I have been an SLT co-ordinating English, dance, drama and music. I have covered PPA by delivering drama and dance to children from EYFS - Y6. I have delivered INSET on drama, dance and music both in schools and at a county level. I have delivered the drama module for B.Ed students at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.
I write children's poems and have had some published in compilations. I have written drama and dance lessons based on poetry, for Early Years Educator and Scholastic.
I have been an SLT co-ordinating English, dance, drama and music. I have covered PPA by delivering drama and dance to children from EYFS - Y6. I have delivered INSET on drama, dance and music both in schools and at a county level. I have delivered the drama module for B.Ed students at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford.
I write children's poems and have had some published in compilations. I have written drama and dance lessons based on poetry, for Early Years Educator and Scholastic.
Three drama lessons based on Michael Morpurgo's beautiful book about a wombat who loses his mother.
He comes across several animals as he looks for his mother, and they are all very quick to tell him how good they are at something. However, when a fire starts is it one of these clever animals that saves the day - or wombat?
The drama lessons require the children to work individually and in groups. They also use basic drama strategies.
This is a short humorous play initially written for use with my drama club. I then went on to use it in the Year 6 leavers' assembly.
It has seven characters, as well as a chorus that can be as large or as small as you like. The costumes are simply hats, and the list of props is very short and simple.
It appeals to both boys and girls as it contains very obvious humour, as well as over the top characters.
ENVIRONMENT WHOLE CLASS ASSEMBLY
Included in this pack:
A short play
An original poem (PPT slides and a written version)
I’m An Eco-Warrior, Get Me Into There!
This is a play for a class of 30 children and is about four environmental issues: forests, rivers, ice caps and oceans. Each issue is represented in a game show by an Eco-Warrior. Each issue has a rap to perform and a group of Fact Finders. The Fact Finders each have a short paragraph of facts to say.
Every child has the chance to speak, either with scripted dialogue or through the rap. There are scripted dialogue lines for 22 children and the other children are involved in the raps. You could also add more presenters and share the dialogue out between them.
I have included the script as a word document so changes can be made to accommodate more or less speaking parts. Fact Finders can be added to by sharing the dialogue out more, or cut down by giving each Fact Finder more to say. Rappers can also be added to or cut down. One rapper from each environmental issue also has a single line of dialogue.
As well as the whole play I have included the Fact Finder scripts and raps separately for ease of chopping them up, so you don’t have to give everyone the full script.
Once Upon a Time There Was a Planet… is a 12 stanza non-rhyming poem about the affects we’re having on the environment. It’s presented as a 13 slide power point presentation, with powerful images. There is a written version included too.
The poem is ideal for individual, paired, group or whole class work and would make an excellent addition to your class assembly.
The first half illustrates how wonderful our planet is and the second half illustrates the devastating affect humans are having on the planet.
This pack contains 11 drama lessons based on four popular fairy tales. It is accompanied by 16 resources and a 13 slide PPT presentation.
There are full descriptions of the drama strategies used.
1) The Three Billy Goats Gruff - two lessons based on script work. The strategies used are freeze frames, and performing a script as well as creating their own. There is also a short script for the whole story, which could be used for an assembly.
2) Jack & the Beanstalk - three lessons. The strategies used are: corporate brain, conscience alley, freeze frames, improvisation, movement to music, mime and T.I.R.
3) Dick Whittington - three lessons. A short version of the story is included. The strategies used are: hot seating, improvisation, freeze frames, mime, scripts and picture whoosh!
4) Little Red Riding Hood - three lessons. A full, new version of the story is included. The strategies used are: sculpture, improvisation, conscience alley, hot seating, thought circle, freeze frames and moving pictures
This is a play suitable for an end of year production or Year 6 leavers' assembly. It lasts about 30 minutes. It is set in the modern day which makes the story more accessible to the children. It is amusing and appeals to both boys and girls.
There are 24 speaking parts (including 11 narrators which could be condensed into less) and non-speaking parts for the football fans, the rock group, the storm sequence and the underwater sequence.
Music suggestions are made for the various sequences and these can be kept very basic or choreographed as full dances. Costume is left up to you as it is set in modern day.
