Drama
This challenge asked me to create an introduction to a storydrama that focused on loss or recovery. I needed to make sure that it involved pre-text, teaching in role framing and incorporated a selection of dramatic strategies to use within the classroom.
The story I chose was ‘Drought’ by Jackie French. This is a story about a drought. It starts off remembering when there was an abundance of rain and how their backyard was thriving. Then, drought hit and the narrative turns to despair. There is an abundance of descriptive language to paint a picture of what drought feels like and looks like for the character experiencing this phenomenon. Then the relief of help and finally rain. I think that this is a great story to
What is a pre-text?
A pre-text is a source or stimulus that initiates drama/action. It can be a story, a picture, a piece of music, or an object but what it needs to do is provide an introduction to the work or perhaps the first episode. It should also suggest roles, tasks and actions.
A pre-text could draw upon a published or existing work and/or it could be something you create that sets up the context and frame for action
e.g. Working with Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but beginning with a detective wanting to investigate what happened to Goldilocks and who is to blame. For a space focussed drama – sending a mission briefing for Space-troopers and asking teams to meet the challenge, A call for applications for wildlife carers. Below is the read aloud for this book.
https://youtu.be/goAhkZNhDek
What is a pre-text?
A pre-text is a source or stimulus that initiates drama/action. It can be a story, a picture, a piece of music, or an object but what it needs to do is provide an introduction to the work or perhaps the first episode. It should also suggest roles, tasks and actions.
A pre-text could draw upon a published or existing work and/or it could be something you create that sets up the context and frame for action
e.g. Working with Goldilocks and the Three Bears, but beginning with a detective wanting to investigate what happened to Goldilocks and who is to blame. For a space focussed drama – sending a mission briefing for Space-troopers and asking teams to meet the challenge, A call for applications for wildlife carers.
I decided to use the Planning mind map (which is an easier way of saying ‘Planning a process template) to help me create a pre-text. I found using this map extremely helpful when planning this stage. At first glance I felt confident that I did not need it, however after half an hour of trying to think of a pre-text off the top of my head I decided to use this. Much easier!! It is basic however I did not need a great deal of ideas as I already had one in mind after viewing the read aloud of the book.
Pre text
The role that I chose was of the main characters Grandma. This would be considered a Fringe role. She offers advice, in the story it mentions that she has been through a drought previously, so she is able to offer a different perspective and advice. She reflects on the drought and how it compared to ones that she has been through.
Even after all of that pre planning I changed my mind. The planning map certainly got that creative brain cells fired up and in that moment of reflection and writing I decided to go a different direction.
Script:
‘The Drought was tough, 3 years long. I had been through many and this was the longest one I had ever witnessed. My granddaughter was scared, my son desperate to keep the farm running sold all our sheep. We did not know when it would end, one day more, one month, one year? It was a scary time as we were running out of water, water that we needed to survive. Not only us, but the animals and wildlife around us. I could never tell my granddaughter this, as her hope was fading so was mine, but I needed to keep her strong. The droughts before seemed much shorter, manageable even compared to this one. How we survived I will not know. But the day the rain came, was the happiest I had known.’
My Voki I created is below:
Classroom Application- Years 3 & 4
Content descriptors
- Explore ideas and narrative structures through roles and situations and use empathy in their own improvisations and devised drama (ACADRM031 – Scootle )
- Use voice, body, movement and language to sustain role and relationshipsand create dramatic action with a sense of time and place (ACADRM032 – Scootle )
- Shape and perform dramatic action using narrative structures and tension in devised and scripted drama, including exploration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander drama (ACADRM033 – Scootle )
- Identify intended purposes and meaning of drama, starting with Australian drama, including drama of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, using the elements of drama to make comparisons (ACADRR034 – Scootle )
Students could use a combination of diary entries and recorded dramatic presentation for this task.
To introduce the theme of the book as a class we would discuss drought. Ask open ended questions such as “what is a drought?” “what does the landscape look like and feel like when there is a drought?”, “what happens to animals when there is a drought?”, “who does drought affect?” etc. As a class we would then read The Drought and the class, pausing throughout to engage in a group discussion around the theme of the book, the characters, the characters emotions, setting and resolution.
I would explain to the students that they will need to complete an individual task. This task will be completing as a Diary Entry as one of the characters in the book. They will need to choose one character, this could be:
- The little girl narrating the story
- The father
- The grandmother
- The sheep being sold
- The wildlife
- A truck driver who is delivering supplies
- The Drought (this could be interpreted as a character)
The students will need to recall the story and emphasise the setting and emotion of the character that they choose. This ensures that students use “relationships, tension time and place” (ACARA, 2022) as this is an achievement standard within the curriculum. To begin the individual task I will ask them to create a mind map of the character, listing their emotions, their perspective of what is occurring, the time and place, their thoughts of what could happen during the drought and what will happen after the drought (to incorporate a recovery theme into the entry).
To incorporate a dramatic aspect to the task the students will then be instructed to reinact their Diary Entry using an iPad recording. They will use their acting skills to take on the role of the character that they have chosen and record their read aloud of their Diary Entry. Students will be encouraged to use a range of props and dress ups for this entry so that they can embody and portray their character in a visual way. This will encourage willingness to participate for those students who are not able to act in front of an audience, as children need a safe environment and need to feel safe to make mistakes (Roy, et al. 2019, pg 128)
Critical Reflection
I am using the ‘The Gibb’s Reflective Learning Cycle’ (The University of Sheffield, 2022) to assist me with reflecting on my task.
My experience for this task was not as challenging as initially predicted. A statement that resonated with me and encouraged me to engage a little more than I was initially anticipating and wanting was “It is nothing to be scared of and it is something that most individuals are highly competent at” (Roy, et al., 2019, pg 124). After reading this, the pre-text idea came to me with ease. I initially wanted to use the voice of the little girl narrating the text, however I changed my mind half was through as you can see and decided on the Grandmother. This fitted in with the task description and the role of the teacher more organically.
Creating the Voki was possibly the more enjoyable sections of this task. It created a visual and voice for the character I wanted to help assist the students with the lesson. It gives them context and a deeper understanding of the text in my opinion.
I could of travelled in a different direction with the Grandmother piece and made a more pointed script, however for what it was I thought it would enrich the experience for the students for the better.
References
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.d). Australian Curriculum: Drama. https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/the-arts/drama/
David Michael S Roy author. (2019). Teaching the arts : early childhood and primary education (William James Baker author. & Amy Ruth Hamilton author., Eds.; Third edition..). Port Melbourne, Vic. : Cambridge University Press.
Oddcast Inc. (2022). Voki: Create. https://www.voki.com/site/create
The University of Sheffield. (2022). Reflective Practice. https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/ssid/301/study-skills/university-study/reflective-practice
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