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UNIT PLANNER: The Arts: Drama NAME:

UNIT THEME: Emotions BAND: Primary

Years
YEAR LEVEL: Year 5
STRAND: Arts Practice

OVERVIEW OF THE UNIT

This unit of work will give the students an outlook into their emotions and what
they feel after certain events in their life occur. The students will be involved in
improvisational work, tableau work and role playing performances to their fellow
class members. This unit of work will run for six weeks, starting off with activities
for the students to gain an understanding of emotions through a ‘cause and
effect’ process, working through group work and performances. Detailed lesson
plans will be provided for lessons one and two. This way, the flow of the lessons
can be understood for the remainder of the unit which will be briefly but clearly
explained. The unit of work will be assessed and the unit outcomes evaluated
orally through questioning during the class time, through a drama journal which
the students will write in after every lesson to reflect on what they have learnt,
through teacher assessment methods after every lesson and through peer
assessment of the last group performances.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

The class has been working on improvisation and role play through other drama
themes throughout the year. This is the second unit of work which will rely on the
students’ knowledge on this area. The students have a large understanding of
emotions as it has been integrated into the other curriculum areas of the
classroom, namely English and Society and the Environment. (See mind map-
Appendix 1) It was therefore decided to integrate emotions into the drama
curriculum so that the students will be able to appreciate how emotions are
portrayed by body language and facial expressions, and so there can be a
number of issues that can be tackled in a light and fun way.

Essential Learnings focus:

❏Futures √ Identity √Interdependence √Thinking √Communication

Key competenciesfocus: √ collecting, analysing, organising

information;
√communicating ideas and information; √planning and organising activities;
√working with others in teams; ❏using mathematical ideas and
techniques;
√solving problems; ❏ using technology.

Unit Outcome(s)
Strand/s: Key ideas
2

Arts Practice √ Students draw from Conceptual

thought, imagination, (knowledge/understandin
data and research, and g)
Arts analysis & Response the examination of social
• Students will have
and cultural issues, to
demonstrate personal an understanding
aesthetic preference, and of their feelings
provide imaginative and emotions.
Arts in
solutions and artistic • Student will
Contexts responses to ideas and become aware of
issues. social events and
the effect of these
Id T KC1 KC2 events.
• Students will gain
Students develop
knowledge of the styles, an understanding
forms and conventions of on how their own
each arts form; refine art actions affect
skills; apply appropriate other peoples’
techniques; explore, plan emotions.
organise and employ
both creative and
abstract thought in the
production of arts works. Skills ( can do)
T C KC3 KC6 • Students will be
able to develop
their problem
solving skills.
Outcomes • Students will be
Standard 3 able to think about
the same thing in
Outcome 3.1
different ways.
Uses thought, • Students will be
imagination, research able to work
and experimentation cooperatively in
groups.
to create/re-create arts
• Students will be
works within each arts
form that able to work
through a variety
convey meaning about of art practice
issues within their activities.
community.

Id In T C KC1 KC2

Outcome 3.2 Affective (feel)

Selects, plans and • Students will
constructs arts works develop a positive
within each arts form self image
using appropriate • Students will
combination of skills, develop a sense of
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techniques, processes, understanding as

conventions and to why they feel
technologies. T C KC1 different emotions
KC3
• Students will
develop a sense of
group work and
resolution.

Week 1 Teacher references and resources

Stage 1 - INTRODUCTION; (List here all equipment, stories,

poems, music, materials, website,
Explain to the children that for the next few weeks workshop/practical notes and
they will be concentrating on feelings and emotions. drama texts- full references.
To start off, read the book ‘When I’m feeling sad’ By
Trace Moroney. Ask the students the following
questions: Tambourine is used is all lessons to
– What makes you sad? draw the students attention back to
– What do you do when you are sad? the teacher.
– Do you talk to people about your problems?
– Do you have a special place or special thing Moroney, T 2005, When I’m Feeling
you do when you are sad? Sad, Five Mile Press Pty Ltd, Victoria,
Australia.
Next get the students to brainstorm all the different
emotions which people feel. (This will help to guide
which emotions the students know and feel strongly Whiteboard marker
about and also can be copied onto flashcards for
future activities) Whiteboard
Ask the students the following questions:
– When do we feel happy/ sad/ lonely/ loved etc?
– Do we have control over other peoples’
feelings? How?
– How do we try to control our own feelings?

