Students to:

• create a class adjective/adverb word wall using the question “What words could describe caring for someone?”
• act out ways they show their friends that they care for them without words, for example waving, smiling, holding hands.

Students to:

• review their work on their character and the map of their journey
• recall how their character walks and sounds
• work in their pairs to start developing their play
  • first they should improvise their characters going on their journey
  • how will they show that their characters are friends?
  • what actions show how their characters are feeling during the journey?
• start writing, representing or recording the words and actions that make up their play.

This activity sequence allows students to reflect on the techniques authors and illustrators use to create meaning in their books and pictures. Students then transfer this learning into their own creation. They need to think about how they can show the audience what their characters are thinking and feeling, what words they could use and what actions or movements their characters should make to tell their story.

Each pair should produce a short play of a few minutes that acts out their characters going on a journey as good friends. All writing or drawings should be scanned or photographed and added to the folders of each student. Students may need further opportunities to rehearse their play after this lesson. Recording each pair’s play on video will allow students to provide feedback in a later lesson.

Completing this activity affords students the opportunity to:

• identify how language use in their own writing differs according to their purpose, audience and subject matter (EN1-7B)
• think imaginatively and creatively about familiar topics, ideas and texts when responding to and composing texts (EN1-10C)
• identify and discuss aspects of their own and others’ learning (EN1-12E)
• develop positive relationships with peers and other people (INS1.3)
• identify the ways in which they communicate, cooperate and care for others (IRS1.11)
• convey story, depicts events and expresses feelings by using the elements of drama and the expressive skills of movement and voice (DRAS1.2)
• interact collaboratively to communicate the action of the drama with others (DRAS1.3)
• create and organise ideas and information using information systems independently and with others, and share these with known people in safe online environments (ACTDIP006).