This unit uses three traditional stories from Spain, Poland and Norway.
Copies of the three stories are included.
SPAIN: Half-a-Chick - This story has three accompanying drama lessons and covers body language, tone of voice, conversations, characters' thoughts & feelings and the giving & receiving of feedback. The drama strategies used are: listening circle, improvisation and conscience alley.
POLAND: The Dragon of Krakow - This story has two accompanying drama lessons and covers creating a setting, role work and whole class performance. The drama strategies used are: sculpture, process drama, T.I.R., moving pictures and scene carousel.
NORWAY: The Boy Who Went to the North Wind - This story has three accompanying drama lessons and covers the use of effects to illustrate key points in a scene. The drama strategy used is scripts
If you want to learn more about drama strategies take a look at my pack of 23 strategies for £5
https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/drama-strategies-primary-23-strategies-for-the-non-specialist-to-develop-speaking-and-listening-11602421
This is a pack of 23 drama strategies. Each strategy is fully explained and has examples for every relevant stage of the primary age range - I am a primary school teacher. However, these strategies are just as suitable in secondary schools, and they can ALL be used in a secondary setting. The strategy remains the same, it's just the topic or text that has to be changed for the older age groups.
The strategies have been selected for the non-specialist to use, and focus on the development of speaking & listening. The pack is ideal for EAL children.
There are two types of strategy:
1) Speaking is the end goal
2) The actual drama process relies on speaking & listening for its success
Where required, resources are provided to accompany the strategies.
There are several short script excerpts included.
This pack is based on two Greek myths, and each myth has three lessons. Various drama strategies are used as well as individual, paired, group and whole class work. The drama strategies are all explained, and there are also tips for using the pack.
Resource sheets and PPT slides are included where necessary.
Both myths come with an original version of the story.
King Midas and the Golden Touch:
Lesson 1: creating a conversation; improvising, planning and rehearsing an ‘off-stage’ scene
Uses - improvisation and dialogue
Lesson 2: considering what a character should do and what he thinks; creating a conversation
Uses - thought tapping and hot seating
Lesson 3: improvising a group scene; considering what a character should do and what he thinks; creating an ending for the story
Uses - hot seating, improvisation and conscience alley
Theseus and the Minotaur:
Lesson 1: using body language and tone of voice; considering what a character thinks; thinking, speaking and reacting in role
Uses - freeze frames, thought tapping, conscience alley and T.I.R.
Lesson 2: considering a character’s feelings; being in role for a whole class drama; deciding on what will happen next
Uses - hot seating, sculpture, freeze frame and T.I.R.
Lesson 3: choreographing movements; improvising a paired scene, considering a character’s feelings; predicting a character’s actions
Uses - movement, improvisation, hot seating and flash backwards & flash forwards
This is a unit of seven drama lessons for Year 1 based on four popular picture books.
The lessons are accompanied by resource sheets and PPT slides.
Book 1: Hugless Douglas Goes to Little School by David Melling - two lessons using mime, voices and acting out. The lessons incorporate individual, paired and group work
Book 2: Hugless Douglas and the Big Sleep by David Melling - two lessons using mime, voices and thinking about a character's feelings. The lessons incorporate individual, paired, group and whole class work
Book 3: Oliver's Vegetables by Vivian French - two lessons using movement, mime and performance. The lessons incorporate individual, paired and group work
Book 4: Smile, Crocodile, Smile by An Vrombaut - one lesson using mime and thinking about a character's feelings. The lesson incorporates individual and group work.
This is a pack of six original poems - spanning both key stages - using autumn as the stimulus.
Autumn - a rhyming poem about the transition from autumn to winter
Yes, Yes, Yes It Is! - a non-rhyming question and answer poem about autumn
Friend or Foe? - a rhyming poem about Halloween which can be written in three different ways
Crackle! Spit! - a rhyming poem with a pattern, about Bonfire Night. There are two accompanying dance lessons for K.S.1 with this poem
Bonfire Night - a non-rhyming poem which can be written in a straightforward way, or as calligrams
We Dare You To! - a rhyming poem about the dangers of playing with fireworks, and also the issue of wanting to fit in. This has an accompanying Y5/6 drama lesson
The pack includes general activities to do with the poems, as well as specific activities for the individual poems.
