Who Did It?

Overview

A 40-minute active drama lesson where year 6-8 students collaboratively engage in a murder mystery role-play. Each student receives a character role. Through improvisation, clues, and questioning, they use drama skills to solve the mystery. This lesson integrates key competencies and learning objectives from the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, focusing on communication, taking on roles, and critical thinking.

WALT (We Are Learning To)

We are learning to collaboratively take on and develop characters to create a narrative and solve a problem.
We are learning to use effective communication and questioning skills in role.
We are learning to apply critical thinking to interpret clues and contribute to a group decision.

Success Criteria

I can stay in character and contribute relevant information about my character.
I can listen and respond thoughtfully to others' contributions.
I can ask questions that help uncover information.
I can use drama skills such as voice, gesture, and expression to engage the audience.
I can work cooperatively with others to reach a conclusion about whodunit.

Curriculum Links

Learning Area: The Arts – Drama

Develop ideas in drama by taking on roles and adding own ideas (The Arts, Levels 3-4).
Make relevant contributions in different roles and adapt to evolving scenarios (The Arts).
Present ideas clearly to engage an audience (The Arts).

Key Competencies

Thinking: Use creative and critical thinking to interpret clues and make decisions.
Using language, symbols, and texts: Communicate effectively in role using language appropriate to the character.
Relating to others: Work collaboratively, respecting different perspectives.
Managing self: Take responsibility for learning and role.

English Integration

Communicating ideas with appropriate vocabulary and expression (English years 6-8).
Use narrative and descriptive language to contribute to the mystery narrative.

Values

Encouraging collaboration, respect, and curiosity.

Differentiation Strategies

Roles with varied complexity and talking required, allowing students to pick or be assigned according to ability.
Visual character profiles and dyslexia-friendly reading sheets with clear fonts and bullet points.
Use sentence stems for questioning or responses to scaffold language where needed.
Flexible groupings if required to support social confidence.
Provide non-verbal clue cards for students who struggle with verbal expression.

Extension Activities

Design your own suspect character profile with backstory for a future mystery.
Write an alternative ending or an additional scene to deepen the narrative.
Reflect on how characters’ motivations affect their consequences, linking to empathy.

Materials

Pre-prepared character cards (17 unique characters) with background and clues.
Clue cards (visual/text-based) distributed across characters.
Name tags or badges.
Simple props (optional).
Dyslexia-friendly reading templates.

Lesson Plan Breakdown

Introduction (5 minutes)

Briefly set the scene: a fictional murder has occurred at a social gathering.
Explain each student will become a character at the scene.
Go over WALT and success criteria together.
Outline the skill focus: staying in role, asking questions, listening, and collaborating.

Character Allocation and Familiarisation (5 minutes)

Hand out character cards and name tags.
Give students a moment to read their character profiles (dyslexia-friendly layouts).
Model how to share one brief sentence about their character to the class.

Mystery Role-Play Activity (25 minutes)

Students remain in character and mingle around the room.
Encourage questioning: "Where were you at the time?" "Did you see anything suspicious?"
Distribute clue cards organically through conversations.
Encourage use of gestures, voice variation, and expressive body language.
Teacher facilitates to keep students on task and helps scaffold questioning.

Group Reflection and Solution (5 minutes)

Regroup and allow students to share theories.
Teacher leads a class discussion to identify the culprit based on evidence.
Reflect on how well students stayed in character and used drama skills.
Connect to the competencies: What thinking and language skills did we use?

Teacher Tips

Keep atmosphere light and fun, emphasising creativity rather than correctness.
Circulate and prompt quieter students with questions or ideas.
Use "props" or visual aids to help engage multiple senses.
Ensure moments of clear instructions and transitions to maintain focus.
Celebrate teamwork and effort in sustaining character and story.

This drama activity embodies the New Zealand Curriculum's focus on active, collaborative, culturally responsive learning that builds key competencies like thinking and communication, while nurturing creativity and engagement through role and storytelling .

Teaching Instructions