The KING’S Medium Term Plan - Drama
Y9 LC1 Programme – 2016-2017
Module
Building on
prior learning
Overarching
Challenge
question
Lines of
Enquiry
Trust, ensemble and confidence
Trust, ensemble and confidence have been identified by year 9 to be the major issue they are currently having, which is
acting as a block for their development. This learning cycle the students will develop these skills to a high standard, which will
aid with the development of their performance skills. The first half of the learning cycle will focus on these skills whilst the
second part of the learning cycle will focus on utilising these skills through a devised performance. The second half of the
learning cycle will see students create a performance based on the theme ‘Camping’. At every point students will critically
analyse their development using the analysis skills they developed in LC1 and 2.
LC1: Students have developed skills in improvisation and rehearsal techniques over the last learning cycle. They are
beginning to develop their acting skills and understanding how character, setting and objectives impact on acting truthfully.
Students have developed focus skills and understand when and why focus and anarchy should be used.
LC2: Students have developed their skills as reflective and analytical performers. They have continued to develop their skills
as performers and have taken part in various scripted performances. They have developed an appreciation for professional
performance and are working hard to be resilient performers.
How do I trust my own ability as a performer?
Week 1; Is trust essential for performance?
Week 2: Is confidence essential for performance?
Week 3: Is ensemble essential for performance?
Week 4: How does ensemble, trust and confidence help my performance?
Week 5: Can I see ensemble, trust and confidence in a performance?
Week 6: Can ensemble, trust and confidence be taught?
Week 7: Has my confidence, trust and ensemble skills improved?
Exam board
links:
Weeks’ 1-5: GCSE Drama (AQA 4240 – Unit 2 – Option 1: Acting)
Progress objectives: by the end of this LC students will have developed vital soft skills that will aid them in other lessons as
well as in their life outside of school. Students will also continue to develop their knowledge of drama, and apply new skills to
the creation of a devised piece of drama.
Topic
Progress
Statement
AO1: Create and develop ideas to communicate meaning for theatrical performance.
AO2: Apply theatrical skills to realise artistic intentions in live performance.
AO3: Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how drama and theatre is developed and performed.
AO4: Analyse and evaluate their own work and the work of others.
Students will also develop their skills in answering the Unit 1 part of their course through an end of term written assessment.
Literacy:
Literacy will be present throughout every lesson. Every student will engage with a written workbook that will be updated every
week. They will be assessed every week and any SPAG issues will be highlighted and corrected as an additional task. In
addition to this students will be working with 2 texts that are set texts on many exam boards syllabuses.
Learning
strategies
Knowledge
and Skills
Numeracy:
Students will use numeracy through good timekeeping during activities, organising group numbers and managing their time
at home by using their homework planner.
Cognitive Acceleration:
Cognitive Acceleration strategies included in this learning cycle are:
Socratic questioning
Higher level reasoning
Problematised discussions
Developing metacognition through high level inference evaluation
Soft skills development
Critical analysis
Week 1
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Peer Assessment
Self Assessment
Character creation
Focus development
Development of team work skills
Development of high levels of inference
Development of evaluation and critiquing skills
Development of movement and vocal skills
Line of Enquiry - Week 1: Is trust essential for performance?
Students will learn:
 Why trust is important in drama
 Strategies to develop trust
 To evaluate their ability to trust
 Hypothesise about the application of trust in drama
 Develop a trust for each other
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons:
GP 4



GP 5



GP 6



Articulate the meaning of the term trust in relation to drama
Identify ones own ability to trust
Describe why trust is important to drama
Understand how one can develop trust
Identify specific exercises that develop trust
Apply trust to a specific exercise to succeed
Articulate why trust is important in drama
Hypothesise about the application of trust in drama
Develop trust for the group
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – Trust is essential for good drama.
Week 2
Line of Enquiry - Week 2: Is confidence essential for performance?
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Students will learn:
 Evaluate the level of ones own confidence
 Identify areas of ones own confidence that need developing
 Articulate how confidence can be developed
 Identify why confidence is important in drama
 Hypothesise about how confidence can be applied to other areas of ones own life
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons:
The students will create the weekly success criteria for the practical lesson. Students will identify common high confidence
characteristics, and use exercises to develop these characteristics. They will self evaluate against the success criteria at the
beginning of the lesson and at the end of the lesson to see if there has been an improvement.
Week 3
Line of Enquiry - Week 3: Is ensemble essential for performance?
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Students will learn:
 The meaning and history of the word ensemble
 How to perform in an ensemble
 How ensemble can be applied to drama
 Critically evaluate their own ability in an ensemble
 To turn on and off focus
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons:
GP 4



GP 5



GP 7



Articulate the meaning of the term ensemble
Identify ensemble as a non-naturalistic drama technique
Explain how ensemble can be applied to drama
Evaluate how successfully one uses ensemble
Explain why focus is vital to ensemble in drama
Develop and display ensemble skills
Articulate how confidence and trust are vital to ensemble
Hypothesise about how one can continue to develop their ensemble skills
Articulate why ensemble is an effective non-naturalistic technique
Week 4
Line of Enquiry - Week 4: How does ensemble, trust and confidence help my performance?
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Students will learn:





