The Werewolf Knight Drama. School Drama TM

Transcription

1 The Werewolf Knight Drama School Drama TM This series of learning experiences were designed by, Education Manager at the Sydney Theatre Company Year level: Appropriate for Year 3 to 5 Text: THE WEREWOLF KNIGHT, Jenny Wagner Resources: Beyond the Script, Robyn Ewing & Jennifer Simons Into the Story, Carole Miller and Juliana Saxton The purpose of the following series of learning experiences is to enhance learning in literacy through process drama. The workshop has been created to demonstrate and share the practice of the Sydney Theatre Company s School Drama TM program. For more information about the School Drama TM program and other useful resources, please visit our website at:

2 DISCUSSION: What are werewolves and knights? What country or time in history do you associate them with? STRATEGY TITLE: Adjective call out Sitting in a circle, ask the class to close their eyes and think of a word that might describe a Werewolf. Ask the students to; Think about how they can say the word (vocal expression) so it has more meaning Think about a gesture or action (movement) that can accompany the word Then, go around the circle and ask each student to share their word, with expression and a gesture Repeat the activity with Knights. Notes: This can also be done in small groups writing down adjectives for a Werewolf and a Knight You could come back to this activity at the end of the workshop series and re examine the words that were created for Werewolves and Knights and see if the students still agree with the adjectives they created. STRATEGY TITLE: Reading a picture Show the class the image on page 2 (the full page image of the dark forest at night, with a wolf, a stream and a castle on a mountain in the background). Ask the students what can we glean from reading the picture of the forest and castle? What mood or atmosphere does it create and when/where does it look like to story is taking place. Lead into creating the village. STRATEGY TITLE: Drawing the village Grouping: Groups of five Split the class up into groups of five and provide each group with a meter long (minimum) roll of butchers paper and some drawing equipment. Ask each group to draw a map of the area where this story could take place. Think about what we know already (that there is a stream, a forest, a castle, a wolf, etc) and also what we imagine could also be in the area. Ask the students to discuss what might be on the map before they start drawing. Notes: If possible, it would be good to keep this on the classroom wall for the duration of the classes. This activity could also link to Geography and mapping skills. STRATEGY TITLE: Sculpting Grouping: Pairs Ask the studnets to form pairs and stand in two lines. Tell one line they are Person A and the other line that they are Person B. Person A is going to be a sculptor. Person B is going to be a piece of thinking clay that A will transform into a werewolf. The sculptor is creating their version of a werewolf and, as thinking clay; B s do exactly what they are asked. There is no touching by the sculptor, you show and tell your partner what you re after A s need to be clear and show their partner what they mean, and can t create a position their partner cannot hold. Then swap. Person B is now the sculptor and Person A is now the thinking clay. Person B is going to sculpt their partner into a Knight. Now, ask the pairs to face away from each other. They now have two sculptures in their mind (the one they sculpted and the one they were sculpted into).

3 Playing some quiet music, ask everyone to get into the Knight pose they had and freeze. Ask them to think about their status, how they feel in this pose, what does the rest of the classroom look like from where they are etc. Then count back from 7 and ask students to slowly and silently transform into their Werewolf pose. Ask students to hold the pose, thinking about their states, how they feel in this pose, what does the classroom look like from where they are etc. Then, transform back into the Knight pose over 7 seconds. Ask students to relax from their pose. As a class have a quick discussion about how they felt during the activity. What were their observations and feelings transforming from a Knight into a Werewolf. READ page 1 from the start to the final sentence on page 5 Fioran began to weep, for she was afraid he no longer loved her. (Do not read the final sentence on page 5 yet!) STRATEGY TITLE: Conscience Alley Should Feolf tell Fioran that he is a Werewolf? Ask for a volunteer to represent Feolf in this activity; they do not need to say anything. The rest of the class makes 2 lines facing each other. Ask one line to think come up with a reason that Feolf should tell Fioran that he is a Werewolf because.. and the other line of students needs to think of a reason that Feolf should not tell Fioran that he is a Werewolf because. Standing at the top of the Conscience Alley, the volunteer playing Feolf considers their own opinion about whether Feolf should tell Fioran or not and then let s this go. In role as Feolf the volunteer walks slowly up this alley, listening to what everyone has to say. Discuss the different ideas and how this felt for Feolf. Did the arguments that the volunteer heard influence their own opinion about what Feolf should do? READ the final sentence on page 5 And when Feolf saw this he was sorry, and told her his secret. to the end of page 7 Asked him what she should do. STRATEGY TITLE: Hot seat Fioran Ask for a four volunteers from the class to sit on chairs at the front of the room. Ask the class to think about some questions we might like to ask Fioran about her problem. Then, the four students who are sitting on the chairs become Fioran and answer the questions as the character taking turns to answer. Ask the students who are being hot seated to think about how Fioran would sit, how she would speak etc. Note: This could also be done as Teacher In Role. DISCUSS: Fioran s decision should she still marry Feolf or not? READ from page 9 The magician, who would have liked to page 13 the wedding feast grew cold, and there was no sign of him. STRATEGY TITLE: Postcard and Tapping In Grouping: Two groups Split the class into two groups and ask them to form a Postcard (a single frozen image) of the wedding scene in the great hall (illustrations on page 13 and 14). Each member of the group must be in the Postcard and take on a character from the scene. Ask the students to think about who they are, what is their relationship to the other characters, and what is their attitude towards the situation?

4 Teacher then asks one group to set up their Postcard and the other group becomes the audience. Teacher then taps in to the students. The teacher taps the student on the shoulder and asks a question. The student answers staying frozen and in character. Swap groups. READ from page 14 Perhaps he went for a walk in the forest, the court magician said to page 15 and a depp silence settled on the castle. STRATEGY TITLE: Writing in role as Feolf Diary entry Grouping: Individually Ask the students to write a diary entry as Feolf thinking about the wedding day. STRATEGY TITLE: Sharing the Diary entry Ask students to leave their diary entry facing up and stand up. Play some music. Ask students to walk around the room and read a few of the other diary entries. After a few moments ask the students to stop where they are, read the letter closest to them and ask a few students to share the letter they have arrived at. READ from page 15 and a deep silence settled on the castle to page 26 keeping well clear of his jaws, and started off for the castle. STRATEGY TITLE: Freeze Frames Grouping: Groups of four Ask students to get into groups of four and think about what might happen next! In these groups create three freeze frames depicting what the next and final three pages of the story will be! STRATEGY TITLE: Present Freeze Frames Grouping: Groups of four present and the rest of the class acts as the audience Using the poor theatre blackout convention (eyes open and eyes closed) to facilitate the transitions between each of the freeze frames. READ from page 27 When they drew near the castle Feolf lifted his head to the end.

5 Resources: Butchers paper (for mapping activity) 1 per group of five students Drawing equipment (for mapping and diary writing activities) enough for the class A4 paper (for letter writing activity) 1 per student Quiet music can be useful during the lessons, particularly when students are presenting their freeze frames and during the diary writing activity. Something like Agnes Obel is perfect!