FIRST LEVEL LEARNING RESOURCES SECOND LEVEL Andy Stanton Resource created by Juie O Conno
Contents 3 Biography 3 Usefu Web sites 4 Introductory Activities 5 Activity 1 Dazzing Descriptions! 5 Activity 2 Mr Gum s Garden/Horrendous House 6 Activity 3 Coo Characters 7 Activity 4 Onomatopoeia 8 Activity 5 Top T.V Time! 8 Activity 6 Siy Simies! 9 Activity 7 Crazy Characterisation! 11 Activity 8 Lamonic Bibber Land! 11 Activity 9 Gobin Gargoyes! 12 Activity 10 Siy Songs Tra La La! 12 Activity 11 Create a Character! 13 Activity 12 Briiant Book Idea! Homework Activities 14 Homework Activity 1 Crazy Catchphrases! 14 Homework Activity 2 Evi Pans! 15 Homework Activity 3 Fab Front Cover! 15 Homework Activity 4 Rocking Review! Extra Resources 16 Extra Resources 1: Drama Teaching Notes 18 Extra Resources 2: Mr Gum Tites 19 Extra Resources 3: Book Review Introduction The activities provided in this resource focus on three noves: You are A Bad Man Mr Gum, Mr Gum and the Biscuit Biionnaire and Mr Gum and the Gobins. They are designed to be fun, engaging, cross-curricuar activities which shoud enhance the chidren s enjoyment and understanding of the author s work. Pease see the websites beow for further information about Stanton and Tazzyman, and other teaching resources and activities. PLEASE NOTE ALL THE RESOURCES BELOW ARE FOR BOTH FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL. 2
Biography Andy Stanton oved books from an eary age. Andy studied Engish at Oxford, but they kicked him out! He has been a stand-up comedian, a fim script reader, a cartoonist, an NHS ackey and has had string of part-time jobs that seemed to ead nowhere unti one Christmas he sat down and wrote a story to entertain his young cousins. That story turned out to be You re A Bad Man, Mr Gum! It became the first book in the best-seing and hysterica Mr Gum series, which has won numerous awards incuding the Road Dah Funny Prize and has been transated into over twenty anguages. Andy Stanton ives in North London. He has many interests, but best of a, he ikes cartoons, books and music. One day he woud ike to ive in New York or Berin because he s got fantasies of bohemia. His favourite expression is Good Evening and his favourite word is captain. Usefu Websites www.mrgum.co.uk Mr Gum officia website Watch Andy Stanton read and tak about his Mr Gum noves www.mrgum.co.uk/author.htm Read the Lamonica Chronice, Lamonic Bibber s newspaper! www.mrgum.co.uk/chronice.asp Listen to Andy reading extracts from his books www.edbookfest.co.uk/writers/andy-stanton Read Andy Stanton s Biography and isten to him reading extracts www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1381.htm Reading - Enjoyment and Choice - LIT 0-01b/LIT 0-11b Reading - Understanding, Anaysing and Evauating LIT 0-19a Reading - Understanding, Anaysing and Evauating LIT 0-19a Find out more about Mr Gum! www.egmont.co.uk/character.asp?charid=37 Look at more of David Tazzman s iustrations www.mrgum.co.uk/gaery.htm 3
Introductory Activities Find out more about the author Andy Stanton and the iustrator David Tazzyman. Read the information about them in the Mr Gum books. Research on website etc. In taking partners, think about what you woud ike to know about the author/iustrator and main character Mr Gum. Devise questions. Use these to refer to throughout the book study. Listen to Andy Stanton read and tak about his Mr Gum books www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1381.htm Look at the front and back cover of the nove. What can you te about: the genre type of story the pot the main character other characters in the story the setting How can you te? Discuss. Look at the tite of the book/s. Discuss the iustrations of Mr Gum on the front cover. What type of character do you think he is? How can you te? Can you predict what the story might be about? What heps you do this? Who is this book for? Audience? How can you te? Read the burb/s. What do you find interesting? Does it remind you of any other books you have read? Why? How? How does it make you fee? Does it make you want to read the book? Why? Woud you choose to read this nove if you picked it up in a ibrary or book shop? Why / Why not? Read the reviews inside the book/on the back cover. Discuss them. Why do you think they are there? Are they effective? How does it make you fee? Taking: LIT 1-3 (02a), LIT 1-3 (04a) 3(16a), ENG 1-3 (19a) Art & Design: EXA 1-3 (07a) 4
