KS4 Jealousy
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Jealousy KS4 Karen Hart KS4 Introduction Karen Hart has taught drama in his scheme of work follows the theme of jealousy; the feelings it can create and their both secondary school and after possible consequences and ramifications. Students will examine different forms of school classes and presently runs jealousy and how feeling jealous makes us behave. drama classes for both 6 – 10 T year-olds and eleven years plus, They will study a speech from After Juliet by Sharman Macdonald, contrasting it with the story of Medea by Euripides, considering the consequences of Medea’s actions, and looking at with children taking Trinity graded parallels between characters in these plays and the situations that lead to their jealous actions. exams. Karen is also an early years Students will also explore the conventions of ancient Greek theatre, in particular the use of specialist, freelance writer, author the chorus, and learn the ways this can be used in their own devised performances. and regular contributor to Each session is based on a one-hour lesson, but they can be mixed and matched as you MA Education magazines. please. There are of course, many other plays that look at the theme of jealousy and which are good for using with KS4, some examples being: Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers, Anne Cassidy’s Looking for JJ and, of course, Macbeth. Just Jealous by Anne Cassidy is also perfect here; a love story exploring the themes of jealousy, revenge and murder. Each session is based on a one-hour lesson, but they can be mixed and matched as you please. Resources The plays used are: § After Juliet by Sharman Macdonald, Connections series, Faber and Faber. § Medea by Euripides (translated by Alistair Elliot), Absolute Classics, Oberon Books. Learning objectives The learning objectives are over-arching to incorporate the whole scheme of work. By the end of this scheme students will have: § Read and compared passages from After Juliet and Medea, looking at similarities and contrasts within the two pieces. § Used a range of dramatic techniques to help both understand and convey jealousy as an emotional response. § Looked at the negative consequences of jealousy, using personal experience as a starting point. § Devised a short, small group improvisation around the theme of jealousy, using Medea as inspiration. § Looked at a range of reasons why people feel jealous, e.g. abandonment, obsessive personality or insecurity, and the ways these feelings can be expressed. § Devised and practised choral work and moving and speaking in unison and looked at how this can be used as a device in performance. § Looked at the structure of Ancient Greek theatre. Session 1: Looking at reasons for, and feelings associated with, jealousy Class discussion: Introduction to theme of jealousy in drama (10 mins) Topic for class discussion: Using a whiteboard or flip pad, list students’ suggestions for reasons why people feel jealous. If anyone would like to share an experience of a time they felt jealous, invite them to do so – maybe a time when they were in primary school and felt jealous of another pupil’s new toy/shoes/bag, etc. Kick the session off by providing some of your own suggestions for reasons we can feel jealous: others having more money than us, feeling other people are better-looking than us, other students always getting better grades, feeling that parents prefer a sibling over us or www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk Autumn Term 2 2019/20 Drama & Theatre 1 Jealousy KS4 someone we like – girlfriend, boyfriend or friend – preferring to spend time with someone else. Also talk about TV programmes, films, manga, etc., that include the theme of jealousy. Soundscapes are very useful for creating an immersive atmosphere, Build a soundscape (15 mins) especially of building tension Give each student a sheet of paper. Tell them to write as many words or short groups of words, and trepidation. Soundscapes as they can think of that can be associated with the feeling of jealousy, e.g., envious, resentful, are also effective when used as possessive, anxious, green-eyed-monster, sulky, grudging, spiteful, vengeful, bitchy, controlling, part of a production, being used, suspicious, vindictive, I wasn’t born yesterday, I’m just not good enough, always second-best. for example, to set the opening In a circle, have students choose one of their words or sayings that they stick with scene of a play, e.g., a busy, noisy throughout the exercise. Then, going round the circle, have students each say their chosen playground, where a small cast can word in turn. Start very quietly, almost a whisper, passing slowly between students, but be used to give the impression of gradually picking up the pace and raising the volume until there is a crescendo of sound. multiple voices. Small group improvisation (20 mins plus 15 mins to show work and discuss) In groups of four or five, give students the following scenario around which to create a short improvisation showing a possible cause of jealousy; how this makes a person feel and how they show their feelings. As a group of friends, you all attend the same after school club, the nature of which can be decided upon by each group – gymnastics, football, dance class, etc. One member of the club has always been the best, until a new member arrives who is of a much higher standard than anyone else at the club. The club member who was previously the best feels very jealous towards the new member, especially as everyone else thinks they’re great in every way – the instructor running the club especially. Show as many examples of work as possible and discuss the pieces as time allows. Homework Hand out Romeo and Juliet/After Juliet overview sheets. Ask students to read these as preparation for next lesson (see Resources). If available, also hand out copies of After Juliet for students to read through for homework. Session 2 – Working on a passage from After Juliet Warm-up - Discuss After Juliet (10 mins) Ask students for their opinions on the play After Juliet – or of the passage they were given if copies of the play were not available. Could students identify with the way Rosaline felt towards Juliet? Did the fact that Juliet was now dead mean Rosaline would feel less jealous of Juliet or did this mean Juliet would always be remembered by others as a saint – making it worse? Also, would the fact that Rosaline could now never confront Juliet about her past behaviour make it worse? Quick improvisation on given scenarios (10 mins) In pairs, playing two children aged about eleven. It’s one child’s birthday and they have a big pile of presents which they describe and talk about as they excitedly unwrap. The other child sits and watches, growing increasingly more envious of the gifts. Students should try to show the emotions each child is experiencing before swapping roles. Alternative scenario in keeping with the passage from After Juliet In groups of three; two children are playing when one child snatches the other child’s toy away from them. An adult such as a mother or childminder walks in on the disagreement, and rather than instructing the toy be given back to its rightful owner, says it must be shared and lets the child who snatched it away play with it. Script reading from After Juliet (5 mins) Read Rosaline’s monologue to the class, from, ‘We were hardly close as cousins’ to, ‘And watch the tears flow’ (from p. 30 of Connections edition). Does it make students feel differently towards the character of Juliet – traditionally thought of as a heroine? www.dramaandtheatre.co.uk Autumn Term 2 2019/20 Drama & Theatre 2 Jealousy KS4 Paired improvisation (15 mins to improvise and 10 mins to show work) Using the monologue as inspiration, ask students to imagine one of their pair is talking to someone they have known for many years and who has always made them feel jealous for some reason; this could be a relative or someone at school, and they have finally found the confidence to tell them how they have been made to feel. The other student is the person who has made them feel jealous. The improvised scene should clearly show the reasons one student feels they are justified in feeling jealous, with the second student believing they are completely wrong to feel this way. Encourage students to use body language and facial expressions to show their emotions. Swap roles so pairs each have a turn at both roles. Show as many groups as time allows. Hot seating (10 mins) Pick one pair to hot seat, sitting the pair side by side and giving as many students as possible a chance to ask them questions. Repeat with other pairs as time allows. Homework Ask students to write three possible scenarios to use as the basis for a group improvisation on the theme of jealous revenge, e.g. a brother is bought an expensive birthday present that his sister thinks was much more expensive than the present she received on her birthday, so she breaks it when he goes to bed. Session 3: Devising a group improvisation on the theme of jealousy and revenge Warm-up (10 mins) Read through students’ suggestions for improvisations and discuss the ideas. Small group improvisations (20 mins to devise and 10 mins to watch work) Put students into groups of four or five. Using the ideas prepared as homework as a starting point, students devise a short improvisation on the theme of jealous revenge, being free to devise their piece as they like.