Drama Foundations: Body, Voice & Character
Year 7 Drama Unit 5 Lessons 60 Minutes
Unit Overview
Lesson 1: Physical Theatre – Using the Body Lesson 2: Voice – Making It Heard Lesson 3: Character – Who Am I? Lesson 4: Devising – Creating a Scene Lesson 5: Performance & Evaluation
Drama Quote
'All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players' - William Shakespeare
Lesson 1: Physical Theatre – Using the Body
WALT: Use our bodies to communicate emotions and stories Explore non-verbal communication Practice mime and movement techniques Create physical character traits
Warm-Up: Mirror Exercise
Partner up with a classmate One person leads, one mirrors Start with simple movements Switch roles after 2 minutes Focus on eye contact and connection
Main Activity: Emotion Sculptures
Work in groups of 4-5 Create frozen tableaux showing different emotions Use levels, facial expressions, and body positions Other groups guess the emotion Emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Sadness, Surprise
Lesson 2: Voice – Making It Heard
WALT: Use our voices effectively for performance Practice projection and articulation Explore vocal variety (pitch, pace, volume) Understand the importance of breath control
Vocal Warm-Up: Tongue Twisters
'Red leather, yellow leather' 'She sells seashells by the seashore' 'Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers' Start slowly, build up speed Focus on clear articulation
Discussion Question
How does changing your voice change how others perceive your character? Think about: Volume, Pitch, Speed, Accent
Main Activity: Vocal Variety Challenge
Say 'Hello, how are you today?' in different ways: As a robot As an excited child As a tired adult As a mysterious character Focus on pitch, pace, and tone
Lesson 3: Character – Who Am I?
WALT: Create believable characters using voice and body Develop character backstories Understand motivation and objectives Practice character consistency
Character Creation Worksheet
Character's name and age Where do they live? What do they want most in life? What's their biggest fear? How do they walk and talk? What's their secret?
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