Activity 1: You re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! Dazzing Descriptions! Discuss the tite of Book 1 You re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! Before you read the book, discuss in your taking partners, what kind of character do you think Mr Gum is? What do you think makes him bad? What kind of things do you think he might do? Cose your eyes and isten to the description of Mr Gum and his house in Chapter 1. Use your imagination to create an image of Mr Gum in your mind. Draw a picture of Mr Gum in his house. Think about a the description you have heard and try to use as much as you can in your drawing. Discuss the description used by Andy Stanton and highight the parts of the text that have super description adjectives and simies. How does it make you fee? What effect does it have on the reader/audience? What do you notice about the kind of anguage Andy Stanton has used? Imagine that Andy Stanton has asked you to write a description of Mr Gum for his first Mr Gum book. Use ideas from chapter 1 to hep you. Write a descriptive paragraph about Mr Gum. Can you use simies ike Andy Stanton has to create imagery? Eg with two boodshot eyes that stared out at you ike an octopus cured up in a bad cave. (Page 1) Swap your description with a partner and draw what you imagine from reading the text. Get your partner to do the same. Discuss the resuts together and as a cass. Taking: LIT 1-3 (01a), LIT 1-3 (02a), ENG 1-3 (03a), LIT 1-3 (04a), 3 (11a), LIT 1-3 (19a) Writing: LIT 1-3 (20a), LIT 1-3 (23a), LIT 1-3 (26a), ENG 1-3 (27a), LIT 1-3 (28a), ENG 1-3 (31a) Arts: EXA 1-3 (05a) Activity 2: Gum s Garden! and/or Horrendous House! Listen to/read the description of Mr Gum s garden (pages 6-9, Book 1). Draw a bird s eye view diagram of what you imagine Mr Gum s Garden. Use a key to make it easier. Squared paper woud be the easiest paper to use for this. Make a junk mode of one of the rooms in Mr Gum s house. A shoe box woud be best for this activity. Choose a room and pan what you woud ike to be in the room think about the descriptions in pages 1-6 (Book 1) and aso add some of your own disgusting ideas! Next make the mode using smaer boxes, pots etc as the furniture. You can draw on paper for the was etc. Taking: LIT 1-3 (04a) 3 (14a) Art and Design: EXA 1-3 (02a), (04a), (05a) Maths: MTH 1-3 (17d) Technoogies: TCH 1-3 (14a), (15a), (15b) 5
Activity 3: Coo Characters As you isten to/ read the 3 books in the Mr Gum Series, keep a Coo Character notebook. Note down the characters names as you meet them. Keep notes about them under their names. Eg: Mr Gum A bad man who hates chidren, animas, fun and corn on the cob. Has a disgusting house, beautifu garden and a fairy who ives in his bathtub! Jonathan Rippes the fattest man in town Litte gir caed Peter friends with Jonathan and Martin. Martin Laundrette who runs the aundrette in town, makes fun of Jonathan and tries to come up with horribe pans against him! Angry Fairy whacks Mr Gum with frying pan. Lives in bathtub Jake massive whopper of a dog! Biy Wiiam the Third disgusting, nasty butcher who pronounces words in a funny way! Poy short for.. etc Taking: LIT 1-3 (01a), (04a), (05a), (06a), (07a) 3 (14a), (15a), (16a), (19a) Writing: LIT 1-3 (20a), (22a), (23a), (24a), (26a), (27a), (28a) Choose your favourite character and make a character profie from your notes. Next, make a fact fie about your favourite character! Fictiona Interview with your character Write a fictiona interview with your character for the Lamonica Chronice : www.mrgum.co.uk/chronice.asp Think about what kind of questions you woud ike to ask your chosen character. Use your notes to hep you think about what kind of answers your character woud give. Use the Top Ten ists at the back of Book 2 Mr Gum and the Biscuit Biionaire! to hep you! Optiona Extras: Cass po on favourite character/ book in the series. Join with others in the cass who have a simiar favourite character. In these groups, make a Power Point presentation about your favourite character. Use the character interviews/fact fies to hep with the Hot Seating Drama activity (Activity 7), ater on in this resource pack. Maths: MNU 1-3 (20b), MTH 1-3 (22a) Technoogies: TCH 1-3 (03a), (04a), (04b) Arts: Drama EXA 1-3 (12a), (13a), (14a) 6