Stage 2 - DEVELOPMENT; Whiteboard marker

Whiteboard
Conversations
The students will be working in pairs for the following
activity.
One will be a ‘plum’ and the other will be an ‘apple’.
The plum is going to be a brother who is teasing his
sister (apple) about a boy that she likes.
The students will act out the conversation. Make sure
that the students think about how each of the
characters would be feeling, therefore what words
and expressions they would use. For example: apple
may be embarrassed so they could use sarcastic
language to brush off what plum is saying to them.
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Give the students some time to have their

conversations. Next, get the students’ attention again
and ask a couple of the groups some questions (in
their roles):
– Plum: How do you think your sister feels while
you are teasing her?
– Do you think you could make her feel better? Primary Arts, 1997, Drama Trix, Dance/
– How are you feeling about this? Drama Educational Consultants,
– How do you think you would feel if she was Victoria, Australia
teasing you?
– Apple: How do you feel?
– Do you think your brother understands how
you feel right now? Why? Why not?
– How did you resolve the situation?

Stage 3 - PROBLEM SOLVING;

The next task will require the students to be in

groups of 4 or 5, and will allow them to use
improvisation and movement drama methods.

From the list of emotional words which were

brainstormed on the board, each group is given a
word and then asked to create an ‘Emotion Machine’
out of their bodies. The students are to think about
the actions which would relate to each emotion.
Each group is to form a circle. One person starts off in
the middle of the circle and makes a noise or gesture
for the machine. For example, giggling and jumping
up and down for a happy machine. The next person in
the circle joins in by adding to the machine with their
own unique action. This continues until the entire
group is joining in completing the machine. The
students are to remember their order and actions
which they used in preparation to perform it to the
class. They should be given time to rehearse their
machine, so they can either give each other ideas, or
fix the ‘kinks’ in their machinery.

Stage 4 - PRESENTING AND REFLECTING; McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce

Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 2,
Presenting and reflecting: Pearson Education Australia, NSW,
The students will present their work, group by group Australia
to the class. After each group, a variety of questions
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will be asked to evaluate the students learning.

Questions include:
– What emotion was this emotion machine?
– How did you know this?
– To a group member: Why did you decide to
Emotional word card (appendix 2)
move around this way? (slouching for sad etc)
– What did you notice about the way the happy/
sad/ angry groups moved?
– Is this similar to the way you move when you
are feeling this way? Do you have a bounce in
your step when you are happy?
The students are to then write in their drama journals
which will be an ongoing task after each lesson to
look at their development during the unit of work.
They are to given the following questions to answer:
– How do you believe your group performed
today?
– Do you believe you were able to perform to
your best ability? Why/ Why not?
– What do you think you could do better next
week?
– What has this lesson taught you about
emotions?
*Teaching Assessment*

Week 2

Stage 1 - INTRODUCTION;
A pair of shoes is first shown to the students as a
model for the up and coming lesson. Ask the students
the following questions:
– What kind of person would be wearing these
shoes?
– Why do you think that this kind of person
would be wearing these kind of shoes?
– Has anyone seen anybody wearing these
shoes? How did they act?
– Who would NOT be wearing these shoes? Why?
– How do you think this person feels wearing
these shoes? E.g. important, embarrassed,
tired etc
Explain that today they will be role playing characters
at a bus stop scene using the shoes as their props.
They are to think of the questions that were just
discussed in the classroom and take this into
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consideration when thinking about what type of Drama journals

person they will be and what their character will be
Pens
feeling. If you’re tired you wouldn’t wear stiletto heels
is an example of this. Questions to glue into the students
books (appendix 3)

Stage 2 - DEVELOPMENT;
Individual work
Three pairs of shoes are placed in the front of the
classroom. (If three pairs of shoes are unable to be
gathered, three pictures of shoes can be printed off
as an alternative)
You are sitting at the bus stop waiting for your bus to
Appendix 14
come. Using your shoes as your props, and as a piece
of your characters identity, show a photograph of
how you are sitting at the bus stop.
Each child is to have a think which pair of shoes they
would like to use and who their character is going to
be in the following activity. Ask the students the
Tambourine
following questions:
– How do you think your character will feel in
your shoes?
– Are they an important person? How do you
know this? McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce
– How do they feel sitting next to the other two Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 2,
people? Pearson Education Australia, NSW,
– How can you show a photo of your feelings Australia
and emotions in your character?
After discussion the students will get the opportunity
to ‘freeze’ into their photograph. A couple of students 3 pairs of shoes and/ or pictures of
are asked the following questions: shoes (appendix 4)
– Which shoes did you use?
– How does your character feel in these shoes?
– The class is asked: How did Ben* show his
feelings and emotions in his character?
– What is your characters story?

