DARKWOOD
MANOR
Year 9
Drama
Scheme of Work
by Doug Black.
Darkwood
Manor
About this scheme
Students will initially create character through the medium of WGD and hot seating. This will
lead to the development of ghost stories, using the character creations.
EXPECTATIONS
At the end of this unit
most pupils will: have created a realistic character with some depth, using and
understanding recognised techniques such as hot seating, whom they will have performed in
an atmospheric ghost story, demonstrating good audience awareness
some pupils will not have made as much progress and will: have created a superficial
character, using recognised techniques such as hot seating whom they will have performed in
a ghost story.
some pupils will have progressed further and will: have created a character with real
depth, performing the role with sensitivity and understanding in a atmospheric ghost story that
has considered audience response.
OUTCOMES
Level
E
M
A
Target
Students will have created a genuinely atmospheric and
appropriate ghostly performance, leading their group
sensitively, using all resources available, performing a
sustained character with true depth
Students will have created an atmospheric performance,
working with their group sensitively, performing a sustained
and appropriate character
Students will have worked with the group cooperatively to
create their performance, showing a character with mostly
good concentration
Prior learning
It is helpful if pupils have:
 Talked about atmosphere elsewhere
 Experienced whole group drama previously (eg. Y9 drama)
Language for learning
Through the activities in the unit pupils will be able to understand, use and spell correctly
words relating to:
 Atmosphere, characterisation, hot seating, Improvisation
Resources
 None
Future learning
Pupils will go on to:
 Create and refine character using hot seating in other SOW
 Consider atmospheric success for future performance
Enrichment
Learning could be enriched through:
 Strong performance could be filmed for Alfriston Media Matrix
 Students will independently work with characterisation creation skills in their own work
SOW format: Year 10 Darkwood Manor
Lesson 1: Teacher in role introduction to SOW theme, reintroduction to whole
group drama, discussion of role
Lesson 2: Character development: hot seating and improvisation.
Lesson 3: Performance creation, adding elements of atmosphere
Lesson 4: Assessment, performance, evaluation, self-assessment sheets
Lesson One
AIMS:
 To understand the concept of role
 To understand the function of Whole Group Drama and Teacher in Role
OBJECTIVES:
 To experience a successful WGD
 To create a character for next week
 To experience the story of Darkwood Manor
Task
Teacher Thinking
Criteria
Differ
Thinking
Register
As usual with high expectations
of class.
Explain Whole
Group Drama:
In a moment we are
going to start a WGD.
When I start I will
play a character and
you will play a
character. You need
to listen carefully to
what I say and decide
whom you might be.
Use 3,2,1 GO! As a start and
‘Freeze’ to stop students.
Focus,
Literacy
Sit in an
appropri
ate
position
in circle.
Enquiry,
Creative
Practice WGD
Use several
examples of practice
WGD. See attached
sheet DM1 for ideas.
Introduce importance of using
role, discuss what role is etc.
Comm.,
WGD,
Forum
Teacher in role
Teacher in role to
explain situation
(using prompt sheet
DM2 if necessary.)
Respond to students at all times
in role.
Focus,
WGD,
Literacy
Ensure that every students has
a character.
Allow story to
develop, take
questions from
students. Develop
characters of
students.
Evaluate
Reflect on WGD.
Ask every student to
vocalise the
character that they
created. Ask students
to remember
characters for next
week.
Success: you don’t need to be
at centre of drama to succeed:
you need to maintain a role
Evaluation
Creative
Ensure
that all
students
are
actively
participa
ting.
Enquiry,
Creative
Evaluatio
n
DM1: Suggested WGD
Whole Group Drama
Key issues involved






