Audience and Tone

Lesson 4: Understanding Audience and Tone

Unit: Lights, Camera, News!
Duration: 60 minutes
Class size: 8 Year 11 students
Subject: Drama
Curriculum Reference: New Zealand Curriculum Refresh (The Arts - Drama, Years 11-13)

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WALT (We Are Learning To):

• Recognise the importance of audience in news delivery.
• Discuss and distinguish formal vs. informal tone in news segments.

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Success Criteria:

Students will be able to:

• Identify different types of audiences for various news segments.
• Distinguish between formal and informal tones used in news delivery.
• Select and justify the appropriate tone when delivering different news segments to varied audiences.

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Learning Objectives Aligned to NZ Curriculum Refresh (The Arts - Drama):

• Purpose of Drama: Use drama to communicate, collaborate, make meaning, and express ideas with awareness of audience and context.
• Key Competencies:
  • Thinking: Critically and creatively use tone and style based on audience needs.
  • Using language, symbols and texts: Use appropriate language register and tone to communicate intention effectively.
  • Relating to others: Understand how audience affects performance style.
  • Participating and contributing: Engage collaboratively in activities exploring communication modes.
• Achievement Objective:
  • Select and use performance conventions and expressive skills to communicate ideas and emotions in different contexts, adapting to audience needs (Level 6 Drama) .

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Resources Needed:

• Clips or transcripts of different news segments (formal news bulletin, informal community update, weather forecast, sports news).
• Glossary handout with key terms in bold: Audience, Tone, Formal, Informal, Register, Segment.
• Whiteboard and markers.
• Printable audience demographic profiles for extension activity.

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Lesson Structure with Timings:

1. Introduction & Context (10 minutes)

• Begin with the WALT and Success Criteria written on board, highlight key terms in bold to support dyslexic learners.
• Brief discussion: Why does who you speak to matter in news presentation? Elicit student ideas about audience types (e.g., general public, children, special interest groups).
• Show 2 short contrasting news clips: one formal and one informal. Ask students to notice the differences in tone, body language, and language use.

2. Teaching Input & Modelling (10 minutes)

• Explain audience and its influence on tone (formal vs. informal).
• Use examples from the clips to define and discuss:
  • Formal tone (serious, professional, precise).
  • Informal tone (casual, conversational, approachable).
• Model how to adjust tone by reading a short news segment in both formal and informal styles. Students listen and identify the key differences.

3. Guided Group Activity (15 minutes)

• Split class into pairs or small groups (ideal for 8 students: four pairs).
• Each group is given a news segment (printed or video). They discuss:
  • Who is the audience for their segment?
  • What tone (formal/informal) should they use and why?
• Each group present briefly to the class with their suggested tone.

4. Differentiation Strategies

• For students needing support (e.g., students with dyslexia):
  • Provide written key vocabulary with definitions in bold and use coloured overlays if required.
  • Use sentence starters: “The audience for this segment is…”, “This tone is formal/informal because…”.
• Encourage use of expressive body language to reinforce tone understanding (visual support).
• For students requiring extension:
  • Each group researches the demographic of the audience (age, interests, cultural background) and discusses how this shapes the presentation style.

5. Independent Application Activity (15 minutes)

• Students individually prepare to deliver a short news segment (1-2 minutes) from one of the provided segments.
• They must:
  • Identify the audience.
  • Choose and justify their tone.
  • Use appropriate vocal tone, pace, and body language to engage the audience.
• Option for peer feedback focusing on how well tone matched audience expectation.

6. Reflection and Plenary (10 minutes)

• Class discussion prompted by:
  • What did you find challenging about selecting tone?
  • How do you change your delivery for different audiences?
  • How can understanding audience help your confidence as a performer?
• Record main points on whiteboard as shared success criteria.
• Briefly outline next lesson focus.

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Assessment:

Formative assessment through observation of group discussions, paired presentations, and independent segment delivery. Use a simple rubric to check:

• Audience understanding.
• Appropriateness of tone selection.
• Use of vocal and physical expression aligned to tone.

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Dyslexia-Friendly Strategies:

• Key vocabulary and success criteria in bold and highlighted.
• Clear, concise instructions given both orally and visually.
• Use of multisensory approaches (listening, speaking, visual cues).
• Sentence stems and writing frames provided for discussion and delivery planning.
• Paired work allows peer support.

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Extension Activity:

• Students research different audience demographics (age, culture, occupation) and write a paragraph on how these influence language and tone in media presentations.
• Optional presentation of findings in the next lesson.

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Alignment Summary:

This lesson directly draws from the New Zealand Curriculum’s focus on developing key competencies—especially using language, symbols, and texts and relating to others. It meets Level 6 Drama achievement objectives by enabling students to communicate effectively with awareness of audience, and by practising performance conventions, tone, and delivery to suit varied contexts .

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If needed, I can generate detailed follow-up lesson plans or assessment material for this unit.