Year 10 Drama provides a solid foundation for those who wish to pursue Drama at Year 11 through to NZ Scholarship level. The course is an opportunity to extend your interest and skill in performance as well as building confidence in public speaking, developing creativity and collaborating effectively.

Year 10 Drama continues to build on the learning that takes place in the Year 9 Drama program. This includes development in devising practices, character studies, text/play analysis, improvisation, collaboration and theatre forms.

Drama can be an amazing opportunity to add balance and variety into a student's timetable. Exploring ideas collaboratively and physically can contrast with classes that may have a more theory-based focus. As well as this, a student's involvement in Drama has been linked to superior oral language development and communication, improved reading outcomes, deepened emotional maturity and empathy, as well as greater self-confidence. (Podlozny. A, 2000).

In Year 10 Drama you will:

• Devise original performances

  • • This includes:

      • learning how to structure, create, write and perform original work 

• Perform texts from established playwrights

  • • This includes: 

      • Reading/watching and analysing famous or influential performances as a class

      • Using Drama techniques to create clear roles and relationships on stage

      • Blocking movement and memorising lines for key excerpts from the play

      • Performing excerpts live, in a group, for the class

• Demonstrate understanding of theatre forms

  • • This includes:

      • • Studying an influential theatre forms and its significance to the time period and place they were created. In the past this has included the study of Soap Opera, Victorian Theatre, and Theatre Aotearoa.

        • Performing in the style of the theatre form, demonstrating understanding of stylistic features.

• Perform in improvised contexts

  • • This includes:

      • • Learning how to perform without planning or scripting in advance

        • Demonstrating understanding of improvisation 'rules' whilst performing in a group

        • Working with others to create cohesive scenes

        • Participating in theatre sports games and competitions

Throughout the year, you will participate in four main units of work. 

Term One - Drama Techniques and Introduction to Drama

Term One begins by focusing on getting comfortable performing in front of the class. We will learn and demonstrate understanding of how to be a supportive audience member and collaborative group member. You will be working in groups frequently in Term 1 - creating your own mini dramas and performing these for the class.  Throughout the Term we will also be learning about how to establish fun and interesting characters/scenes on stage through the use of Drama Techniques (voice, body, movement and space). The end of term check-point will require students to choose a group and short script to then memorise and stage a well-rehearsed and entertaining scene for the class.

Term Two - Soap Opera
Term Two focuses on the studying of Soap Opera and its origins in Victorian Theatre. We learn about the melodramatic features of this theatre form, and engage in a variety of different televised Soap Opera dramas to help us understand the structure and style of the form. Students will then choose groups to create their own mini Soap Opera video which they will script, perform, costume, film and edit into an original episode to be shown for the class. This unit is a real favourite in the year! It requires a lot of independence and self-management as groups film all around the school to create their amazing pieces. Students get special permission to use their phones in this unit to film and edit their episodes.

Term Three - Theatre Aotearoa and Wheeler's Luck

We begin Term Three by learning about the origins of Toi Whakaari (performing arts) in Aotearoa. We study Whare Tapere, the arrival of European settlers, and the changing landscape of performance in New Zealand through the 1970's with the revitalisation of Māori language and performance styles. We look at amazing performers and creators in our history including Billy T. James, Taika Waititi, and Melanie Lynskey.
During these explorations we also read and rehearse the New Zealand play Wheeler's Luck. This play is a hilarious 21st century text that encapsulates the Kiwi spirit, and all that we study.
We end the term by demonstrating our understanding of Theatre Aotearoa in a group performance of an excerpt from Wheeler's Luck and a visual presentation.

Term Four - Theatre Sports and Improvisation
Term four is all about learning how to perform in unscripted contexts. We learn about 'accepting', 'advancing', and 'developing' offers and how improvisation techniques can help us not only on stage but in many different public speaking contexts. We learn a variety of games and compete in mini competitions to demonstrate our skills and have fun as a class. It's a fun, dynamic and entertaining way to end our year. 

To be successful in this course you need:

• • an open mind and the will to focus

  • the ability to listen and work autonomously

  • to accept feedback and act on feed forward

  • to think critically and be adaptive to arrange of learning environments

  • a sense of humour and a positive outlook to class

  • to be open to performing in front of others

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We understand that the performance elements of Drama can be a source of uncertainty and stress for some of you. We work hard to make our classrooms safe and positive environments for you to explore this.

All course content is based around practical, performance-based assessment. All assessments will also require the completion of theory-based components, including portfolios and presentations, that demonstrate understanding.

Although all performances are as a group, you will be assessed individually.

Other Details
An integral part of studying Drama is the opportunity to see professional theatre. Students will be taken on class trips and may have local theatre practitioners run workshops with them.

Formative and summative assessments (checkpoints) take place throughout the year. You will be advised of due dates at the start of each term.

Assessment in the Junior School

Learning Progressions are an evaluation of student progress using various modes of learning as evidence (not just a one-off test).  They are based on the New Zealand Curriculum, and show the level at which a student is demonstrating knowledge or skills.  Our Learning Progressions Framework maps out students’ development as they move through Years 9 - 11.  

Within each subject, at the end of a phase of learning (ie. topic, unit or skill), students will be evaluated using these indicators: Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Advancing.  For more information about what these mean, please see the Year 9 - 11 section of our website.