JUST IMAGINE:
Figure 1 A teacher
speaking as
Alhazen, with
objects and
clothing to help
set the scene
using drama to support science learning with
older primary children
Wendy Precious and Deb McGregor report
on the impact of using Dramatic Science with
classes of older primary children
Using scientists’ stories
In this project, teachers use
mini-speeches, or monologues,
as if told by famous
scientists from the past, as
a springboard to motivate
children to think about these
scientists as everyday people.
The introductory speech
describes or introduces the
kinds of behaviours, skills
and knowledge the scientists
possessed. Talking about the
way they lived, how they
developed their ideas, made
their discoveries or invented
new things helps children to
appreciate how to work and
think scientifically.
The dramatic strategies in a
previous project (McGregor and
Precious, 2012) were further
developed and applied to the
(ages 7–11), resulting in more
more complex science concepts
exciting and deeper learning
covered in key stage 2 of the
National Curriculum in England experiences (Box 1).
Box 1 Dramatic Science strategies
Mini historical play – providing
a narrative of a scientist’s life that
is appropriate for young children to
act out.
On the table – examining objects
(often unusual) that the scientist
might find, use or create.
Spontaneous role-play –
spontaneous working ‘in role’ to
explore views and ideas that may
differ.
Hot seating – where teachers
or children are placed ‘in role’ as
experts to answer questions from
their peers.
Key words:
Crosscurricular links
Types of
activity
Miming movement – this
approach adopts the use of wholebody movements or actions to
mime scientific ideas.
Freeze frame – a freeze-frame
or group tableau can represent the
different skills the scientist applied.
Modelling – modelling is a way
of physically (re)creating a concept
or phenomenon the scientist
discovered.
Mind movies – using audio
and/or visual stimuli to imagine
different places/times to set the
scene for the monologue.
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just imagine
the story of a life imprisoned in
darkness and a curiosity that
developed around the shafts of
light that shone through the tiny
window with thin metal bars.
He talked about how he played,
explored and experimented with
the light until he could predict
and explain how it behaved.
The monologue of
Alhazen provides a dramatic
introduction to the man as
a scientist. Reflection on the
monologue helps the teachers
and children consider qualities
and imagined characteristics
of the ordinary man as well
as the scientist. The way
that Alhazen approached
‘working things out’ included
puzzlement, questioning,
frustration, experimenting, thinking
and modelling (through shining
light on different objects in various
ways). Figure 2 shows how, after
focused discussion, the children
demonstrated the characteristics as
a tableau or frozen picture (echoing
what the teachers experienced
through the CPD).
Figure 2 Children
creating a
tableau or ‘frozen
picture’ depicting
the aspects of
Alhazen’s life
and character
inferred from the
monologue
Figure 3 Children
modelling how a
shadow is formed
when light is
blocked
36
as Alhazen did, the teachers’
confidence developed enough to try
it with their classes.
Applying the dramatic
strategies using Alhazen’s
story
Mind movies were applied to ‘set the
scene’ for the example of Alhazen.
Objects and typical music of the
time can help the children imagine
what it was like when he lived (at
the end of the tenth century), where
he lived (Persia) and how he lived
(under house arrest in a dark room)
to ‘make it real’.
Hot seating the teacher-in-role as
Alhazen (after the monologue has
been read) can provide a useful
opportunity for the children to
question the scientist to find out
more about what the scientist
did and how. The responses to
these questions can further help
the children when devising and
executing their own investigations.
Modelling allowed the children to
be the light and to demonstrate their
understanding of how it travels in
straight lines and how shadows
are formed when light is blocked
(Figure 3).
Teacher’s working
Freeze frame allowed movement to
scientifically like Alhazen
be halted so that each group could
To explore how Alhazen might
explain their ‘frozen’ action and
To help teachers understand how have worked, teachers (and
predict what might happen next,
to develop the drama approaches
their children back in school)
for example if different materials or
with their classes, professional
experimented with what happens
objects were placed in the way of
development activities were
when different kinds of light
designed to place them, as learners, (candles, torches, etc.) are shone on the light.
Spontaneous role-play can allow
in the usual situation of the children. various objects.
the
children to adopt the roles of
The project ran as a series of
Just like Alhazen, they
Earth,
Moon and Sun in trios. They
workshops, each focusing on several questioned and faced frustration!
are
then
challenged to discuss and
scientists with interests across the
One group saw curved patterns
decide how to move to show how
different areas of science and at
from a flat, shiny tin lid. This
light from the Sun creates day and
differing points in history. There
produced a dilemma: ‘How can we
was an expectation that the teachers do this with children? We have to teach night in different locations on Earth.
On the table offers opportunities
would trial various monologues
them that light travels in straight lines.’
for the children to ‘feel’ unseen
(or mini-speeches) and activities.
