Year level: 5-6

Unit: Drama (The importance of sustainability)

Duration: 7-10 weeks

Costi Tsakiridis 2113358 / Domagoj Bosnjak 210968

Unit Outline: Explore ways that the elements of drama can be used to help learn about sustainability and the role students play in order to preserve the environment.
Aim: Students will develop skills in dramatic action, empathy, space, improvisation, imagination, cooperation, and ways to implement voice and movement.
Outcome: By the end of the unit, students will have developed skills pertaining to empathy, imagination, cooperation with other peers, ways to implement voice, facial
expression, space, time and movement and establish an understanding of sustainability and its importance.
Resources: YouTube, Computer rooms, puppets, range of drama-related props, storybook Droughts and Flooding Rains by Luke Litzow, Minister Ian Hunter,
Bangarra Dance group, smart board, Siedentops SEPEP approach booklet.

ACARA Strand MAKING

Focus

Exploring ideas and improvising

with ways to represent ideas

Explore dramatic action, empathy and

space in improvisations, play
building and scripted drama to develop
characters and situations (ACADRM035)
Developing understanding of
practices

Develop skills and techniques of voice

and movement to create character, mood
and atmosphere and focus dramatic
action (ACADRM036)
Sharing artworks through
performance, presentation or
display

Rehearse and perform devised and

scripted drama that develops narrative,
drives dramatic tension, and uses
dramatic symbol, performance styles and
design elements to share community and
cultural stories and engage
an audience (ACADRM037)
Responding to and interpreting
artworks

Explain how the elements of drama and

production elements communicate
meaning by comparing drama from
different social, cultural and historical
contexts, including Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander drama (ACADRR038)

Teaching and learning

Students will represent

sustainability through
drama activities and
performances as well as
develop an understanding
of how indigenous peoples
managed to preserve our
land for so long.

Week 1:
In order to discover students prior knowledge of sustainability Have a class discussion
about what they think sustainability is and make notes on board.
Watch an introductory video on sustainability to give the students a general
understanding on what sustainability is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=9w1qlm7ZOao
Get students to move around the room in both a destructive manner first, followed by a
peaceful movement. Get students to then elaborate on the meaning of their movement
and share with the class. (refer to rubric section: movement/space)

They will investigate how

the use of different voice,
movements, space and
time will help them develop
a more complete
performance in drama.

Week 2:
Discuss ways in which students can portray the skills of drama: empathy, imagination,
cooperation, voice, movement, space and time.
Pair off the students and have them sitting across from each other, with one closing
their eyes imagining and explaining what they see to the left of them (destruction/earth
falling apart) and to the right of them (peaceful utopia/preserved environment). Repeat
with other partner. (refer to rubric section: facial expression/use of voice)

They will compose their

own performance based on
sustainability using
different techniques that
they have learnt
throughout the unit.

Week 3:
Minister for sustainability, environment and conservation, Ian Hunter to come in as a
guest speaker and explain the procedures and ideas that our government has in place
for sustainability and preservation of our environment.
Get students into groups of 4-5 to present a procedure or idea presented by the
Minister through a short drama performance to the rest of the class. (refer to rubric
section: improvisation)

Week 4:
Introduce the topic of endangered animals. Get students to research information
pertaining to different sorts and species of endangered animals.
Get students to use elements of drama with the intention to explore the issue of
endangered animals. Using role play, students will assume the roles of animal experts
and communicate their knowledge of the issues facing endangered animals. Perform
to the class. (refer to rubric section: movement/space/dramatic action)
Week 5:
Introduce the Indigenous Australian perspective of sustainability through a
performance from the Bangarra company. Organise an excursion into the city of
Adelaide where their South Australian headquarters are situated.
Emphasise the importance of students focusing on Bangarras use of movement and
space throughout performance. (refer to rubric section: movement/space/empathy)
Week 6:
As a follow up from the previous lesson, students will be asked to create their own
storytelling play through drama the topic will be indigenous Australian orientated
sustainability. (ensure that students are aware of respecting the indigenous beliefs,
values and perspectives). (refer to rubric section: empathy/dramatic action)
Get students into groups of 4-5 to present their storytelling play to the rest of the class.
Week 7:
Introduce the topic of Australian Farming, and the impacts that droughts and floods
have on farmers and their crops. Read the storybook Droughts and Flooding Rains
by Luke Litzow to the class this will present some fundamental ideas pertaining to the
impacts of droughts and floods on Australian farmers.
Book the puppet chest from the school library for the lesson and distribute them
evenly between the students. Split the class up into pairs and give them 15 minutes to
orchestrate a puppet play on farming impacts of droughts and floods which they will
present to the rest of the class. (refer to rubric section: props/improvisation)
Week 8:
Split the class up into small groups of 3 or 4. Explain to each group that they will have
to silently perform a short scene which portrays a solution to one of the issues which

