Week 2: On board the Titanic
Recalling the previous drama lesson
Inside Margaret’s Cabin- creating the
drama space
Margaret’s Special Items
Exploring the cabin through the
senses
Still images exploring Margaret’s
dreams
 Reflective Diary entry in role
Week 1: Getting to know Margaret
Introduction to Margaret
Developing the Story
TIR –as Margaret
CIR- Still images exploring
dramatic moments before Margaret
sets off on the Titanic
 Children reflect on the
performance carousel
Drama Scheme
5th Class
Week 3: The Collision
Recapping on the story so far
Children will listen and respond to a teacher
led narration
Still images of the collision in groups
Group improvisation- The lifeboat
Margaret on the Carpathia- TIR and CIRThought tracking circle
Reflection on Margaret’s feelings
Reflection on the drama
Subject Name: Drama
Class: 5th Class
Strand: Drama to explore feelings, knowledge and ideas, leading to understanding
Strand Units:
Exploring and making drama
Reflecting on drama
Co-operating and communicating in making drama
Number and duration of lessons:
3 lessons 45 minutes duration
Aims:
To develop the child’s ability to enter physically, emotionally and intellectually into the drama world.
To enable the child to co-operate and communicate with others through the drama.
To enable the child to acquire this knowledge of drama through the active exploration of theme of the Titanic through empathising with characters and
reflecting on the drama.
To develop the child’s confidence and self-esteem through valuing self-expression.
Previous Related Knowledge:
The children have actively participated in drama in the classroom and have an understanding of the subject. Their drama lessons take place in their
classroom and these lessons have previously involved mimed narration, improvisation in groups or pairs and creating still images.
The children have been studying the Titanic in history lessons and have some knowledge of what life was like on board the Titanic, particularly for
steerage (Third class) passengers. This background information will be helpful throughout this drama.
Content Objective(s)
Week One:
The child should be
enabled to……
-learn, through drama, the
relationship between
story, theme and life
experience
Content in sequence
Methodologies and Teaching Approaches
T&D-The children look at images of the titanic and we will
discuss what we have learnt about the event from our history
lessons.

Introducing the stimulus: Setting the scene

Building the context: Preparing to meet Margaret
-develop, out of role, the
ability to co-operate and
to communicate with
others in helping to shape
the drama
DT and T&D- I will display a picture of the Carpathia. I will
explain to the children that there was a woman in the
background of the picture who we cannot see. I will ask the
class to think of questions that they can ask if they meet her.
We will write the questions on a large sheet of paper. This will
be done as a whole class.

Teacher in Role: Meeting Margaret
-develop, in role, the
ability to co-operate and
communicate with others
in helping to shape the
drama
TIR- The children will be seated in a large circle. Using a
scarf I will engage in teacher-in-role and become the character
of Margaret. AL & CL- The children will ask questions to
Margaret. I will answer their questions and read out a letter
which will reveal some more information about Margaret.

Teacher out of role: Reflection on Margaret’s
character
AL- T&D- CL The children will work in groups and discuss
three new pieces of information about Margaret that they learnt
from the letter. I will record a profile of Margaret on a large
sheet of paper
-develop fictional
relationships through
interaction with the other
characters in small-group
or whole-class scenes as
the drama text is being
made
-enact spontaneously for
others in the group a
scene from the drama, or

Children in role:
Still images performed through Performance Carousel AL & CL- The children will explore Margaret’s last days
before she boarded the Titanic through still images. (GW)
I will play music during the performance
Each group will depict one of the moments from the days she
boarded the Titanic
share with the rest of the
class a scene that has
already been made in
simultaneous small-group
work

Reflection on still images
T&D Children will orally reflect on how they felt during the
performance carousel.

Recalling the previous drama lesson
DT- I will reintroduce the children to the story
T&D- The children will recap on what they know so far about
Margaret and her story. We will discuss where we are now in
her life.

