Moving Emotions Expressively

Year Level

Years 2 to 7 (primarily Years 1 to 4 literacy levels with one Year 7 student)

Duration

80 minutes

Class Size

7 students

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Unit Context

Unit: Puppet Power: Emotions in Theatre
Lesson: 2 of 4
Lesson Title: Exploring Emotions Through Movement
Lesson Description:
Students will engage in physical and expressive movement activities to convey the emotions of their puppet characters. This lesson emphasises learning to use body language and non-verbal expression, suitable for students with developing literacy skills. Movement will help deepen understanding of emotions and support drama skills.

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South Australian Curriculum Alignment

Learning Area

The Arts – Drama

Content Description

Use the elements of drama and imagination in dramatic play and/or process drama
(Content code: AC9ADR2D01) for early years (Years 1-2) progression towards Years 3-4 drama competencies.

Achievement Standards Relevant to Years 2-7 & Lower Literacy Levels

• Students use role, place, situation, language, and movement to express ideas, feelings, and stories in dramatic play.
• Explore emotional expression through voice, facial expression, gesture, and movement in drama activities.
• Engage in collaborative drama to respond to ideas and text through improvisation and movement.

Specific Content Elaborations

• Use body movements and facial expressions to communicate character emotions and intentions without speech (AC9ADR6C01_E2).
• Use movement games to explore physical expression of feelings (AC9ADRFE01_E1).
• Collaborate through paired/group improvisation focusing on non-verbal communication (AC9ADR6C01_E3).

These align with the learning intention of expressing puppet emotions through movement and support the use of dramatic elements—movement and role—to build foundational drama skills in a literacy-rich, kinaesthetic way, suitable for Aboriginal students in remote contexts with lower academic literacy levels.

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Learning Objectives

WALT (We Are Learning To):
Express emotions through movement to bring our puppet characters to life.

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Success Criteria

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

• Demonstrate at least three different movements that clearly show their puppet's emotions (e.g., happy, sad, angry).
• Use their bodies and facial expressions to communicate feelings without using words.
• Work with a partner to support and reflect on each other’s expressive movements.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Paired support: Students will be paired so that those needing extra help have a peer buddy to model and encourage movement.
• Visual cues: Use clear demonstrations, picture cards showing emotions, and simple symbols as prompts.
• Movement prompts: Offer ready-to-copy movements for students who might struggle with inventing gestures initially.
• Short bursts: Activities are limited to 10-15 minutes, with breaks and reflection to accommodate attention and stamina differences.
• Non-verbal encouragement: Use thumbs up, smiling, or nodding to affirm students’ efforts without relying on verbal feedback.

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Extension Activities

• Advanced learners create a short movement sequence (3-5 steps) showing a puppet’s emotional change (e.g., from scared to brave).
• Create slow-motion or exaggerated versions of their emotion movements and share with the class for peer feedback.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Strategies

• Use visual icons/cards illustrating emotions next to verbal instructions.
• Provide demonstrations before asking students to try movements.
• Repeat instructions and check understanding with gestures and visuals.
• Limit written instructions and rely heavily on oral, visual, and physical cues.

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Resources Needed

• Puppet characters created previously or small plush toys representing characters.
• Emotion cards showing simple facial expressions (happy, sad, angry, scared, excited).
• Open space suitable for safe movement activities.
• Music player (optional) for mood-setting background music.
• Mirror (if available) for students to observe their facial and body expressions.

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Lesson Structure

Time	Activity	Description & Notes
5 min	Welcome & Warm-up	Greeting. Quick physical warm-up (e.g., stretch, shake out arms). Introduce WALT and success criteria with simple language and visuals.
15 min	Emotion Movement Exploration (Whole Group)	Teacher demonstrates simple movements for emotions using puppets (e.g., slumping for sad, jumping for happy). Students copy and try with their puppet. Use visual cards as prompts.
10 min	Break / Reflection	Short break with calming breathing or music to refocus. Quick group chat: "How did moving like this make you feel?"
15 min	Paired Movement Practice	Pair students. Each student shows their puppet’s emotion movements; partner guesses the emotion. Support students with prompts and encouragement.
10 min	Break / Movement Game	Play a short game where teacher calls an emotion and students move their puppet to show it quickly (e.g., "Joy!", "Anger!"). Keeps energy engaged.
20 min	Extension / Movement Sequence Creation	Advanced learners or pairs create simple 3-step movement sequences showing an emotional change or story with their puppet. Teacher assists and models. Other students watch and respond non-verbally.
5 min	Cool Down & Share	Collective deep breaths and mirror facial expressions as a cool-down. Students show one favourite movement to class. Summarise learning.

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Assessment

• Formative:
  Observation of students demonstrating clear and distinct emotional movements with their puppets.
• Success criteria check: Students demonstrate at least three emotion movements independently or supported in pairs.
• Teacher notes on students’ ability to use body language expressively and respond to peer movements.

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Cultural Responsiveness and Inclusion

• Respect students’ cultural backgrounds by allowing incorporation of culturally meaningful gestures or movements if comfortable.
• Use storytelling or emotions familiar in the local context when discussing puppets.
• Maintain a positive and supportive environment where every student’s expression is valued.

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This lesson plan honours the South Australian Curriculum’s drama content descriptions and elaborations for foundational and primary years drama learning, emphasising non-verbal expression, collaboration, and dramatic play relevant to rural and Aboriginal contexts. The pacing, support, and visual aids cater to lower literacy levels and diverse learners, enriching their drama experience within accessible and culturally respectful methods.