Year 7 Drama

Term 

What are we learning 

1 

Creating Character

Students in this unit will develop their knowledge and understanding of the key elements of performance for drama. These will include, character, space, rehearsal and evaluation. Students will start to learn performance techniques like narration, flashback, freeze frames, physical and vocal skills.

2 

The Worlds a Stage

Students in this unit will learn about four different stage layouts that are End On, Thrust, Traverse and In the Round. They will also look at and learn the nine different areas of the stage as they explore creating characters and performing in more depth. Students will learn the fundamental elements that combine to create a performance, such as Blocking and Set.

3 

Who Dun’it?

In this unit, Students will be introduced to the sad story of a young man who has been murdered. Their job is to work out, using different drama techniques such as hot seating, freeze frames, split stage and workshops, who is responsible. They will ask for public support in the form of a Crimewatch episode and will then be led on a journey by some key characters from the dead man’s life in several Teacher in Role exercises.  

4 

Melodrama

In this unit students are introduced to a new genre. Students explore the stock characters through fun, interactive activities and then develop their knowledge and understanding through practical workshops. This unit enables the students to develop on key drama techniques such as Mime, aside, Devising, Exaggeration and storytelling.

5 

He’s Behind You!

Students will create their own pantomime style performance based on the story of Aladdin. Students will be introduced to new styles of theatre that are studied in more detail in Yr 8.  

Students will take part in numerous workshops, learning about the four stock characters in a pantomime and understanding how these stock characters are created. Students will also have the opportunity to add lighting and music to their performance.  

6 

Drama Festival

Using all the skills studied in previous units, students will be given a stimulus to create drama from and will be going up against all other Yr 7 classes, as well as all of Yr 8 and Yr 9.  

They will have several devising workshops and will then be given an opportunity to create their own interpretation of a stimulus.  This unit will be an introduction to students who wish to take GCSE Drama at Swindon Academy. Students’ knowledge and understanding of DEVISING drama will be introduced and this will enhance their practical performance skills.  

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