her.

90 mins:
Lead whole brainstorming activity. List on board things students can do to include Jorini in the school community.

Homework:
Students to write a short poem or piece of prose using some of the issues and/or emotions explored during the class. Students will be using these pieces in the next lesson.

Assessment:
Students will be assessed according to their willingness to participate and explore ideas through process drama techniques. They will be expected to contribute to group decisions and to attempt to find solutions to the problems the process drama explores.