Key Stage 3 - Year 7, 8 and 9 Drama

Here at Tamworth Enterprise College you will have one drama lesson as part of your weekly timetable. Our personally devised curriculum addresses all aspects of the subject, according to the Arts Council England’s Drama in Schools: Second edition guidance on Drama at secondary level.

Drama in the Curriculum

The activities are aimed at year 7,8 and 9 and the curriculum is designed to form an ideal preparation for GCSE. Lessons are challenging and progressive, and themes are applicable to the world we live in inspiring learners with use of multi-media, film, music and modern approaches. Lessons are presented by level and are fully referenced to the Drama in Schools Level descriptions.

Drama lessons at Key Stage three are shaped to respond to the three key areas of learning:

• Making (exploring, devising, shaping, interpreting)

• Performing (presenting and producing)

• Responding (evaluating and applying knowledge and understanding).

Schemes of Work

Our projects introduce and develop some key concepts in drama. Our projects during KS3 are designed to highlight popular and performance-orientated drama, making it interesting, fun and accessible for all students. Here is an overview of the units that you will actively explore using your creativity and imagination.

Bullying

This project looks at the issue of bullying from all perspectives. At the end of the project, groups of students perform an improvisation about a student who is bullied at school.

By the end of this project, students are expected to:

• have gained knowledge of basic drama skills. In particular, students should be aware that a drama piece should have a beginning, a middle and an end

• have become more confident and be able to show their drama work to the class

• know more about their class

• be able to participate in discussions and evaluations

• be able to set personal targets in drama

Storytelling

This project looks at how to tell a story in a variety of different ways. It also looks at storytelling in another drama tradition. At the end of the project, students perform an improvised drama to the rest of the class based on a story introduced in the project, using a narrator and sound effects.

By the end of this project, students are expected to:

• have gained knowledge of another culture

• be more confident and be able to show their drama to the class

• understand that drama can be presented in different ways

• understand the value of telling a good story

• work in a variety of groupings.

Circus

This project aims to develop students’ understanding of mime. At the end of the project, in groups of three or four, they perform a circus to the rest of the class, in mime. Each student plays a different character in the circus.

By the end of this project, students are expected to:

• have gained knowledge of mime and circus

• be able to perform in front of the class using mime

• be able to evaluate their work and that of others

• be able to listen to other people’s views and use the information to develop their own work

• be able to work in a variety of groupings.

Text

This project is about using a variety of texts as stimuli for drama. At the end of the project, students perform a scene from the script of a mini-play.

By the end of this project, students are expected to:

• have developed rehearsal and performance skills

• have created a variety of different characters

• be able to work in a variety of groupings

• understand how to use text or script as the basis of improvisation.

Tinsel truths

This project looks at films, how they portray characters and situations and how films compare with real life. At the end of the project, students perform an improvisation they have been working on which demonstrates different film genres.

By the end of this project, students are expected to:

• have studied film trailers and have developed an understanding of the genre

• be more confident in participating in discussions

• have developed a well-structured improvisation

• have developed and performed characters appropriate for the situation.

Tinsel truths - Exploring a particular genre.

Students create a scene in the style of an old silent black-and-white film, concentrating on physical elements and slapstick.

By the end of this project, students are expected to:

• have an understanding of the genre

• have devised slapstick sequences

• be able to use film as a stimulus

• have performed a piece of slapstick theatre

• have understood that physical theatre has a purpose.

Pantomime

This project is about pantomime. At the end of the project, students perform some scenes from Cinderella from a script.

By the end of this project, students are expected to be able to:

• perform a character within the genre

• perform with more confidence

• develop an appropriate relationship with the audience

• structure an appropriate piece of drama.

Peer pressure

This project looks at the influence of peer groups and the possible consequences of peer group pressure. The performance at the end of the project is about someone who is persuaded to do something wrong. The drama is presented as a mixture of freeze frames and improvisation.

By the end of this project, students are expected to:

• be able to work in a variety of groupings

• understand and use appropriate drama techniques

• understand the consequences of actions

• have developed confidence for performance

• have developed rehearsal skills.

Shoplifting

In this project, students tell a story on the theme of shoplifting. At the end of the project, they perform a scene about the key moment when a person starts to shoplift, and how this changes their life and the lives of those around them. The performance includes a range of techniques introduced over the project.

By the end of this project, students are expected to:

• have developed a deeper understanding of different ways to tell a story

• have developed more knowledge of dramatic techniques

• have worked on confidence for performance, both solo and in a group

• be able to develop a character, different from themselves, that has meaning and depth.

Script

The aim of this project is to develop a piece of drama using a script. Students are given the opportunity to write and perform their own scripts, based on extracts from plays by Shakespeare.

By the end of this project, students are expected to:

• be more confident in performing

• understand more about using different techniques to develop a character

• understand and use a scripted extract

• participate in writing a script and understand script conventions.

Commedia dell’arte

This project looks at a theatrical genre. At the end of the project, students devise and perform a scenario involving five main commedia dell’arte characters, using masks.

By the end of this project, students are expected to have:

• developed an understanding of commedia dell’arte

• created and used their own mask in rehearsal and performance

• realised that a character can be developed from physical elements as well as through emotions

• created and performed a stock character.

Pop culture

This project looks at popular culture and television. At the end of the project, students present a reality television show of their own devising to a specific audience.

By the end of this project, students are expected to have:

• created an appropriate role for the genre

• developed a piece of drama based on a television show

• developed confidence for performance, especially in monologues and duologues.

Performance

This project looks at creating a performance. At the end of the project, students show a rehearsed presentation lasting up to 15 minutes on a topic of their choice, which includes techniques that have been developed over the course of Key Stage 3.

By the end of this project, students are expected to have:

• created a role

• understood how to create a performance

• developed a performance based on a topic.