we have covered over the unit. Be sure to come equipped with a list of solutions and
procedures just in case some groups cannot think of any (the same solution cannot be
performed by multiple groups). Solutions such as: water restriction times, carbon tax,
recycling, banning plastic bags, etc. (refer to rubric section: movement/space/dramatic
action/ facial expression/empathy)
Write up a list of the solutions to each problem in order to continue the following week.

Week 9:
Following from last week, present the students with the environmental problems and
solutions that were gathered in the previous week. Allow small groups of 3 or 4 to
choose one which interest them.
Get the students to come up with a play which shows the different outcomes of the
proposed solutions one outcome will present the world using the solution, and the
other outcome will present the world if nothing is done about these problems.
Emphasise using empathy and dramatic action to present the aspect of goodies and
baddies surrounding environmental protection. (refer to rubric section:
movement/space/cooperation/dramatic action)
Week 10:
Split the class up in half and have each group lining up against a different wall each.
The students will then take turns (in threes) jumping out in front of their group and
improvising the topic (pertaining to sustainability) which will be read out by the teacher
through a still action. Once all three students have held their pose, they may make
movements to elaborate on their still position. Once all three have begun moving, they
may make sounds to further elaborate their actions. Get the remainder of the group to
make attempts at guessing what their actions/sounds are portraying.
Students will form larger groups of their own (3 groups within the class) and choose
any topic which has interested them within the unit. They will be asked to produce a 5
minute performance and explanation of what and why they chose this topic explain
how they will contribute to preserving the natural environment through sustainability.
(refer to rubric section: movement/space/dramatics action/voice/surroundings)
Assessment:
Demonstration of skills in developing performances using variations of empathy,
imagination, cooperation, ways to implement voice and movement and establish an
understanding of space and time to represent sustainability and indigenous
perspectives.
Demonstrate an all-round understanding of the importance of sustainability, their role in

sustainability and indigenous influence on sustainability.

Ability to articulate why they have made the choice about the types of movement,
voice, props (and anything else included in their performances).
Summative assessments will take place during the performances in week 3, 6, 9 and
10. 20% for each performance (total of 80%), 10% for engagement, 10% for
knowledge and understanding of sustainability and indigenous perspectives.
Extension activities
Create a performance focusing on sustainability issues in Asia.
More advanced/experienced students can attempt to perform mute.
Activities for Slow Learners
Adapt Siedentops SEPEP approach to learning, which involves assigning roles to
students who may have difficulties in participating regularly.

Achievement Standard
By the end of Year 6, students explain how dramatic action and meaning is communicated in drama they make, perform and view. They explain how drama from
different cultures, times and places influences their own drama making.
Students work collaboratively as they use the elements of drama to shape character, voice and movement in improvisation, play building and performances of
devised and scripted drama for audiences

General Capabilities

Cross curriculum priorities

Literacy (LIT)
Numeracy (NUM)
Information and communication technology (ICT) capability
Critical and creative thinking (CCT)
Personal and social capability (PSC)
Ethical understanding (EU)
Intercultural understanding (ICU)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures (ATSIHC)

Asia and Australias engagement with Asia (AAEA)
Sustainability (SUST)

Links to other learning areas

English
Health and Physical Education

Comprehension of stories and performances.

