Mime Summer Scenes

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ST Name:

Kym Fox

ST Number:

40036679

Class Level:

2nd & 3rd Class

Date:

23/05/25

Subject:

Drama

Time:

13:00

Duration of Lesson:

30 Minutes

No of Pupils:

27 pupils

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Strand(s):

Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas, leading to understanding

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Strand Unit(s) / Element(s):

• Exploring and making drama
• Co-operating and communicating in making drama
• Reflecting on drama

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Learning Outcomes / Content Objectives:

• Become aware of the rules that help maintain focus in the dramatic action
• Develop, in role, the ability to co-operate and communicate with others in helping to shape the drama
• Learn, through drama, the relationship between story, theme and life experience

Curriculum References (Drama Strand, IE Curriculum Framework):

• Drama Strand, Strand Unit: Exploring and Making Drama – pupils experiment with roles and situations
• Co-operating and Communicating in Making Drama – pupils work individually and collaboratively to express ideas and feelings
• Reflecting on Drama – pupils respond to and interpret dramatic work

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Learning Objectives:

1. The child should be enabled to use mime techniques confidently to express a summer-related action or experience without speaking.
2. The child should be enabled to actively listen and observe peers’ mime performances to interpret their meaning and offer reflective feedback.

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Assessment:

1. Method: Observation checklist during mime performances and group discussion reflections.
2. Assessment of: Pupils’ ability to perform clear mime actions and to engage thoughtfully when guessing and reflecting on peers’ performances.
3. To be recorded: Activeness in participation, clarity of mime actions, accuracy of peer interpretation, quality of reflective comments.

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Teacher Questioning:

Lower order questions (Closed)

1. Is the mime showing an action from summer? (I)
2. Can you see what your classmate is pretending to do? (I)
3. Are they moving without using words? (D)

Higher order questions (Open)

1. How did your classmate use their body to show their summer activity? (C)
2. What feelings did the mime make you think of? Why? (C)
3. How is miming different from acting with words? (D)

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Language Development Opportunities:

• Introduce and use vocabulary: mime, gesture, expression, action, non-verbal communication, summer activities (e.g., slushee, swimming, rollercoaster)
• Use descriptive language during reflection: “I think you showed that by...”, “Your movements made me feel...”

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Literacy Development Opportunities:

• Encourage sentence formation when guessing: “I think you are…”, “Are you pretending to…”
• Record favourite mime actions as short captions or simple sentences on the board after the lesson for reading practice

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Teaching Methodologies:

• Talk and Discussion
• Collaborative/Co-operative Learning
• Active Learning
• Problem Solving

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Introduction (5 Minutes):

Stimulus: Display the class Drama Contract as a reminder of the behaviour required for group focus during drama activities.

Elicit Prior Knowledge:

• Brief discussion: “What is mime?” Pupils share ideas about acting without words, using body and face to communicate meaning.
• Teacher models a simple mime (e.g., drinking a slushee) to connect with the theme of summer.

Share Learning Intention:

• WALT (We Are Learning To): Use mime to express summer activities and reflect on each other’s performances.

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Development (20 Minutes):

1. Pupils sit in a circle ensuring everyone has a clear view of each performance.
2. Each pupil takes a turn to perform a mime showing one of the following summer scenes:
   • Drinking a slushee
   • Swimming at the beach
   • Riding a rollercoaster
3. Classmates observe attentively and guess the mime’s scene by stating their guesses aloud.
4. After guessing, the class offers reflections on how the mime was communicated (e.g., body movements, facial expressions).
5. Teacher facilitates discussion, encouraging use of descriptive language and helping pupils relate mime to feelings and summer experiences.
6. If time permits, invite pupils to suggest alternative summer activities to mime and quickly perform them with a partner or small group.

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Conclusion (5 Minutes):

Cognitive:

• Recap key learning: How mime uses body language and expressions to tell a story without words.
• Pupils share what they learned about summer activities through mime.

Social:

• Reflect on the importance of listening and respecting each others' performances during the activity.
• Highlight positive behaviour and cooperation seen in class during the session.

Transition:

• Explain that next drama lesson will build on today’s mime skills with [future topic], creating even more imaginative scenes.

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Considerations:

Pupil(s)	Reason(s)	Method(s)	Additional Comments/Modifications
Visual learners	Need to see clear body movements	Use exaggerated gestures and facial expression	Use large, slow movements for clarity
Pupils with speech delay or EAL	Non-verbal communication suits these learners	Pair work for support after individual mime	Encourage peer support and simplify language when reflecting
Pupils with attention difficulties	Short individual turns keep engagement	Circle seating arrangement for focus	Allow fidget objects or brief movement breaks if required

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The Learning Environment:

• Clear, open indoor space free of obstacles to ensure safety during mime
• Circle arrangement of chairs or sitting pads for visibility and inclusion
• Display Drama Contract on wall
• Visual aids for key vocabulary (optional)

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Resources:

• Drama contract poster
• List of summer activities for reference (teacher’s copy)
• Visual vocabulary cards (optional)
• Timer or signal for turn-taking (optional)

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This lesson plan is designed to closely follow the IE Curriculum (Drama strands and units), cultivating cooperation, imagination, reflection, and non-verbal communication, all age-appropriate for 2nd and 3rd class children in Ireland. The mime strategy harnesses embodied learning and peer collaboration, supporting a joyful, inclusive, and meaningful drama experience.