Freeze the Feeling

Overview

Students build on their familiar morning routine, “Kei te pēhea koe?”, by expressing emotions through body shape, facial expression and stillness. They will play a respectful freeze-frame game, using emotion words from their existing Aurongo chart, and interpret how dramatic choices communicate feeling without speech.

Learning intentions

• WALT use our bodies, faces and space to communicate an emotion.
• WALT create a clear freeze frame with others.
• WALT identify and explain how dramatic choices show a feeling.
• WALT use familiar emotion kupu Māori when naming or discussing feelings.

Success criteria

• I can make a still, safe and recognisable freeze frame.
• I can use my face, body shape, level and space to show an emotion.
• I can work cooperatively and freeze when I hear the signal.
• I can name the emotion using a familiar kupu Māori, such as koa, riri, pouri or āio.

Curriculum links

• Drama in The New Zealand Curriculum Refresh: using movement, facial expression, space, stillness and role to communicate ideas and feelings.
• Drama in The New Zealand Curriculum Refresh: developing and responding to drama through creating, performing, observing and discussing.
• The Year 9–10 example drama texts emphasise character development, dramatic tension, symbolic features, varied viewpoints and themes that can challenge assumptions; this lesson introduces these ideas through accessible emotion and character work.
• Te ao Māori language learning is supported through purposeful use of familiar classroom kupu and the sentence pattern “Kei te … ahau”.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min · Connect and warm up. Teacher welcomes students into a clear performance space and displays the opening emotion image and question, reminding them of the morning circle phrase, “Kei te pēhea koe?” Students silently show “how they are feeling today” with a small body shape, then return to neutral.

2. 4–8 min · Teach freeze-frame tools. Teacher models two contrasting freeze frames for one emotion and asks, “What did you notice?” Introduce four tools: body shape, face, level and use of space; stress safe bodies, personal space, no touching and freezing on the signal. Students identify which tools changed the meaning and practise “neutral–emotion–neutral” on the teacher’s signal.

3. 8–13 min · Emotion rehearsal. Teacher opens the Aurongo emotion vocabulary slides, showing a small selection from the class chart, including pai (good/fine), koa (happy), manahau (excited), āio (calm), riri (angry), pouri (sad), mataku (afraid) and rangirua (confused). Model pronunciation without requiring students to speak publicly. Students move around the space; when an emotion appears, they make a freeze frame, then quietly practise saying “Kei te ___ ahau” to themselves or a partner.

4. 13–15 min · Introduce the group freeze game. Teacher places students in four groups of four, with each group working in its own clearly marked area. Every student has a role in creating the freeze frame; students may choose a position, emotion cue or spacing idea. Teacher reviews the safety reminders and explains that groups will rehearse, replay and receive feedback.

5. 15–25 min · Group rehearsal, replay and feedback. Teacher calls or shows two or three emotions. Each group has up to 20 seconds to create a shared freeze frame, ensuring every person contributes, then holds it safely for five seconds on “Freeze!”. Groups replay each frame after brief teacher feedback, improving at least one body, facial, level or spacing choice. Two groups at a time present while the others observe. Audience members respond respectfully to: “What emotion might this be?” and “Which body or facial clue helped you?”

6. 25–30 min · Reflection, exit response and assessment. Teacher leads a calm final freeze for āio. Students complete a partner exit response: “Kei te ___ ahau. I showed it by ___.” Invite a few volunteers to share, accepting English explanations alongside the kupu Māori. Teacher completes the observation checklist and notes students needing further modelling or vocabulary support.

Resources

• the complete Freeze the Feeling slide deck
• Open performance space with chairs and bags moved aside
• Teacher copy of the class Aurongo emotion chart
• Visible freeze signal, such as a drum, chime or raised hand
• Optional emotion picture cards or teacher-prepared emotion slips
• Whiteboard and marker
• Clear boundaries marked with cones, tape or furniture

Assessment

Use a teacher observation checklist during group rehearsal, replay and the final response:

• Freezes safely: freezes on the signal, maintains personal space and avoids touching.
• Uses at least two dramatic cues: uses at least two of body shape, facial expression, level or space.
• Contributes to the group: offers or develops an idea and takes part in the shared freeze frame.
• Explains one audience clue: identifies one body, facial, level or spacing clue that helped communicate or interpret the emotion.

Use the final partner response to check whether students can connect an emotion word with a physical or facial choice. Note students who need further modelling or vocabulary support.

Differentiation

• Support students by offering a reduced choice of two or three emotions, using the visual Aurongo chart, modelling each emotion, and allowing them to copy or adapt a peer’s freeze frame.
• Provide dyslexia-friendly access: use large, uncluttered sans-serif text, strong contrast, one emotion per slide, simple icons or photographs, and read all displayed words aloud. Do not require students to read aloud or spell kupu Māori.
• For students who are anxious, allow them to work at the edge of the group, be the signal holder or rehearse privately before presenting. Avoid asking students to portray personal experiences.
• Extend confident students by asking them to communicate the same emotion in two different ways, show a transition between emotions, or create an intentionally ambiguous freeze frame and explain the different possible interpretations.

Extension

• Ask advanced students to add a silent relationship or dramatic tension: for example, one character feels koa while another feels riri in the same situation.
• Challenge groups to create a freeze frame that communicates a feeling without using a facial expression, then explain which symbolic body or spatial choices carry the meaning.