Divorce Unit

Year 9

Objective

• Can I use drama strategies to explore the effects of Divorce on a child?

How can I do well in today’s tasks?

Level 5

I am able to use my body, voice, expression, space and levels to communicate character, plot and setting with some imagination and sensitivity

I can show quite good understanding of the issue I can show some good technical control in shaping the drama I have some understanding of genre in performance I can make some good contributions to group work and shaping I have some good understanding of others use of drama form and can

make some good contributions to class discussion.

Level 6

I am imaginative, expressive and sensitive in my use of my body, voice, space and levels to communicate character, plot and setting

I can show sensitive understanding of the issue I show good technical control in shaping the drama I have good understanding of genre in performance I make good contributions to group work and shaping I offer thoughtful responses to others use of drama and make good

contributions to class discussion.

Starter – Unit Stimulus

• Watch this video on children and divorce

• How does it match your ideas?

• What does it make you feel?

• How can it help your drama?

Watch.htm

Shortcut to watch.lnk

Task One – Gingerbread man

• In groups using the post-it notes write what you think a child going through divorce would be feeling on the inside (Yellow post-it notes) and how they are acting on the outside (Pink post-it notes)

• When the teacher says come and stick them on the flip chart

Photos to inspire you

• Madonna - single Mum

A childs fears…

• Is it my fault?

Broken families…

• Who will I live with?

I feel so confused…

Families at war…• Why do they have to argue? Aren’t they

the grown ups? Shouldn’t they be able to sort it out?

Happy on the outside? Or really angry with everyone?

Discussion of Gingerbread Man

• Do we always know what is going on inside someone’s head?

• How do our inside feelings show themselves in our actions?

• Do we hide / cover up our feelings sometimes?

• Why do we do this do you think?

• Share thoughts with the class

Task Two – Freezes and Spoken Thoughts

• Find a space on your own in the room

• Freeze in the position of a child (you choose their age) whose parents are going through a divorce

• Think what you might be feeling

• When your teacher taps you on the shoulder say your thoughts in character

Task Three- Performance

• Now it is time to use your research in a performance.

• You are going to work in groups of 4 or 5 and create a scene using split scene convention

• Two of you are Mum and Dad and you will use the script provided

• The rest of the group are the children and you will use improvisation skills.

What skills do you think you need for this task?

• I need to…..

• It would be better if I didn’t….

Acting Skills

• Use of voice - projection• Use of body, movement and expression to

create character• Sensitivity to the issue • Confidence in performance• Motivation • Focus• Being in character

Stage Craft

• Effective use of split scene convention• Keeping still if you use freeze convention• Not blocking or upstaging or crowding• Effective use of space and levels• Awareness of the audience• Good on stage communication/connection with

other actors• Picking up q’s

How can I improve from last time?

• Target One………….

• Target Two…………

• Target Three……….

Evaluation

• Are they using split scene? • How do you know?• How do they establish the setting?• How do you know they are not in the same

room?• How do the actors show their emotions through

their acting?• Do you think they controlled the shaping of the

scene well? Why?• Did you like the drama? Why?• What could be improved? How?

Plenary

• What did I learn today about the effects of Divorce on a child?

• What drama skills have I improved today?

• Looking at the levels in my book what level would I give myself?

Homework

• In your Drama Diaries draw a gingerbread man like we did at the start of the lesson

• Write the thoughts on the inside and the actions on the outside

• Use this to write a brief monologue for the child which we can use in next lesson.

Top Tip – speak the lines aloud before you write them down.