An art and drama lesson sequence on practicum

My practicum took place in a Year 2 class at a primary school with a high concentration of students from Language Backgrounds Other Than English (LBOTE). On the Friday afternoon of my second week, I continued with a Creative And Performing Arts lesson I had begun the previous Friday afternoon. We were to finish decorating and assembling hats based on inspiration from a text: Tilly Tompkins Surprise Hat (Sadie & Suzanne Pascoe, 1987), and use the hats in a drama activity. With the teacher having a strong focus on English and Maths, she informed me the students have little opportunity for Creative And Performing Arts.

Given the student’s enthusiasm in the first lesson, asking me repeatedly throughout the week when they would finish their hats, I was feeling confident that this lesson would run smoothly. The students already understood the purpose and expectations involved in the lesson. Nevertheless, I predicted that the actual process of constructing the hats would be difficult. To assist the LBOTE students and provide both visual and verbal task instructions, I started the lesson by modelling how to cut the hat templates, writing the instructions on the board. I instructed students to raise their hand after cutting the hat templates and I would come around individually to help them assemble the hats. They set to work, and most finished cutting much quicker than I expected. All of a sudden I had 24 students raising their hands for help!

I decided to change game plan, showing the first few students how to assemble the hats and asking them to help others. As each student completed their hat they called out asking if they could help others too. I didn’t want every student out of their seat so I had to ask them to sit and be patient. They became noisy, restless and distracted the others. Meanwhile, my helpers were frantically running around answering pleas for help. I only had one sticky tape dispenser and needed to give each student six pieces each, so I had a line for people waiting on sticky tape. It was chaos and there was sticky tape carnage building up on the floors, desks and walls. I had it set in my head that I needed every student to have a completed hat, so forty minutes later I finally had (almost) everyone back on the floor, wearing their slightly skewed and misfitting hats.

Given the noise level from the hat assembly and the impending bell time, I changed my drama lesson structure from a whole-class carousel where partners rotated in a circle, to selecting two students at a time to embody their character and perform a scripted conversation in front of the class. This had its own limitations as students became shy, and we only got through a few sets of partners before the bell rang. Students groaned that it wasn’t fair that they missed out. They left the classroom and I was left to clean up a graveyard of sticky tape and failed hat constructions. After a whole week of building enthusiasm and expectations for the lesson, I felt like my poor logistical planning had let the students, the teacher and myself down.