Activity 4: ONOMATO (sounds ike TOMATO) P-o-e-i-a! As a cass, discuss the meaning of Onomatopoeia. Discuss its use as a written sound effect. Have they seen this before? Where? In groups, brainstorm as many words that can be used as sound effects. Look at Book 1 You re a Bad Man Mr Gum (Page 24-25), Book 2- Mr Gum and the Biscuit Biionaire (P106, P139) and Book 3 Mr Gum and the Gobins (111, 120, 121, 141, 165). Discuss the onomatopoeia that Andy Stanton has used. Discuss why the author has used this in the text, how effective it is and how that made up words can be just as effective. Read the scenes in the pages above and think of other words-either rea or nonsense words that woud be just as effective. Next, choose a favourite scene from one of the 3 books. Iustrate the scene ike one from a comic. Add in written sound effects, either rea or made up. You can aso add in some speech bubbes, or thought bubbes too! Taking: LIT 1-3 (01a), (03a), (04a) 3 (11a), (12a), (16a), ENG 1-3 (19a), Writing: LIT 1-3 (20a), (24a), (26a) ENG 1-3 (27a), (31a) Arts: Art and Design: EXA 1-3 (02a), (03a), (04a), (05a) Optiona Extra: [in box] Take a word from your brainstormed ist at the beginning of Activity 4. Can you create word art with this word? Eg: MOO, but writing the word and iustrating it with back and white cow patches, horns, udders and a tai. Eg: TICK TOCK In the words, drawing a cock and hands etc. Eg: BANG! Making it in to a bomb with sparks etc. 7
Activity 5: Top T.V Time! In groups, ook at the ist of Mr Gum s Top TV Programmes of a Time! at the back of Book 2 ( Mr Gum and the Biscuit Biionaire! ) Discuss the kind of programmes Mr Gum ikes best. In groups, choose one of the programmes on the ist and discuss who woud be in the show, setting, props and ength of programme. As a group, act out a scene from the show! Next, make a ist of ideas for a new teevision programme that you think Mr Gum woud put on his Top Ten ist. As a group, choose an idea for a new teevision programme that Mr Gum woud ove! Pan what wi be in the programme the setting, actors (if any), props and scenery. Pan, practise and present your show to your cass! Optiona Extra: [box] Fim your teevision show using a video camera and show case to your cass. Have a cass Mr Gum, Teevision Awards ceremony and make awards with tites suited to each show! Taking: LIT 1-3 (02a), (03a), (05a), (06a), (10a) 3 (14a), ENG 1-3 (19a) Writing: LIT 1-3 (20a), (24a), (26a) ENG 1-3 (31a) Arts: Drama EXA 1-3 (01a), (12a), (13a), (14a), (15a) Art and Design: EXA 1-3 (02a), (03a), (05a) Technoogies: TCH 1-3 (03a), (03b), (04a), (04b), (14b), (15a), (15b) Activity 6: Siy Simies! Discuss Andy Stanton s use of simies. What do you notice? What effect does this have on the reader? Book 2: (Page 81) in they crept, ike bad dreams in to a postman s head (Page 115) it smet ike a zoo had married a gigantic great fart! (Page 136) the gorious beast had erupted from the waters ike a furry referee. Taking: LIT 1-3 (01a), (03a), (04a) 3 (11a), (12a), (16a), ENG 1-3 (19a), Writing: LIT 1-3 (20a), (24a), (26a) ENG 1-3 (27a), (31a) Can you think of your own siy simies to describe Mr Gum, Lamonic Bibber, Biy Wiiam the Third, Monsieur Beybutton, or any other character? Biy Wiiam the Third s Right Roya Meats, Gobin Mountain, or any other setting in the first three Mr Gum books? 8
