KS3 Drama SOW PowerPoint Murder Mystery

Here is a KS3 Scheme of Work/ Programme of Study for a Murder Mystery project called Darkwood Manor. The program is designed to last 6 to 8 weeks and is filled with exciting tasks to help students enhance their creativity in developing characters and storylines.

The main plot revolves around a manor house that is up for sale, and the owners need to prove that it is not haunted. To do this, a competition is held for the general public to spend a night in the manor and report their findings. The project begins with character development, exploration of the rooms, gathering the local villagers’ viewpoints, and culminates in planning a final performance to showcase their findings and announce a competition winner.

The slides are structured task by task, allowing for flexibility depending on the learning pace of the cohort. The program includes support for learners with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), teaching resources, links to relevant YouTube videos, references to booklet activities, and more. There is a workbook for students to accompany the PowerPoint, which was implemented to show evidence of teaching and learning. It is packed with tasks to accommodate all levels of learning and interaction. This project is taught in Year 7 but is suitable for KS2 as well.

The PowerPoint presentation is easy to read, uncluttered, and provides clear direction, making it ideal for non-specialist teachers or those new to teaching. Supporting notes are included with the slides where necessary. Minimal adaptation should be required but a grading system will need to be added.

These materials were created by a non-specialist educator with dyslexia, who was tasked with teaching a few hours a week from a complex scheme of work in a department with limited or no resources. Over the past 6 years, PowerPoint teaching resources have been developed to support non-specialists and new teachers, and more recently, work booklets have been introduced to support theory-based learning and evidence of teaching.

Tasks in the PowerPoint are as follows:

1. Given Circumstances of the Manor, class discussions.
2. Memory recall, key terminology.
3. Reading and annotating a set text, looking at tension and atmosphere.
4. Developing vocal skills with tension, tone and volume.
5. Bringing the Set Text 1 to life.
6. Developing characters with motive.
7. Introducing flash forward and tableau.
8. Looking at physical and vocal emotions.
9. Character thought tracking.
10. Long term memory recall key terminology.
11. Videos and development on creating tension, mood and atmosphere.
12. What is Proxemics and applying it to performances.
13. Personification of objects found in rooms around the Manor.
14. Peer Assessment on performances.
15. What are rumours and Chinese whispers.
16. The Villagers of Darkwood, developing more of a storyline.
17. Final Performances – Is the Manor actually haunted?