CREATIVE ARTS LESSON PLAN

UNIT TITLE: Being Tilly Tompkins						TIMING: 2 x 40min lessons (1:10-2:00 Friday wk7 and wk8)
LESSON: 1/2					STAGE: 1 Year 2
RELATED LESSON OUTCOMES: Develop personal and social capability, critical and creative thinking. English: ·  EN1-1A (communicates with a range of people in informal and guided activities demonstrating interaction skills, and considers how own communication is adjusted in different situations); ·  EN1-10C (thinks imaginatively and creatively about familiar topics, ideas and texts when responding to and composing texts); ·  EN1-11D (responds to and composes a range of texts about familiar aspects of the world and their own experiences). Art: Objects (subject matter); Painting, Sculpture and 3D forms, Fibre ·  VAS1.1 (makes artworks in a particular way about experiences of real and imagined things) ·  VAS1.4 (begins to interpret the meaning of artworks, acknowledging the roles of artist and audience)					ASSESSMENT/EVIDENCE OF LEARNING: A student will: Use features of the written and illustrated text to design and make a hat, which could evoke a positive reaction from an audience. Students learn to: ·  make different kinds of artworks including paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, digital artworks and videos; ·  extend their skills in using a variety of media, techniques and tools to create effects that link to things in the world.
PART AND TIMING	SUBJECT MATTER (WHAT)	TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES (HOW)          STUDENTS                                                  TEACHER					RESOURCES
Before lesson	Prepare resources: Photocopy cardboard hat templates onto cardboard. Set up glue, scissors, paintbrushes, paint pallets and water. 2 material boxes per table, containing material and paper scraps and things to decorate with.
Introduction (5-10 minutes)	Linking to text (objects carry meaning and emotional response). Discussing characters and story. Explain task.	Ss sit in lines in front of smartboard. Ss participate in whole class discussion.	Read Tilly Tompkins to class (as some Ss are in different literacy class). Talk about Tilly Tompkins, and the patients at the hospital. Talk about the range of materials Tilly used in decorating hats. How did Tilly’s hats make people feel? How did they react? Explain task: We are going to make hats like Tilly’s. Think about the colours, the shape, the painting style and decorations. Remember your hat has to make people feel happy!! Search for hats on Google Images for inspiration. Show Ss my test hat. Distribute hat templates. Explain that they should paint and decorate the cardboard, and we’ll let it dry, cut it out and assemble it next week.  Explain Rules before moving to tables: - share resources - clean up after ourselves - wash paintbrushes - use quiet voices. - if you break the rules you miss out on play.				Text: Tilly Tompkins Surprise Hat, by Sadie and Suzanne Pascoe My test hat
Body (20-30 minutes)	Hat design and artmaking:	Ss design, paint and decorate hats individually	Teacher assists individual students in developing and refining ideas and techniques. Allow 20 mins to paint and 5 mins to clean up, setting work aside in wet area.				·  A4 cardboard (1sheet / student) ·  Stapler, sticky tape (teacher) ·  Scissors (share b/w 4) ·  Paint, coloured pencils, coloured paper, newspaper, glue ·  Things to decorate with
Conclusion (5 minutes)	Evaluation and linking to next lesson	Whole class discussion.	Who is happy with their hat design? Did it turn out like you wanted? How might people react when they see your hat? Tell Ss that next Friday afternoon we will cut and assemble our hats. Then we will play a game with the hats and find out how they make other people feel.				N/A
Lesson Evaluation: What worked for students ·  Did students show comprehension and empathy for the characters? ·  Did students participate in discussion, relating ideas to personal experiences? ·  Were students able to design a hat with appropriate audience in mind? ·  Did students consider audience reaction in choosing technique, form and materials? ·  Did students behave well according to rules agreed upon?				What worked for teacher? What to improve upon? ·  Did I communicate clearly to the class the task and what was expected of them? ·  Did I engage the students during discussion? ·  Did I encourage creative and higher order thinking during discussion? ·  Did I provide supportive and constructive individual advice and feedback? ·  Was the task appropriate to the age and ability of the students? ·  Did I allow enough time for activity, including setting up and packing up?