How trust, confidence and ensemble can help with the early stages of rehearsal
How to develop ideas for a devised performance quickly
How the theatre convention; direct address’ works
How ritual uses trust, confidence and ensemble effectively
Develop the first 3 minutes of their performance
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons:
GP 4
 Understand the meaning of direct address and ritual
 Use direct address and ritual in performance
 Develop the first 3 minutes of performance
GP 5



Create an effective direct address and ritual for performance
Create a polished 3 minutes of performance
Develop ideas quickly and effectively
GP 6/7
 Master the use of direct address and ritual in performance
 Create a dynamic 3 minutes of performance
 Evaluate how the performance can be improved further
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis – An ensemble performance is a good performance
Week 5
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Line of Enquiry - Week 5: Can I see ensemble, trust and confidence in a performance?
Students will learn:






The meaning and application of movement in performance
How to create a movement sequence for performance
Why movement sequences are used to for top band work
How to develop tension in their performance
Why tension helps to create contrast in performance
To develop characterisation through movement and tension
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons:
GP 4



GP 5



GP 6



Define what is meant by a movement piece and tension
Create a simple movement piece
Develop simple characterisation
Articulate why movement and tension are important for drama
Articulate why movement helps to get better marks at GCSE
Create a good movement piece and consistent tension through performance
Create and evaluate the efficacy of ones use of tensions
Create and evaluate the efficacy of ones use of movement
Develop a sustainable and interesting character
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis – I can see the value of ensemble work
Week 6
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Line of Enquiry - Week 6: Can ensemble, trust and confidence be taught?
Students will learn:






How they have developed their confidence, trust and ensemble skills this LC
Why their confidence has improved
The meaning of the word denouement
How to create a pleasing denouement
The importance of structured rehearsals
How to evaluate ones performance to improve it
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons:
GP 4



GP 5



Explain how one has developed confidence, trust and ensemble this learning cycle
Understand the meaning of denouement
Create a denouement for ones performance
Articualte the moments at which ones confidence built
Create a pleasing denouement for ones performance
Use conventions learnt this learning cycle to create an interesting ending to ones performance
GP 6



Hypothesise about how ones confidence can grow even further
Create an outstanding, dynamic ending to ones performance that utilises the skills learnt this LC
Evaluate how effective ones performance is and create strategies to improve
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – I have learnt how to improve my confidence
Line of Enquiry - Week 7: Has my confidence, trust and ensemble skills improved?
Week 7
3 hours of
lessons plus 1
hour of home
learning each
week
Students will learn:




How to perform a full length devised performance
Evaluate ones own performance
Evaluate the performances of others
Weekly success criteria across 3 lessons:
Attached below is the Success Criteria rubric for assessment this Learning Cycle
Lesson Hypotheses:
Hypothesis 1 – I have improved as a performer this learning cycle, and I know why!
Extended Learning
Students will consolidate their learning in their workbooks. They will constantly self evaluate and test their knowledge
through the completion of these workbooks. In addition to this they will be graded on 4 areas each lesson. Rehearsal,
Contribution, Skill and Homework. Each student will be pushed to improve their ability in each and will be monitored
throughout. Workbook is available for viewing by email: [email protected]
Students will be working through the works of:
Stanislavski
Texts written by Stanislavski are available from Mr Bowden for further research
Learning Cycle Success Criteria
Voice



Needs Work
(GP1-3)
Little to no variety in pitch,
volume or tone
Words are not always heard they
may be mumbled
The voice does not fit the
character



Bronze
(GP4-5)
An attempt is made at changing the
tone, pitch and volume of speech
All words are clear
The voice does not fit the character
completely





Gold
(GP8-9)
The tone pitch and volume change a lot
during the performance, the actor uses
pauses to raise the tension in the scene and
an attempt is made at using accent
Every word is clear to the audience
Tempo of the scene

Very little change in the tempo of
the scene

An attempt to change the tempo of
the scene
Staging

Mistakes are made throughout
with actors being blocked and the
audience view being obscured

The actors always face the audience, 
but the staging is dull and
uninteresting
Facial expression

No attempt is made at changing
facial expressions

Facial expressions are used, but are
either too subtle or too over the top

Natural facial expressions are
used that fit with the script

Facial expressions are used throughout that
complement the script and the character
Understanding

It is evident that the actor does not 
understand what they are saying
The actor has an awareness of what
they are saying and uses a task that
fits with what they saying

The actor completely understands 
what they are saying and this is
reflected in the tactics that they
choose
The actor understands the character and
script in full detail which is reflected in the
choice of tactics used
Physicality

No attempt is made at changing
the physicality for performance
The physicality stays the same
throughout

An attempt is made at changing the
physicality but it may be to subtle,
or too obvious to seem realistic

A change of physicality is used
that is clear and not too over the
top


Silver
(GP6-7)
The tone, pitch and volume
change throughout and fit with
the script
All words are clear
The voice fits the character

Tempo changes constantly throughout and
fits with the script
Staging is interesting to look with 
the actors using all of the stage
space
Staging is dynamic, with a use of levels,
proxemics and the audience view is never
impaired
A good use of tempo change that
adds excitement to the scene

The physicality of the character has changed
and it fits with the profile of the character