Drama
Syllabus
In the elective subject of drama students gain an understanding of the artistic and creative processes needed to make drama, as well as an appreciation of the nature of performance and the connection between performers and their audience.
For further information follow the link to the NSW 7-10 drama syllabus.
Making
Success in making depends on the following basis:
- the creation of drama and theatre process
- the participation and awareness of the process
- collaborative and individual exploration of fictional and imaginative worlds.
Performing
When performing drama students will:
- engage audiences while acting and performing in a variety of dramatic forms, conventions and styles
- experiment with performance spaces, technologies and production elements to create and enhance dramatic meaning
- perform and improvise using scripted and unscripted drama individually and collaboratively.
Appreciating
When appreciating drama as an art form, students should study:
- the historical perspective of drama
- dramatic forms, techniques and conventions
- theatre practitioners
- elements of drama and production
- writing for the theatre and theatre criticism.
Elements of drama
Elements of drama poster and brief animated video are available to print, play and display in your classroom via the links below.
Sample scope and sequences
The sample scope and sequence documents provide teachers with overviews for programming and assessment in drama.
Programs and resources
Knowledge and skills creative arts - KASCA drama framework
The KASCA drama framework breaks down the core components of the elements of drama, drama practices and drama context into a series of lesson sequences. All lesson sequences come with ready-to-use differentiated learning and teaching resources and are available in an online format in this section and an e-book version (PDF 5.1MB) that can be downloaded to your smart device.
Writing about performance
A Stage 5 resource to develop students' skills in writing critically, descriptively and reflectively about performance in dance and drama.
To access this resource visit writing about performance.
Student logbook guide
CApture student filmmaking resource
The CApture student filmmaking interactive resource guides Stage 5 creative arts students through the collaborative processes of filmmaking.
Teacher support guide for programming and assessment
A guide to support drama teachers in delivering CApture - a Stage 5 creative arts filmmaking resource.
CApture teacher support guide for programming and assessment in Stage 5 drama (DOCX 163 KB)
IMAGinE this
To support the teaching and learning of the 7-10 syllabus and literacy needs of students, these units of work will provide guidance and assistance to help teachers meet the literacy demands within the drama classroom. The 'IMAGinE this' units of work, support teachers to integrate picture books, graphic novels and slam poetry to enhance their drama teaching and programming. It provides examples of learning activities in drama with suggested activities for approaching drama in English.
Shakespeare’s plays are full of intrigue, exciting battles and ‘burns’ aplenty, and yet our students struggle to connect with his twisting plots and engaging characters because of a language barrier spanning over 500 years. This unit aims to connect the two worlds in a drama classroom through the use of texts that are commonly used in the 21st century. Students will enter Shakespeare’s world through his own language, the power of performance, graphic novels, social media and film.
Students to focus on the use of ‘identity’ to tell a story. They:
- discuss the importance of identity in developing a character in performance
- discuss the use of identity in a selection of picture books
- analyse the Jeannie Baker book ‘Window’, and how it portrays a changing identity through the visual metaphor of Sam’s bedroom window
- work in groups to devise their own wordless picture story
- explore the idea of changing identity
- create a series of still images which are turned into a short film, to be shared and analysed by the class.
Whilst this unit was created for Stage 5 you could modify it to reflect Stage 4 outcomes.
This unit of work uses the modern performance form of slam poetry to allow students to express themselves. It draws equally from the NSW Drama and English syllabus documents and could be taught in either Drama or English or in a combination of the two. This unit would ideally be taught towards the end of the school year or semester, once a sense of trust and openness has been developed in the class. Students will be asked to share candidly with their class and this will be difficult without strong connections first. Whilst this unit was created for Stage 4 you could modify it to reflect Stage 5 outcomes.
This unit of work uses picture books as the stimulus for making, performing and appreciating drama. Picture books are a great resource for exploring visual and written language, imagination, values and deep contextual themes. They are a valuable stimulus for students to create drama and reflect themes and experiences.
Picture books and playbuilding unit (DOCX 77.91KB)
Character comparison handout (DOCX 45.94KB)
Selecting a picture book guide (DOCX 46.55KB)
This unit of work allows students to explore controversial issues, presented in graphic novels and in their own dramatic works. Students are given the ability to delve into issues that are often tricky to discuss. They explore the importance of relationships with the audience in printed and dramatic work.
The NSW 7-10 Drama syllabus and other support documentation can be found on the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) website.
u.b.do
u.b.do is a five week innovative teaching and learning program that responds to the issue of digital citizenship. Through the program, students will become more self-aware of the responsibilities and roles of living in and surviving in both an online and human-centred world, by participating in digital and collaborative learning experiences.
In this unit, students use an innovative digital learning resource to provoke discussion and change by experimenting with Boal's notion of Theatre of the Oppressed.
Lesson plans
- Week 1 lesson 1 (PDF 297.65 KB)
- Week 1 lesson 2 (PDF 255.43 KB)
- Week 2 lesson 1 (PDF 279.62 KB)
- Week 2 lesson 2 (PDF 234.39 KB)
- Week 3 lesson 1 (PDF 264.43 KB)
- Week 3 lesson 2 (PDF 254.8 KB)
- Week 4 lesson 1 (PDF 257.22 KB)
- Week 4 lesson 2 (PDF 247.69 KB)
- Week 5 lesson 1 (PDF 252.84 KB)
- Week 5 lesson 2 (PDF 235.41 KB)
Assessment tasks
Other resources
Learning from home resources
Student guided online learning sequences to support learning from home or in the classroom
Students are guided in completing a short investigation and submitting a brief report and reflection.
Drama - knowledge and skills (PDF 5226 KB)
Educational resources for Stage 4 and 5 Drama
If you need further assistance with accessibility for any of these resources, please get in touch with us at SecondaryEducationUnit@det.nsw.edu.au