Reading and performing a script based on 'The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark'
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can read and respond to a play script based on 'The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark' and perform it in front of an audience.
Key learning points
- A play is a written text that is intended to be read aloud and acted out by actors in a live performance.
- A play script is written by a playwright.
- Plays are most often performed in theatres.
- Actors read play scripts to bring them to life; directors tell actors how to speak, move and look when saying lines.
- There are certain conventions that are always written in play scripts that help the actors and the director.
Keywords
Play - a written text intended to be performed in front of an audience that is divided into scenes of dialogue and action
Play script - the written text of a play that includes dialogue, stage directions and setting descriptions so that actors and directors can bring it to life on a stage
Playwright - the person who writes a play
Audience - a group of people who watch and actively listen to a play
Common misconception
Pupils may think that plays are put on quickly without much preparation or work.
Ensure that pupils understand how much work from a dedicated team of actors, directors and stage crew goes into putting on a play. You could tell pupils that professional theatre companies take, on average, between 8-16 weeks to put on a play.
Teacher tip
Throughout the learning cycles, you could rotate the pupils between groups so that they have a chance to work with lots of different peers.
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is an audience?
Q2.What happens in a theatre? Fill in the blanks. 'In a theatre, an __________ watches and __________ to a play or live performance.'
Q3.True or false? A play is watched on a screen.
Q4.What is an actor?
Q5.What is a director?
Q6.Fill in the gaps: 'If you __________ something, you always do it in front of an audience.'
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a play?
Q2.Fill in the blank: 'A play __________ is the written text of a play that includes dialogue, stage directions and setting descriptions.'
Q3.What is a playwright?
Q4.Where are plays most often performed?
Q5.Order the process of getting a play ready to perform.
Q6.Match the role to the job they do.
tells the actors how to stand, speak and move
acts in character and says the character's lines
prepares the stage, props, costumes, lighting and sound for a play
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Reading and performing a script based on 'The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 3 English lesson on: Reading and performing a script based on 'The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark', download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the Reading and performing scripts unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.