Character Creation Focus

Year Level

Year 3

Duration

60 minutes

Unit Context

Lesson 6 of 8 from unit: "Exploring the Elements of Drama"

Lesson Title

Creating and Communicating Characters

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Curriculum Alignment

Western Australian Curriculum: The Arts - Drama (Years 3-4)

Content Descriptor:

• Develop character traits and relationships through improvisation and dramatic play.
• Use elements of drama such as role, situation, language, and movement to communicate character and meaning.
• Work collaboratively to create and share drama presentations.

Relevant Content Code:

• AC9ADR4E02 - Explore use of drama elements to communicate perspectives and relationships, including using improvisation to shape character and relationship.
• AC9ADR2D01 - Use elements of drama and imagination in dramatic play.
• Emphasis on developing and communicating clear character traits and relationships in improvisation.

These align with the Western Australian Arts Curriculum focus on drama for Year 3 students, developing foundational skills in character creation, interaction, and communication through drama improvisation activities.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify and select clear character traits to build distinct characters.
• Demonstrate characters with consistent traits through voice, movement, and facial expressions.
• Develop and express relationships between characters collaboratively during improvisation scenarios.
• Reflect on and respond to peers' characters using drama language skills.

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Success Criteria

Students will successfully:

• Show clear, identifiable character traits during improvisation.
• Communicate relationships between characters effectively using movement, voice, and interaction.
• Collaborate respectfully and listen to others to build shared dramatic scenes.
• Use drama vocabulary such as role, relationship, trait, and gesture correctly when discussing their work.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Provide printed character trait lists with simple, easy-to-understand words and pictures to support students with dyslexia or diverse learning needs.
• Allow students to choose traits that resonate with them, supporting personal interest and engagement.
• Use pair or small group work to support peer modelling and reduce performance pressure.
• Offer role models or demonstrate examples of character traits and interactions before activities.
• Scaffold verbal instructions with visual clues and step-by-step prompts.

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Resources Needed

• Character trait lists (visual and textual) for selection (e.g., happy, grumpy, shy, brave, funny, curious, angry).
• Open space in classroom or hall for movement.
• Simple props or costume items (optional) to help with character embodiment (e.g., hats, scarves).
• Visual aids with drama vocabulary words.

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Lesson Activities and Timings

1. Warm-up and Introduction (10 minutes)

• Welcome students and briefly review previous lessons on drama elements, focusing on role and situation.
• Introduce today’s focus: Creating and Communicating Characters. Explain that they will explore different characters and how to show these to others.
• Use a quick energetic game, such as “Emotion Statues,” where teacher calls out a feeling/trait and students freeze posing a character showing that trait.

2. Character Trait Exploration (10 minutes)

• Show the character trait lists with both words and pictures for dyslexia-friendly access.
• Read aloud selected character traits and have students repeat after you to practise pronunciation and understanding.
• Model creating a simple character using one or two traits (e.g., a shy, curious cat) through voice and movement, describing your own character briefly.
• Invite several students to volunteer or nominate to quickly create and share their own character role, demonstrating the trait.

3. Group Improvisation Preparation (10 minutes)

• Divide class into groups of 5 (total 6 groups for class of 30).
• Each group receives a character trait list to choose from, allowing them to select 1 or 2 traits to create a character each.
• Explain the improvisation scenarios they will perform, e.g., “At the park,” “In the classroom,” or “At a birthday party.” Provide simple and clear situational contexts to help students imagine their character’s interactions.
• Encourage students to think about how their characters relate to each other in the scenario (e.g., friends, siblings, strangers).

4. Group Improvisation Practice (20 minutes)

• Groups rehearse a short improvised scene (2-3 minutes) using their characters and the chosen scenario.
• Teacher circulates to support, giving prompts or demonstrations as needed for character clarity and interaction.
• Encourage expressive voice, body language, and facial expression to communicate character traits clearly.
• Encourage students to make eye contact and react authentically to other characters to show relationships.

5. Sharing and Reflection (10 minutes)

• Invite groups to perform their improvisation scenes for the class.
• After each performance, support a short reflection by asking: “What character traits did you notice?” “How did they show the relationship?” “What did you like about their character?”
• Introduce or revisit drama vocabulary terms to describe what they observed.
• Offer positive reinforcement and highlight good communication of character and relationships.

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Assessment

• Informal assessment through observation during rehearsal and performances, noting students’ ability to apply character traits clearly and communicate relationships.
• Use a simple rubric checklist to record evidence of: clear character traits, use of voice and movement, collaboration, and application of drama vocabulary.
• Encourage peer feedback using the success criteria, supporting verbal or written comments if appropriate.

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Reflection and Next Steps

• Discuss with students what helped them most in creating characters and working in a group.
• Highlight how they can use these skills in upcoming lessons when creating more complex drama scenes or scripts.
• Suggest students keep their character trait list for future drama activities.

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This lesson plan caters to diverse learners including those with dyslexia by offering visual-and-text character lists and structured steps. It aligns specifically with the Western Australian Curriculum for Drama in Years 3 and 4 by focusing on character development, relationships, improvisation, and use of drama elements and vocabulary. It supports collaborative learning and communication skills through creative expression in drama.

This comprehensive, scaffolded approach will engage students and help them succeed in developing and communicating characters effectively in drama improvisations.

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If needed, the teacher can adapt by adding simple props or adjusting group sizes to match student comfort and attention spans. This creative work builds foundational drama capabilities crucial for ongoing Arts learning in Western Australia.