Creating the First Lesson
This entry was posted on 4/8/2006 12:00 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
Creating Lesson One
April 8, 2006
I am creating my first process drama lesson today, which is always a bit of a leap. I’ve come up with concepts, but the hard part is finding a way to make it happen through dramatic activity. I decided to start with the development of a television show because I think that will get the kids talking about the shows they watch on television, and we’ll have a better starting off point for future lessons. As I create this lesson, I wonder if having the kids play experts will make any difference in this process? I want to hear their ideas, but I want them to speak as if they were experts—is this clear in my curriculum?
My set up/pretext is a classified ad that the students have responded to. I thought it would be interesting to use a form of media (print media) to begin the process. It also sets up the idea that they want to be here—that they have expertise and ideas to share. I think this role play might also be something that they grow into as they feel more comfortable in the class.
My first activity is a fairly simple sound/movement wheel getting them to name their favorite television show—speaking it and coming up with a movement that somehow represents it. My hunch is that what other people in the group do will be very important to the others, so it won’t necessarily get an “accurate” interpretation of kids’ favorite shows. But I think it will highlight shared experiences within the group. I could ask them to come up with different shows, but I don’t want to start off with an activity that puts additional pressure upon the students.
The second activity begins to investigate genre. I will be bringing in knowledge of various genres—these are all pulled from Kellison’s Producing for TV and Video. Through introducing these and asking students to give me definitions/examples, I can gauge how much knowledge they have of these different categories—and perhaps which ones they are drawn to. I then use an image exercise to perform these genres—the students have an opportunity to dramatize the vocabulary & think about it in “real” terms. I added the part about moving from ‘channel’ to ‘channel’ through images because I think it will highlight the differences/similarities between genres.
The third and final activity involves a discussion reflecting on the day's work. I want to bring it to life--how do you do this with discussion/reflection?
It is strange to put this into words. I am used to lesson plans, but the thought articulated along side them is never there. I think it will provide me with a way of understanding where my process fails to generate a positive experience for the class—and checking myself to make sure I’m not getting lazy with the curriculum development.
