Teaching and learning sequence
Children of the Poor
Author: Susan Battye
Last updated: January 2009
What do my students need to learn?
Identify students’ current strengths and learning needs by issuing the students with copies of Excerpt 1 from Mervyn Thompson’s play, Children of the Poor and conduct a read through of the text. Notice what students will need to focus on and give feedback on these, helping them to set goals for the forthcoming unit of work.
Curriculum links
Principles: Which principles underpin your planning in this sequence?
Values: Which values will you model and explore as you teach this sequence?
Key competencies: The following competencies are specifically developed in this unit:
- Using language, symbols, and texts: to recognise how choices of language, symbol, or text may affect our understanding of ideas.
- Participating and contributing: to contribute appropriately as a group member, to make connections with others, and to create opportunities for others in the group.
English Learning Area
- Processes and strategies AO: Which processes and strategies will students need to use?
- Mode: Reading, Speaking, Presenting
- Levels: up to level 8
What do I need to know and do?
Select from and adapt the teaching and learning tasks below to meet your students’ identified learning needs.
Learning tasks
- 1)
Learning task 1: Introduction
Expected time frame:
Half an hour
This task involves introducing the play Children of the Poor to students by asking the class to read
Excerpt 1 (Word 29KB)
from the play and assessing the students’ strengths and weaknesses as readers of a play text. Explain the context of the opening scene. Invite the students to read aloud Excerpt 1 around the class. Assess and record the students’ individual current needs and strengths as learners with regards to their oral fluency, understanding of vocabulary and ability to listen and work in groups.
- 2)
Learning task 2: Building on identified strengths
Expected time frame:
Half an hour
This task involves clarifying the purpose of the task and the learning expectations for the whole class and for individual students.
- 3)
Learning task 3: What does presenting a scene from a play involve?
Expected time frame:
1-2 lessons
This task involves a joint exploration of ways in which the use of drama techniques relate to their personal and academic lives and ways in which people in the wider community use dramatic techniques in presentations.
- 4)
Learning task 4: Reading the play Children of the Poor for Meaning [Learning task]
Expected time frame:
3-4 lessons
This task involves helping students to read and understand the play text Children of the Poor in order to rehearse and present a selected scene in a group.
- 5)
Learning task 5: Bringing the Play Text to Life
Expected time frame:
2-3 lessons
This task involves the allocation of scenes to groups of 3 or 4 students to perform of 6 -10 minutes worth of text in duration. The class teacher can decide what is best for the group in terms of which scenes are allocated. Aim to cover scenes from the beginning, middle and end of the play and to provide each student with sufficient work to demonstrate their ability. They are expected to memorise the text and perform with actions and voice appropriate to the character and style of the play. They need to research the background of the play and record this on
Worksheet 1 (Word 48KB)
and record their group’s Rehearsal and Character information on
Worksheet 2 (Word 31KB)
.
- 6)
Learning task 6: Presenting excerpts from Children of the Poor to an audience and receiving feedback
Expected time frame:
2 lessons
This task involves each group presenting the designated scene to the designated audience and receiving feedback on the work from the audience. Use
Worksheet 3 (Word 32KB)
for this purpose.
What is the impact of the teaching and learning?
To provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their understanding of presenting a scene from a play in oral language, relate the criteria for AS90725 (English 3.6)
and/or the English curriculum achievement objectives for level 8 (oral language) to play presentation, and ask the students to complete a relevant assessment task. Note and give feedback on the students’ strengths and needs in terms of performing a scene from a play with clear and insightful use of oral techniques.
Their responses can also be used to help students to develop and extend their academic language for expressing opinions and in helping them to develop ideas as part of formative work towards AS90726 (English 3.7) Complete independent research on a language or literature topic and present findings in written form
, or preparation for a fully developed performance as part of AS90611 (Drama 3.5) Research and carry out a performance or technical/production role in a significant production
.
Having now identified evidence of students’ learning progress, reflect on how effective your chosen teaching approaches and strategies have been. Plan to build on what worked well and to address any less effective areas.