Stage 3 - PROBLEM SOLVING;

The students are to get into groups of three or four
for the following activity. The students will be
involved in role play work and freeze frame work.

The students will then get into groups of three or four

and each discuss which shoes they had used for their
character, and what the story of their character was.
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They are to choose one of the students’ characters’

stories and discuss what happened to this character
before they were at the bus stop.
They are to work together and rehearse a short scene
of what happened before the character reached the
bus stop.
The scene will start with the frozen photograph of the
character at the bus stop as the student had used it
in the previous activity. They are to hold this for a few
seconds so the audience will know the general
character of the person.
They will then act out the scene with the rest of the
group until they reach the ending scene again and
freeze to finish.
They should be given time to rehearse this in order to
be ready to perform it to the class.
Observations can be made of each group by walking
around and asking them questions which is relevant
to their group.

Stage 4 - PRESENTING AND REFLECTING;

Presenting and reflecting:
The students will present their work, group by group
to the class. After each group, a variety of questions
will be asked to evaluate the students learning.
Questions can include:
– What happened in the story?
– What were the characters traits in the story?
– Why was this character chosen?
– How did you decide what you character was
feeling after wearing these shoes?
The students are to then write in their drama journals
for the week.
They are to given the following questions to answer:
– How do you believe your group performed
today?
– Do you believe you were able to perform to
your best ability? Why/ Why not?
– What do you think you could do better next
week?
– What has this lesson taught you about
emotions?
*Teacher Assessment*
8

Week 3

The aim of this lesson is the focus on improvisation

skills and role play methods. It will also introduce
asides to the children, that being when the students
all freeze and the character explains to the audience
their feelings.

• The students will be shown a series of before

and after photos. They will discuss what
happened between these photos.
• Explain that today the students will be given
the beginnings and ending of stories which
they are to fill in the middle of. They are to
include asides in this role play.
• The students are to get into four groups, with
scenario cards to give them their situations
• After the students have completed practising
their role plays, a couple are asked to perform
to the class. The students of the group are
asked a series of questions:
– Why did you choose to resolve your problem
like this?
– Was this way a good way?
– How would your character have felt after this
scene finished?
– How could you have handled this differently?

• The students are to then write in their drama

journals and answer the following questions:
– How did your group work well?
– Did you think you performed well?
– What did you learn about emotions today?
– What did you learn about showing your
emotions to your audience?

*Teacher Assessment*

Week 4
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The aim of this lesson is for the students to realise

there are certain ways to go about their anger, and to
also put themselves in other peoples’ shoes to
understand how they would feel in certain situations.
It will focus on improvisation and role playing
methods.
Drama journals

Pens
• Read the story ‘Ashley the Teenager’. Talk
about how each of the characters is feeling. Question sheet -Appendix 5
– How is the dad feeling in this story?
– What happens when people feel angry?
– What should we do when we feel angry?
• Get the students to improvise the activity in
groups of four to show what happens next.
When the students have gone through their act
get them to sit down in their groups, and in
role ask them the following questions:
• Dad
– How did you feel when your daughter had
not returned home yet?
– Do you think you could have been a little
easier on her?
– How did you calm down? Appendix 14
• Daughter
– What are your feelings towards your dad at
the moment?
– Do you understand where your dad is
coming from and why he was so angry?
– How do you think you would have felt in his
shoes?
Tambourine
• At the end of the lesson get the students to
write in their journal books and to ask the
following questions:
McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce
– How did your group work well?
Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 3,
– Did you think you performed well?
Pearson Education Australia, NSW,
– What did you learn about emotions
Australia
today?
*Teacher Assessment*