Activity 7: Crazy Characterisation! Drama Activities Take on the roe of the foowing characters: Mr Gum Biy Wiiam the Third Poy Martin Laundrette Friday O Leary Aan Tayor A Gobin Expore each character using facia expressions, creative movement, gestures, and using different voices in roe. Become the character with your whoe body. Teachers shoud use the term freeze to freeze the pupis in roe and action for them to continue to act in roe. Next, use Thought Tracking (see extra resource 1) by tapping them on the shouder. Pupis shoud be given thinking time before this, to think of something the character might say (in genera, or at a given point in the story). This is very effective and gives pupis a chance to use their voices creativey in roe. Pupis can create a Character Circe, where a the pupis are in a circe. They are given a specific character to be (eg Mr Gum). Each pupi has to think of something he might say or think (again Thinking Time is appropriate here). Choose a confident pupi to start and te them who they have to change paces with to start the activity off. The starting pupi enters the Character Circe in roe. Once in the midde of the circe, they say what the character might be thinking or saying and change paces with another pupi, who does the same and so on Conscience Aey (see extra resource 1) is another way of extending characters thoughts and feeings. Here the pupis shoud be in two ines, facing one another. One pupi is the character (who waks down the midde of the two ines) and the others at the side are the character s conscience. (thought or speech bubbes) Characters can aso be expored using the activity Roe on the Wa (see extra resource 1). This is a super activity to do before Hot Seating (see extra resource 1) 9
HOT SEATING Take it in turns to be in the hot seat for different characters at different points in the stories. One pupi is a character in roe in the hot seat and the other pupis in the cass ask questions. Find out about how the character fet at that point in time, what thoughts were running through his/her head, how s/he fet about other characters, why they acted in certain way, what s/he thinks wi happen in the future etc. GROUP WORK: Sti images of specific scenes in the nove can be created in sma groups (no more than 5). Pupis can be given specific scenes to start with, or they can choose their own. Eg: A scene from Biy Wiiam s butcher shop. A scene from Mrs Lovey s sweet shop. Jake the dog being poisoned by Mr Gum and Biy Wiiam the Third. Martin Laundrette, paying a trick on Jonathan Rippes. A scene from Aan Tayor s (the Biscuit Biionaire) party. The robbers on the run! The robbers being captured! A scene from Gobin Mountain. One of the impossibe chaenges. Favourite scenes from any of the first three Mr Gum books. A ist of new Mr Gum tites coud aso be used to create sti images! (See extra resources 2). Teachers can use Thought Tracking (see extra resource 1), by tapping pupis on the shouder. Pupis shoud remain in roe and say what the character they are paying woud be thinking or saying at that specific time. Fash Back and Fash Forward (see extra resource 1) can be used here too, to extend the esson and the characterisation in groups. Extension: Make modes of the main characters in the stories or give each other a roe. Choose a favourite scene from one of the first three Mr Gum books. In groups, change the text from the narrative in to a pay script. Practise this scene as a group concentrate on using your voice to create excitement, tension and suspense. Remember your audience! If using modes, create an animation using a Digita Bue camera to fim and edit your work. Use freeze frames. Once your work is competed, share with the whoe cass and use peer assessment to hep evauate your work. Taking: LIT 1-3 (02a), (03a), (05a), (06a), (10a) 3 (14a), ENG 1-3 (19a) Arts: Drama EXA 1-3 (01a), (12a), (13a), (14a), (15a) Arts: Drama EXA 1-3 (01a), (12a), (13a), (14a), (15a) Taking: LIT 1-3 (02a), (03a), (05a), (06a), (10a) 3 (14a), ENG 1-3 (19a) Writing: LIT 1-3 (20a), (24a), (26a) ENG 1-3 (31a) Arts: Art and Design EXA 1-3 (02a), (03a), (04a), (05a), (06a), (07a) Technoogies: ICT TCH 1-3 (03a), (03b), (04a), (04b) Design: TCH 1-3 (12a), (14a), (15a), (15b) 10
