English Lesson: DNA by Dennis Kelly

Content:

This interactive lesson is most suitable for a double period of two 50 minute lessons.

The students will partake in a range of analytical tasks, including close reading, challenging ideas of stereotypes and evaluative assessments of pair work.

The starter task will introduce the students to the play ‘DNA’ by Dennis Kelly; key words are highlighted to guide less able students to the main ideas in the text.

The students will then have a guided discussion on the definition of gangs, reviewing images of young people in groups and review a video with a short commentary on gangs. They will then decide how the images represent gangs (or not.)

Teacher led discussions will enable the students to contemplate where their interpretations are derived from i.e. media, own experiences etc.

Students will then practise a dramatic reading of the beginning of the play; teacher should monitor the students and select 4 to perform at the end of the lesson.

Students will then peer assess each performance using an evaluative sheet.