Genesis in Motion

Overview

Lesson 5 of 6 supports the unit by moving from rehearsal planning into rehearsal practice. Students will rehearse their scene sequences with purposeful movement, practise setting-to-setting transitions, and use structured peer feedback to refine dramatic expression.

Learning intentions

• WALT rehearse our scene using planned movement and clear transitions to maintain the audience’s understanding.
• WALT use voice, gesture, and spatial choices to strengthen dramatic expression.
• WALT give and receive specific peer feedback that helps improve performance.
• WALT use a rehearsal plan and notes to decide what to change next.

Success criteria

• I can perform my section with purposeful movement that matches the meaning of the scene.
• I can signal transitions clearly (positioning, pace, or gesture) so the audience follows the shift.
• I can give peer feedback using one strength and one specific next step.
• I can revise my performance based on feedback and explain what I changed.

Curriculum links

• Drama (Te Whāriki? no) — Speaking, writing and presenting through dramatic action: students rehearse and refine performances using body, voice, and spatial choices.
• Te Mātaiaho English — Writing to entertain: rehearsals connect to planning and sequencing ideas/events clearly through practice.
• Te Mātaiaho English — Writing processes: synthesising and using notes/keywords to guide coherent writing parallels using rehearsal notes to guide performance.
• Te Mātaiaho English — Oral language presenting: planning and adjusting delivery for an audience; anticipating and responding to feedback.

Lesson structure (55 minutes)

1. 0–5 min · Warm-up: body as “story”. Teacher leads a quick physical warm-up (walk, freeze, change levels) while asking students to think, “What does my body tell the audience right now?” Students mirror and repeat with increasing intention.

2. 5–14 min · Rehearsal setup: movement and transitions sprint. Teacher demonstrates two transition techniques: (a) a shared cue (sound/gesture) and (b) a spatial “reset” (everyone relocates to a new mark together). Students return to groups and rehearse their transition twice, focusing on clarity and timing rather than perfection.

3. 14–28 min · Group rehearsal: incorporate movement into key moments. Teacher circulates with a checklist: movement purpose, alignment to emotion/idea, and transition visibility. Students rehearse their assigned section, then run the scene from start to finish at least once using the transition technique chosen.

4. 28–36 min · Peer feedback training: “Glow & Grow”. Teacher models feedback using the sentence frame:

• “Glow: What worked was…” (specific detail)
• “Grow: Next, try…” (actionable change) Teacher reminds students to give feedback on performance choices, not personal opinions. Students practise with one mini-performance of 20–30 seconds from volunteers, using Glow & Grow.

5. 36–47 min · Peer feedback rounds (structured). Teacher assigns roles inside groups: performer, feedback partner, and observer with a simple form (movement/transition/voice focus). Students run a short section (30–60 seconds), receive Glow & Grow, and immediately repeat the same section with the change.

6. 47–55 min · Quick fix & share: “One change, one result”. Teacher prompts each group to identify one improvement they made from feedback and show a 20–30 second “before/after” snippet (same moment, improved). Students perform their improved snippet and briefly explain the one change they made.

Resources

• Rehearsal space with clear performance marks (tape squares or cones)
• Group scripts or scene outlines (paper or device offline)
• Transition cue cards (e.g., hand signal, word cue, short sound cue)
• “Glow & Grow” feedback sentence starters (printed)
• Observation checklist (movement purpose, transition clarity, voice/gesture)
• Timer for round rehearsals

Assessment

• Teacher formative assessment during circulation using a checklist for movement purpose and transition clarity.
• Peer assessment using Glow & Grow: check that feedback is specific and actionable.
• Exit evidence: each group shows “one change, one result” and states the improvement they made.

Differentiation

• Support: provide sentence starters for feedback and a movement menu (level changes, directed gestures, stillness, walk-and-freeze) to choose from.
• Support: allow quieter students to contribute movement choices by marking positions or running the transition cue.
• Challenge/extension: ask students to add a “micro-transition” inside their scene (e.g., a brief pause/gesture that signals a shift in thought or status).
• EAL/SEN: rehearse transitions step-by-step with consistent cues; give reduced language in feedback forms (e.g., “I saw… I think you could…”). Offer options for non-verbal feedback (pointing to a mark or gesture) if needed.