Embodying Identity

Year 10 Drama | 90-Minute Relief Lesson

Curriculum Context

Subject: Drama
Level: Year 10 (Aligned with Level 5 of The New Zealand Curriculum)
Key Focus Areas:

• Techniques: Voice, Body, Movement, and Space
• Creating a Believable Role
• Exploring themes in Jigsaw by Susan Battye

Big Idea (from NCEA Learning Matrix):
Drama is influenced by whakapapa and is a way to respond to and share identity, culture, and perspectives.

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Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will:

1. Understand and apply drama techniques (voice, body, movement, and space)
2. Develop a believable role using Jigsaw as a stimulus
3. Explore themes of coming of age, body image, whakapapa, and historical events
4. Work collaboratively to create performance-based responses

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Introduction & Warm-Up (15 mins)

Objective: Prepare students physically and vocally for performance

Activity 1: Circle Warm-Up (7 mins)

• Stand in a circle. Students pass energy around using claps and vocal sounds.
• Each student contributes a movement and a sound; the group mirrors it.
• Challenge: Change levels and explore space dynamically.

Activity 2: Vocal Exploration (8 mins)

• Students exaggerate vowel sounds and experiment with tone, volume, and projection.
• Layer in emotional shifts (e.g., whisper "I'm lost," yell "Come back!").
• Link voice to movement, trying different postures while speaking.

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2. Exploring Identity & Physicality (20 mins)

Objective: Deepen understanding of how body and movement can communicate character

Activity 3: Status Walks (10 mins)

• Call out a number from 1-10 (1 = lowest status, 10 = highest status).
• Students walk around the space adjusting posture, pace, and gaze to match.
• Discussion: How does status relate to themes in Jigsaw? (e.g., the Springbok Tour protests had power struggles; closed adoption deals with personal identity shifts.)

Activity 4: Sculpting Identity (10 mins)

• In pairs, one is "the sculptor," the other is "the clay."
• Sculptors shape their partner into a frozen image representing an emotion (e.g., isolation, growth, rebellion).
• Freeze, observe, and discuss interpretations.

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3. Creating a Believable Role (30 mins)

Objective: Use themes from Jigsaw to develop and embody a dramatic role

Activity 5: Role on the Wall (10 mins)

• On a large sheet of paper, draw an outline of a body.
• Inside: Write internal thoughts/emotions of a character from Jigsaw.
• Outside: List external pressures (society, family expectations, historical events).
• Reflection: Which pressures feel relevant in NZ today?

Activity 6: Improvised Monologues (20 mins)

• Students choose a perspective from Jigsaw (e.g., a protestor attending the Springbok Tour, a teenager discovering their whakapapa through closed adoption).
• Using their Role on the Wall as guidance, they improvise a 1-minute monologue.
• Encourage them to use drama techniques: Change voice pitch for emotion, shift body posture based on mood, use space to reinforce character’s journey.

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4. Group Devising & Performance (20 mins)

Objective: Apply techniques in collaborative storytelling

Activity 7: Scene Building (15 mins)

• In groups of 3-4, students choose a theme (e.g., coming of age, body image, whakapapa).
• Devise a short 2-minute scene showing internal vs. external struggles.
• Use minimal dialogue, relying on space, movement, and body language.

Activity 8: Sharing & Feedback (5 mins)

• Performances for the class.
• Peer feedback: "One strength, one suggestion."
• Discuss how drama techniques enhanced believability.

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Reflection & Wrap-Up (5 mins)

• What made a role feel real?
• How did voice, body, movement, and space influence the performances?
• Relate back to personal identity—what have they learned about themselves through drama today?

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Relief Teacher Guidance

• Keep energy high, especially during improvisation activities.
• Push students to make bold vocal and physical choices.
• Reinforce that Jigsaw explores NZ identity—encourage responses that connect to their own experiences.
• Allow creativity but keep time tight—drama thrives on pace and commitment!

This lesson ensures students actively engage in embodied storytelling while exploring impactful NZ themes.