Activity 8: Lamonic Bibber Land! As a sma group, create a map and/or 3D mode of Lamonic Bibber. Make a ist of a the features and andmarks you wish to put on your map. Use a key to hep you! Here are some paces you may wish to incude: Mr Gum s house Other character s houses The High Street The aundrette Biy Wiiam the Third s Right Roya Meats Mrs Lovey s Wonderfu Land of Sweets Town Square Boaster s Hi Jake s tree Ode Curiosity Shoppe The woods Friday O Leary s cottage in the woods St. Pterodacty s Schoo for the Poor Smugger s Cove & Hangman s Leap (ciffs/rocks/water) Mountains/fieds The Great Ciffs Stone tabe Tak of the Devi Tavern Gobin Mountain Taking: LIT 1-3 (02a), (03a), (05a), (06a), (10a) 3 (14a), ENG 1-3 (19a) Technoogies: Design: TCH 1-3 (12a), (14a), (15a), (15b) Arts: Art and Design 1-3 (02a), (03a), (04a), (05a), (06a) Maths: MTH 1-3 (17d) Activity 9: Gobin Gargoyes! Look at the pictures of the gobin characters from Book 3 (Mr Gum and the Gobins!) on pages 32-35. Aso ook at the gobin iustrations by David Tazzyman: www.mrgum.co.uk/gaery.htm Think of a new gobin character for Book 3 Mr Gum and the Gobins. Use the ideas and descriptions in these pages to hep you. Try to draw your gobin in the same stye as David Tazzyman use penci or charcoa to create ine, shading and tone. Arts: Art and Design EXA 1-3 (02a), (03a), (04a), (05a) Technoogies: TCH 1-3 (15b) Next think of a name for your gobin (and a rea name!) Create a gobin gargoye to stand guard in front of Gobin Cave on the top of Gobin Mountain. Use your design to hep you create a gobin gargoye out of cay. Once you are happy with your cay gobin paint and varnish your gobin. 11
Activity 10: Siy Songs.Tra-La-La! Listen to/read the songs in the first three Mr Gum books- Book 1: You re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! p101, Book 2: Mr Gum and the Biscuit Biionaire p71-74 Book 3: Mr Gum and the Gobins p33, p125-128 What do you notice about these songs? Why do you think they are incuded in the books? What is their purpose? In sma groups, write a poem about a character in the book to turn in to a siy song! Add percussion, noises or onomatopoeia! Present to the cass! Use peer assessment to evauate each other s work. Arts: Music EXA 1-3 (01a), (17a), (18a), (19a) Taking: LIT 1-3 (01a), (02a), (03a), (04a) 3 (11a), (16a) ENG 1-3 (19a) Writing: LIT 1-3 (20a), (22a), (24a), (26a), (28a) ENG 1-3 (27a), (31a) Activity 11: Create a Character! Think about the characters in the first three Mr Gum books. List them under good/bad headings. Next think about a new character for a new Mr Gum book. Wi this character be good ike Poy, Friday O Leary and Mrs Lovey, or wi they be bad ike Mr Gum, Biy Wiiam the Third and Monsieur Beybutton? Whose side wi the new character be on? Wi the character be human, an anima, or a magica creature? Think about what the character wi ook ike, what their personaity is ike, where they ive etc. Draw a picture of your new character and make an annotated diagram of adjectives, simies, descriptive notes around the outside. Taking: LIT 1-3 (01a), (04a), ENG 1-3 (03a) 3 (11a), (15a), (16a), ENG 1-3 (19a) Writing: LIT 1-3 (25a), (28a) ENG 1-3 (27a), (31a) Arts: Art and Design EXA 1-3 (02a), (03a), (04a), (05a) You might ike to use your new character in the next activity! 12
Activity 12: Briiant Book Idea! Think of an idea for a new Mr Gum book what cunning pan wi he have next? Wi he have any accompices? Who wi hep to stop him? Where wi the story take pace? What wi happen in the end? What wi the tite be? It is a good idea to keep most of the main characters this wi hep you remain on track. Discuss your story ideas in taking partners. Use peer assessment to hep assess your ideas. Write a short story about Mr Gum s next adventure! Try to write the story in the same stye of Andy Stanton. Use humour, onomatopoeia, siy simies, songs, catchphrases and back pen iustrations a the way through! Think of what the front cover wi ook ike design this and write a burb. Use the cover and burb ideas from the first three Mr Gum books. As a cass, choose 4-5 story ideas and then work in groups with these story ideas to create a marketing campaign. Make posters and presentations to market and present your new Mr Gum book! In your groups, use these roes and Top Tips to hep you: Group Roes: Faciitator Market Researchers Time Keeper Materias Manager Designers/Editors Quaity Checkers Speakers Taking: LIT 1-3 (01a), (02a), (03a), (04a), (05a), (06a), (07a), (09a), (10a) 3 (11a), (15a), (16a), ENG 1-3 (19a) Writing: LIT 1-3 (20a), (22a), (23a), (24a), (25a), (26a), (28a), ENG 1-3 (27a), (30a), (31a) Arts: Art and Design EXA 1-3 (02a), (03a), (04a), (05a), (06a), (07a) Technoogies: ICT TCH 1-3 (14b), (15a), (15b) TOP TIPS FOR CREATING A PERFECT POSTER: Remember your target audience. Bod, bright, coourfu and eye catching. Make your text purposefu and meaningfu. Keep text to a minimum. Use a graphic of your new book! Incude a specia/imited offer to encourage peope to buy it. Can you think of a catchphrase or catchy sogan for your new book? Present to the cass! 13
