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Drama

KS3 Curriculum Summary

Drama can be one of the most powerful mediums for students to explore and analyse life in a safe environment. Drama helps to develop language and reasoning, improves confidence and social skills.

All year 7, 8 and 9 students have a double lesson of Drama once a fortnight. Students work on developing their theatrical skills focusing on voice, movement and characterisation creating a necessary foundation for them to pursue Drama at GCSE and A Level by mastering their designated year group KPIs.

KS3 Schemes of work

Year 7

Title of SOW

Description

Introduction to Drama

A sequence of exercises to:

  • Establish ground rules and expectations
  • Introduce and instil the basic skills necessary for drama to take place
  • Provide opportunities for diagnostic work and assessment of individual and group strengths and weaknesses
  • Introduce students to the concept of individual target-setting

It Was Terrifying

A template using a text as stimulus to:

  • Facilitate understanding of how space, body language and expression communicate meaning
  • Use still image to structure, edit, and select narrative
  • Introduce monologue as a dramatic technique, a means of revealing character and point of view
  • Develop basic group work and presentation skills.

Haunted & Hunted

A sequence of work to introduce:

  • Use of picture stimulus
  • Story-telling
  • Ways of creating atmosphere and communicating without dialogue
  • Understanding and application of soundscapes
  • Movement and mime skills as a form of communication

The Tempest by William Shakespeare

A template to provide practical ways into dramatic text which:

  • Consolidates and extends previous work on use of space, movement and sound
  • Develops understanding of character and point of view
  • Explores dramatic structure
  • Offers a range of whole group, small group, pair and solo work to consolidate basic skills.

Comedy & Tragedy

A sequence of work to introduce:

  • Where comedy and tragedy originated
  • Some of the key features of Greek tragedy
  • How tragedy developed over time
  • The skills required to stage a believably tragic moment
  • How to create an appropriate mood and atmosphere on stage
  • Whether tragedy is any different today than it was in the past
  • The skills needed to create a believably tragic moment
  • What is meant by the term tragic hero and attempt to create an appropriate central character
  • The origins and early development of comedy
  • What is meant by the term lazzi and how to use the comedy rule of three
  • Some of the basic ideas behind slapstick comedy
  • How to put together a short physical sequence.

Year 8

Title of SOW

Description

A Journey Through Theatrical Time & Space

A sequence of work to introduce:

  • Where western theatre originated from and some of the key features of Greek theatre
  • Where and how mystery plays were performed
  • The importance of status in playing character and ow to perform some of the key commedia characters
  • The key design elements of Kabuki theatre and the relevance and role of make-up in Kabuki theatre
  • The development of the theatre building
  • The development and purpose of naturalism and to develop a believable character
  • The impact Brecht had on the development of theatre.

Jo

A mystery to be solved is the stimulus for process and performance work, in order to:

  • Focus on whole group work and the skills necessary for this to succeed
  • Introduce teacher in role and hot seating
  • Develop analytical and empathetic skills
  • Develop the ability to respond and reflect in role
  • Make non-naturalistic techniques and conventions explicit.

Status

A mixture of solo, pair, small and whole group work, moving from spontaneous improvisation exercise to analysis of duologues from plays designed to:

  • Make the concept of status explicit
  • Provide opportunities for students to understand and apply status to improvised work and to text
  • Develop spontaneous improvisation skills and an understanding of the principles which facilitate effective improvisation work
  • Consolidate understanding of how movement, space, expression, posture, convey meaning.

Old Man

A sequence exploring different approaches to characterisation in order to:

  • Develop understanding of the use and limitations of stereotype
  • Enable students to speak in a variety of contexts, using language appropriate to character and situation
  • Develop character through observation, physicalisation and through an emotional and empathetic approach.

Reportage

A template using reportage as stimulus for selection and application of performance skills to develop:

  • The ability to create and structure an effective dramatic presentation
  • A basic understanding of the rehearsal process as a means of discovery and exploration
  • The negotiation skills which underpin effective drama work
  • An understanding and application of characterisation and status
  • An awareness of configuration (how different spatial relationships between performance and audience create different meanings).

Year 9

Title of SOW

Description

Know Thy Neighbour – Devising around the theme of community in preparation for AQA GCSE Drama Component 2: Devising Drama

By the end of this scheme of work students will have:

  • Developed and structured ideas for a piece of devised drama based on the theme of ‘Community’
  • Explored ways to combine pieces of script with their own improvisations
  • Experimented with using Verbatim Theatre within their work.

An exploration of the play adaptation of Noughts & Crosses adapted from Malorie Blackman’s novel by Dominic Cooke, in preparation for AQA GCSE Drama Component 1: Understanding Drama

By the end of this scheme of work students will have:

  • Developed knowledge and understanding of the characteristics and context of play adaptation of Noughts & Crosses adapted from Malorie Blackman’s novel by Dominic Cooke
  • Explored ideas for how the play may be interpreted practically and theoretically.

Key Stage 4

Information on the Key Stage 4 course is available on Page 18 of the Options Booklet, please click here to download >>>

Key Stage 5

Key Stage 5 course details are available from the Sixth Form page, click here >>>

KPI Downloads

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