Movement and Expression

Overview

This 60-minute session is the 3rd lesson in the "Fairy Tale Performance Adventure" unit for Year 2 students. It focuses on enabling pupils to explore and experiment with expressive movement to embody their fairy tale characters. This lesson directly supports the National Curriculum (England) for Drama, addressing key learning objectives around physical and vocal expression, character development, and confidence in performance.

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National Curriculum Links

Key Stage 1 - Drama (English Programmes of Study: Spoken Language & Drama)

• Use spoken language to develop understanding through imagining and exploring roles and situations
• Adopt, create and sustain a range of roles, responding appropriately to others in role
• Use voice and body to create and sustain character and narrative
• Explore and improvise ideas and feelings

These objectives are reflected in the English Programme of Study (DfE, 2013) focusing on drama as a key spoken language tool and creative subject.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, pupils will be able to:

1. Use deliberate body movements and facial expressions to communicate different emotions linked to their fairy tale characters.
2. Experiment with variations in movement (speed, size, tension) to depict character traits or moods.
3. Collaborate with peers in small groups to develop physical representations of characters and practise sustaining these throughout a short performance.
4. Reflect on how movement and expression deepen storytelling and audience engagement.

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Resources Needed

• Open space for physical movement (classroom cleared or school hall)
• Character flashcards or simple costume elements (e.g., hats, scarves) from previous lessons
• Emotion cards depicting basic feelings (happy, sad, scared, angry, curious)
• Mirrors or hand-held mirrors
• Soft music player with a calm and a lively track
• Sticky notes and pens for self/peer feedback

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Lesson Structure (60 minutes)

1. Warm-Up and Focus (10 minutes)

• Begin with a simple physical warm-up: gentle stretches, shaking out limbs, and "mirror game" where pupils pair up and mimic each other’s movements to build awareness and connection.
• Introduce the concept of "expressive movement" using basic emotions — demonstrate how body and face change when feeling happy vs scared. Link this to characters they have created previously.

2. Exploratory Movement Activities (15 minutes)

• Emotion Walks: Play music and invite students to walk across the space showing a chosen emotion (using emotion cards). Encourage experimentation with posture, pace, and facial expression.
• After each emotion walk, invite a few volunteers to freeze and describe what emotion they see and what clues helped them identify it.

3. Character Movement Development (15 minutes)

• In groups of 5, pupils revisit their previously created fairy tale characters. Using simple costume items, they develop a short movement sequence to represent their character’s personality and typical emotions.
• Encourage groups to consider how movement style reflects traits (e.g., a timid character might tiptoe; a brave character may stride confidently).
• Groups rehearse their sequence twice.

4. Group Sharing and Feedback (15 minutes)

• Each group performs their movement sequence to the class.
• Peers use sticky notes to write positive feedback focusing on the use of movement and expression (e.g., "I liked how you showed happiness by bouncing!"). Teachers guide a discussion on what worked well and what could be clearer.
• Highlight how body expression tells a story even without words.

5. Reflection and Cool-Down (5 minutes)

• Gather in a circle to reflect on what was learned about using movement in drama.
• Ask targeted questions:
  • "How did your movements help show your character’s feelings?"
  • "What was tricky about using your body to ‘be’ your character?"
• Conclude with deep breathing and gentle stretches to cool down.

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Assessment and Next Steps

Formative Assessment:

• Teacher observes pupils’ ability to use movement expressively during activities, noting engagement and creativity.
• Peer feedback via sticky notes provides insight into students’ understanding of expressive cues.

Next Steps:

• Lesson 4 will build on this work by integrating voice and movement to create basic dialogue scenes between characters, developing greater confidence in sustaining role.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide visual aids and one-to-one support for pupils who find expressing emotions physically challenging.
• Extension: Challenge more confident pupils to include contrasting emotions within their character movement sequences (e.g., happy then startled).
• Use clear, simple language and model tasks thoroughly to ensure all pupils access the learning objectives.

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Cross-Curricular Links

• English: Enhances spoken language skills through drama activities.
• PSHE: Builds empathy by exploring feelings through movement and character.
• Physical Education: Develops motor skills and spatial awareness through controlled movement exercises.

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This creative, embodied approach helps pupils internalise character traits deeply, laying the groundwork for effective storytelling and performance in subsequent lessons of the unit.