Hillsborough Rhianna Elsden KS3/GCSE KS3/GCSE

Introduction Rhianna Elsden has been a teacher of English and Drama for 12 years since These activities, using the tragedy as stimuli, can form two or three graduating in 2002. She has worked in lessons. It can work for Year 9, but the subject matter is perhaps more suited to three state schools and extensively for Edexcel as an examiner, and is currently GCSE groups. At KS3 or KS4, use of this scheme will develop both students’ Drama a Head of Faculty. She is also a published skills and their wider social skills, while extending their understanding of a playwright. socially and historically important event. The tragedy is of continued relevance and is highly sensitive, therefore anyone leading these activities should ensure they know their group and establish clear boundaries for the sharing of ideas and practical work. The final activity offers a challenging and exciting opportunity to produce a performance response featuring everyone in the class at the same time. The activities afford both practical and discussion opportunities for the students and can work effectively for mixed or setted ability teaching. Learning objectives By the end of this scheme all students will: ff Have developed their social skills including group work ff Have developed their speaking and listening skills ff Have reflected on the Hillsborough tragedy, considering the emotions felt and why they are still so strong ff Have used the historical event as a stimulus for practical work to understand the emotions and events more thoroughly. By the end of this scheme some students will: ff Have developed their characterisation in performance skills ff Have developed their ability to work using physical theatre and non- naturalistic drama techniques.

Lesson 1: Hillsborough – the tragedy Learning objectives By the end of the lesson students will have learnt: Resources: ff How to discuss sensitive issues in a mature way, being respectful of others ff Hillsborough PowerPoint ff How to use exploratory strategies such as still images and thought tracking ff Access to YouTube effectively to communicate meaning and ideas ff https://www.youtube.com/ ff How to work collaboratively with others in discussion and in practical work watch?v=rQ7QBS4nxAU ff How to structure original practical work effectively for presentation/ performance. Warm-up (10 mins) Begin with PowerPoint slide 1 on the board as soon as students enter. Students will be seeing the first slide: At this stage, don’t try to lead any of the students to find the connection. f f Red Depending on the class and the location ff Forest of the school, the answers they give ff 3.06 could be instantly connected to the topic or very random. With the question: What’s the connection? Ask students for their answer. Then show PowerPoint slide 2, which offers more clues. Slide 3 and then 4 should then be shown to clarify the stimuli. The objectives This is where students can be reminded are then shown. of their responsibility to work and Move on to slide 6 and briefly discuss what they can see. This then forms the discuss this sensitive subject matter in a first practical activity. mature way. Starter (5 mins) Considering slide 6 as the end of the day, form a still image for the title ‘Walking to the ’ as the starting point of the day. www.teaching-drama.co.uk Teaching Drama · Summer term 2 · 2014/15 1 Scheme of work|KS3/GCSE Consider: facial expression, the contrast of this image compared to the picture, levels, use of space, body language and eye contact. Extension: Add thought tracking to reflect the positivity of the day. Try to show in the thought tracking an engagement with the situation and occasion. Discuss and evaluate the results. Introduce a video stimulus to build background. There are many YouTube clips I use the BBC Panorama programme, you could show to now develop the student’s understanding. and show roughly the first 12 minutes Afterwards, consolidate the understanding with a Q and A session using to give the background information on PowerPoint slide 9. what happened and to give an early sense of the injustice surrounding Main activity the event and the way it was Each group is given 4 pieces of string which must be used in each image they now reported: https://www.youtube.com/ create. Groups create 5 images, including the one going to the stadium, linked to watch?v=rQ7QBS4nxAU. what they now know about the events. Extension 1: In between each image there is a transition. Instead of simply moving from one This works well as a G&T extension. image to the next, there could be a repeated transition, or it could differ each Suggested transitions: clapping, singing, time. It should be clear it is not ‘acting’ in between, but instead something that is sirens, slow-motion, chants, stomping. non-naturalistic, perhaps a recurring motif between still images. Extension 2: Bring one image to life for 30 seconds of mime. PowerPoint slide 12 can be used to Plenary frame some evaluative comments in the peer assessment. Rehearse, present and evaluate the work. Discuss how successful the images are and the creative ways the string has been used. Evaluate how some people have shown a depth of characterisation or particularly showed sensitivity and Homework understanding in their work. PowerPoint slide 13: Students are asked to research and bring in evidence of their homework into the following: ff Research the event for yourself ff Find out more about how the was reported initially in the press ff The disaster still features in the news. Why has it been in the news recently? What is going on now and why is an inquest continuing? ff Who is David Duckenfield and what is his connection to the tragedy?

