Lesson Overview
Estimated Time: 75 minutes (1 period)
In this lesson, students look deeper into the relationship between economics and social location using a variety of Theatre of the Oppressed techniques.
Connections to Financial Literacy
Students use dramatic forms to develop a compassionate awareness of the world around them through the lens of Financial Literacy. The work develops critical thinking skills that increase student Financial Literacy, focusing on:
- the concepts of income, money, earning, saving, spending, risks and rewards, and planning ahead
- consumer awareness and advertising (branding and labelling)
Curriculum Expectations
Drama
A1. The Creative Process: use the creative process and a variety of sources and forms, both individually and collaboratively, to design and develop drama works.
ADA3M:
- A1.2: select and use appropriate drama forms to present a variety of adapted or original drama works
ADA3O:
- A1.2: select and use appropriate dramatic forms to present themes or ideas about diverse cultures, contexts, and perspectives
ADA4M:
- A1.2: select and use a variety of drama forms to present original drama works
A2. Elements and Conventions: use the elements and conventions of drama effectively in creating individual and ensemble drama works, including works based on a variety of sources.
ADA3M:
- A2.1: highlight selected elements of drama and subordinate others to achieve specific purposes
ADA3O:
- A2.2: use a variety of drama conventions to clarify roles, relationships, and themes in individual and ensemble drama works
ADA4M:
- A2.1: use the elements of drama to achieve specific purposes in drama works
B1. The Critical Analysis Process: use the critical analysis process to reflect on and evaluate their own and others’ drama works and activities.
ADA3M:
- B1.2: analyse drama works to determine how they communicate ideas about issues, culture, and society
- B1.3: analyse and evaluate the aesthetic and technical aspects of drama works of diverse genres and styles
ADA3O:
- B1.2: analyse drama works to determine how well they achieve their intended purpose
- B1.3: identify aesthetic and technical aspects of a variety of drama works, either completed or in progress, suggest reasons for their use, and assess their effectiveness
ADA4M:
- B1.1: use the critical analysis process to reflect on and justify or revise decisions in creating drama works
- B1.3: analyse and evaluate the aesthetic and technical aspects of a variety of drama works and/or theatrical productions
B2. Drama and Society: demonstrate an understanding of how societies present and past use or have used drama, and of how creating and viewing drama can benefit individuals, groups, and communities.
ADA3M:
- B2.2: identify ways in which drama can influence personal growth, relationships with others, and aesthetic judgement
ADA3O:
- B2.2: identify ways in which drama can promote self- and social awareness
ADA4M:
- B2.2: describe ways in which their personal experiences in drama have influenced their attitudes to others and their own world view
- B2.4: describe different approaches used to explore universal concepts and themes in the drama of diverse cultures
C1. Concepts and Terminology: demonstrate an understanding of the nature and functions of drama forms, elements, conventions, and techniques, including the correct terminology for the various components.
ADA3M:
- C1.2: use correct terminology for the various components and processes of their own and others’ drama works
ADA3O:
- C1.2: use correct terminology for the forms, elements, conventions, and techniques they learn about through viewing and creating drama works
ADA4M:
- C1.2: use correct terminology for the styles, components, processes, and techniques of drama in creating and critiquing drama works and theatre performances
C3. Responsible Practices: demonstrate an understanding of safe, ethical, and responsible personal and interpersonal practices in drama activities.
ADA3M:
- C3.1: identify and follow safe and ethical practices in all drama activities
- C3.3: demonstrate an understanding of correct theatre worker and audience etiquette in classroom drama work and formal performance contexts
ADA3O:
- C3.1: identify and follow safe and ethical practices in all drama activities
- C3.3: demonstrate an understanding of correct theatre worker and audience etiquette in classroom drama work and formal performance contexts
ADA4M:
- C3.1: identify and follow safe and ethical practices in all drama activities
- C3.3: demonstrate an understanding of correct theatre worker and audience etiquette in classroom drama work and formal performance contexts
Learning Goals
At the end of this lesson students will
- identify and discuss issues of power
- identify how social location plays a role in power and economics
- use the techniques of Newspaper Theatre to dive deeper into economic issues and their connections to power
Instructional Components and Context
Readiness
It would be beneficial for both the teacher and students to have some previous experience with technique of Theatre of the Oppressed.
