The KING’S Medium Term Plan - Drama
Y10 LC1 Programme – 2016-2017
Module Commedia Dell’arte, Pantomime and Farce
In this module students will develop an understanding of the historical context and influences on modern comedy that
Commedia Dell’arte has had. They will explore how pantomime and farce have developed out of the foundations laid by
Commedia Dell’arte, and create a pantomime performance that will be performed to an invited audience of parents.
Building on
prior learning
In year 9, students have developed skills in improvisation, acting, script analysis, staging, voice, movement, transformational
character and devising. Each student has developed their ability to critique and evaluate both their own work and the work
of other students. They have completed 2 practical assessments that have been marked internally. In addition to this the
students have developed their ability to answer the Unit 1 written paper. They will continue to do develop these skills over
the next learning cycle.
Overarching
Challenge
question
Does all modern comedy stem from Commedia Dell’arte
Lines of
Enquiry
Week 1: What does it mean to be funny?
Week 2: Is comedy about people or situations?
Week 3: Is comedy about what you hear or what you see?
Week 4: Is losing control dangerous?
Week 5: Why don’t our masks have mouths?
Week 6: Does a mask automatically create a character?
Week 7: When is a performance perfect?
Exam board
links:
Topic
Progress
Statement
Weeks’ 1-5: Travel and Tourism (AQA 4240 – Unit 2 – Option 3: Improvisation and Option 13: Mask) Progress objectives: by the end of this modules students will have develop skills that will satisfy both Option 3: Improvisation and Option 10: Mask and will be filmed and internally marked ready for moderation. Students will also develop their skills in essay writing in preparation for their Unit 1 examination. AO1: recall, select and communicate their knowledge and understanding of drama to generate, explore and develop ideas. (35%) AO2 apply practical skills to communicate in performance (45%) AO3 analyse and evaluate their own work and that of others using appropriate terminology (20%) Students will also develop their skills in answering the Unit 1 part of their course through a midterm and end of term written assessment.
Learning
strategies
Literacy: Literacy will be present throughout every lesson. Every student will engage with a written workbook that will be updated every week. They will be assessed every week and any SPAG issues will be highlighted and corrected as an additional task. Numeracy: Students will use numeracy through good timekeeping during activities, organising group numbers and managing their time at home by using their homework planner. Cognitive Acceleration: Cognitive Acceleration strategies included in this learning cycle are: Socratic questioning Higher level reasoning Problematised discussions Developing metacognition through high level inference evaluation
Knowledge and Skills
Understanding the cultural, historical and political importance of Commedia Dell’arte Improvisation Character creation Focus development Knowledge of commedia influences in modern comedy Development of team work skills
Development of high levels of inference Development of evaluation and critiquing skills Development of movement and vocal skills
Week 1
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Line of Enquiry - Week 1: What does it mean to be funny?
Students will learn to:
Identify and become each of the ‘Stock Characters’
Understand the relationships between each of the ‘Stock Characters’
Sustain a role for a prolonged period of time
Provoke laughter through slapstick comedy.
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons: GP 3
Identify and play all of the stock characters
Explain the relationship between the three main groups of characters
Sustain a role for 2 minutes in an improvisation
Create an original slapstick scene GP 4
Use voice and movement effectively to inhabit a stock character
Understand the relationship between characters in the same group
Use voice and movement to portray a character in an original way
Use atmosphere building techniques to enhance their scene GP 5
Move seamlessly from character to character where a transformation is evident
Play 3 characters from the same group in diverse and original ways
Endeavour to remain in role whilst watching others perform
Use a status transaction to provoke further laughter
GP 6
Critique and offer guidance about how to play each character
Aid other students in their understanding of the relationship between characters
Stay in role throughout break time
Identify what made other scenes funny
Week 2
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – You have to be funny to create comedy Hypothesis 2 – You do not need funny facial expressions to be funny Home Learning:
Read pages 1-4 of the hand out and annotate how what you have learnt in the lesson relates to these pages
Read pages 6-7 of the hand out and decide how you will develop the grotesque features of your mask for next week
Line of Enquiry - Week 2: Is comedy about people or situations?
Students will learn to:
Demonstrate a high level of control over their body
Understand how physicality can be used to express emotions, thoughts and feelings
Understand the composition of commedia performances, and identify the influence of commedia in modern
comedy
Understand how they can develop their facial expressions through discussion with their group
Understand how important getting the facial expression correct will be
Develop their mask making abilities through creating their masks
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons: GP 4
Change physicality to play a different character
Show emotions through my body
Understand the composition of Commedia plays
Evaluate own work
GP 5/6
Display complete control over body when playing another character
Show thoughts through my physicality
Understand how the episodic structure works
Evaluate others work
GP 7
Push body to it’s limits to play grotesque characters
Quickly change emotions using my body
Think of 3 examples of this same structure in modern comedy
Sensitively advise others in a supportive way
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – You need a solid story to create comedy
Hypothesis 2 – A character can get away with one facial expression
Home Learning:
Read pages 10 - 13 in the hand out and watch a film by either; Chaplin, Keaton or Lloyd. Be prepared to talk about these
actors and the characters they play
Bring in a random prop from around the house that you believe would mean something to the character you have chosen
Week 3
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Line of Enquiry - Week 3: Is comedy about what you hear or what you see?