www.teaching-drama.co.uk Teaching Drama · Summer term 2 · 2014/15 2 Scheme of work|KS3/GCSE Lesson 2: Hillsborough – justice for the 96 Learning objectives By the end of the lesson all students will have learnt: ff How to discuss sensitive issues in a mature way being respectful of others ff How to work collaboratively with others in discussion and practical work ff How to develop characterisation to produce a more effective performance Resources: f PowerPoint from slide titled f How to develop mime skills f f ‘Hillsborough Lesson 2’ onwards. ff Why strong feelings still exist around justice for those who died. Starter (10–15 mins) Slide 16 of the PowerPoint is a Q and A exercise to prompt the re-engagement Share with your group what you have with facts surrounding Hillsborough. Slide 17 pushes this beyond into a deeper discovered about Hillsborough for understanding of the emotions, the mis-reporting and injustices connected with yourself. ff Who did newspapers and the media the tragedy. Slide 17 encourages students to demonstrate what they researched initially blame for the disaster? and learnt in their homework and to share this in groups and then with the whole ff Why are families of the victims so class: outraged? ff What does ‘Justice for the 96’ refer to Main activity specifically? The aim of this activity is to produce an ambitious whole-class performance. It ff What have newspapers done in the starts with students working as individuals, then as large groups and then coming light of new information about the together as a whole class. events on the day? It works best running through this bit by bit and stopping to reflect upon each ff Who is David Duckenfield? ff What has he recently revealed/ stage. Once students have gone through the whole thing, they can then have a go admitted? without the teacher calling instructions and instead just the signals, claps, and counts are given with perhaps the slides projected to help remind them of the stages. The students should be standing on their own with a piece of string. They If you feel your class will struggle to complete a mime as if they are a supporter getting ready to leave to go come together as one, then the work the semi-final. The mime finishes with the individual putting the string on like a could be kept in groups. scarf at which point they freeze. Students can then be asked to step out of role to reflect how they think their Opportunities to extend into peer character would be feeling. They could be asked how they could communicate evaluation with one half acting and this in their silence. others watching (then swapped) and discussing effective use of body Main activity continued language and facial expression in the Once frozen, students are told that on the clap sound that the teacher will make, mime. everyone starts moving to an assigned corner (they are given a number to let them know where to move). As they move, they are going to do a loud chant replicating a football crowd, as a chorus. PowerPoint slide 21 has some useful When in each corner of the room, the students form a new still image, as if just questions to reflect on the use of chorus before going through the turnstiles and therefore similar to their images from last here. lesson. Having frozen, a number of students are then told to form themselves into a group into the middle. To a count of 10, all other students in the corner of the room move in to surround those in the centre and using the string they form a crisscross barrier like the fencing pens in the old stadium. Once in place, they freeze and to a count of 10 those in the centre move in slow motion to the string and reach at it, Extension through it, etc., to indicate they can’t, but wish to, escape. Questions could be asked here: If we This then freezes again. were to have music now, what could we The final stage is then slide 23 of the PowerPoint whereby on a clap sound all have? What effect would music have/ students form the number 96, and on the second clap they go to their knees and does music have? Should any music fade it up or just have it starting? hold the pieces of string above their heads as if they were scarves. Having done this performance in parts with the teacher talking them through, repeat without instructions and then fully reflect and evaluate the power and If possible, film and then play back success of the piece. the piece for students to see how they performed and its impact. Plenary Using PowerPoint slide 24 to frame discussions, reflect on the performance, but also the tragedy and their developed understanding: ff Having completed the work – how would you feel if you were one of the families who had lost a loved one? ff Do you believe the 96 victims have justice now? ff What do you think should happen to the police on duty that day? ff Why do we look at past events in school? ff Do you think society/ communities as a whole should commemorate tragic events, large losses of life, or should we forget and move on from past events? www.teaching-drama.co.uk Teaching Drama · Summer term 2 · 2014/15 3 Scheme of work|KS3/GCSE RESOURCES Link to Powerpoint presentation: http://www.rhinegold.co.uk/downloads/catalogue_supporting_materials/PowerPoint%20 Hillsborough%20Lesson.pptx

What’s the connection between each Have you found the link that forms the of these? stimulus for today’s lesson? Red, Forest, 3.06?

Red Semi Final FA Cup

th Forest 15 April 1989 Wednesday 3.06 Forest

Liverpool

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The answers:

96 • 96 is the number of Liverpool fans who died at Hillsborough, Sheffiled Wednesday’s football ground.

• The semi final FA Cup match, 15th April 1989 between Nottingham Forest & Liverpool was abandoned at 3.06pm after it became clear that there was a problem in the fans enclosure behind one of the goals.

• The fans who died were crushed to death as a result of too many Liverpool fans being allowed in to the back of an already full stand at the Leppings Lane end of the ground.

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Our aims today What can you see?