Terminology
Power
Social Location
Drama
Newspaper Theatre
Think-pair-share
Forum Theatre
Materials
Journals/notebooks
Four chairs and a water bottle
A number of newspaper articles about economic issues (students may collect these for homework)
Sample articles:
Ten Years Since the Official Beginning of the Greek Financial Crisis
What was the long-term impact of Hurricane Katrina on its victims' earnings?
The wages of fear: The pandemic and the future of low-paid 'essential' work
7 potential lingering effects of COVID-19 on the economy
Lesson Plan
Minds On
Whole Class > Great Game of Power
Invite students to play Boal's Great Game of Power. Set up four chairs in a row in front of the group and place the water bottle on one of the chairs. Invite students to come up and silently rearrange the chairs in a way that they think gives one chair more power over the others. They may move objects in any direction, stack them etc., but no objects can be removed. Repeat several times.
Key Questions for Discussion:
What were some of the ways power was communicated with the chairs?
What do we perceive as powerful?
What ways do we communicate status or power on stage?
In what ways does social location (age, gender, race, class etc.) influence power on stage? In real life?
Connections
This video shows the Great Game of Power in action
Assessment as learning: Students think critically as they reflect on the ideas of others in the class.
Assessment for learning: The teacher determines the class’ level of understanding of the concept of power through observation and with class discussion.
Action!
Small Group > Newspaper Theatre
Divide students into groups and give them a selection of newspaper articles about economic/financial issues (see materials for list of suggestions or have students bring in their own articles). Each group selects one article they wish to explore further and ask them to brainstorm a list of the key issues or ideas in the article, how the economic issue relates to a person's social location (e.g. poor, racialized people were disproportionately affected by Hurricane Katrina) and any questions they may have.
Using Boal's Newspaper Theatre techniques, ask groups to do a Simple Reading and then a Complementary Reading of their chosen article, and discuss the differences between the two. Please note: students may need to do additional research to augment their understanding of the issue(s) presented in their article.
Reconvene as a class and discuss the two readings each group did.
Key Questions for Discussion:
What was similar between the Simple Reading and the Complimentary Reading? What was different?
How did the Complimentary Reading help surface additional issues or information?
What kind of information is generally omitted from newspaper articles? Why is this?
Ask students to return to their groups and select a third Newspaper Theatre technique they wish to explore and give them time to rehearse. Each group then shares their work with the class. Once everyone has a chance to share, engage the class in a debrief about the activity.
Key Questions for Discussion:
What additional information did these techniques help to surface?
Did the use of the Newspaper Theatre techniques change your thinking about the issue? If yes, how?
Which issues that surfaced through the drama are worth revisiting or need further investigation?
Connections
Differentiation: Allow students the choice of which techniques to investigate based on level of readiness and interest.
Assessment as learning: Student reflection on scene work consolidates understandings of theme and of technique. Descriptive feedback helps students think critically about social location and economic issues using a drama lens.
Assessment for learning: The teacher uses observations, guided questioning and student discussion to assess student understanding of the themes. Observation of and engagement with critical peer feedback informs the teacher of the level of skill students are developing using Theatre of the Oppressed techniques.
Consolidation
Individual > Devising Character
Ask students to imagine a character based on the issue they explored in the previous activity (e.g. they might choose a minimum wage worker struggling in the Covid-19 pandemic or a person who has been forced out of their home due to Hurricane Katrina). Write the following questions on the board and ask students to respond from the perspective of their chosen character.
What is my current economic situation?
What was my economic situation one year ago?
Where will I be one year from now?
What factors (internal and external) have contributed to my circumstances?
Explain to students that this reflection work will be used in the following lesson to help them develop a short scene.
Extension: The response to these questions might be used as the basis for a more in depth writing in role activity.
Connections
Connections: This activity allows students to synthesize their growing understandings of the intersection of economics and social location.
Assessment as learning: Student self-reflection and forward-reflection provides students with a personal perspective on the themes.