Clear signals when drama starts and stops.
Remain in circle and only speak when hand is raised
Assist students with comments like ‘Who are you?’ ‘What’s it got to do
with you?’ etc.
Maintain character at all times: rise above students who find this
difficult
Be contentious, try to create issues and allow students to do this
themselves
Respect students ideas, allow them freedom to experiment
1. Mr. Goodbury: Introduce yourself as Mr. Goodbury and state how
pleased you are to see so many parents and governers of the school.
Explain that you are giving 2 million in cash to school. Allow story to
develop, eventually admitting that you will change the school into a
chocolate factory and test chocolate on students
2. Evil PE teacher:Start meeting by welcoming parents and teachers.
Explain that all stories in the news were exxageratted and frankly, Little
Johnny deserves no sympathy as the razor blades in the sandpit are
perfectly reasonable study motivators and that he lazily refused to jump
the required distance.
3. Earth destructs: Unfortunately there are too many people on earth
and we need to start a cull or it will blow up. Who should we get rid of
and why?
4. etc. Any idea that forces students to confront issues/ take on roles is
ideal. Make sure that you are always in clear charge and that you take
a high status/important role for success.
DM2
Darkwood Manor
As a TIR, thank group for coming to the meeting, having read the newspaper
article. Through questioning, the group will find out that they have agreed to
spend a night in Darkwood Manor. They will be paid £200 when they have
signed a disclaimer in the morning, stating that the house is not haunted.
Allow the story to develop, stating that this is a very old house, dating from
1642. There is no electricity and the east wing is out of bounds. The teacher
inherited it from an uncle, following his death. The uncle lived here alone for a
very long time.
As group asks questions, find out about their characters and roles within the
village and the stories they have heard about the house.
Deny all suggestions that the house is haunted.
Lesson Two: Darkwood Manor
AIMS:
 To understand freeze frame technique
 To understand the techniques used to create role
OBJECTIVES:
 To demonstrate freeze frame understanding
 To experience hot-seating
Task
Teacher Thinking
Criteria
Register
With usual high
expectations
Focus
Recap
What did we do last
lesson?
What was your
character?
Can be used to
inform pupils absent
from last lesson.
Get name and age
for each character
Focus
Hot Seating
We need to develop
characters further:
what’s the best way of
doing this?
Take suggestions,
students should know
the term hot seating
and understand what it
is.
What do you need to
be good at it?
What might you need to
consider?
Take suggestions
form students and
ensure that hot
seating is vocalised.
Hot seating
Send off in groups of 5
to hot seat in turn.
Each student has
approx. 5 minutes.
Rotate through group
on teacher command.
Rotate ensuring
that students are
fully engaged.
Group work
Freeze Frame
Discussion of freeze
frame: what makes a
good one?
Consider:
Body language,
Facial expression,
Levels,
Status,
Could it come to
life?
Tension
Theatre Form
Create freeze frames
In groups of five, using
characters created,
show three freeze
frames demonstrating
what happened at
Darkwood Manor.
Show.
Use of above
Group work
Creative
Evaluate
What was successful?
Why?
Were we emotionally
involved or not?
Why?
Did we show our
characters?
Consider earlier
discussion
Communication
Evaluation
H/W
Research a real ghost
story for next week.
If necessary
demonstrate with a
student.
Communication
Differ
Thinking
Give
struggling
students
suggestions.
Creative,
Enquiry
Focus
Communication
S/H/C
Group work
Creating
character
Mix groups
up to avoid
friendship
issues.
Creative,
Enquiry
Reasoning
Space
Staging
Audience
Lesson three: Darkwood Manor
AIMS:
 To consider the role of atmosphere
 To consider the role of the narrator
 To understand the ability to construct a drama
OBJECTIVES:
 To have created a performance ready for next weeks assessment
 To have created a frightening atmosphere
Task
Teacher Thinking
Crite
ria
Ghost story
Reflect on h/w
What constitutes a good
ghost story?
What elements are present?
Does anyone have any
examples?
Try to draw out
personal experiences
of when students have
been frightened in past.
If slow, add some
experiences of your
own.
Evalu
ation
Litera
cy
Creation of Ghost story
Today we are going to create
a ghost story about the night
at Darkwood manor. You can
use any of the elements that
we have discussed but you
must frame it in a particular
form of which you have a
choice. You must use the
characters you have created
in the past.
Stress:
 Use characters
already created
 Create
atmosphere
 Possible
technical
elements of
sound/lights
 Use of past
skills:
soundscape/fre
eze frame
Theat
re
Form,
Differ
Thinking
Register
With usual high standards
CHOICES (write these on
board)
 Reportage (news
documentary)
 Narration: one
student to narrate
story, can be
interrupted with the
following elements
Each choice must include
at least one example of
the following:





Soundscape
Freeze frame
Improvised
scenes
Use of characters
Frightening
atmosphere
FRAMES:


Audie
nce,
ICT,
Grou
p
work
Evaluation,
Information
Us mixed
ability
groups but
guide
choices.
Reportage
offers less
freedom but
simpler
framing.
Narration
offers more
freedom but
trickier
framing.
Creative
Reportage
suitable for less
able groups
Narration
suitable for
advanced
groups
Reportage framing
sheet available from
Disappearance Y7
SOW
Planning
Each group has 10 minutes to
plan ideas, which they will
then present back to the
group for discussion. Plans
must be clear and obvious.
Circle and assist.
Reasoning,
Enquiry,
Creative
Plan to group
Listen to each groups plans
and discuss.
Offer positive advice.
Advise groups with low
confidence after public
session.
Evaluation
Rehearsal time
Allow groups rest of time to
rehearse.
Explain that next lesson a
rehearsal time of 20 minutes
will be allowed, followed by
their assessment.
Ensure that groups are
planned for next
lesson: narrators may
need to write a script/
bullet point their story,
students may need
props/sound etc. from
home.
Focu
s,
Grou
p
work
Focus
assistance
on helping
organisation
of scenes.
Creative
Note: prior to lesson 4, a number of extra lessons may take place to further define character,
add various dramatic elements and potentially learn theatre resources.
Lesson Four: Darkwood Manor
OBJECTIVES:
 To have created and performed an accomplished and frightening story
Task
Teacher Thinking
Criteria
Differ
Thinkin
g
Register
With usual high standards
Rehearsal
Check everyone has everything
that they need
Circle and allow time as
necessary. Be flexible on
this issue: if students
genuinely need more
time allow it.
Reasoni
ng
Performance
Explain level system first,
stressing what the students need
to do to achieve a high level.
Preferably to another group
Focus on high
expectations.
Creative
,
Informat
ion
Evaluation
Brief and to the point because of
h/w
Positive comments
Audience
,
Evaluatio
n
H/W
Write a brief evaluation (at least
half a side of A4 of another
groups work.
Comments must be
positive and using some
of the correct language,
go over this.
Evaluatio
n,
Literacy
Evaluati
on
Assist
student
s to
write
into
h/w
diaries.
If
necess
ary add
some
phrase
s to
board.
Evaluati
on