CREATIVE ARTS LESSON PLAN

UNIT TITLE: Being Tilly Tompkins					TIMING: 2 x 40min lessons (1:10-2:00 Friday wk7 and wk8)
LESSON: 2/2				STAGE: 1 Year 2
RELATED LESSON OUTCOMES: Develop personal and social capability, critical and creative thinking. English: ·  EN1-1A (communicates with a range of people in informal and guided activities demonstrating interaction skills, and considers how own communication is adjusted in different situations); ·  EN1-10C (thinks imaginatively and creatively about familiar topics, ideas and texts when responding to and composing texts); ·  EN1-11D (responds to and composes a range of texts about familiar aspects of the world and their own experiences). Art: Objects (subject matter); Painting, Sculpture and 3D forms, Fibre ·  VAS1.4 (begins to interpret the meaning of artworks, acknowledging the roles of artist and audience) Drama: Improvisation, Drama games ·  DRAS1.1 (takes on roles in drama to explore unfamiliar and imagined situations) ·  DRAS1.2 (conveys story, depicts events and expresses feelings by using the elements of drama and the expressive skills of movement and voice) ·  DRAS1.3 (Interacts collaboratively to communicate the action of the drama with others) ·  DRAS1.4 (Appreciates dramatic work during the making of their own drama and the drama of others)				ASSESSMENT/EVIDENCE OF LEARNING: A student will: While wearing the hat, improvise and embody the character of Tilly Tompkins. While not wearing the hat, embody the character of the sad boy. Students will appreciate the value of certain artwork features in evoking a response from an audience.
Before lesson: Set out scissors, glue, PVA, twist crayons and paper scraps in baskets on each table. Have sticky tape ready.
PART AND TIMING	SUBJECT MATTER (WHAT)	TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES (HOW)            STUDENTS                                                  TEACHER				RESOURCES
Introduction (5 minutes)	Recall last lesson. Explain task.	1.Ss enter classroom and sit in rows facing Ts chair. 2.Ss raise hand to participate in whole class discussion. 3. Ss move to desks quietly once they receive their hat.	1. T enters classroom and sits on Ts chair. 2. Explain that today we will finish decorating, then cut and assemble our hats. Then we will use these hats in a game. 3. I will give you a few minutes to finish colouring and decorating your hats. Then I will show you how to cut and piece them together. 4. Hand out hats one by one, instructing Ss to move to desk when they receive their hat.			Text: Tilly Tompkins Surprise Hat, by Sadie and Suzanne Pascoe My test hat
Body: Constructing hats (20 minutes) Becoming Tilly and the patients (20 minutes)	Complete hats Wear the hats and enrole the characters of Tilly / hospital patients.	1. Individuals complete their hats (constructing them and adding last decorations). 2. Ss fold arms when ready to cut and assemble. 3. Ss follow T modelling how to cut and assemble. 3. Ss move to floor wearing hat. 4. Ss volunteer to act as Tilly or patient in front of audience. 4. Ss form a carousel embodying role of Tilly or patient as directed. 5. Time permitting for real Tilly Tompkins game: Ss stand behind desk. Listen to questions asked by one of the 3 Ss and stand if the answer if yes, sit if the answer is NO.	1.  Ss put finishing touches on hats. Put your hat on the table and fold your arms when you are ready to cut and assemble the hats. 2. Tell Ss that those who are ready can take a pair of scissors and T models where to cut template. Once you have cut all your pieces, raise your hand and I will come around to help you stick the band together and attach the hat (with sticky tape). Once it is ready, put your hat on, tuck your chair in and sit on the floor quietly. 3. Once all Ss are sitting on floor, Ask “raise your hand if you can remember why Tilly made and wore her hats.” “How did they make people at the hospital feel?” This is why we made them bright and colourful. Explain that today we will become tilly Tompkins and the hospital patient. 4. Ask for 2 volunteers who are sitting silently. One wears hat and acts like Tilly. The other removes hat and acts like patient. You have 30 seconds to make the patient laugh, eg. saying “Hello, I’m Tilly Tompkins. Do you like my lovely hat?” / “I don’t care for your silly hats, can’t you see how sick I am?” (cough cough). Encourage them to face the audience, use facial expression and body language. If this works, form a carousel as per below. If it doesn’t work, continue to do this 2 at a time infront of audience. Carousel: Ask students to sit in a circle. Take each 2nd Ss hat’s off their heads and place aside. Ask those Ss to stand and form an inner circle. Ask outside circle to stand (still wearing hats). Those on the outside are Tilly. Those on the inside are the patients. Tilly Tompkins’, you have 30 seconds to make the patients happy. Patients, you need to act sick and sad. ·  Rotate around, then swap students from outer to inner circle so they experience both characters. ·  How many rotations depends on time. Time permitting, play a description game, asking questions to work out the real Tilly Tompkins. Instruct Ss to stand behind their chairs. Ask 3 well-behaved Ss stand outside door (put hats on desk). Rest of Ss stand at desks facing smartboard in rows, wearing hats. When 3 Ss leave the room, tap the real Tilly on the head. Instruct 3 Ss to re-enter room. Each takes turns asking a question about their hat to discern which hat is the real Tilly. If the T says the answer is YES, those with that feature stay standing. Those without that feature sit down. Eg. “is your hat decorated with paper bag?”,  “does Tilly’s hat have a purple pom-pom?”, “does Tilly’s hat have origami?”, “does Tilly’s hat have green on it?”. One of the 3 Ss can guess at any time who the real Tilly is.			·  sticky tape (teacher) ·  Scissors (share between 4)
Conclusion (5 minutes)	Evaluate the qualities of the hats and the drama improvisations in communicating and expressing the emotions of the characters.	After the game, Ss sit in rows on floor and raise hand to answer questions.	Instruct all Ss to sit in rows on floor. T sits on chair. Ask: How did the hats make you feel when wearing them? How did you feel as the sick patient? What was it about the hats that cheered you up?			N/A
Lesson Evaluation: What worked for students ·  Did students show comprehension and empathy for the characters? ·  Did students participate in discussion, relating ideas to personal experiences? ·  Were students able to design a hat with appropriate audience in mind? ·  Did students consider audience reaction in choosing technique, form and materials?				What worked for teacher? What to improve upon? ·  Did I communicate clearly to the class the task and what was expected of them? ·  Did I engage the students during discussion? ·  Did I encourage creative and higher order thinking during discussion? ·  Did I provide supportive and constructive individual advice and feedback? ·  Was the task appropriate to the age and ability of the students?