Exploring Characters

Create a 60-minute Year 7 relief lesson focused on drama skills with NO loud/practical activities. Low literacy support built-in. Assume relief teacher may be unfamiliar with drama. Include: clear teacher script, minimal materials (paper + pens), quiet structured activities, pacing, time stamps, differentiation, and EAL/low literacy scaffolds (sentence starters, word banks, visual choices). Activities should be mostly silent writing/mime/partner work with whisper-level talking only. Include a simple assessment/exit ticket that doesn’t require reading much. Include safety/behaviour expectations and “if students get noisy” procedures. Use an NZ context (NZ curriculum alignment if relevant) but keep it generic: role, character, setting, voice/tone, thought-tracking via visuals, freeze frames. Avoid rehearsals, performances, and group shouting. Provide lesson sections: Learning intention, Success criteria, Hook (1-5 min), Explicit teach (5-15), Guided practice (15-35), Independent/paired practice (35-50), Reflection/exit (50-60). Provide teacher prompts and exemplar responses.

Learning Intention

We are learning to explore and express different characters and emotions using drama skills quietly and thoughtfully.

Success Criteria

I can use my body and face to show what a character is feeling without speaking loudly.
I can work quietly with a partner to create and share ideas.
I can use thought-tracking by writing or whispering to explain what my character is thinking.
I can follow behaviour expectations for a safe and respectful drama environment.

New Zealand Curriculum Links

The Arts > Drama > Developing ideas in drama: Explore and (co)construct drama by experimenting with role, character, and situation (The Arts, Levels 3-4).
Key Competencies: Managing Self, Relating to Others (using respectful communication and cooperation).
Supports EAL and low literacy learners through scaffolded language, sentence starters, and visual prompts.

Lesson Plan Breakdown

Behaviour and Safety Briefing (2 minutes)

Teacher script: "Before we start, I want to remind everyone about our drama class expectations. We will be working quietly or whispering, using our bodies and faces to show characters. Please stay in your space and use your imagination safely. If the noise level gets too loud, we will pause and take deep breaths to calm down."

If students get noisy: "Let’s take three deep breaths together. Remember, our voices stay at whisper level so everyone can focus."

Hook: Warm-up with Silent Freeze Frames (5 minutes)

Activity: Students silently create freeze frames (still body pictures) of a simple emotion or character idea when you call it out (e.g., happy, tired, curious). They hold the freeze frame for 10 seconds, then relax.

Teacher prompts:

"Show me how someone who is curious might look."
"Freeze! Hold your pose and think about what your character feels right now."

Exemplar: A student curious character might tilt their head and have wide eyes.

Explicit Teaching: Introducing Character and Thought-Tracking (5-15 minutes)

Teacher script: "Drama is about stepping into someone else’s shoes — a character. We use our body to show feelings and thoughts. Today, we will also use thought-tracking — a way to show what a character thinks by writing or whispering."

Demonstrate: Show how to mime a character (e.g., a tired farmer) and write a thought they might have (e.g., ‘I hope it doesn’t rain today’).

Visual aids: Provide a simple thought bubble template on the board with sentence starters:

I think...
I feel...
I wonder...

Guided Practice: Partner Mime and Thought-Tracking (15-35 minutes)

Instructions: In pairs, one student mimes a character quietly. The partner writes or whispers a thought for that character using the sentence starters. Then switch roles.

Materials: Paper with sentence starters and word banks (e.g., happy, worried, hungry, cold, excited).

Teacher support for EAL/low literacy:

Use pictures of emotions and settings.
Provide word banks.
Whisper ideas with students if needed.

Teacher prompts while circulating:

"What does your character feel? Can you show it with your body?"
"What might your character think right now? Use ‘I think...’"

Independent or Paired Practice: Creating a Setting and Character Story (35-50 minutes)

Instructions: Still in pairs or alone if preferred, students draw or write about a simple NZ setting (beach, mountain, farm). They create a quiet freeze frame or mime of a character in that setting and write one thought they have.

Scaffolds:

Provide NZ picture choices for settings.
Sentence starters for thoughts.
Simple checklist:
Draw setting
Mime character
Write a thought

Teacher script: "Choose a place you know in New Zealand. Show who your character is there and what they might think. Use your writing or drawing to help share your idea."

Reflection and Exit Ticket (50-60 minutes)

Instructions: Students complete a quick exit ticket: Draw a picture of one character or freeze frame they liked today and write or whisper one word about what their character felt or thought.

Teacher prompts:

"Draw your favourite character you created or saw today."
"Write or whisper one word about how they felt."

Behaviour reminder: Quietly put your exit ticket on my desk and prepare to leave calmly.

Differentiation and EAL Support

Sentence starters and word banks support writing and speech.
Visual prompts for emotions and settings.
Partner work allows language practice.
Quiet, controlled pacing supports concentration.

Minimal Materials Required

Paper (with sentence starters and word banks printed or hand-drawn)
Pens/pencils
Visual emotion and setting cards (optional)

This quiet, scaffolded drama lesson builds foundational skills of character and thought-tracking without loud or practical activities. It aligns with the New Zealand Curriculum arts strand and key competencies, and supports all learners to engage meaningfully and safely.

Teaching Instructions