Lesson 4 - Memories of the Past

Drama

 B1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process to dramatic play and process drama, using the elements and conventions of drama to communicate feelings, ideas, and stories

B2.3 Reflecting, Responding and Analysing: identify and give examples of their strengths, interests, and areas for growth as drama participants and audience members

Drama

•  I can use tableau to show how a character is feeling at a particular moment in the drama
• I can find strengths and areas for improvement in my own tableau and I can make comparisons between two tableaux

Language

 Language

• I can read and understand what a character (F.L.) is feeling and thinking even though she is not directly saying it

Small Group > Discussion

Inform students that they are now going to meet another character, F.L., who is also impacted by the new development.  Read F.L.'s letter to the editor (read-a-loud) from the previous lesson (see BLM #6: Newspaper Editorial). Inform students that F.L. could not join us today; however, we are going to make some inferences about this character by looking at some of her important belongings. Inform students that each object is very special to F.L. and that it tells us something about her. Arrange groups of 3-5 students at each table, and direct them to choose one of the objects that interests them. Encourage students to speculate and imagine the story behind F.L. and this particular object. 

Key Questions for Discussion ^CL

What is this object? What is it used for? Does it have a purpose? 

What might this object say about F.L.? 

Why might this object be important to F.L.? 

Who might have given her this object?

Whole Group > Summary Discussion

Pre-lesson preparation:

Assemble a collection of objects that could hypothetically belong to the character F.L. and place a few objects at each table grouping before students come in the room. Possible examples include: black and white photographs, a key, a child's toy, a pressed flower, ornamental trinkets, a book (e.g., a poetry book), etc.

Critical Literacy Focus ^CL

Speculating, wondering, and imagining encourages students to probe deeper into a spectrum of possible meanings in texts (written, visual, dance or drama texts). 

Hyperlinks/ References

Possible extension: Read Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox and discuss how objects can be used to tell stories about memories.

Whole Group > Brainstorm/Discussion

Inform students that they are going to learn more about F.L. and that she has agreed to share her most recent page from her blog. Brainstorm what the class knows about the writing form of blog. Prompt: ^CL Why do people write in that form? What is the purpose? Who would read her blog? Read BLM #7: Blog to the class and discuss how F.L. is feeling confused or undecided. 

Pairs > Brainstorm and Discussion

In pairs, ask students to come up with one reason why F.L. is against the development and one reason why she wants the new development (record thinking on sticky notes).

Whole Group > Share and Review

Come back as a large group to share ideas (post sticky notes onto one chart) focusing on the idea of past, present, and future. Review the drama form of tableau and create an anchor chart  detailing key elements of a tableau (see some of the key concepts to the right).

Small Groups > Tableau/Tableau Crossover

Group students (3-5 in a group), ensuring that you have an even number of groups. Explain that half of the groups will create a tableau based on a memory of F.L.'s that links to her past. The other half of the class will create a tableau based on her hopes for her future. Remind students that they are trying to create a strong story within the frozen picture that will help us understand who she is and what is important to her. Allow time to brainstorm in their small groups and then direct them to begin to create their tableaux. 

Hand out BLM #8: Tableau Group Assessment Checklist (success criteria) and review it with the whole class. Allow sufficient  time for groups to use the BLM #8: Tableau Group Assessment Success Criteria assessment as learning. Pair up groups (one group depicting a memory of F.L. and the other group depicting a link to her hopes for the future). Have the paired groups share their work in progress with each other and provide feedback based on the success criteria. Allow groups another chance to revise and refine their tableau based on the feedback.

Paired Groups > Tableau Crossover 

Invite groups to pair up with the group they paired with before. If possible, ensure that the paired groups have the same number of students in each group. Instruct each group to teach their tableau to their paired group, with each person taking on the specific position of a partner in the paired group. Encourage students to study the emotions, body shape and relationships to others in the tableau, so that they can recreate every detail of the partner group's tableau. Allow the groups time to practise. 

Whole Group > Performing the Crossover

Share the tableau work all together as a class. Position all of the groups representing F.L.'s memories  on one side of the room, and all of the groups representing her future hopes on the other side of the room. Play some evocative music during the cross-over. On a signal (lights out, music, drum beat, or vocal command) direct students to freeze in their first tableau. On another signal, direct groups to come out of their tableau, cross the room in silence and slow motion, and create their partner group's tableau.
 

Possible Extension/Variation: You may wish to challenge the students to move expressively during the cross-over. Prompts: Can you move from this space to the next with various pathways: circular, zig-zag, straight line?  During the cross-over, can you greet your partner in some special way, then part? How might you make more contact with the floor during the cross over?

Note: This lesson could be stretched out into two periods.

Assessment as Learning (AaL): 

Concepts to include in the anchor chart: Add to BLM #3: Creating an Individual Tableau that was introduced in Lesson 2.

• Gestures and facial expression-Does your facial expression and body positioning match the feeling you are trying to create?
• Body shapes- Have you created a variety of body shapes?
• Levels- Have you created a variety of levels?
• Does your tableau tell a story?

While students are creating a tableau, side coach and give specific feedback.

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Ask each group to refer to BLM #8: Tableau Group Assessment Checklist while they are creating  their tableau and as a guide for giving feedback to their paired group.

Extensions:

The cross-over movement prompts can address the elements of time, space and relationship:

Time 

increasing speed
decreasing speed
steady movement
irregular movement

Space

circular pathways
zigzag pathways
straight pathway
low level on the floor
medium level
high level 

Relationship

meet/part, move toward/away
You may choose to use thought tracking to tap into the inner thoughts, hopes and memories of  F.L. Advise students to speak aloud F.L.'s thoughts when tapped on the shoulder.

Individual > Journal  Response 

Direct students to compose two journal responses: 
1) Imagine you are an on-line friend to F.L. and that you regularly read and respond to her blog postings.  Write 3-5 sentences of advice which could be posted to her blog. 
2) Write 3-5 sentences detailing the differences between the memories and hopes tableau experienced in the tableau cross-over activity.
or
Identify two stars and a wish for the tableau you created today. 
(Star=something you are proud of;  Wish=something that could have been improved).  

Assessment for/as Learning (AfL/AaL)