Homework Activity 1: Crazy Catchphrases! Shabba Me Whiskers! List a the catchphrases that you can think of from the Mr Gum books you have read. Eg: Shabba Me Whiskers! Mr Gum The truth is a emon meringue! Friday O Leary Funty! Biy Wiiam the Third Think about your favourite character from any of the Mr Gum books. Make up a new catchphrase for this character! Next draw your character and in your drawing, use a speech bubbe for your catchphrase! Homework Activity 2: Evi Pans! In Books 1-3 of the Mr Gum books, one of the characters Martin Laundrette, keeps a red note book to write his nasty pans and ideas in. These nasty pans and ideas are horribe things to do to Jonathan Rippesthe fattest man in town! Eg Turning Jonathan Rippes in to a fairground attraction! The Rippe-izer 2000! Pretend you are Martin Laundrette. Write a new evi pan for Jonathan Rippes in your red note book! Remember to say what your pan is and how you are going to do it! 14
Homework Activity 3: Fab Front Cover Choose any of the Mr Gum tites by Andy Stanton. Imagine that Andy Stanton and David Tazzyman have asked you to create a new, imaginative and exciting front cover for the book you have chosen. Think about the present front cover it does not give away too much of the story. Think about the covers of the 3 books you have read in cass. What do they have in common? What is their stye? What important information is incuded on the front cover? Some front covers have pictures of the characters on and some do not Which ones do you think are effective? Why? Think about your target audience what do you think woud encourage chidren (both boys and girs) from P3-P7 to buy this hiarious chidren s nove. Think about what woud appea to them. Use your knowedge and understanding of the story and characters to create a new front cover for your chosen Mr Gum book! Homework Activity 4: Rocking Review! (See extra resources 3) Think about your favourite Mr Gum book. Think carefuy about why it is your favourite book and why you woud ike to recommend it to chidren the same age as you. Choose one of the foowing tites from the Mr Gum Books: You re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! Mr Gum and the Biscuit Biionaire Mr Gum and the Gobins Use the Book Review form (extra resources 3), to write a book review about your chosen book. Don t forget to give as much detai as possibe in your answers. 15
Extra Resource 1: Drama Teaching Notes FLASHBACKS AND FLASH FORWARDS Performers in a scene are asked to improvise scenes which take pace seconds, minutes, days or years before or after a dramatic moment. This enabes the exporation of characters' backgrounds, motivations and the consequences of their actions. The method can be used to quicky bring depth to activities invoving sti images or improvised drama. Adding Fashbacks or Fash Forwards creates a context it shows what ed up to a particuar moment, how it might be resoved or how it may ead onto additiona chaenges. The technique heps to fesh out a dramatic moment or create the beginnings of a story. HOW TO DO IT With a group that has created a sti image, expain that when you cap your hands, you woud ike them to move sienty in sow-motion to where their character was a few moments before. When they are frozen sti in the new image, you can use thought-tracking to expore character motivation. Now ask them to move back to their origina image which is the present moment. Then you can use Fash Forwards participants move in sowmotion to indicate where their characters might be a short time after this moment. In this way you have created an episode with a beginning, midde and end and can deveop it in any number of ways. THOUGHT TRACKING A group makes a sti image and individuas are invited to speak their thoughts or feeings aoud just a few words. This can be done by tapping each person on the shouder or hoding a cardboard 'thought-bubbe' above their head. Aternativey, thought tracking (aso caed thought tapping) can invove other members of the cass speaking one character's thoughts aoud for them. The technique is most often used in conjunction with image theatre or freeze-frames. Equay, thought-tracking is usefu preparation for improvisation. 16
