These primary drama lesson plans explore a range of approaches, including drama techniques useful for teaching history and literacy through drama. These techniques can easily be adapted to teach drama across the primary curriculum at Key Stages One and Two. The lessons are linked to statutory drama and literacy objectives, including speaking and listening.
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 Drama Lessons for Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 based on The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson (Macmillan 1999)
Learning objectives (linked to objectives from the Primary Framework for Literacy and Mathematics):
- Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences
- Explore familiar themes and characters through improvisation and roleplay
- Act out their own and well-known stories, using voices for characters
- Present part of traditional stories, their own stories or work drawn from different parts of the curriculum for members of their own class
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KEY STAGE 2 (Year 3/4)
This drama unit links to QCA History Unit 9: What was it like for children in the Second World War? and in particular section 4: What was it like to be an evacuee?
 Outline:
The unit explores the history of a real nine year old girl evacuated from London to Norfolk at the beginning of the Second World War and the stories of other children and families outside Manchester. A range of drama techniques and strategies are used. The material can be extended over several sessions.
Extensive use is made of archive material including radio recordings from BBC School Radio and written accounts from WW2 People's War. The audio material can be streamed from the website or ordered on CD from the BBC. Transcripts of the recordings can also be found on the BBC School Radio website. Hyperlinks to all external websites are included within the text. A fictional letter is also included, written to Margaret from her mother. This can be handwritten and photocopied before the lesson. It is also helpful to gather photographic images and war posters to show at appropriate points.
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This lesson shows how drama may be used to enhance literacy with Key Stages 1 and 2. It is based on The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen.
Ten-second objects: Begin the lesson by asking the children to get into small groups. Call out the name of an object and tell the group to make its shape out of their own bodies, while you count down slowly from ten to zero.
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KEY STAGE 2 (Year 3/4)
This is the second part of the drama unit linking to QCA History Unit 9: What was it like for children in the Second World War? and in particular section 4: What was it like to be an evacuee?
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The following aims and objectives are taken from the renewed Primary Framework for Literacy and Mathematics. Links to various sections of the Drama Resource website have been added so that teachers can find the appropriate drama resources.
In the drama strand most children will learn to:
- Use dramatic techniques, including work in role to explore ideas and texts
- Create, share and evaluate ideas and understanding through drama
Foundation Stage
Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences
Year 1
Explore familiar themes and characters through improvisation and roleplay
Act out their own and well-known stories, using voices for characters
Discuss why they like a performance
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 EXTRACT ONE: Leaving Home
Friday 1st September 1939, a beautiful sunny morning and there I was, Margaret Webb, at the age of 9 years, standing on the platform at London Fields Station with my sister Joyce who was 4 years older, plus hundreds of other children. We were all agog at going on this lovely train journey to God knows where.
Most of our parents were there to see us off, double-checking that our name labels, which were tied to our coats, were secure and that we had our gas masks neatly packed in their boxes and slung over our shoulders, plus a case or bag containing our clothes and one or two personal effects. They, of course, also had no idea where we would end up. We finally set off about 9 a.m. with some tears, some fears, but a great deal of excitement.
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101 Drama Games and Activities by David Farmer is a collection of highly effective games and exercises suitable for children, young people and adults. The pages are packed with tried and tested ideas for a whole range of activities useful for drama lessons, workshops or rehearsals.
