Unveiling Characters

Lesson Overview

In this 50-minute lesson, students will further develop their own characters within the Characterisation unit by engaging in activities designed to build their confidence in presenting using voice and movement. The lesson aligns with the UK Key Stage 3 Drama curriculum, specifically targeting areas related to creating, adapting, and sustaining roles using voice, movement, gesture, and timing in a variety of scenarios. This lesson will include differentiated activities to cater to varying levels of ability.

Lesson Objectives

• Develop and explore individual characters through performance-based exercises.
• Use voice and movement to effectively communicate a character.
• Work collaboratively in groups to enhance communication and creative thinking.
• Evaluate personal performance, recognising strengths and areas for improvement.

Materials Required

• Large open space for movement (classroom or drama studio)
• Chairs for hot seating arranged in a semicircle
• Prompt cards with emotional states or scenarios
• Character profile sheets
• Assessments sheets for reflection

Lesson Structure

Introduction (10 minutes)

Warm-Up Activity: "Emotion Mirrors"

• Students pair up and stand facing each other. One student will be the "actor" and the other the "mirror."
• The "actor" expresses an emotion through facial expression and body language, and the "mirror" mimics them exactly.
• Rotate roles and emotions (e.g., happiness, anger, fear), ensuring both high-energy emotions and more subtle ones.

Purpose: Encourage students to embody emotions and focus on physical precision, breaking down any initial shyness.

Development (20 minutes)

Activity 1: "Hot-Seating" (10 minutes)

• Arrange chairs for hot seating. Have a student volunteer to take the seat as their character.
• Other students ask questions about the character’s background, motivations, and experiences, which the student in the hot seat answers in character.
• Rotate "hot seat" roles after a few minutes to give several students the chance to inhabit their character.

Differentiation: Provide prompt cards with example questions or statements if students need support. Encourage more advanced students to explore deeper psychological aspects of their character.

Activity 2: "Character Bus Stop" (10 minutes)

• Arrange a few chairs at one end of the room to represent a bus stop.
• As a group, have students create a scene where their characters come together at the bus stop, interact, and reveal characteristics through their behaviour and dialogue.
• Focus on using distinctive voice and physical traits that have been developed.

Differentiation: Students who might need support can choose simpler characters at first or observe before joining in. Advanced students can lead sub-scenes or help direct the flow of the interaction.

Conclusion (10 minutes)

Reflection and Feedback

• Gather students in a circle and encourage a brief discussion about what was achieved and learned during the activities.
• Use targeted questions to prompt discussion: “What was challenging about staying in character?” “What strategies did you use to bring your character to life?”

Individual Reflection

• Hand out character profile and assessment sheets.
• Ask students to fill in sections about their character’s development, their use of voice and movement, and areas where they think they excelled or could improve.

Homework Assignment (Optional)

• Write a short monologue from the perspective of the developed character, describing a day in their life outside of the current scenario.

Evaluation

Assessment will be informal based on participation and engagement during the exercises. Look for evidence of character development, effective use of voice and movement, and constructive group work.

Extension Activity (For Advanced Learning)

Students can rehearse additional scenes from the character's perspective in different emotional or environmental contexts, thereby exploring character consistency across different scenarios.

By engaging with these activities, students will gain a more profound understanding of characterisation and will be well-prepared for the upcoming devised scenes in weeks 4 to 7.