Photos Appendix 6

Week 5

The aim of this lesson is to revise how the students’

bodies and expressions determine the emotions of
the characters before the final performance.
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• The students will be shown a variety of

pictures of people with different emotions. The
students are to look at the way in which each
of the people are pictured in the photos.
• Go through each of the photos and see if they
Scenario cards- Appendix 15
can guess the emotions.
• Ask:
– How they knew these were the emotions?
– What makes the look work? (facial
expressions etc)
– Is the body positioned in a certain way?
Why do you think the scared person is
crouched down?
• The students are then told that they will be in a
museum display today. They are to get into
partners. One person is to be a plum, and the
other is to be an apple. The plum is to sculpt
the apple into an emotional sculpture first.
• Once they have finished the models are to stay Drama journals
still while the sculptors walk around to look at
the other creations. Pens
• A couple of the models’ sculptors are picked to Questions sheet Appendix 7
be asked (in role) about their model by the
teacher (a buyer from a London Museum).
• Ask the student:
– What is the emotion of this model?
– Why have you sculpted it like this?
– What were you thinking of when
sculpting this model?
– If you could change it now is there any
way you would? Appendix 14
• After going through a few of the models, the
apple then becomes the sculptor for the plums.
The same process is followed.
• The students are to write in their drama
journals at the end of the lesson.
• They are to answer the following questions:
– What is one thing that you used from the
previous weeks for this sculpting lesson? Tambourine
– What is the most important thing when
being a model and showing emotions?
– Do you believe your drama skills have
improved over the last few weeks?
*Teacher Assessment*

Lesson adapted from: Primary Arts,

Week 6 1997, Drama Trix, Dance/ Drama
Educational Consultants, Victoria,
11

Australia

The aim of this week is for the students to revisit

their past experiences with emotions and portraying
‘Ashley the Teenager’- Appendix 16
this in a drama classroom. It will focus on
improvisation and tableau methods.

• Read ‘The King’s Dog’ to the students up until

the sentence ‘the child kept pointing to the dog
and screaming ‘doggy bite’.
• Ask the students what the feel after they have
read the story. How did the King feel?
• Explain that this is not the end of the story. In
groups of five the students are to think of an
ending and talk about this together.
• They are to use improvisation and tableau
methods to finish the story as to what they
think is going to happen in the end. The
students are to work through their
improvisations and then choose what their
tableaus are going to be.
• This is to then be rehearsed to be shown to the
class. All of the tableaus are shown to the
class. The class is to guess what the rest of the
story. The group will then act out the story and
explain what they thought the rest of the story
would be. Every group in the class will be
included in this process.
• After each group has performed ask the
students:
– Why they chose this ending?
– What did they want the audience to feel
after watching it?
– What did you make sure you did really
well in your group so the audience
would see your emotions?
• The audience is to assess each group on the Drama journals
peer assessment sheet.
Questions sheet- Appendix 8
• Then read the rest of the story to the students.
Now ask the students how the story made
them feel.
– How do you think the King felt now?
– How do you think he would change his Appendix 14
behaviour from now on?
• In the students drama journals get them to
answer the following questions:
– What did you learn about emotions this
Tambourine
lesson?
– Do you think your look on your emotions
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and other people’s emotions has

changed since the first lesson?
Pictures of people- Appendix 9
– Do you believe your drama skills have
improved?
– What is something important that you
have learnt about emotions in drama?
– What has been your favourite thing you
have learnt?
*Teacher Assessment*

Drama journal
13

Question sheet- Appendix 10

Pens

Appendix 14

Tambourine

Story taken from:

McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce

Back- Teacher’s Resource Book Level 2,
Pearson Education Australia, NSW,
Australia

‘The Kings Dog’( Appendix 17)

14

Peer assessment sheet- appendix 12

Drama journals

Pens

Questions sheet- appendix 13

Appendix 14
Assessment strategies

• The students will be assessed weekly by observations during the

classroom. It is important for the students to not only concentrate in their
group work, but to also watch and listen to other groups carefully when
they are not performing. This will be marked on the weekly assessment
sheet. (Appendix 14)
• The students’ responses in their drama journals will also be assessed and
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considered, as this determines what the students have enjoyed, learnt and
achieved in relation to the unit outcomes. (Appendix 3,5,7,8,10 and 13
are the questions for each week)
• Lastly, the students will be peer assessed for their last performance. This
has been chosen as the story can be finished in many different ways and
the students need to be able to portray the emotions to the audience from
the skills which they have learnt in the past 5 weeks. (appendix 12)

Evaluation of unit outcomes indicators:

• Students will know how different emotions happen from an event which
has occurred in their lives. The will know how to portray these emotions on
their faces and through their body language.

• Students will understand that every action of theirs has a reaction on

other people.

• Students will be able to use problem solving strategies when an incident

occurs. They will be able to work cooperatively in a group situation and
construct a character in a role play.

• Students will have worked through a variety of arts practice activities and
ultimately achieve the SACSA framework outcomes 3.1 and 3.2.

