Hot Spotting

Overview

In this lesson (Lesson 3 of 5), students explore the Mt Tarawera story through drama. Using “hot spotting” on selected images of the Pink and White Terraces, they identify what they notice and how it might feel, then share short emotional interpretations with a partner.

Learning intentions

• WALT use hot spotting to show where and how characters/events might feel in a picture.
• WALT collaborate with a partner to make and practise simple drama actions and facial expressions.
• WALT respond respectfully to classmates by giving one helpful comment about what we noticed.

Success criteria

• I can point to a spot in the picture and say what I think it might feel like.
• I can show that feeling with my body (pose/movement) and my face.
• I can work with my partner and take turns leading the hot spot.

Curriculum links

• Drama (The Arts): creating and presenting drama with simple actions, gestures, and facial expressions to show feelings and ideas.
• Communicating and responding: sharing thoughts and listening respectfully to others’ ideas.
• Key competencies: managing self (trying, practising), relating to others (working in pairs), participating and contributing (sharing ideas), using language and symbols (describing feelings and actions).

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–3 min · Welcome and warm-up. Teacher briefly recaps the unit focus on “Erupting Stories: Drama of Tarawera” and introduces today’s technique; students mirror 3 teacher-led emotions (happy, worried, surprised) with a still body pose.

2. 3–8 min · Model hot spotting (whole class). Teacher displays one printed image of the terraces (pre-selected, age-appropriate and not overly graphic). Teacher marks 2–3 “hot spots” with a pointer and models: “I think this spot feels (worried) because…” Students practise in their own space: show the feeling with a facial expression and a small body action, then freeze.

3. 8–22 min · Pair work hot spotting stations. Students work in pairs at two teacher-prepared image stations.

• Each pair chooses 3 hot spots on the image (teacher prompts with questions: What do you notice? What might be happening? How might someone feel here?).
• For each hot spot, one student leads by pointing and “calling” a feeling word; the partner creates a matching pose for 3 seconds. Then they swap roles.
• Teacher circulates to listen, prompt, and support respectful turn-taking. Optional for pairs who finish quickly: connect the hot spots into a short sequence of 3 poses (from one feeling to the next).

4. 22–27 min · Sharing and responding (gallery walk). Pairs present one selected pose (one hot spot) to another pair or to the teacher. Responding focus: “I noticed… I think it looks like…” Students use sentence starters to keep it manageable.

5. 27–30 min · Exit reflection. Quick individual check: students point to a small feeling card (e.g., worried, surprised, calm, scared) and complete one oral sentence: “My hot spot feels ____ because ____.” Teacher notes who can explain feelings with a reason.

Resources

• Printed images of Mt Tarawera terraces (2–3 options, one per station)
• Large class image for modelling
• Sticky notes or washable markers for “hot spot” labels
• Feeling word cards (5–8 words) plus picture icons
• Lollipop sticks or pointers for safe pointing
• Partner activity recording sheet (simple table: Hot spot # / Feeling word / Pose idea)
• Sentence starters poster
• Space for pairs to practise without bumping (floor spots or taped boundaries)
• Optional: iPad/Chromebook with the same images for one group (teacher-controlled)

Assessment

• During pair work: teacher observes if students can (1) identify a hot spot, (2) name a feeling, and (3) show the feeling with body/face.
• During sharing: teacher listens for at least one clear “I noticed/I think it looks like…” response from each pair.
• Exit reflection: teacher checks understanding of feeling + reason (spoken or indicated with a card).

Differentiation

• Support (diverse learning needs):
• Provide fewer hot spots (start with 2) and a limited set of feeling words.
• Use a “model-to-copy” approach: teacher models one pose, then students copy it before adding their own.
• Offer a recording sheet with sentence starters and a word bank for reasons (“because I see… / because it looks…”).
• Allow non-verbal participation: students may point and show the pose even if they struggle to speak the reason.
• Access for students needing structure:
• Assign clear roles within the pair: “Point & Feel” and “Pose & Freeze,” with a timer.
• Use visual steps on the board: Point → Feel word → Pose → Freeze → Swap.
• Extension (advanced learners):
• Ask students to create a 3-pose “story moment” showing change over time (e.g., calm → surprised → worried).
• Challenge them to add a short narration sentence using simple time language (e.g., “First… Then…”).
• EAL considerations:
• Encourage pointing and using feeling cards; accept single-word responses initially.
• Build oral repetition of key phrases: “This spot feels… because…”
• Pair EAL learners with a supportive partner and pre-teach 3–5 feeling words with gestures.