Here are lessons 1 and 2 of a SOW.
AIMS: To create a piece of drama based on the theme of violence, by
using the children's own ideas, research, freeze frames, group work
LESSON 1
1. In groups of five, brainstorm what the word "violence" means to you.
On a sheet of paper, write the word "violence" in the centre, and draw
a spider diagram, passing the pen around each person, and continue to
do this, so that everybody writes down several ideas. Ideas could
include domestic violence, power, bully, fear etc.
2. Choose three of the words that you have written down. For each one,
form a freeze frame that best depicts the word. For example, domestic
violence could be shown as a husband about to hit a wife, with the
children cowering in the background.
3. Each group shows their three freeze frames to the rest of the class,
who have to guess the word.
4. Homework: Find a newspaper article about violence.
LESSON 2
1. The class discuss the newspaper articles that they have found.
2. In the same groups as last week, choose a story from one that has
been told, and come up with a question eg: "how could a woman kill her
own baby?"
3. Depict this question as a freeze frame, eg: one child depicts the
dead baby, another the mother, another looks on in horror etc.
4. Each group shows their freeze frame to the rest of the class. They
are told which article was their stimulus, from which they have to
guess the question, as depicted by the freeze frame.
5. The groups now try to come up with an answer to their question, eg
"she was depressed, had low self esteem, was an alcoholic etc.
6. Now depict the answer as a freeze frame, eg: have five characters,
one being depressed, one showing low status, one being drunk etc.
7. Share the freeze frames with the class, who have to guess the answer.
8. Homework: Think of all the stories that have been shared today. What
have they all got in common? eg: they could all involve the police,
money, murder etc.