Students will learn to:
Develop their physical comedy skills
Identify successes and highlight areas for improvement
Develop a high level of inference during performance
Evaluate others work
Understand the importance of colour in their masks
Refine their mask making skills
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons: GP 4
Use the body to create comedy
Understand own successes
Analyse performance at some point after my performance
Evaluate other peoples work
GP 5
Use body and build atmosphere with my body
Understand own failures
Analyse performance immediately after performance
Give advise to other people
GP 6/7
Articulate why body movements are funny
Know how to improve on my failures
Analyse performance while performing without losing focus
Give advise in a sensitive and supportive way
Week 4
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – An audience should understand a performance even if they are deaf
Hypothesis 2 – The colour of a mask tells the audience a lot about its personality
Home Learning:
Answer the essay question in as much detail as possible:
‘Evaluate how successful your contribution was to the final performance for your target audience, giving two specific
examples where you felt you achieved your aims.’
Complete mask if it is not already finished – and bring in one piece of loose costume for next lesson
Line of Enquiry - Week 4: Is losing control dangerous?
Students will learn to:
Dress their masks and begin to physicalise their masks
Develop their trance state
How the mask is sometimes in control
Perfect how to dress their mask
Learn the importance of creating a voice that suits their mask
Understand the importance of language that fits with their mask
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons: GP 2
Know how to dress a mask
Understand what the trance state is
Be in control when I am in mask
GP 3
Dress a mask
Enter the trance state
Allow mask to take control
GP 4
Create a physicality which suits my mask
Sustain the trance state
Change who is in control when I like
RGP 4/5/6 (REACH): Students will be able to articulate how important the trance state is when using mask. They will always be aware when they are in control and can use a high level of inference to evaluate their successes and failures .
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – The actor is always in control
Hypothesis 2 – A mask should not speak
Home Learning:
Write a diary as your mask character to understand what they know so far
Complete the dictionary for your mask
Week 5
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Line of Enquiry - Week 5: Why don’t our masks have mouths?
Students will learn to:
Learn the importance of staying in character when using mask
Learn how to let their intuition take over
Develop a ‘yes and’ approach to improvisation
Improve their vocabulary
Learn how to sustain character for a prolonged period of time
Develop relationships with other masks
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons: GP 4
I get into character with a mask on
Aware of thought process when acting
I know what the ‘yes and approach’ is
GP 4
Stay in character for a short period of time
Sometimes act without thinking
Be aware when I block
GP 5
Sustain a character for a long period of time
Allow initiative to take over
Always answer ‘yes and’ RGP 5/6 (REACH): Students will be able to use the ‘yes and’ approach in creative and original ways. Students will always be able to self analyse their own successes and failures and articulate their thought process that caused those successes and failures
Week 6
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – A mask should always speak
Hypothesis 2 – It is easy to sustain a character for long periods of time
Home Learning:
Rehearsal write up
Update dictionary
Line of Enquiry - Week 6: Does a mask automatically create a character?
Students will learn to:
Learn the importance of staying in character when using mask
Develop spontaneous improvisation skills using structured rehearsals
Learn how to answer a drama question
Develop essay planning skills
Understand the level at which they need to write for their end of year 11 exams
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons: GP 2/3
Understand what the question is asking
Know how to plan for an essay
See where improvements can be made
GP 4
Know what to write about
Quickly highlight key skills
Know how I can improve
GP 5/6
Know how to write in the most effective way
Quickly highlight areas where I improved
Can help others improve
RGP 6/7 (REACH): Students can plan in detail a top grade response to the essay question. Students will have the breadth of knowledge and understand of drama techniques and terms to answer at the highest level.
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – When wearing a mask you must not break character
Hypothesis 2 – A drama essay is very similar to an English essay
Home Learning:
Rehearsal write up
Update workbook
Week 7
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Line of Enquiry - Week 7: When is a performance perfect?
Students will learn to:
Learn the importance of staying in character when using mask
Develop spontaneous improvisation skills using structured rehearsals
Learn the process of moderation
Learn how to be an appreciative audience
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons: GP 3/4
Apply and adapt a reasonable range of practical skills
Perform creatively with some originality
Show a reasonable awareness of audience
GP 5/6
Apply and adapt appropriately as good range of practical skills
Perform creatively with originality that communicates an idea
Sustain a character
Show a clear awareness of audience and respond well to their group
GP 7/8/9
Apply and adapt effectively an extensive range of practical skills
Perform creatively with a high degree of originality
Sustained role throughout
Show a thorough awareness of audience with a strong commitment to the group
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – I have done everything I can to make my performance perfect
Hypothesis 2 – All modern comedy stem from Commedia
Home Learning:
Rehearsal write up
Evaluate your performance using appropriate lexis
Extended Learning
Students will consolidate their learning in their workbooks. They will constantly self evaluate and test their
knowledge through the completion of these workbooks. In addition to this they will be graded on 4 areas each
lesson. Rehearsal, Contribution, Skill and Homework. Each student will be pushed to improve their ability in each
and will be monitored throughout. Workbook is available for viewing by email: [email protected]