SCHEME OF WORK  provided by Kerry Mason (The Performing Zone)

GCSE Drama – Edexcel Paper I – Unit I

YEAR 10  Witchcraft Unit 

AIM:              

• To develop a response to witchcraft resources looking at the historical and cultural impacts on religion and society by looking at the impact of this from a dramatic perspective.

SKILLS:       

• Use of ceremony and ritual through defining space and generating the mood.
• Developing character.
• Use of genres and styles of drama.

TEXTS:      

• Witchcraft history background sheets  (Various texts including: Encarta, Montague Summers; ‘History of Witchcraft’ and Europress Family Encyclopedia.)      

• Pictures of the witch killings of the Middle Ages.

• The Crucible by Arthur Miller (Extract)

• The Blair Witch Project film and dossier book

• Heather Donahue diary extracts (From www.blairwitch.com)

EXPLORATIVE STRATEGIES:

•  Still Image

•  Role Play

• Hot-seating

• Forum Theatre

• Debate

THE DRAMA MEDIUM:

• The use of movement/mime and/or gesture

•  The use of spoken language

• The use of lighting

THE ELEMENTS OF DRAMA:

• Characterisation

• Action/plot/content

 Paper I – Assessment Scheme of Work

Mysticism

Pre Assessment Preparation Work:

1. Research on the witch killings of the Middle Ages and background into mysticism using various handouts – students make notes for (RESPONSE PHASE)

2. Watching The Blair Witch Project – Talking about the supernatural nature of the film.

3. Creating a role on the wall of Heather (B.W.P).

Assessment Lessons – 6 hours practical

Lesson One; 50 mins Practical

• Give out pictures of witch torture from the Middle Ages.  Students to recreate this as a still image. Think about how each person would be feeling in this situation.  Bring the picture to life through a thought track then a short improvisation bringing the characters to life.

• Discuss – What are the emotions of the characters?

• Short role play showing a scene leading up to the moment the picture took place.  Share with another group.

Lesson Two & Three;  80 mins practical – 20 mins written/Discussion

Written:  (In rough form)

• Evaluate yesterdays lesson, showing what you did and how effective your performance was (notes). (EVALUATIVE PHASE)

• Write a letter to complain about the witches in your town (In role as a person in the Middle Ages in Salem. (DEVELOPMENT PHASE)

• Produce diagrams of the still images you created and show how they were used and what they were showing. (DEVELOPMENT PHASE)

  Practical

• Read small section of The Crucible (Act I) pg 15, where Abigail and Betty talk about the pagan ritual they were involved in.

• Define the space using props in the room and lighting to re create the atmosphere in the woods.

• Recreate through role play the ceremony they took part in.  N.b; Were they serious or would this have been done in a comic way?  Think about the general feelings surrounding witchcraft during this period. Perform the scenes to the class, use forum theatre so that pupils can question their decisions and roles and to develop effective use of movement and gesture.

Lesson Four;  50mins practical

• (In role) Meeting with townsfolk to discuss what needs to be done to find the three missing youngsters.  Heathers mum to be present, councillors, local police and a college lecturer. (debate/spoken language)

• Teacher led agenda for the meeting.  T.I.R as the mayor.

• S.I.R to take notes from the meeting. (RESPONSE & DEVELOPMENT PHASE)

AGENDA AS FOLLOWS:                    

• What may have happened to the trio.
• Could it be a hoax?
• What can we do to find them?

• Encourage individuals to speak about their views and emotions. (Character)

Lesson Five and Six;  20mins written, 80mins practical

Written/Discussion: 10 mins

• Read parts of Heathers diary.  Discuss how she must have felt. (Notes – RESPONSE PHASE)

Practica:; 80 mins

• Hotseat Heather (T.I.R), as though you are interviewing her during the making of her documentary on her fifth day in the woods, use forum theatre so pupils can take over.  Think about Heathers character and her tone of voice.

• Develop 4 gestures individually in order to develop Heathers character further.

• Devise a scene showing their last days alive, providing a suitable conclusion to what happened to them.  Concentrate on (Voice, movement, gesture and developing the character of Heather.

• Share to class.

  Written 10 mins

• Write Heathers last ever journal extract before the above scene took place. (DEVELOPMENT PHASE)

  Lesson Seven:  Written 50 mins

•  Finish journal extract. (DEVELOPMENT PHASE)

• Add to the basic role on the wall developed at the beginning of the unit.  (Notes – What details about Heather have you looked at? How has her personality developed throughout the drama work? (RESPONSE PHASE)

• Write about how you have developed movement for both Heather and Abigail.  Use diagrams to show this as well as explanations. (DEVELOPMENT PHASE)

Lesson Eight and Nine: 100mins practical

• Devise a scene showing public attitudes of the townsfolk after either Abigail’s witchcraft ritual or Heathers disappearance, you should use your meeting notes as a starter for the B>W>P route or the letter of complaint for the Crucible route.

• Choose one character each in small groups.

• Focus on developing movement and gesture.

• Use still image and role play to convey your ideas.

• 20 mins planning, 40 mins preparing/developing, 20 mins to perform.

  Possible development for role play;

• Police investigation involving questioning (Tape recorded)

• Court trial (Crucible)

• Remembrance vigil (B.W.P)

• Towns folk persecuting Abigail for being a ‘witch’ (Crucible)

• A stylized piece of image theatre using a series of interlinked freezes showing family attitudes incorporating narration and movement sequences.

Lesson Ten:  Written Evaluation under exam conditions – 50 mins

• Describe the work you have developed in detail, evaluating what you have learned and how well you and others in your group have worked.

• What techniques have you used and developed in the mysticism work?

• How did you develop the characters of Abigail and Heather?

• How did this help you to develop the characters of the townsfolk and their society in the Middle Ages and present day?

• What techniques did you use when creating the scene about the townsfolk?

• How did you put the work together?

• What skills and techniques have you developed?

• How well have you worked A/  Individually  B/  In a group?  

• How well have others worked, have you learnt new ideas or had inspiration from others?

•  How could you improve?

•  What skills did you bring to the group?

• How could you have developed things differently?

• Summarize your work.