LESSON PLAN
Compiled by: Colleen Moore
Learning area: Life Skills (Drama)
Grade: 5
Date/week: tba
Duration of lesson: 30 minutes
Goals/outcomes of lesson/CAPS topic:
Uses sensory detail and emotional expression in dramatic activities such as simple mime (mimed actions)
Draws on and develops each other’s ideas when planning and devising dramas
Focus of lesson: Learners will use stimulus of a story to create a short mimed drama & freeze frame as a story
conclusion.
Previous lesson:
Learners at this school have never had drama lessons before. I have used drama in a language lesson once
very briefly. They responded well to it, however the majority of the class are not accustomed to using drama as
a means of creative expression
Teaching approach:
group creative routines & performance, class discussion,
story-telling
Required resources:
Story of choice which builds up to climatic point
which can be expressed well dramatically – in
this case teacher has used own created story
(attached)
Warm-up activity:
Est. time:
Ordering using mime
Teacher explains below game (teacher to emphasise that no talking is allowed):
5 min
Learners are split into two groups and are required to get themselves in order according to how
many brothers and sisters they may have (incl step & half). Two teams race each other and first
team to get in order sits down. Teacher then checks if order is correct.
If time allows – add other ordering criteria such as: alphabetically according to surname or month
of the year in which they were born.
(Teacher numbers learners and puts them into groups of 4 while seated)
Stages of lesson/learning activities:
Teacher talk – aims of lesson
Teacher explains that in lesson, learners are going to use mime to express a particular event – in
the same way they would have noticed they had to use big actions and clever ways in which to
tell people their message in the game, so they have to use specific actions to show people what
is happening in their ‘drama’. Learners will have to mime a 1-minute scene during which the
teacher will shout freeze. Learners will have to then freeze in a certain position. Other learners in
class then have to guess what the scene is. Teacher does example of scene such as reading
newspaper or making tea. One learner of class is asked to shout freeze to indicate to teacher
when he/she should stop.
3 min
Story-telling/intro of short ‘story’
Teacher reads beginning of story, creating climatic point. Then explains to class that they will
have to mime what the girl in the story finds in the cupboard in approx 30 sec and freeze when
teacher indicates. Teacher makes group choose character of the girl in the story out of their
groups so as to create a starting point for them.
2 min
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Group creative routine (planning)
Learners in groups of four plan their mime.
10 min
Group Performance/Class guessing/Evaluation
After each group performs their mime, the class guesses what ‘was in the cupboard’. Teacher
points out concepts in simple terms re. clues to look out for in the determination of a scene; use
of body movement & facial expression to depict scene etc.
10 min
Planned assessment:
 Group performances
Expanded opportunities:
 Requirements of group creative routine can be enhanced depending on class e.g. the creation of sound
effects using body/voice could be incorporated, provided limited dialogue could be given to groups etc.
This would be dependent on the plans for past or future lesson and on the particular drama aims.
Teacher’s reflection/comments post-lesson:
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