Game Day Celebration

Drama | Years 1–2 | Lesson 9 of 9

Unit Title: Drama Games and Performance
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes
Class Size: 24 students
Location: Open classroom or school hall

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✨ Lesson Title:

Game Day: Showcasing Our Skills

🎯 Curriculum Links:

Australian Curriculum – The Arts: Drama – Foundation to Year 2

• ACADRM027 – Explore role and dramatic action in dramatic play, improvisation and process drama.
• ACADRM028 – Use voice, movement, situation and space to imagine and establish role and setting.
• ACADRM029 – Present drama that communicates ideas to an audience.
• ACADRR030 – Respond to drama, expressing what they enjoy and why.

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📝 Learning Intentions:

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Perform short group-devised skits demonstrating character, setting, and clear action.
2. Work collaboratively in drama games to highlight creativity, focus and teamwork.
3. Reflect on their drama journey and achievements throughout the unit.

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✔️ Success Criteria:

• I can perform a short skit in role with confidence and clarity.
• I can play drama games with focus and fairness.
• I can share what I have enjoyed and learned about drama this term.

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🙌 Differentiation Strategies:

• For students needing support:

  • Assign supportive roles (e.g. narrator or sound effects).
  • Work in mixed-ability groups for peer guidance.
  • Provide prompts or visual role cards for cues.

• For advanced learners:

  • Lead their group’s creative direction.
  • Incorporate complex concepts like conflict and resolution.
  • Take on dual roles (onstage and offstage leadership).

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🚀 Extension Activities:

• Create a backstage crew to manage props and cues.
• Invite students to write a “drama director’s diary” reflecting on their role.
• Introduce a “Freeze Frame Remix” where students reinterpret moments from their peer's performances with alternate outcomes or emotions.

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🧠 Teaching Strategy:

Based on play-based learning and cooperative performance, this drama lesson is structured through a celebration model. Students are acknowledged for their development through performance, peer feedback, and dynamic games. The teacher acts as facilitator and audience, celebrating expressive risk-taking, collaboration, and joy in learning.

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📚 Lesson Breakdown

⏰ Time Breakdown

Time	Activity	Purpose
5 min	Welcome Circle + Warm-Up	Set the tone and build ensemble focus
20 min	Performance Showcase	Share student-devised skits
5 min	Audience Applause & Feedback	Foster reflection and appreciation
15 min	Drama Game Round-Up	Apply skills in imaginative play
5 min	Reflect & Celebrate	Acknowledge achievements and hear student voice

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⏳ Part 1: Welcome Circle + Warm-Up (5 minutes)

Activity: "Magic Ball” Warm-Up
Students sit or stand in a circle. Pass an imaginary "magic ball" with different properties (e.g. heavy, bouncy, slippery). This limbers bodies and imaginations, and sets a collaborative energy.

Teacher Prompts:

• "What does it feel like now?"
• "Can you pass it under your leg this time?"

Purpose: To transition into imaginative thinking and connect students in play.

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🎭 Part 2: Performance Showcase (20 minutes)

Activity: Skit Presentations
Groups of 4 present rehearsed skits created in Lesson 8. Each group has 2–3 minutes to perform. Cue cards and simple props provided.

Teacher Roles:

• MC to introduce each skit: “Welcome Group 1: The Animal Adventure!”
• Timekeeper and gentle reminder of stage etiquette.
• Capture moments for display wall or digital portfolio.

Group Order Suggestion:

1. Group 1: The Animal Adventure
2. Group 2: The Magic Picnic
3. Group 3: Space Explorers
4. Group 4: The Haunted Classroom
5. Group 5: Jungle Trouble
6. Group 6: The Wishing Fountain

Purpose: Encourage performance confidence and reinforce teamwork.

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👏 Part 3: Applause & Feedback (5 minutes)

Strategy: “Replay Shout-Out” As a class, offer one compliment to each group using sentence starters like:

• “I loved the way you…”
• “You surprised us when…”

Use a soft foam ball to toss to the speaker. This keeps attentiveness and gives everyone a turn.

Purpose: Build supportive talk and recognise individual moments of creativity.

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🎲 Part 4: Drama Game Round-Up (15 minutes)

Game 1: “Character Catwalk” (5 min)

One student at a time walks across the room performing a character from their skit. Rest of class guesses who they are.

• Extension: Add props or sound effects.
• Support: Partner walk if shy.

Game 2: “Yes and…” Story Switch (5 min)

A collaborative story-building game. One student begins with a sentence, and each new contributor starts with “Yes, and…”

• Develops listening and improvisation.
• Can be played seated in circle.

Game 3: “Emotion Conveyor Belt” (5 min)

Students walk across the room showing different emotions one at a time (sad, excited, sleepy, scared, proud) using face and body only.

Purpose of Games: Reinforce use of voice, space, body and imagination. Celebrate and apply performance tools in a fun, supportive way.

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🎉 Part 5: Reflection and Celebration (5 minutes)

Activity: "One Word Wall"
Students write or dictate one word that describes their drama experience (e.g. “fun”, “teamwork”, “courage”).

• Use big paper or whiteboard.
• Can also be collected as exit slips.

Celebration Certificates (Optional): Hand out fun, informal “Drama Star” cards with accolades like “Best Team Player”, “Best Improviser”, “Biggest Laugh”.

Purpose: Closure, pride in progress, and sharing student voice.

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📌 Materials Needed:

• Space for performance
• Props box (hats, scarves, soft toys, etc.)
• Cue cards (optional, for support)
• Certificates or stickers
• “One Word Wall” sheet or whiteboard
• Soft toss ball

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🧾 Notes for the Teacher:

• Keep transitions smooth and encourage peer support.
• Allow students to manage props and performance cues where possible.
• Focus on celebration, not perfection—this is a showcase of joy, growth, and expression.

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Looking Ahead: Encourage students to carry their performance and collaboration skills into assembly presentations, classroom role-play, and literacy storytelling. Drama boosts not just creativity, but communication, confidence and community.

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“Acting is behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” – Sanford Meisner (adapted for little learners as “Drama is pretending with purpose!”)