Room on Broom Drama

Overview

This 30-minute drama session uses Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson as a stimulus to develop creativity, collaboration, and communication in first class students. The activities are designed following the IE Curriculum for Primary Drama framework and aligned with its learning objectives and competencies.

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Curriculum Links

Strands and Strand Units:

• Drama: Exploring and Making Drama
• Strand Unit: Role-play and Improvisation

Learning Outcomes:

• Express ideas and feelings through role-play (D.1.S.1)
• Work cooperatively in drama activities (D.1.S.3)
• Use voice, gesture, and movement to communicate character (D.1.S.2)
• Respond to stimuli by developing imaginative ideas (D.1.S.4)

Key Competencies Targeted:

• Communication
• Being Creative
• Working with Others

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Learning Objectives

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

1. Identify key characters and events from Room on the Broom.
2. Use voice, movement, and gesture to portray characters.
3. Engage collaboratively to create a short dramatic scene inspired by the story.
4. Demonstrate listening and turn-taking skills in a drama context.

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Resources

• Room on the Broom storybook or selected picture prompts
• Simple costume props (hats, scarves, broomsticks, animal ears)
• Large open space for movement
• Visual cue cards with character pictures

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Lesson Structure

1. Warm-up (5 minutes)

• Activity: “Magic Broom Movement”
• Ask students to pretend to hold a broom and show how a witch might fly.
• Encourage them to use sweeping, soaring, and swishing movements.
• Use a call-and-response format (e.g., teacher says “Swish!” students swish their broomsticks).
• Purpose: Focus attention, energise bodies, and introduce the broom as a central prop.

2. Story Exploration (7 minutes)

• Read excerpts or show images from Room on the Broom focusing on character introductions (witch, cat, dog, bird, frog).
• Discuss the characters’ traits briefly (e.g., kind witch, clever cat).
• Activity: “Character Walks” – each student chooses or is assigned a character and practises walking/moving like them (e.g., a sneaky cat, a proud dog).
• Highlight voice differences (high/low, fast/slow).

3. Role-play and Improvisation (12 minutes)

• Divide students into small groups of 4–5. Each group creates a short scene based on a moment from the story, such as:
  • Meeting the new characters on the broom
  • The broom breaking, and how the animals help
  • The witch and animals escaping the dragon
• Provide supporting cue cards as prompts.
• Encourage students to use voice, gesture, movement, and props.
• Teacher circulates to scaffold, prompt ideas, and support turn-taking.

4. Sharing and Reflection (6 minutes)

• Each group performs their scene for the class.
• After each small performance, ask the audience:
  • “What did you like about the characters?”
  • “How did they show who they were?”
• Encourage positive, specific feedback.
• End with a brief group reflection: “How does pretending to be different characters help us understand stories better?”

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Assessment

Formative assessment through observation:

• Does the student engage in role-play effectively? (use of voice/movement)
• Does the student collaborate and listen well?
• Can the student communicate basic character traits through drama techniques?
  Feedback should be constructive and encouraging, noting progress in expressive skills and teamwork.

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Differentiation

• Support: Pair less confident students with buddies for role-play. Use simple prompts.
• Challenge: Encourage able students to improvise additional dialogue or actions.

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WOW Factor: AI-Enhanced Drama Extension

To inspire teachers new to AI, suggest that in a follow-up session, students could dictate dialogue or character descriptions which an AI tool could help expand into simple scripts or creative prompts. This integration can spark digital creativity supporting the drama curriculum while maintaining students’ voices and imagination at the centre.

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Summary

This lesson creatively enacts Room on the Broom and promotes fundamental drama skills aligned with the IE Curriculum. Students develop empathy, expressiveness, and cooperation, all in a fun, imaginative space. Teachers are equipped with practical, engaging activities that foster confident young performers.