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Drama Lesson Plans

Topic 1: Movement

Topic 2: Puppet Making

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Lesson 1: Bird Sock Puppets Stage 2

Objectives

For students to:

develop skills in the manipulation and construction of a sock puppet

develop creativity and imagination in developing a sock character

make a bird sock puppet based on the story “How the Birds got their colours.”

Outcomes

DRAS2.1 Takes and sustains roles in a

variety of drama forms to express

meaning in a wide range of imagined

situations.

Indicators:

Interprets a wide range if imagined

situations through the use of various

drama forms, e.g. improvisation,

movement, mime, storytelling,

puppetry, mask and play building.

Sustained and builds belief in their

roles both individually and as a group.

Introduction

1. Students will gather together on the floor in front of the teacher.

2. Discuss the story from last lesson, “How the Birds got their colours.”

3. Introduce the bird sock puppet to students.

4. Ask students what they think it is and talk about puppets and then more

specifically a sock puppet.

5. Show students images of Australian birds so that they can get an idea of colours

and different types.

6. Discuss what makes a bird special in how it looks (Beak, wings, 2 feet)

Body

1. You are all going to make your own bird sock puppet.

2. Have a tray out the front to show students the materials that they can use.

3. Show the students the beak template and demonstrate how to make it. Explain

that students will work in pairs to help each other to put the sticky tape on the

beak and when using the glue gun.

4. Students can use the printed side of the cardboard for beak, or the plain side and

colour it in before folding.

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5. Demonstrate to students how to make the bird puppet, and the safe operation of

the glue gun. (Do not touch the metal nozzle or hot glue. Hold object onto glue

and count to 5).

6. Discuss safety procedures and expected behaviour.

7. Hand students socks out and direct them to their tables.

8. Explain to students that our puppets will not look the same and that we must not

fight over materials. Encourage them to remember what some of the Australian

birds looked like for inspiration.

9. Teacher to circulate around the room assisting when required, and discussing

different aspects of the puppet making process.

10. When students are finished they will place their puppet on the shelf to let it dry

and clean up any mess they have made.

Conclusion

Students gather once again on the floor with their puppets.

Discuss with students what they liked, any difficulties, why do their puppets look

different (choice of eyes buttons vs. googly). Did working as a pair help?

Assessment: Discussion: class and individual, observation, sock puppets

Safety

Explain and show students how to use the hot glue gun safely.

Materials must be shared and handled in a safe manner.

Teacher to move around the classroom to ensure safety when handling glue gun

and scissors.

No running with scissors or waving them around

No throwing of materials

Evaluation

Students were able to add sufficient materials to create a sock like bird.

Students were able to explain the features of their sock puppet to peers.

The folding of the beak, especially the scoring of lines and adding the tape was a

little fiddley.

Having a partner worked well to help with the gluing.

Some students went a step further and added a pair of wings.

Visual References

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How the Birds got their colours text

Bird sock puppet

Images of Australian birds

Pictures of sock puppets

Display puppets

Equipment

sample sock puppets

socks (students to bring these from home)

and bring in some spare ones

5 x Hot Glue gun

20 x Glue sticks

PVC glue

Scrap material

Feathers

Trays with small containers to hold

materials for each table.

Newspaper to rest glue guns on

Cloths to clean up and wipe tables

Coloured cardboard

Textas

Crayons

Pompoms

Googly eyes (40)

Scissors

Feathers

Beads

pkt Buttons (50)

20 cut out beak templates on recycled

cardboard

5 instruction sheets. One stuck on each

table explaining how to make the puppet

step by step.

Classroom Arrangement

Desks arranged in groups of 4 with a tray of materials in the middle of table.

Tables will be numbered 1-5

Glue guns will be arranged along bench next to power points will an aligned number 1-

5.

Students will work in pairs to aid each other in using the glue gun.

Resources Board of Studies New South Wales. 2006, Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus

Danielle’s Place. 2010, Puppet craft for kids: How to make sock puppets,

Retrieved 2 September 2011 from http://www.daniellesplace.com/HTML/puppets.html

Claerr, J.n.d, How to make a bird puppet easily. Retrieved 4 September 2011 from www.ehow.com/how_4885820_make-bird-puppet-easily.html

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Holland,G and Keasey, L. 2006, Australian Bird Life Photo Library. Retrieved 4

September 2011 from http://www.birdphotos.com.au/

Mooney, M. and Nicholls, J. 2004, Drama Journeys, Sydney: Currency Press

Scholastics. 1983, How the Birds got their colours: An Aboriginal Story told by Mary Albert.

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Instruction Sheet

How to make a bird sock puppet

1 Trace template onto cardboard ( I would cut these out for younger students)

2 Using a ruler score along dotted lines to create

folds

3 Join top and bottom beak together with tape

Bend beak in half. Can use the print side or plain side.

