TROLL TROUBLE by Elaine Neilson
Extracted from Scene 2012 - 13 March Issue 3
Troll Trouble
By Elaine Neilsen
Elaine Nielsen can be probably described as an ISTA veteran, having
taken students to High School, Middle School and Primary School Festivals
for well over twenty years. She has an MA in Drama in Education and is
currently focusing on Early Years Drama at Copenhagen International School
in Denmark.
Elaine writes: “Copenhagen International School is an active member
of ISTA and has been for many years. The school has hosted a number of
Festivals for different age ranges and sends groups of students to three
Festivals and a TAPS each year. The school is also lucky enough to have
an ISTA staff member/artistic director among the drama teaching faculty.
Hopefully, the group of students, teachers and staff members who visit the
school and the city of Copenhagen for the High School Festival in April,
will experience, not only the underwhelming Little Mermaid, but also the
enthusiasm of the CIS drama students and teachers, as well as the history and
beauty of this little capital in the springtime.”
Okay, this title isn’t strictly Danish, as trolls are
known to live in more northern Scandinavia, but
the title was catchier than “Nisse Dilemma” and
trolls are more widely known than the Danish
elves.
I have developed this unit of work for Pre-K
and Kindergarten students from an idea shared
by Mantle of the Expert specialist Jane Holden at
a workshop way back in 2002. It can easily be
adapted for first and second graders.
Mantle of the Expert drama is perfect for
young children as they have absolutely no
difficulty in “suspending disbelief” and playing
along with teacher-in-role and the idea that they
are responsible experts within a fictional world.
This is an ideal short unit of work for the
beginning of the year when the class is getting to
know each other and learning to work together.
The length of the unit very much depends on the
length of the lessons and the responses of the
children.
Establishing the role and enterprise for
the class
Introduce the idea that they are going to be
working on a special kind of story. They will be
the people in the story, people who work for a
special company that know about and help trolls.
This company will be called Troll Trouble and they
will be members of the Troll Trouble Team.
Before they can start work, they need to be
trained for the Troll Trouble Team.
What do trolls look like?
Draw round one of the students and from
the outline have them add features to create
a group idea of a troll’s appearance. Let each
student share what he/ she added and why.
Where do trolls live?
Many students will make connections to The
Three Billy Goat’s Gruff so living under bridges
will be a possibility but there will be others.
What do trolls eat?
Once again, the obvious culinary delight
will be goat but there will be other imaginative
www.ista.co.uk
answers I can guarantee.
Many other questions can be posed which
can lead to other dramatic opportunities.
For example
How do trolls move?
How do trolls sound/speak?
Once everyone feels they have a group
understanding of trolls and their behaviour,
everyone is asked a question about trolls and is
presented with their Troll Trouble Team badge
(a sticker to proudly wear on their shirt.) to
accompanying applause. Let the troubles begin...
Activity Ideas
This is where the teacher can be creative as
the trolls can have all sorts of problems!
The story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff is
a fine starting point. A letter could arrive for the
team:
Under the bridge
February 2013
Dear Troll Trouble Team,
Please help me! I am in trouble.
Yesterday I was pushed into the stream by a
very big Billy Goat Gruff. I bumped my head
on the bridge as I fell. Now I have a lot of
problems trying to remember things.
Please come and see me soon as I really
need you to help me.
From The Troll
Of course, in this type of work, it is difficult
to accurately predict where the story will go but
it will certainly give the experts a chance to meet
the teacher-in-role and provide them with an
opportunity to demonstrate their expertise.
Other trouble could arise from stories such as
Hedgie’s Surprise by Jan Brett. Instead of a letter
arriving, the Tomten troll from Sweden could
telephone the company and speak to the boss
(teacher-in-role) and ask for help as his mother
has told him to stay in the hayloft and only have
porridge for breakfast because he took some eggs
from Henny the hen or it could be Mrs Tomten
ringing to ask for help with her wayward son.
Either way, it means some great TiR (Teacher-inRole) opportunities and problem-solving activities
for the team.
Another troll problem could arise from the
Finnish/Swedish Moomintroll who could provide
a catalyst for some creative movement with this
letter received by the team:
March 2013
Dear Troll Trouble Team,
My name is Mrs. Green and I have a
problem with a troll living in my shed.
Here is a picture of what the
troll looks like. I think it is a
troll called a Moomintroll and it
comes from Finland.
It has been asleep all winter
but now spring has come, it will wake up.
I would like to have a party for him when
he wakes up. Can you help by showing me
some troll dances we could do?
Thank you very much from
Mrs. Green
Of course, things can be less specific by
having more general letters or telephone calls
arriving at the company.
For example
Come and help me straight away. I am in the
big tree near the old bridge.
The Troll
The children will enjoy discussing the tone
of this letter and how the troll should speak to
people. I have had groups of children who refuse
to help the troll with his problems before he
learns basic manners!
A sign could also be spotted on the side of
the bridge (a row of chairs?) saying:
Do not cross this bridge.
There is a troll looking after eggs.
Please be very quiet.
This notice could lead back to the story of
Three Billy Goats Gruff as all the trip-trapping
over the bridge could prevent the troll eggs from
hatching.
Mrs Green could discover a troll living in her
shed and ask for help taking care of it. This would
be another opportunity to either visit the shed or
have Mrs Green visit the company. The team will
decide.
Assessment
This is always a challenge for teachers of
young children in Drama, but in addition to
photographs of the student “in action” with an
accompanying comment, the children respond
well to some form of reflection on the work.
The teacher can use this to glean some essential
information about their commitment and
understanding. Just listening to all the thoughts
and ideas they share can also provide the teacher
with knowledge and suggestions as to how to
extend their thinking.
Scene | Issue 3 | 2012-13 March 35
Here is an example of a reflection sheet I
gave to Kindergarten when we were working on
the troubles of specific trolls of Scandinavia:
Troll Trouble Team
How did we help?
My Name: Troll Expert Mr/Miss
…………………………..................…………………………
How did we help this troll remember what he
liked to eat?
Space for student to write/draw
How did we help Tomten troll get out of the
hayloft and have an egg for breakfast?
Space for student to write/draw
How did we help Mrs Green with her party for
the Moomintroll?
Space for student to write/draw
Of course, working with this type of process
drama demands flexibility and the confidence and
ability to improvise and to step in and out of the
drama, providing support and guidance to the
experts, but it provides priceless entertainment
and play opportunity, as well as helping to
develop critical thinking skills, making crosscurricular connections and for those working with
the PYP it is definitely inquiry-based!
References
Jane Holden http://www.janeholden.co.uk/
Brett Jan Hedgie’s Surprise (2001) Scholastic
Jansson Tove Finn Family Moomintroll (1973)
Puffin
36 Issue 3 | 2012-13 March | Scene
Photos from the recent
High School Festival in Mumbai (February 2013)