Creative Writing - Drama

 
In this third programme on Creative Writing, Leon mcAuley leads the children through the creation of a humorous piece of drama.

He demonstrates how characters are built up. As personalities begin to emerge, the children discover how language can be made to fit different people in different situations.

The dialogue is couched in colloquial language and the speech of grandparents, parents and children is compared and contrasted.

Family relationships are explored and a little dramatic tension is set up between the characters
 

 
SHORT TERM ACTIVITIES

Whole Class:

• Discuss the drama. Did the class enjoy it? Can they suggest alternative continuations or endings for the situation?
• Make a list of things people say which really irritate you:
  
      Don't be silly
      Get a move on
      Don't talk back
      Don't go on about it
      It's well past your bed-time
      Shut the door
      Don't talk with your mouth full
      Where are my ... ...? Wherever you left them
      Now look what you've done
   
• Has your teacher any favourite phrases that drive you mad? Maybe the teacher can think of a few things the pupils say which are infuriating! e.g. I forgot!

Small Groups:

• Have a look through the reading books and library books in the class-room and find bits of dialogue in them. Ask the children to notice the difference between the author telling us directly what happens and what the characters in the book actually say to one another.

Pairs:

• Tell your partner some Knock Knock jokes. Write down any ones you can remember. Can you make up a new one? Try it out on the rest of the class.
• Watch one of your favourite television soaps or children's drama series. Choose one very dramatic scene and describe what happened in it. This can be either a written or an oral exercise.

LONG TERM ACTIVITIES

Whole Class:

• Listen to the song Looking the Loan of a Spade written by Colum Sands. It's in the form of a conversation between two farmers. The children might enjoy acting out the scene. Can they think of any other songs which include a conversation?

Small Groups:

• Improvisation: Each group is asked to work out a little scene at the dinner-table at home. Who is at the table? Parents? Grandparents? Children? Make up some normal conversation then something happens! E.g there's a power cut! Mammy burns the dinner; the cat is eating the same food as the family and it suddenly keels over and dies.
• Tape some interviews with local people Be sure to prepare your list of questions carefully first. Will your question get the person to talk or will they answer simply yes or No. Ask for opinions and explanations. A useful one is 'Tell me about...'.

Twos or threes:

• Role-play: Persuade your mother or father to let you go on a school trip; telephone the emergency services to report an accident; interview someone for a job; a police man or woman interviews a suspected burglar; the school principal tells off a pupil who has written on the school walls.
• These improvisations can be taped and/or written down, improved on and then performed as a scripted piece.

 
Talking and Listening

Pupils should be given opportunities to

• engage in a range of talking and listening activities.
• listen and respond to a range of fiction, poetry, drama, media texts, visual and audio-visual materials.
• listen to live and media presentation.
• tell or re-tell stories based on memories and personal experiences.
• prepare and give a short oral presentation to a familiar group of the class on personal interests or curricular topics.

Writing

Pupils should have opportunities to:

• experiment with rhymes, rhythms, verse structure and all kinds of verbal play and dialect.

 
WORKSHEETS

 
Click on the arrow below to download the worksheet for this programme.