• Reflect on the Hillsborough tragedy and consider the emotions still felt and why they are still so strong. • Reflect on Hillsborough and consider the positives that can come from tragedy. • Use the historical event as a stimulus for practical work to understand the emotions and events more thoroughly.

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Still Image Documentary Form a still image for the title below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQ7QBS4nx Consider – facial expression, contrasts between AU images, levels, use of space, body language, eye contact

• Walking to the stadium

Now add thought tracking to reflect the positivity of the day. Try to show in the thought tracking an engagement with the situation and occasion.

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Questions linked to understanding Developing a performance

• What was the cause of the deaths? Think beyond the Each group now has 4 pieces of string which must be literal answer. used in each image • Why would fans continue to push themselves down the tunnel when it already seemed full? Create a new series of images linked to what you now • Why were there fences and pens? How does this differ know about the events from how a stadium is today? • Why didn’t the police let fans onto the pitch at first or Create at least 5 images react more at the start to help? • Why is there still a sense of injustice about the day? In between each image you have transitions – you don’t • Do you think that anyone is guilty of murder for the just move into your next image, the transitions events on the day? themselves have some performance to them

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Transitions between the images Rehearse/ Evaluate • Clapping Success criteria = • Singing • Movement appropriate to the situation • Sirens • Evidence of characters appropriate to the • Slow-motion situation • Repetition • Creative use of the string • Chants • Fluidity of the transitions • Stomping • Focused throughout

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Homework Hillsborough Lesson 2

• Research the event for yourself • Your objectives today are to develop further • Find out more about how the Hillsborough your understanding of the events at disaster was reported initially in the press Hillsborough over 25 years ago • The disaster still features in the news; why has • You will develop your understanding of the it been in the news recently – what is going on strong feelings that still exist for justice for now and why is an inquest continuing? those who died • Who is David Duckenfield and what is his • You will develop this understanding through connection to the tragedy? practical work and discussion

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A factual quiz Questions

• To test what you remember from last week, • How many Liverpool fans died? get into groups and be ready to answer the • Who were Liverpool playing that day? questions on the next slide • Who’s football ground is Hillsborough? • What time did the match stop? • Who stopped the match? • What round of the FA Cup was the match linked to? • What was the actual date of the tragedy?

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Answers Homework discussions

• How many Liverpool fans died? 96 • Share with your group what you have discovered about • Who were Liverpool playing that day? Nottingham Hillsborough for yourself Forest • Who did newspapers and the media initially blame for • Who’s football ground is Hillsborough? Sheffield the disaster? Wednesday • Why are families of the victims so outraged? • What time did the match stop? 3.06 • What does ‘Justice for the 96’ refer to specifically? • Who stopped the match? The referee • What round of the FA Cup was the match linked to? • What have newspapers done in the light of new Semi-Final information about the events on the day? • What was the actual date of the tragedy? 15th April • Who is David Duckenfield? 1989 • What has he recently revealed/ admitted?

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Developing a group response to the Practical response stimulus • We are going to do a whole class performance • Complete a mime as if you are a Liverpool supporter getting ready to leave to go the FA Cup • We need to have excellent focus and be Semi Final 15th April respectful in our exploration due to the topic • Your mime finishes with you putting the string on we are using as the stimulus like a scarf • You then freeze • Stage one: collect a piece of string, find a

space on your own, away from the edges and • Reflect – how would your character be feeling? sit down What thoughts would be running through your mind?

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Adding to the performance Next stage

• On the clap sound that I will make, everyone starts moving • From the four corner groups, one person per group to an assigned corner or central (you’ll be given a number now move to converge on the centre group to let you know where to move) • Centre group you represent fans in the Leppings Lane Pens • As you move, you are going to do a loud chant, as a chorus • Those from the corner to the count of 10 move in to ie all together surround the central group and use your string to symbolise the barriers/fences around the centre group, • Reflect – why have a chant when moving from one section centre group freeze. to another? Why not just walk? What does it add (imagine an audience watching when considering this answer)? Why • When the outer group are frozen, central group move have everyone chanting? What is the effect on an to the count of 10 in slow motions to face out and audience/performance if a large group all do the same freeze as if caught/trapped action/ sound? • Reflect – why use slow motion here?

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Finally Plenary

• On the first clap, the whole class form a 96 using just • Having completed the work – how would you feel yourselves if you were one of the family who had lost a • On the clap sound, get into a kneeling position in your loved one? place and hold your string like a scarf above your head • Do you believe the 96 victims have justice now? • What do you think should happen to the police • If we were to have music now, what could we have? on duty that day? • What effect would music have/does music have? • Why do we look at past events in school? • Should we fade it up or just have it starting – justify • Do you think society/ communities as a whole your opinion? should commemorate tragic events, large losses of life, or should we forget and move on from past events?

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