Arts Education 10, 20, 30 - Model Module: Drama (Lesson One: 0ption C)

Learning Objectives Activities

Drama
(approx. 12.5 hours or 15 50-minute lessons)

Option C: Play Study

Teacher Information:

A play study is a means of having students explore the text and ideas in a scripted play. This particular play study is based on the one-act play Men and Angels by Lynn Kirk, which can be found in the book Eureka! (See the Arts Education bibliography.) Any play that deals with individuality, conformity, crossroads, or personal or cultural identity would be appropriate for this module.

This play study is based on an approach for guiding students through reading and responding to plays that is suggested in In Character: Reflections in Drama, Teacher's Guide.

• examine and analyse plays and dramatic productions in terms of how the ideas and the work connect to their own ideas and experience

Lesson One: Introduction to Men and Angels

Ask the students if they have ever heard the term "free will". Ask them to think for a few minutes, then write in their journals what they believe is meant by free will.

Tell the students that the play Men and Angels is about two characters, Jase and Penny, who are not particularly happy with the directions their lives are going. Read the students the following quote from the play. Jase says, "Saint Augustine said it. Men are like the angels, he said. Men, and angels, have free will". Ask the students if any of them have ideas about what the quote could mean. Ask the students if they believe they themselves have free will. If not, why not? If so, how do they think they might exercise free will in their own lives in the future?

Have the students silently read the play Men and Angels. If they don't finish in class time, ask them to finish reading as homework.