YEAR 11 DRAMA2014
COURSE OUTLINE
EXPECTATIONS AND ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS
But what is drama? Broadly speaking, it is whatever by imitative action rouses interest or gives pleasure.
George P. Baker
Drama definition from the New Zealand Curriculum
Drama is the expression of ideas, feelings, and human experience through movement, sound, visual image, and the realisation of role. In drama, real or imagined actions and events are enacted by placing a role in a setting of time and space, where action and tension create a focus. These dramatic elements combine with contrasts between movement and stillness, sound and silence, and darkness and light to communicate meaning in drama.
In process drama, which is not intended for an audience, participants build belief in roles and situations and explore them together, negotiating, interpreting, and reflecting on role and meaning.
Drama intended for audiences may take place in formal and informal performance settings. It may be experienced as a fully developed theatre production; in such forms of live entertainment as cultural festivals and street theatre; and in works for electronic media, such as film, video, and television. Communication in drama involves performers and audiences in interpreting meanings and developing skills of critical judgment.
Drama permeates our everyday lives and serves a variety of purposes. It enables us to understand ourselves, the people around us, and the world in which we live, enriching the lives of individuals and giving voice to communities.
Drama is integral to children's play and is found in the oratory, rituals, ceremonies, and celebrations of traditional and contemporary world cultures. Drama both expresses and is defined by the culture from which it emerges. Dramatic works may be regarded as social and historical texts that make a vital contribution to individual, social, and cultural identity. [1]
Drama in the New Zealand Curriculum
Drama in the New Zealand Curriculum enables students to link their own imaginations, thoughts, and feelings with drama practice and history in ways that give voice to the cultural diversity of New Zealand. Students become increasingly literate in drama as they work with the elements of role, time and space, action, tension, and focus and develop skills in using the techniques of voice, movement, gesture, and facial expression. They use these elements and techniques with the conventions of drama to add richer meaning and colour to their drama work.
As they participate in and interpret their own and others' drama, students develop cognitive skills and gain understandings about themselves and their wider communities. They investigate the forms, styles, and contexts of drama and recognise that it can affirm or challenge attitudes and values. They work collaboratively to develop ideas, to express feelings, to experiment with sound and action within a dramatic space, and to reflect on live and recorded drama.
Students learn about drama of all cultures as they investigate its forms and purposes in past and present contexts. In Aotearoa New Zealand, all students should have opportunities to learn about contemporary Māori drama, which draws on traditional knowledge, beliefs, and ritual forms.
Students gain knowledge about theatre and its contribution to social and cultural commentary, employment, and recreation. They appreciate that drama, whether intended for audiences or not, provides significant opportunities for expressing cultural and personal identity. [2]
[1] http://www.tki.org.nz/r/arts/curriculum/statement/drama_e.php
[2] http://www.tki.org.nz/r/arts/curriculum/statement/drama_curric_e.php
What to expect:
For the first term you will be doing exercises and working on Achievement Standards that will encourage you to step outside your comfort boundaries a little and explore: techniques, elements and conventions of drama. By the end of term one you will know what your limits are, know what your strengths are and hopefully feel comfortable taking some risks in your performance. In term one you complete Achievement Standard 1.1, which is included in this booklet.
At the end of term one you begin work devising a performance (Achievement Standard 1.2) using conventions of Pantomime that will be performed in front of your classmates at the end of the unit (term two). It is very important to record all of your thinking in your portfolio (which is just like a very tidy scrapbook) as you need to hand this in for NCEA. All of this will become clear as the course progresses and it is important not to focus too much on this at the beginning of the course and just concentrate on the task at hand. In term three, you will also complete Achievement Standard 1.6 which is also included in this booklet.
You will also be enrolled in two External Achievement Standards. We will also see at least one play this year, and you will discuss this for Achievement Standard 1.7. For Achievement Standard 1.3 you will need to demonstrate understanding of features of a drama/theatre form – and will use Pantomime for this. Like the other Achievement Standards, these are also in this booklet.
Drama room House-keeping:
It is important that our drama space remains clean and functional so that all classes can use it with ease.
Every student is to leave their school bag against the wall with the drama cupboards and stand in a circle to begin the class.
All chairs, desks and furniture are to tucked behind the curtains unless in use. Each class is to pack up after themselves and if they fail to do this they will be called back at the next interval or lunch to clean up.
The last class in the room everyday will close all the windows and turn off the lights.
You will be able to book H1 for use before school, at interval, lunchtime and afterschool, but a teacher must sign off for this and be remain in H1 or H block for the duration of the use of the room. After you have used the room, please put all furniture behind the curtains, close the windows and turn off the lights.
Assessments and Re-sits:
If you are absent from a scheduled assessment you will need a medical certificate. If you are unwell, or your performance is affected drastically because of some factor beyond your control and have a reasonable explanation time may be given to you to re-sit the assessment. In these cases you will need to apply for a Re-sit, be given parental permission and be approved by the Head of Department. The below slip will need to be completed in these cases.
Uniform:
Drama is a very physical subject and requires clothing in which you can move with confidence and without restriction. I expect you to bring to school a pair of shorts, or leggings (uniform or otherwise) in order to move comfortably. In saying this, this subject is not mufti and any non regulation items other than shorts will be confiscated.