There is a 40 slide PPT presentation to support the activities.
This is a pack of five drama lessons based on Anthony Browne's popular book 'The Tunnel'
A full description of each drama strategy used in the lessons is included, as are general notes for using the pack.
Lesson 1: How characters are different, how they feel and creating a conversation between the two main characters. Uses - freeze frame, hot seating and sculpture
Lesson 2: Solving conflict and acting out a script. Uses - freeze frame, sculpture, scripts and silent participation
Lesson 3: A character's thoughts, what a character should do and creating a whole class piece to music. Uses - conscience alley, hot seating and performance
Lesson 4: Creating an atmospheric scene, creating a scene from off-stage and creating a performance for the rest of the class. Uses - atmosphere and acting out
Lesson 5: Using freeze frames to present ideas and key parts of the story, a character's thoughts & feelings and creating conversations to show how characters have changed. Uses - freeze frame, moving pictures and thought tapping
'Emilio lives with his mother, in a village on a Caribbean island. He is a very naughty boy and causes lots of problems. When he’s naughty he makes sparks fly. His mother gets very angry with him, and when she is angry the air rumbles loudly. The villagers are scared of them both. The Village Leader decides that the villagers have had enough, and he sends them both far away. It takes three attempts before Emilio and his mother are sent far enough away, so they can’t scare the villagers anymore…'
This short play (for a whole class assembly) is based on a traditional Caribbean tale and would link very well to a topic on the weather. There are speaking parts for every child in a class of 30. However, you can change this by simply giving fewer children more to say, and have some children with non-speaking parts. For example, there are seven Ibis birds all saying one line each; this could easily be changed to less birds speaking.
I have left the play as a word document so changes can be made.
Characters:
4 narrators
Emilio (This could be changed to Alesha if you want it to be a girl instead of a boy)
Mother (This could be changed to father if you want it to be played by a boy)
Village Leader (This would traditionally be a man but could easily be played by a girl)
4 rabbits
4 hens
4 sheep
4 villagers
7 Ibis birds
Line count (the number of times the character speaks in the play, not the number of sentences spoken. There is a lot of repetition e.g. the villagers say the same thing every time they come on):
Village Leader – 16
Emilio – 7 (including singing his song accompanied by the class)
Mother – 7 (mainly singing her song accompanied by the class)
Narrator 1 - 2
Narrator 2 – 2
Narrator 3 – 2
Narrator 4 – 2
Villagers (1-4) - 3
Rabbits (1-4) – 2
Hens (1-4) – 2
Sheep (1-4) – 2
Ibis birds (1-7) - 1
This bundle includes a story poem and a play script.
Story Poem: This is an original story poem telling the tale of Jonah and the Whale.
It has 11 eight line, rhyming stanzas.
This pack includes a 12 slide PPT presentation of the poem, as well as a written version.
It is ideal for telling the children this familiar story; doing so succinctly and with humour. It could also be used as the basis for a whole class assembly.
Play Script: This is a play suitable for an end of year production or Year 6 leavers’ assembly. It lasts about 30 minutes. It is set in the modern day which makes the story more accessible to the children. It is amusing and appeals to both boys and girls.
There are 24 speaking parts (including 11 narrators which could be condensed into less) and non-speaking parts for the football fans, the rock group, the storm sequence and the underwater sequence.
Music suggestions are made for the various sequences and these can be kept very basic or choreographed as full dances. Costume is left up to you as it is set in modern day.
This pack contains 14 drama lessons based on five popular fairy tales. It is accompanied by 22 resource sheets and a PPT presentation. The lessons include individual, paired and group work.
There are full descriptions of the drama strategies used.
The Three Little Pigs: three lessons using mime, freeze frame, hot seating, T.I.R and sculpture.