Building on the context- Inside Margaret’s cabin
T&D CL- UE- I will use masking tape to mark the outline of
the cabin that Margaret shared with Mary and Kate on the
classroom floor. I will elicit responses from the children about
what furniture could be in the cabin.

Creating the dramatic space-children decide how
best to represent the cabin setting
AL and CL- Some of the children will place some small
drawings of furniture into the cabin. They will decide which
bed belongs to Margaret

Margaret’s special items- Children respond to the
knowledge they have of Margaret and her family
Teacher led discussion on what items Margaret may have
packed that were important to her – Family photograph- letter
from her mother- gift from her brother. (WC)
In groups the children will draw some items that may have
been of significance to Margaret and they will say where in the
cabin she might have kept them e.g Photo of her family under
her pillow.(GW) One child from each group then places the
item in the cabin stating what it is and where it is kept (IW)
Exploring the cabin through the senses-
DT- I will model how to explore the cabin using my senses. I
will then invite the children to step into the cabin and look and
respond to what can be seen in the cabin? What can be heard
from inside the cabin? What does the Cabin sound like?
Week Two:
The child should be
enabled to……
- discover how the use of
space and objects helps in
building the context and
in signifying the drama
theme
-learn, through drama, the
relationship between
story, theme and life
experience
-develop, out of role, the
ability to co-operate and
to communicate with
others in helping to shape
the drama
-develop, in role, the
ability to co-operate and
communicate with others
in helping to shape the
drama
AL and CL- The children explore the cabin using their senses,
to what they see using the following sentences “I can see…I
can hear…I can smell” (IW)
-develop fictional
relationships through
interaction with the other
characters in small-group
or whole-class scenes as
the drama text is being
made
-enact spontaneously for
others in the group a scene
from the drama, or share
with the rest of the class a
scene that has already been
made in simultaneous smallgroup work
Dream sequence- Children create still images of
Margaret’ dream
I will play music during the performance

T&D- The children will reflect and respond to Margaret’s first
night in the cabin. We will speculate and discuss what she may
have dreamt about so the children have some ideas to work
with.
AL and CL The children (GW) will then create two images of
her dream and they will perform this dream sequence moving
between images. They will show these images in a performance
carousel so they can watch each other’s work
Reflection on dreams- Diary entry in role
SC and AL The children will write the diary entry in role as
Margaret on her first night on the Titanic. Some children may
be willing to share their work. I will play music as the children
write to allow them to be fully immersed in the experience.
Week Three:
The child should be
enabled to……
-learn, through drama, the
relationship between
story, theme and life
experience
-develop, out of role, the
ability to co-operate and
to communicate with
others in helping to shape
the drama

Recapping on the story so far
T&D- I will reintroduce the children to Margaret’s story and
we will discuss what happened in the last lesson

Narration- Children will listen and respond to the
narration
TD- I will narrate a piece to the whole class. We will discuss
how Margaret might have felt when the ship collided.

Creating still images to depict a dramatic scene

Each group will share their images with the whole
Class
AL – CL and T&D I will then divide the class into groups and
we will discuss 5 possible scenes on board the ship as it
collided. (GW)I will give each group a different scenario and
they will create three images of their scene from the moment
the ship is hit to when the ship starts to go down.
-develop, in role, the
ability to co-operate and
communicate with others
in helping to shape the
drama
-develop fictional
relationships through
interaction with the other
characters in small-group
or whole-class scenes as
the drama text is being
made
-enact spontaneously for
others in the group a scene
from the drama, or share
with the rest of the class a
scene that has already been
made in simultaneous smallgroup work

Setting the roles- I will brief each of the groups about DT-I will give each group role on board the ship(Crewmembers on deck, Margaret, other passengers, crew on
the situation they are in before we begin the
board lifeboat) (GW)
improvisation.