Appendix 1
16

Appendix 2

happy sad
17

angry excited

lonely scared

worried loved

Appendix 3

Week 1 Drama Journal Questions

– How do you believe your group performed today?

– Do you believe you were able to perform to your

best ability? Why/ Why not?

– What do you think you could do better next week?

– What has this lesson taught you about emotions?

18

Appendix 4
19

Appendix 5

Drama Journal Questions Week 2

– How do you believe your group performed today?

– Do you believe you were able to perform to your

best ability? Why/ Why not?

– What do you think you could do better next week?

– What has this lesson taught you about emotions?

20

Appendix 6

Before After

Before After
21

Appendix 7

Drama Journal Questions Week 3

– How did your group work well?

– Did you think you performed well?

– What did you learn about emotions today?

– What did you learn about showing your emotions

to your audience?
22

Appendix 8

Drama Journal Questions Week 4

– How did your group work well?

– Did you think you performed well?

– What did you learn about emotions today?

23

Appendix 9

Appendix 10

Drama
Journal Questions
Week 5
24

– What is one thing that you used from the

previous weeks for this sculpting lesson?

– What is the most important thing when being

a model and showing emotions?

– Do you believe your drama skills have

improved over the last few weeks?

Appendix 11
25

Appendix 12

Drama Journal Questions Week 6

– What did you learn about emotions this

lesson?

– Do you think your look on your emotions and

other people’s emotions has changed since
the first lesson?

– Do you believe your drama skills have

improved?
26

– What is something important that you have

learnt about emotions in drama?

– What has been your favourite thing you have

learnt?

Appendix 13

Peer Assessment Sheet

Circle the number which best describes the group’s
performance. Use the number key for each group. Be honest!
1= Not up to scratch
2= Needs improvement
3= Average applause
4= Take a bow
5= Encore! Encore!

Group 1 1 2 3 4 5
27

Group 2 1 2 3 4 5

Group 3 1 2 3 4 5

Group 4 1 2 3 4 5

Group 5 1 2 3 4 5

Appendix 14

Drama Journal Questions Week 6

– What did you learn about emotions this

lesson?

– Do you think your look on your emotions and

other people’s emotions has changed since
the first lesson?

– Do you believe your drama skills have

improved?

– What is something important that you have

learnt about emotions in drama?

– What has been your favourite thing you have

learnt?
28

Appendix 14

Teacher Assessment Sheet: Drama-emotions

Student Improvisati Group Confidence Willingness Audience

on Cooperatio to Perform Skills
n
29

Appendix 15

Scenario Cards
A boy is feeling angry because he was given a hard time by two
classmates over a girl he spent some time talking to at lunch
time. The story ends with him giving a cool response such as
‘Haven’t you got anything better to do than spend lunchtime
watching me?’ and calmly walking away.

A girl is angry because her mother will not let her go to stay at a friend’s
house for the weekend because the girls family are expecting visitors
for the weekend themselves. The story ends with the girl doing a deal
with her mother to go to her friend’s house after dinner with the visitors
on Saturday night and come back early on Sunday morning.
30

A boy is angry because someone has borrowed his basketball without

asking. The story ends with him firmly asking the kid not to do it
again.

A girl is angry because two classmates tell her that they don’t want to sit
with her at lunchtime anymore. The story ends with her calmly tackling
them later about why they are upset with her.

Appendix 16

Ashley the Teenager

Ashley, a teenager, has gone out to a friend’s
birthday party. Ashley’s father considers him/her
child to be irresponsible, living only for a good
time. He has permitted him/ her to go on the
strict understanding that he/she will come home
by the curfew. Ashley’s mother has made him/
her promise that the curfew time will be
respected and has bribed him/her with a $2.00
coin in return for the promise.

The father as yet knows nothing of the $2.00

bribe.
31

It is past the curfew hour. Mother has gone up to

bed, Father shouts up noisily from downstairs
that Ashley has not come home...

REFERENCE LIST

McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce Back- Teacher’s Resource

Book Level 2, Pearson Education Australia, NSW, Australia

McGrath, H & Noble, T 2008, Bounce Back- Teacher’s Resource

Book Level 3, Pearson Education Australia, NSW, Australia

Moroney, T 2005, When I’m Feeling Sad, Five Mile Press Pty Ltd,
Victoria, Australia.

Primary Arts, 1997, Drama Trix, Dance/ Drama Educational

Consultants, Victoria, Australia

Images from: www.google.com