4 Cut sock off at toe seam

5 Turn sock inside out and place hand through it.

Holding the beak by the mouth slide sock up over it leaving a 5cm gap.

6 Use a glue gun to place glue along the gap and pull sock up and onto glue as you go around. (The need for partners)

7 Now pull sock over beak so that it is the right way out and this creates a seam line.

8 Stick on eyes and repeat for other materials that

you wish to stick onto your bird.

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9 Your puppet is now ready to go

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Lesson 2: Manipulating puppets Stage 2 Objectives Students will observe and practice basic puppet manipulation, to move the beak and

body. They will manipulate their bird so that it talks and walks in various ways across

the stage.

Outcomes

DRAS2.1 Takes and sustains roles in a variety of drama forms to express meaning in a wide range of imagined situations.

DRAS2.2 Builds the action of the drama by using the elements of drama, movement and voice skills.

DRAS2.3 Sequences the action of the drama to create meaning for an audience. DRAS2.4 Responds to and interprets drama experiences and performances.

Indicators: Interprets a wide range if imagined situations through the use of various drama

forms, e.g. improvisation, movement, mime, storytelling, puppetry, mask and

play building.

Sustained and builds belief in their roles both individually and as a group.

Devises the action through movement and voice by adapting stories , developing

character,

Demonstrates confidence in gesture, movement and voice skills

Forms and exchanges opinions with others about drama experiences and

performances.

Introduction 1. Hand out students bird puppets from previous lesson but ask them not to put

them on yet.

2. Have a puppet stage set up and introduce the students to it, showing them how it

can be used.

3. Using a puppet give the students a quick demonstration on how to manipulate a

sock puppet.

4. Explain to students that before they can have a go they have to learn how to

manipulate their own puppet.

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Body Explain to students that to make a puppet work they must learn how to make it act as

real as possible.

1. Ask students to hold up their dominant hand and place tips of fingers onto

thumb like a beak.

2. Have them open and close their beak a few times.

3. Demonstrate that only the thumb must move as this is how a human and animal

jaw works i.e. only the lower jaw moves.

4. To practice this students place the top of their hand under the table and only

move their thumb.

5. Now still only using their hands but where they can be seen, students talk with

their hand. Discuss with students that our mouths don’t close all the way when

we speak. So when using the puppet the beak needs to move, but not continually

up and down.

6. Students pair up and have a conversation with each other using their hand.

Perhaps suggest that they introduce themselves.

7. Students are now ready to put on their puppet. Using their puppet introduce

themselves again.

8. Demonstrate how students should hold their puppet. Arm should be straight up

and down. Hand can bend 90 degrees with the arm if eyes are raised. And can

turn left and right.

9. Walk around and check out how students are holding their puppet

10. Discuss the word focus and ask students where the puppeteer’s focus should be.

11. Explain to students that the puppeteers (person’s) focus should be on the puppet

so that the audience knows who to look at (the puppet).

12. Students can now practice moving the puppets head and give a demonstration.

This can be done by moving the head left-right, up-down. Students to copy.

13. Students now try to move the puppets body realistically. As an example students

walk the puppet…To walk the puppet across the stage students would have bob

it up and down from right to left shoulder. Demonstrate and then have students

practice.

14. Check to see if students are doing this correctly.

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15. Students are now ready to use the stage. Students line up on the right of the stage

with the line coming around the front to form an audience. Show them how to

enter the stage with their puppet, walk across (bobbing up and down) , and then

exit.

When everyone has had a turn ask students to suggest a way of moving across the stage and practice it e.g. slither, run, fly, and dance. If time allows add some music .

Conclusion: Discuss with students how they found this exercise. Did it make their hand/arm tired? Was it easy or hard to speak and move?

Did they like anyone’s performance in particular and why?

Assessment: Observe each student as they enter the stage and move and talk. Assess whether students are using correct techniques as previously practiced. Provide feedback in ways in which they can improve their performance. Safety Students to be aware of personal space and not to crowd the stage. Evaluation:

Where my instructions clear enough? Would it have been better to show them a quick puppet skit from the internet? Was it too tiring for their hand?

Equipment Puppet stage Puppets Music Ipod/Ipod dock or CD player or Internet (Utube) Classroom Arrangement Puppet stage out the front of the classroom with plenty of room for the students to line up in front and around it. Resources Fitzpatrick, G. 2001, How to use sock puppets, Retrieved 5 September 2011 from http://www.ehow.com/video_4467461_use-sock-puppets.html Mooney, M. and Nicholls, J. 2004, Drama Journeys, Sydney: Currency Press The Government of New Foundland Labrador Canada. 2011, Department of Education: Teaching with Puppets: A Video Resource for Teachers. Retrieved 30 August 2011 from http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/earlychildhood/puppets/index.html

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The Magic Hat by Mem Fox Lesson 1: The Magic Hat comes to Life Stage 1 Basic movements: walking, twirling Movement concepts: wide and narrow Outcomes: DRAS1.1 Takes on roles in drama to explore familiar and imagined situations DRAS1.3 Interacts collaboratively to communicate the action of the drama with others. DRAS1.4 Appreciates dramatic work during the making of their own drama and drama of others.