CONSCIENCE ALLEY A usefu technique for exporing any kind of diemma faced by a character, providing an opportunity to anayse a decisive moment in greater detai. The cass forms two ines facing each other. One person (the teacher or a participant) takes the roe of the protagonist and waks between the ines as each member of the group speaks their advice. It can be organised so that those on one side give opposing advice to those on the other. When the protagonist reaches the end of the aey, she makes her decision. Sometimes known as Decision Aey or Thought Tunne. This drama technique can easiy be appied to a range of subjects across the curricuum, whenever a character is faced with a decision. It may be that you reach a certain point in your drama esson, or whie reading a story aoud, or describing an historica event, when such a moment occurs. Turn the situation round on the chidren/students so that they have to consider the issues invoved. Then in roe as Mr Gum, Biy Wiiam the Third, Poy etc, you wak down the Conscience Aey as members of the group whisper their advice to you, or say what you are thinking/saying at a given point in the story. ROLE ON THE WALL The outine of a body is drawn on a arge sheet of paper, which is ater stuck onto the wa. This can be done by carefuy drawing around one of the participants. Words or phrases describing the character are then written directy onto the drawing or stuck on with post-its. This drama technique can be carried out as a group activity or by individuas writing about their own character. You can incude known facts such as physica appearance, age, gender, ocation and occupation, as we as subjective ideas such as ikes/disike You can vary the approach, for exampe known facts can be written around the sihouette, and thoughts and feeings inside. Key ines spoken by the character can be added. The cass can return to add more ideas, thoughts and feeings as they discover more about the character over time. Roe on the wa can be used as a way to deveop ideas for improvisation or rehearsa. 17
HOT SEATING A character is questioned by the group about his or her background, behaviour and motivation. The method may be used for deveoping a roe in the drama esson or rehearsas, or anaysing a pay post-performance. Even done without preparation, it is an exceent way of feshing out a character. Characters may be hot-seated individuay, in pairs or sma groups. The technique is additionay usefu for deveoping questioning skis with the rest of the group. HOW TO DO IT The traditiona approach is for the pupi paying the character to sit on a chair in front of the group (arranged in a semi-circe), athough characters may be hot-seated in pairs or groups. It is hepfu if the teacher takes on the roe of faciitator to guide the questioning in constructive directions. Extra Resource 2: Mr Gum Tites You re a Bad Man, Mr Gum! Mr Gum and the Biscuit Biionaire Mr Gum and the Gobins Mr Gum and the Power Crystas Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear Mr Gum in the Hound of Lamonic Bibber What s for Dinner, Mr Gum? Mr Gum and the Cherry Tree Mr Gum and the Secret Hideout You can ook at their front covers and read a burb for each at: www.mrgum.co.uk/books.htm 18
Extra Resource 3: Book Review Tite Author Pubisher Genre What did you most enjoy about the Author s stye? Synopsis of the story- Description of the main character- 19
What was your favourite part of the story? Why? What was your east favourite part of the story? Why? What mark woud you give this book out of ten? Woud you recommend it to your friends? Why? If you coud ask Andy Stanton 3 questions about the book, characters or about being an author, what woud they be? 20