The foundational objectives are the teacher's first consideration when planning the year's work in drama. They embody the required content of the curriculum. Teachers should select appropriate learning objectives from those suggested in the foundational objectives section of this guide and incorporate others, which they will be able to derive from the detailed descriptions of the foundational objectives. Once the teacher has set appropriate objectives, he or she can then proceed through the following steps.
Choosing the Topic
Topics for drama work can arise out of any source that will attract the attention of the students, allow them to bring what they already know and understand to the work, and inspire them to pursue ideas embodied in the topic.
Teachers who closely observe and listen to their students will easily be able to identify interesting and relevant topics for exploration. Brainstorming sessions, in which all ideas are accepted and recorded on chart paper, and an on-going suggestion box will provide a class with more than enough ideas for a year's work in drama. Nevertheless, it is important for students and teacher to reach consensus on the choice of topics for their dramas, as all members of the class must be willing to make a commitment to the work.
Topics suitable for drama work with secondary level students could include:
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Once the class has agreed upon a topic for its drama, students must next suggest various aspects of the topic for exploration. To do this, students could be asked to explore the topic from different points of view or to pose "what if ..." questions that are sparked by their consideration of the topic choice. Individual, small, large or whole group brainstorming will generate more ideas than can be structured into one drama, but it will reveal valuable ideas which might not otherwise have been considered. A webbing, which organizes the thinking of the group, might also be helpful as the teacher moves toward identifying the focus; that is, one particular aspect of the topic for exploration.
Identifying the Focus
If a class chose to do a drama about "the environment", for example, a possible focus might respond to the question "What would the effect on a particular community be when fire damages a toxic waste storage site nearby?" The drama could begin with people (students in role) recently evacuated from their homes questioning a government official (teacher in role) who has been assigned to meet with them.
During the course of a drama the focus can shift, as can the roles taken by the teacher and the students. This allows the topic to be approached from other points-of-view. For example, in the environment drama the focus could shift to respond to the question, "What measures can be taken to safely dispose of toxic wastes?"
In this case, a government official (teacher in role) would call together a panel of experts (students in role) who have knowledge of and previous experience with the disposal of toxic wastes.
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Teacher Note The teacher's role in each case is that of government official. However, the function of the role changes. In the first case, the teacher is in role as someone who represents others who have power to change the situation. In the second case, the teacher is in role as someone who is seeking information from the experts. Please see "Teacher in Role" for more about the function of role. |