Appendix 1 Drama structures and strategies used throughout the book
Freeze/move
Children âfree-playâ some action from the story and âfreezeâ when told to by the teacher. This creates instant images of the story. It can be a really good idea to capture these with a digital camera, either as evidence of what you did or perhaps to illustrate later writing.
Improvising dialogue
Usually done in pairs, the children take roles and improvise the conversation that happens between them. This can often lead to writing, perhaps putting the dialogue into a story, or writing it for a playscript. See, for example, Unit 2F, The First Snow of Winter.
Inventing games
This can be a very effective and playful way of engaging children with the themes and ideas of a story. The âpiratesâ game, for example, which is played in Unit 1L, A New Home for a Pirate can be easily adapted for another context as in Unit RL, Castles.
Letters and messages
These can be introduced as a way of moving the story on, adding surprise, excitement or tension. See, for example, the note from the princess in Unit RL, Castles or the email from Jim in Unit 1F, Jim and the Beanstalk.
Meeting in role
The children sustain their roles while they meet together and discuss what has happened in the story/drama and what they should do about it. See, for example, Unit 2C, Light and dark, when the animals meet.
Soundscapes
Using their voices, sounds they can make with their bodies, everyday objects and/or musical instruments, children create mood and atmosphere with sound. See, for example, Unit 2L, The Lost Happy Endings, or Unit 1C, The Steel Teddy Bear.
Still images or tableaux
A very widely used strategy in which children make pictures using themselves. These might show people (or perhaps animals) doing something, or they may be more abstract, as in the wood the children create in Unit 2P, A Midsummer Nightâs Dream.
Teacher in role
Used in many of the units, the teacher takes a specific role within the drama and engages in âliveâ action with the children. It is a very powerful strategy from which you can question, challenge and extend childrenâs thinking and understanding.
Word carpets
Words and phrases developed through the drama are written on scraps of paper and put out on the floor to create a âcarpetâ of words. These might be used to create a setting, or developed further into mood and atmosphere as in Unit 2L, The Lost Happy Endings. They are very useful resources for later writing.
Writing in role
Children write as if they were characters in the story. For example, they might write letters home from Ted the farmer in Unit 1L, A New Home for a Pirate, or reply to Jimâs email in Unit 1F, Jim and the Beanstalk.
Appendix 2 Further reading to help develop drama in your school
Ackroyd, J. and Boulton, J. Drama Lessons for Five to Eleven-year-olds. David Fulton 2001. Highly practical, detailed and well-structured lesson plans, some for this age group.
Dickinson, R. and Neelands, J. Improve Your Primary School Through Drama. David Fulton 2006. A detailed and uplifting account of how one inner-city primary school placed drama at the heart of its curriculum with remarkable results. Plenty of practical advice and examples.
Winston, J. Drama and English at the Heart of the Primary Curriculum. David Fulton 2004. Detailed plans with thorough underpinning theory. Examples are included for all the primary age groups.
Winston, J. and Tandy, M. Beginning Drama 4â11. David Fulton, 3rd edition 2008. A very practical guide, aimed at those who are new to teaching drama and designed to lead you through the process step-by-step.