The evidence seemed to suggest
objects hidden in a box, but trying
Each session included reflective
that light reflected on the objects
to work out how Alhazen might
discussion to share how well the
in curves. They were puzzled: the
have used them. The objects could
activities worked, the influence
evidence did not appear to match
include a pillar candle, differenton the children’s learning and the
their theory. ‘How can that be?’ they
shaped glass prisms, metal objects
impact on teachers’ own practice. An
wondered.
such as spoons, or mirrors.
example of how one such scientist’s
Teachers were then given
Miming movement enables
story was used is given below.
additional resources – a concave
children to enact, as dawn
Introducing Alhazen
and convex mirror, which enabled
progresses, how light (and
them to reach the conclusion that
In the corner sat a small man
shadows) develop on Alhazen’s wall
the apparently flat surface they had
(a teacher in role) dressed in
as night becomes day.
been using might not have been
mysterious clothes (Figure 1) and
Conclusion and impact
truly smooth. Just like Alhazen,
surrounded by strange, wonderful
they experienced Euphoria: ‘Not
At the end of the project on the
and exotic objects. The room was
getting the expected results was very
final workshop day, one teacher
still as he began to speak in a low
useful. We so like definite results.’
said ‘the difference between now and
clipped voice. The children sat
Having experimented a little
the beginning of the year is that they
listening intently. The man told
Primary Science 13 2 March/April 2014
just imagine
Box 1 The teachers’ learning story
(Reporting approach adapted from
Carr, 2001)
The teachers appeared to progress
through five stages or ‘Acts’ of
development, through the Dramatic
Science workshops.
Act 1: Developing and
establishing understanding
This is first stage, when teachers
develop their confidence and
competence in both the science
and the drama approaches.
Act 2: Becoming more
confident and creative to
overcome challenges
Initially there was a lack of
confidence in the teachers applying
the different drama strategies, but,
after experiencing them from the
children’s point of view, confidence
soon developed as one teacher
reflected:
Some classes find hot seating
difficult but it encouraged them to
use the scientific vocabulary and to
think scientifically … we got there
in the end.
This is corroborated by Joyce and
Showers (2002) illustrating that
teachers need opportunity and
time to implement and embed new
techniques into their teaching to
develop impact.
Act 3: Realising drama can
consolidate learning and
help learning ‘stick’
As confidence and expertise grew
during the project, one teacher
expressed how:
I was impressed by how well
children retained their learning
when questioned in later weeks,
particularly the lower achievers
who were a lot more absorbed in
the scientific language.
Reflections from teachers included:
Monologue was great.
It provided the wow factor as an
introduction.
Monologues are good to introduce
a topic; they get you to think
differently about the scientist.
Act 4: Drama enlightens
teaching and learning
All the teachers involved in the
project reflected on the ways these
dramatic approaches supported
assessment. One teacher reported:
I’ve used drama strategies a lot for
assessment – you’ve understood
what they’ve understood and what
they haven’t.
Acting out their ideas appeared
to enable children to identify for
themselves what they did not
understand and gave a useful and
relevant springboard to investigate
their ideas further.
Act 5: The finale:
embedding it into practice
Teachers found that monologues
could act effectively as a stimulus
for investigations. Longer-term
evidence indicates that the
majority of the teachers (especially
if also involved in the previous
project) are continuing to use
the theatrical techniques and
are embedding them into their
planning and practice.
Further information For more details see:
www.pstt.org.uk/resources/continuing-professionaldevelopment/dramatic-science.aspx
and the forthcoming publication:
McGregor, D., Precious, W. and Rezzano, J. (2014, in press)
Dramatic Science: tried and tested ideas for teaching science using
drama for primary age children. London: David Fulton.
[pupils] throw themselves straight
into it’. By the end of the project
all schools were confident enough
to develop their own monologues
(mini-speeches or narratives) (Box 2).
Children’s perceptions were that
the use of the drama strategies and
associated activities supported
many areas of scientific enquiry and
identified areas that are traditionally
more difficult, such as explaining
and improving their investigations.
Interestingly, they did not think it
helped them to raise questions but
their teachers said that this was one
area where they had seen a large
impact. The majority of children
found the activities fun and said
that they helped them learn science
through acting out and talking
about their ideas.
So can you be dramatic, even just
a little bit? Why not try some of
the ideas here and share them with
other readers?
References
Carr, M. (2001) Assessment in the early
childhood settings: learning stories.
London: Sage.
Joyce, B. and Showers, B. (2002)
Student achievement through staff
development. 3rd edn. Alexandria,
VA: ASCD.
McGregor, D. and Precious, W. (2012)
Dramatic Science at key stage 1:
Modelling ideas within an Olympics
theme. Primary Science, 123, 10–13.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to all the schools who
contributed to the project with a
special thank you to: Clarysly Deller,
recipient of an AstraZeneca Primary
Science Teacher Award; Jill Rezzano
from the New Vic Theatre, Newcastleunder-Lyme; and the Primary Science
Teaching Trust for funding the
project.
Wendy Precious is a Teacher
Consultant for Entrust
(formerly Staffordshire LA)
specialising in Curriculum and
Primary Science. Email: wendy.
[email protected]
Deb McGregor is a curriculum
innovator and educational
researcher at Oxford Brookes
University.
Email: dmcgregor@brookes.
ac.uk
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