Movement throughout activities and performances.

Humanities and Social Sciences

Civics and Citizenship
Economics and business
Geography
History
Languages
Mathematics
Science
Technologies

Different areas which are effected through climate change.

Past times of sustainability through both Indigenous and Eurocentric perspectives.
Using correct terms for Indigenous perspectives.
Timing of performances.
Effects on geology.
Using IT to research.

Examples of Knowledge and Skills appropriate for Students in Drama for Years 5& 6

In this band students develop their knowledge of how ideas and intentions are communicated in and through drama. They build on and refine their knowledge,
understanding and skills through drama practices focusing on:
Elements of drama
Role, character and relationships

Role and character - for example, creating the inner and outer world of a character; differentiating between characters and stereotypes

Relationships - analysing and portraying how relationships influence character development

Situation - sustaining a fictional setting using space and time

Voice and movement

Voice - varying voice, for example, clarity, pace, volume and projection

Movement - using movement, facial expression and gestures to create and sustain belief in character and situation

Focus - framing drama to highlight and communicate key story elements and characters motivations

Tension - factors that contribute to tension or suspense in stories and tension in characters relationships, for example, using sound, light and technology to
heighten tension/suspense
Space and time - sustaining a clear setting and sense of time to create belief in the drama

Language, ideas and dramatic action

central ideas or themes that give perspectives and ideas to the audience

Mood and atmosphere - the feeling or tone of physical space and the dramatic action created by or emerging from the performance

Audience

Shaping and sustaining drama for others using the conventions of story within drama to communicate meanings.

Suggested Artists and Resources

http://bangarra.com.au/
http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/primary/creativearts/crosscurriculum/aboriginal/index.htm
http://sa.alp.org.au/alp/state-mps/ian-hunter-mlc
Siedentop, D., Hastie, P. A., & Van der Mars, H. (2011). Complete guide to sport education. Human Kinetics.

Evaluation
Did students show an adequate understanding of the topics surrounding sustainability?
Did the lessons flow as intended?
What were issues that arose?
Did the students find the lessons engaging?
Did students show respect to indigenous perspectives? If not, why?

Unit Plan Rubric Student Assessment (formative and summative)

Elements
Use of Voice
Facial Expression
Movement/Space

Dramatic Action

Not Satisfactory
Voice is unclear or nearly
inaudible
Face cannot be seen/no
emotion
Ideas/feelings are rarely or
inappropriately portrayed with
movement
Dramatic action was not
present

Satisfactory
Voice is clear and audible
Some emotion and some facial
expression shown
Interprets ideas and feelings
somewhat appropriately
through movement
Presentation of dramatic action
was sound

Excellent
Voice is outstanding and
changes with mood/setting
Outstanding emotion and facial
expression shown
Outstanding use of movement
to portray ideas and feelings
Dramatic action was excellent

Empathy
Improvisation
Props/Surroundings
ie, puppets

Understand how drama

helps understand
Sustainability

COMMENTS

Use of empathy was not

present
Use of improvisation was not
present
Use of props/surroundings was
not present
Student has no or little
understanding of how drama
can help understand
sustainability

Presentation of empathy was

sound
Presentation of improvisation
was sound
Use of props/surroundings was
sound
Student has sound knowledge
and understanding of how
drama can help understand
sustainability

Presentation of empathy was

excellent
Presentation of improvisation
was excellent
Use of props/surroundings was
excellent
Student has outstanding
knowledge and understating
and contributes to class
discussion

Lesson Rubric Teacher self-assessment unit evaluation

Elements
Were students engaged
throughout the lesson
Understanding of content
Behaviour management

COMMENTS

Not Satisfactory
No students were engaged at
all.
Students showed no
understanding of content.
Behaviour was poor and
uncontrollable.

Satisfactory
Some of the time students
were engaged.
Students showed some
understanding of content.
Behaviour was okay and
mainly controlled.

Excellent
Most of the time the class were
engaged.
Students showed excellent
understanding of content.
Behaviour was excellent and
always controlled.