Stationery:
For drama you will need: a folder-ring binder
four index dividers (one for each Achievement Standard)
a heap of clear plastic wallets, to file your work
a pad of refill
Additional info:
This is going to be a very exciting course and I am looking forward to coaching you all through it. I expect everyone to work to their potential and will not tolerate students who may have taken the
subject assuming it will be all play time. I have not written this to scare you at all, but you do need to realise that your participation in these standards require you to work with others, and if you cannot commit to this there will be penalties.
You can always email me, as can your parents, with any questions or concerns or queries at: [email protected]
Alternately, you can contact Miss Milburn – the teacher in charge of Drama: [email protected]
Extra-curricular drama opportunities:
Here are a couple of the extra-curricular drama activities you can participate in across the school year. These will also provide you with some leadership opportunities as senior Drama students.
The SGCNAUOSWSFThe Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival (yep, the name of the competition is really that long!) is a national competition for high school students which is held annually. The festival’s regional competitions are held at the end of the first term, and participants who perform well in these are sent to the national festival in Wellington.
To enter the festival, groups of students perform a 5 or 15 minute scene from a Shakespearean play. The scene can be teacher- or student-directed, and can be interpreted any way the group/director chooses, so long as the language is not altered. This means your scene can use music, dance, or be set in “modern” or Shakespearean times – it is an opportunity to put a new, fresh spin on a piece of classic drama.
Last year, five students from our school performed a scene from the comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost and were selected to take part in the national competition. They spent four nights down in Wellington over Queen’s Birthday weekend, taking part in workshops on Shakespearean theatre, performing and watching plays, and exploring the city. From her excellent work at the festival, one student from this group has been selected as a member of the SGCNZ’s Young Shakespeare Company, and will be performing at the Globe theatre in London later this year.
You do not need to be interested in Shakespeare to take part in this competition – being interested in performing is enough! Talk to your friends – whether they do Drama or not – and consider if you may like to act or direct a scene with them. Listen for invitations to Sheilah Winn meetings in the daily notices, and ask your Drama teacher for further details or suggestions for scenes to perform. There may be the opportunity to use your scene as an assessment opportunity for NCEA.
Theatre sportsTheatre sports are improvised theatre games (like in the show “Whose line is it anyway?”). We will be running theatre sports at lunchtime once a week and may have the occasional afterschool session in which we work with students from Westlake Boys as well. We hope to put together a lunchtime inter-house theatre sports competition, perform at English week, and even organise competitions with other schools.
If you have some experience in theatre sports and are interested in participating, then please see your Drama teacher – we would like to encourage leadership amongst our senior students.
Following are the Achievement standards we are doing and also their marking schedules. The actual assessments will be given to you (and filed in your folder) when we reach the appropriate stage in the course.
Application for re-assessmentName:Form Class:Date:Date of Assessment:Reason for application to re-sit (if appropriate):
Parent Signature:Approved by teacher:Approved by HOD:
Application for re-assessmentName:Form Class:Date:Date of Assessment:Reason for application to re-sit (if appropriate):
Parent Signature:Approved by teacher:Approved by HOD:
Application for re-assessmentName:Form Class:Date:Date of Assessment:Reason for application to re-sit (if appropriate):
Parent Signature:Approved by teacher:Approved by HOD:
Please take notice of this calendar and mark assessments in your diaries.
YEAR 11 Drama 2014WKS DATES BRIEFS/ASSIGNMENTS ASSESSMENT
DATES/NOTES1 Jan 30th/31st Welcome Activities2 Feb 3rd – 7th Introduction to the Course Waitangi Day
3 Feb 10th - 14th Working towards 1.14 Feb 17th – 21st
5 Feb 15th – Mar 1st
6 Mar 3rd – 7th
7 Mar 10th – 14th 1.1 Assessment/Reflection 1.1 Assessment8 Mar 17th – 21st Introduce 1.29 Mar 24th – 28th
10 Mar 31st – Apr 4th
11 Apr 7th – 11th
12 Apr 14th – 17th
TERM 2 1 May 5th – 9th
2 May 12th – 16th
3 May 19th – 23rd 1.2 Assessment/Reflection 1.2 Assessment4 May 24th – 28th Introduce 1.3 (Prep for external standard)5 Jun 3rd – 6th Queen’s Birthday6 Jun 9th – 13th Introduce 1.67 Jun 16th – 20th
8 Jun 23rd – 27th
9 Jun 30th – Jul 4th
TERM 31 Jul 21st – 25th
2 Jul 28th – Aug 1st
3 Aug 4th – 8th
4 Aug 11th – 15th 1.6 Assessment/Reflection 1.6 Assessment5 Aug 18th – 22nd Exam Revision6 Aug 25th – 29th Exam Revision7 Sep 1st – 5th Exam Revision Tournament
week8 Sep 8th – 12th SENIOR EXAMS (Last part of week)9 Sep 15th – 19th SENIOR EXAMS10 Sep 22nd – 26th SENIOR EXAMS (First part of week) +
RESULTS (Second part of week)TERM 4
1 Oct 13th – 17th Revision for externals2 Oct 20th – 24th
3 Oct 27th – 31st
4 Nov 3rd – 7th
5 Nov 10th – 14th Exam leave – NCEA examinations