Creating the dramatic space-children decide how
best to depict the lifeboat and the decking
AL and CL- UE- Some of the children will create the lifeboat
and decking while I brief the other children about the dramatic
tension that is about to occur (Margaret frees the boat with a
penknife in her pocket) (GW)

Setting the scene- Building on the context of what we T&D We will discuss what the mood would have been life as
people were scrambling onto lifeboats, what people would have
know
felt and what kind of voices they used (WC)

Group improvisation- The lifeboat

Margaret on the Carpathia- TIR and CIR- Thought
tracking


Out of role – The children will write a reflective
sentence on how Margaret is feeling on board the ship
Reflection
AL- CL and PS The children will improvise the scene. They
will share their improvisations with one another. (I will make
the link of the penknife that was used to cut the ropes of the
lifeboat and the present she got from her brother)
DT- I will narrate a passage as the children listen. (Nobody has
seen Margarets friends Kate and Mary)
AL- CL- SC- We will then create a circle of people on board
the Carpathia. Each child will create a still image of someone
who is on board the ship. CIR I will touch each child on the
shoulder and they will give one sentence on their thoughts.
TIR as Margaret going around the group asking if they have
seen her friends. She eventually sits on a chair and holds still.
Out of role- I will leave my scarf on the chair
AL CL T&D- The children will place Margaret’s thoughts
beside her chair as music is played in the background
T&D Children will orally reflect on how they felt during the
drama lesson.
Integration:
History- The Titanic- Freeze frame key moments to create dramatic action and improvisation
Gaeilge- Rólimirt sa bhialann, ar saoire
PE- Dance, balance, body shapes used in drama
Music- Sound scapes, vocal sounds body percussion, composing
Visual Arts- Exploring human elements presented in paintings of artists, responding to artist’s work
Religion- Stories and Songs interpreted through drama
Differentiation:
I will keep instructions short and precise to aid children who find it difficult to focus in class. I will also use English which isn’t too difficult and visuals
to include EAL learners. There are also some resource and learning-support children who may need more visual resources.
Differentiation by task/skill level
Some children will give verbal explanations instead of written explanations to the class. I will ask two children to model a paired activity before the rest
of the children complete it. I will accommodate for a variety of learning styles – i.e. auditory, visual and kinaesthetic.
Differentiation by process:
The children will be grouped according to mixed ability to scaffold learning. If there is anyone who is not willing to speak out I will talk to the child and
encourage them to get involved even if it is only to say a couple of words. If they are still unwilling I will give them a different task such as miming etc. I
will use a selection of lower and higher order questions as well as open and closed questions to suit each child’s ability.
In a general context I will consider also:
Paired/group activities
Multi-sensory approaches (Music)
Facilitate a variety of different learning styles abilities and ages
Support through questioning, prompts, teaching strategies, grouping
Different learning objectives will be set specific to class levels and individual levels
Differentiation of teaching style to cater for different learning styles, multiple intelligences and independent learners
Provide opportunities for collaborative learning and peer tutoring in both mixed ability and same ability grouping
Providing adequate supply of resources, materials and activities to support needs of individuals
Assessment:
Teacher observation- I will monitor how well the children enter the fictional lens, maintain in role, work with a brief, and understand the drama
elements. Can they engage with the teacher in role, can they explore key moments from the drama? Can they go into role themselves?
Teacher designated tasks- I will monitor and asses to the extent which the child enters the drama content and makes dramatic action.
I will also assess their ability to co-operate in the dramatic action when in role, in still images and reflecting on the drama.
Can the children self- assess- can they reflect on drama and gain insights from the drama. Have they gained the ability to communicate, express opinions
and feelings and relate to real life experiences?
Resources:
Images of the Titanic
Picture of the Carpathia
Scarf
Letter, ticket, iron emblem flag
Large A3 pieces of paper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maJOI3QMu0 music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2-1u8xvk54 music
Masking tape
Coloured card for furniture
Chairs for lifeboat
Pieces of paper for each child
This Scheme and lessons were adapted from http://www.adei.ie/drama-resource-for-upper-primary--margaret-s-gift-.html
(Accessed on 24th of February 2015)