Drama Therapy
Drama Therapy Teaching Unit

Drama Therapy

Drama Teaching Unit for 7th Grade (6 Lesson Plans)

This teaching unit introduces students to a range of strategies and activities that can help them feel better about the world and their place in it. It aims to create positive ways of thinking and the raising of students’ self-esteem. Addresses Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL).

Each lesson plan has clearly stated objectives and learning outcomes. They are structured to include introductory warm up, development and plenary sessions. A home work task is also included.

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The teaching unit contains 6 drama lesson plans.

  • Lesson 1: Breaking the Ice
    Helps students learn how to express their feelings using the warm-up activity ‘Curtain Call’ and the progressive exploration “All those…”

  • Lesson 2: Using Masks to Express Emotions
    Exploration of drama techniques to express emotions using neutral masks. A neutral mask is included!

  • Lesson 3: String
    Warm-up improvisation using invisible string followed by use emotion diary to develop a scene for Forum Theatre.

  • Lesson 4: The Family Scene
    Use of Forum Theatre for problem solving, focusing on a negotiation around the dining table.

  • Lesson 5: Your Perfect World
    Visualisation activity where students devise a way to show visitors around an imaginary utopia.

  • Lesson 6: Music and Moods
    Evaluated interpretation of upbeat music using spilt scenes, freeze frames, slow motion and mime.

Supporting materials include

  • Emotion Cards
  • Neutral Mask
  • 2 Pieces of Upbeat Music

Additional resources are included in the appendices

  • Basic Drama Skills
  • End Of Unit Self-Assessment Form

The module is supplied as a ZIP file. It contains the teaching unit (PDF, readable on most computers) along with 2 music files (MP3 format).