Understanding Attitudes Through Characters

Unit context

This lesson is Lesson 3 of 5 in the unit "Drama Study of Honey Spot." The focus is on analysing character attitudes in the play Honey Spot and understanding how these attitudes reflect societal issues. This developmental work will support subsequent persuasive writing by deepening student appreciation of character perspectives, tone, audience, and purpose in dramatic texts.

Curriculum links

This plan aligns with the Western Australian Curriculum achievement standards and content descriptions for Year 10 English and Arts (Drama):

Drama (Year 9 and 10)
AC9ADR10C01: Improvise, devise, and interpret scripted drama using elements and conventions to convey intended ideas and perspectives.
AC9ADR10E01: Investigate how elements of drama communicate or challenge ideas and perspectives.
AC9ADR10C02: Rehearse and refine drama making deliberate aesthetic choices to unify meaning.
English (Year 10)
AC9E10LY06: Plan, create, edit, and publish texts organising and developing ideas for purposes and audiences, including persuasive writing.
AC9E10LY07: Deliver spoken or multimodal presentations experimenting with rhetorical devices and engaging audiences for different purposes.

This lesson advances students' skills in analysing character attitudes (Drama) with a focus on audience awareness and the elements of persuasion (English) preparing them for the upcoming persuasive writing unit.

Learning objectives

By the end of this 60-minute lesson, students will:

Identify and analyse the attitudes of key characters in Honey Spot and explain how these reflect societal issues.
Create detailed character profiles that include attitudes, motivations, and societal context.
Present character profiles clearly, using provided sentence starters and templates, to support diverse learners.
(Extension) Write a reflective diary entry from a character’s perspective to explore changing attitudes over time.
Develop oral communication skills through peer presentation and discussion.

Lesson structure

Activity	Description	Timing
1. Introduction and review	Brief recap of Honey Spot context and characters. Outline the focus on attitudes and societal issues.	10 mins
2. Guided analysis of a character	Whole class guided discussion analysing one character’s attitude using questioning and modelling. Introduce sentence starters.	15 mins
3. Character profile creation	In pairs, students select another character and complete a scaffolded character profile template to analyse attitudes and societal connections. Teacher and aide support offered.	20 mins
4. Presentations and peer feedback	Pairs present their character profile to the class, using sentence starters to support clarity. Class gives constructive feedback.	10 mins
5. Extension/independent task	Advanced students write a diary entry revealing their character’s evolving attitudes. Dyslexia-friendly reading options provided.	5 mins + homework option

Detailed activities

1. Introduction and review (10 minutes)

Teacher revisits the plot and main characters of Honey Spot.
Highlight the lesson intent: examining attitudes of characters and how they reflect broader societal issues.
Discuss what "attitude" means in drama (beliefs, feelings, values) and how attitudes affect actions.
Explain how understanding characters’ attitudes helps persuasive writing by understanding audience and tone.
Use a mind map on board showing ‘Character Attitudes’ linking to ‘Societal Issues’.

2. Guided analysis of a character (15 minutes)

Choose a central character (e.g. a protagonist or antagonist).
Read aloud selected scenes/dialogue highlighting attitude indicators.
Model thinking aloud: Identify language, tone, body language or stage directions showing attitude.
Use sentence starters projected on screen or handout:
"This character believes that…"
"We can see their attitude because…"
"This shows the character’s perspective on…"
"Their attitude reflects societal issues such as…"
Invite student input with guided questions:
What words or actions reveal this character’s attitude?
How might an audience from different backgrounds interpret this attitude?
Scaffold discussion with guiding questions and visual cues for students requiring support.

3. Character profile creation (20 minutes)

Students pair up and choose another character from Honey Spot.
Provide a scaffolded character profile template including:
Character name and role
Description of their attitude(s)
Evidence from the text (quotes or stage directions)
How their attitude reflects or challenges societal issues
Effects on other characters and the audience
Supply sentence starter strips and exemplar phrases for diverse learners.
Teacher and aide assist students, especially supporting those with learning difficulties or language challenges.
Dyslexia-friendly resources: use clean fonts, colour-coded text, and visual prompts to aid comprehension.

4. Presentations and peer feedback (10 minutes)

Each pair presents their completed profile to the class using their template and sentence starters.
Peers provide positive feedback or ask questions based on a feedback checklist:
Did the presenter clearly explain the character’s attitudes?
Was the societal issue connection made clear?
Was evidence from the text used effectively?
Teacher models constructive feedback language.

5. Extension: Diary entry writing (5 minutes + homework)

For advanced learners or as homework, students write a diary entry from the perspective of their chosen character.
The diary should reveal changes in attitude over the course of the play, showing understanding of character development and societal influence.
Provide a diary writing scaffold:
Date and greeting (“Dear diary…”)
Feelings about the situation or other characters
Reflections on events and changing thoughts
Future hopes or fears
Dyslexia-friendly options include audio recording ideas before writing, mind-mapping, or using speech-to-text technology.

Differentiation strategies

For diverse learners:
Provide sentence starters and writing templates.
Use clear, dyslexia-friendly fonts and layouts.
Offer vocabulary glossaries for key dramatic terms.
Use visual storyboards or character maps to supplement text.
Pair students strategically for peer support.
For advanced learners:
Challenge to analyse subtle societal implications of attitudes.
Extension diary writing to deepen character empathy.
Encourage exploration of multiple perspectives or conflicting attitudes within a character.

Assessment opportunities

Formative assessment through observation of class participation and paired discussions.
Review of character profiles for understanding of attitudes and societal context.
Use presentations to assess oral communication skills.
Extension diary entries offer summative insight into student ability to analyse and creatively express character attitudes.

Resources required

Copies of Honey Spot script excerpts for guided reading.
Character profile templates and sentence starter cards.
Whiteboard or projector for modelling.
Dyslexia-friendly reading and writing supports (e.g. coloured overlays, audio files).
Feedback checklist for peer presentations.

This lesson carefully integrates drama analysis with language skills, scaffolds learning to support diverse learners, and sets a strong foundation for persuasive writing focused on tone, audience, purpose and structure, all aligned with Western Australian Curriculum standards for Year 10 English and Drama.