The Bypass

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Marcus Kirby

Trouble in Smallville Scheme of Work.(Yr8-9)

4X 1 Hour Lessons

Basic Overview

* Improve Characterisation

* Improve Group work

* Introduce, thought tracking, freeze framing,

*Allow group to "Control the drama"

*TIR work

*Improve debating skills.

Lesson 1.

Intro:

Teacher gives a brief discussion about Smallville, perhaps accompanied by a map and a basic description of some of the people who live in the village. Information that must be given is that: -

*The village only has about 300 inhabitants

*The village is a big producer of cheeses, esp the local Smallville Stilton.

*The majority of the village work in the two rival cheese making factories.

*Mr and Mrs Chatter own the post office and are the Villages gossips.

*The village is situated between Wycombe and Slough in the country.

*The village although quite near biggish towns is very countrified and there is only one major road, the High Street.

After the class and I have discussed the village and had a quite detailed look at the villages’ ethos and daily life we shall continue to the next activity.

Activity 1 Lesson 1

After placing the class into groups of 6, give them 5-8 minutes to prepare a scene showing a typical day in the village, stress to them it DOESN’T have to be exciting just realistic, see these …then….

Activity 2

Discuss the scenes, bring up ideas of friendship, togetherness, family life, village life etc etc….then….

Activity 3

A brief discussion about gossips, looking at the trouble they can cause, discuss stereotypical gossips such as those in soaps…then…

Activity 4

Split class into groups of three, A, B & C, tell them that A & B are best friends and C knows a secret about one of them that could ruin their friendship, see what happens. If time allows see some (Or all) of these, then briefly discuss what happens, how gossips cause trouble, etc etc…

Lesson 2

Activity 1

Chinese whispers (Sat in circle do 3 times)

Activity 2

Brief recaps about Smallville, looking at the village and in particularly the gossips, ask for 2 volunteers to be the gossips, take them aside. Split the rest of the group into half, one half works in cheese factory A the other in factory B, tell them to work out a scene where they are all on a joint picnic, tell them that they are all friends (I.E no fighting). Give 5-8 mins to prepare and tell them to adapt to whatever happens during the scene, during the scene introduce the gossips who whisper round the group, stating that factory A is to close so factory B employees will be paid more. See what happens to the group, dynamics, end the scene and hotseat some of the pupils about how the mood changed.

Activity 3

Sit in a circle, tell the class they are at a Village meeting and they are different characters, some farmers, some in factory A, some in Factory B, some in real estate, ask them to briefly introduce themselves. I am the mayor and I read the following press release that there is a by-pass being built to link the M4 and the M40 and it will come straight through the village, state that:

*This will be great for factory B workers

*This will be awful for factory A workers, as the factory will be knocked down and any hopes of it re-opening will diminish.

*This will be great for real-estate people

*But awful for farmers.

Try to split the group in half, with half pro the development and half against, open the floor for questions. Then recap.

Lesson 3

Brief recap of work so far esp by pass then:-

Activity 1 Wink Murder

Sit in a circle all must close eyes, tap person on head once if they are murderer twice if detective, the detective has to guess who the murderer is before 10 people are murdered, the murderer kills people by winking at them.

Activity 2

Split class into groups of 5-6, tell them that they are a household at breakfast and a letter will arrive telling the about the by pass, they are to do 2 scenes based on this (starting and ending with a freeze frame and only lasting 1 min): -

*The by pass is great news for them

* The by pass is terrible news for them

Give 4 minutes to prepare each one and then see them, include hot seating and thought tracking.

Activity 3

Tell class that there will be a meeting where the mayor will talk to journalists about the by pass. They are all to be journalists with varying viewpoint (Pro or anti by pass) and I am the mayor.

Lesson 4

Activity 1: Keeper Of the keys.

Sit in a circle, with a pupil sitting in the middle, blindfolded, he is the keeper of the keys (Under his/her chair) He/she has to point at the person trying to steal the keys (Chosen by teacher) Before they get them and sit back down.

Activity 2

Split group in half, one half pro by pass and one half anti by pass, tell them there is to be a meeting and vote to decide whether the bypass is allowed. State that they will have 20 minutes to prepare their case which should be put over by a maximum of three pupils, the rest being in the audience and asking appropriate questions. Act this out until a conclusion, then ask the pupils out of character to vote anonymously and then see the outcome.

Conclusion

Ask the pupils if they enjoyed the scheme and any comments/questions they have and discuss with them what they have (Hopefully!!??!!) learnt.