Hansel and Gretel: three lessons using mime, script work, sculpture and T.I.R
Little Red Riding Hood: three lessons using sculpture, thought circle, mime, hot seating and movement to music
The Enormous Turnip: two lessons using mime, thought circle, hot seating and movement to music
The Three Billy Goats Gruff: three lessons using sculpture, improvisation, script work, hot seating and movement to music
This bundle contains 25 detailed drama lessons.
KS1: This pack contains 14 drama lessons based on five popular fairy tales. It is accompanied by 22 resource sheets and a PPT presentation. The lessons include individual, paired and group work.
There are full descriptions of the drama strategies used.
The Three Little Pigs: three lessons using mime, freeze frame, hot seating, T.I.R and sculpture.
Hansel and Gretel: three lessons using mime, script work, sculpture and T.I.R
Little Red Riding Hood: three lessons using sculpture, thought circle, mime, hot seating and movement to music
The Enormous Turnip: two lessons using mime, thought circle, hot seating and movement to music
The Three Billy Goats Gruff: three lessons using sculpture, improvisation, script work, hot seating and movement to music
KS2: This pack contains 11 drama lessons based on four popular fairy tales. It is accompanied by 16 resources and a PPT presentation.
There are full descriptions of the drama strategies used.
The Three Billy Goats Gruff - two lessons based on script work. The strategies used are freeze frames, and performing a script as well as creating their own. There is also a short script for the whole story, which could be used for an assembly.
Jack & the Beanstalk - three lessons. The strategies used are: corporate brain, conscience alley, freeze frames, improvisation, movement to music, mime and T.I.R.
Dick Whittington - three lessons. A short version of the story is included. The strategies used are: hot seating, improvisation, freeze frames, mime, scripts and picture whoosh!
Little Red Riding Hood - three lessons. A full, new version of the story is included. The strategies used are: sculpture, improvisation, conscience alley, hot seating, thought circle, freeze frames and moving pictures
This pack includes 16 original poems about Spring, Autumn and Christmas.
AUTUMN: This is a pack of six poems - spanning both key stages - using Autumn as the stimulus.
Autumn - a rhyming poem about the transition from autumn to winter
Yes, Yes, Yes It Is! - a non-rhyming question and answer poem about autumn
Friend or Foe? - a rhyming poem about Halloween which can be written in three different ways
Crackle! Spit! - a rhyming poem with a pattern, about Bonfire Night. There are two accompanying dance lessons for K.S.1 with this poem
Bonfire Night - a non-rhyming poem which can be written in a straightforward way, or as calligrams
We Dare You To! - a rhyming poem about the dangers of playing with fireworks, and also the issue of wanting to fit in. This has an accompanying Y5/6 drama lesson
The pack includes general activities to do with the poems, as well as specific activities for the individual poems.
There is a 40 slide PPT presentation to support the activities.
SPRING: This is a pack of five poems about Spring for Y2/3. Each poem is accompanied by a full lesson.
Lesson 1. Umbrella Chant - a choral chant, performance poem
Lesson 2. Spring Acrostic - a non-rhyming acrostic poem (includes a framework)
Lesson 3. A Tale of Spring - a rhyming list poem (includes a framework)
Lesson 4. Golden One - a non-rhyming descriptive poem (includes a format)
Lesson 5. Yes, Yes, Yes It Is! - a non-rhyming question and answer poem (includes a framework)
All lessons are supported with power point slides and resources
CHRISTMAS: This is a pack of five poems about Christmas, spanning both key stages. Four are based on Christmas itself and one is about snow.
I Looked Outside - a rhyming poem about a snowfall in the night
No Crown of Jewels - a rhyming poem about the birth of Jesus, and the truth about Christmas rather than the glitz
It’s Christmas! - a rhyming poem using a different Christmas element for each stanza, for example; the tree, Santa and a present. This poem also follows an obvious pattern
What? - a rhyming poem comparing the baby Jesus to the latest toy that children desperately want at Christmas
Yes, Yes, Yes It Is! - a non-rhyming question and answer (verse and chorus) poem, again with an obvious pattern.
The poems are supported with a 43 slide power point presentation
There are general activities which can be used with all of the poems, as well as specific activities for some of them.