Indicators: Interprets a dramatic context by

responding in a drama form e.g. movement, storytelling.

Shares their drama making what others

Incorporates props to communicate role

Reflects on characters from literature

Warm up Ten second objects

Form small groups of 4

Teacher to call out an object out and the groups make it with their body in 10 seconds

and freeze.

Examples could be tree, car, bike, bench, table, triangle,

Activities

Having read the book The Magic Hat students are familiar with the animals and wizard

in the story.

1. Discuss with students the shapes of the animals in the book: baboon, toad,

giraffe, bear, and kangaroo.

2. Students will explore the idea of wide e.g. squatting like a toad and narrow like a

giraffe.

3. Students to find their own space and experiment with wide and narrow body

shapes.

Students will then reinact the story.

4. Students will hold onto their hats and swirl around as the teacher reads the story

out loud.

5. When it comes to the verses where the hat lands on an animal, the students put

their hats on and become the said animal forming the wide or narrow shape.

6. Using a drum and tambourine tell students that when they hear the drum they

must get into a wide shape and the tambourine a narrow shape. Students dance

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around until they hear a sound. They then form the required shape.

Conclusion A student to talk about how easy /hard it was to change character. Did having a hat help them to get into character? Did using musical instruments help them to form the shapes?

Evaluation Did the prop (hat) help the students to get into character? Were students able to follow the story and perform required shape in time? Did I read the story too fast? Were all students engaged in the lesson? Did any of the students get confused when I used the musical instruments?

Assessment

Observation Peer evaluation

Resources The Magic Hat text Box of hats Tambourine Drum

References Board of Studies New South Wales. 2006, Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus Charters, J., and Gately, A. 1986, 'Drama and Movement from K-6', in Drama Anytime, Primary EnglishTeaching Association, Melbourne, Victoria, pp. 31-51. Famer,J.2005, 101 Drama Games and Activities, Farmer Publishing, UK Fox,M. 2002, The Magic Hat, Scholastics, Australia Mooney, M. and Nicholls, J. 2004, Drama Journeys, Sydney: Currency Press Thraves, B and Williamson, D.1994, Now for a Dance: Integrating dance and movement in primary and early childhood learning .Phoenix Education, Australia

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Lesson 2: The Magic Hat comes to Life Stage 1 Basic movements: run, walk, crawl, jump Movement concepts: energy/Time

Revise narrow-wide Outcomes: DRAS1.1 Takes on roles in drama to explore familiar and imagined situations DRAS1.3 Interacts collaboratively to communicate the action of the drama with others. DRAS1.4 Appreciates dramatic work during the making of their own drama and drama of others.

Indicators: Interprets a dramatic context by

responding in a drama form e.g. movement, storytelling.

Shares their drama making with others

Reflects on characters from literature

Activities Sitting in a circle students discuss animals from the story and how they move. What other animals/insects can you think of that have 2 or 4 or 6 legs and move fast or slow.

1. Write down suggested animals and how they move. Lizard 4 legs Fast Scurry Narrow Horse 4 legs Fast Gallop Narrow Kangaroo 2 legs Fast Long jumps -

crouch Narrow

Wombat 4 legs Slow Waddle Wide Penguin 2 legs Slow waddle Narrow Seal Legless Slow Slither-rock Wide Lion 4 legs Fast Prowling Narrow mozzie 6 legs Slow Fly wide

2. Teacher to use tambourine to change animal and movement. Students to listen to

prompts and act out the movement as indicated above.

The Mozzie Game Queues

scurry (to move quick) tambourine will shake fast fly (flowing movement) tambour beat settle (to slow down and rest/hide) slow tambourine shake

Conclusion Students to discuss which animal they liked performing and why. Students to share what they thought about other student’s movements Evaluation

Were the activities suitable why/why not? Did students require further scaffolding?

Was the time sufficient? Assessment

Observation Class discussion Peer evaluation

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Resources

The Magic Hat text Tambourine Whiteboard

References Board of Studies New South Wales. 2006, Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus Charters, J., and Gately, A. 1986, 'Drama and Movement from K-6', in Drama Anytime, Primary EnglishTeaching Association, Melbourne, Victoria, pp. 31-51. Famer,J.2005, 101 Drama Games and Activities, Farmer Publishing, UK Fox,M. 2002, The Magic Hat, Scholastics, Australia Mooney, M. and Nicholls, J. 2004, Drama Journeys, Sydney: Currency Press Thraves, B and Williamson, D.1994, Now for a Dance: Integrating dance and movement in primary and early childhood learning .Phoenix Education, Australia