Drama 2 to 3
Context

It is expected that students will:

• identify ideas and emotions expressed in dramatic work from a variety of cultures
• demonstrate an awareness of the role of drama in the community and other cultures
• demonstrate appropriate audience skills

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Context in other grades click on an icon below.

• Select, from various cultures, three stories or legends with the same theme (e.g., journeys, honesty, broken promises). Read the stories as a class to identify the ideas and emotions of the characters, then discuss similarities and differences. Have students in groups use a dramatic structure to create their own stories on the same theme. Ask them to share their stories with others.
• During a class theme focussing on a season, ask students to identify ways in which the season has been celebrated and observed through dramatic ritual and dance in a variety of cultures (e.g., harvest celebrations associated with fall). Invite students to work in groups of four or five to create their own celebrations on a seasonal theme (e.g., giving thanks) using drama, movement, visual art, and music.
• Before and after a presentation, discuss with students appropriate audience skills for viewing student work. Ask questions such as: How did we behave as an audience? What skills did we exhibit as an audience? What are our strengths as an audience? What are some suggestions for improving these skills?
• When studying a particular theme in social studies, invite members of the community (individuals, groups, or associations) involved in drama or cultural events and celebrations to speak to the class and demonstrate their work. As a class, create a list of interview questions to prepare for the guests, then review audience skills.

Suggested Assessment Strategies

• As students participate in drama activities, note evidence that they:
  • use characters they have read or heard about or have viewed in their own dramas
  • replay events or situations they have learned about from a variety of cultures
  • show interest in characters, traditions, and events from a variety of cultures
  • make connections between their own experiences and those offered in a variety of cultures
  • are respectful about ideas, conventions, and dramatic traditions that are new or unfamiliar to them
• When students create celebrations of a season, look for evidence that they:
  • contribute ideas and effort to their groups
  • include elements from different cultures and times
  • focus on themes that represent the season
  • sustain focus throughout their groups' performance
  • are attentive and responsive to the performances of other groups
• Before students attend a dramatic performance, provide a brief preview. Then ask them to make predictions about what they will see, do, and feel. Look for evidence that they are:
  • interested in and curious about the experience
  • thoughtful-able to pose sincere questions
  • aware of appropriate audience behaviour
  • expecting to be affected by the performance
• After members of the community talk about and demonstrate their work, have students reflect on what they have learned. Ask them to create web charts or series of labelled sketches in their notebooks to record the most interesting ideas they remember. Provide time for them to share and talk about their reflections.

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