This year’s theme for World Radio Day was ‘Radio In Time of Emergency‘.
I developed this drama unit for Year 5 & 6 around that theme with a focus on improvised dialogue, characterisation and structure.
The lesson sequence is based on the 5Es teaching model, familiar to many teachers from working with the Primary Connections science modules. I find the structure admirably suited to drama units with its Engage / Explore / Explain / Elaborate / Evaluate cycle.
The full unit plan with Australian Curriculum outcomes and a pdf of Emeregency Scenario cards can be downloaded below.
Lesson sequence
Focus
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Lesson content
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Engage
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- Develops shared norms
- Determines readiness for learning
- Establishes learning goals
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- Emergency radio samples: Hindenberg, Nepal, aircraft landing.
- Emergency / disaster photos. Improvise a radio broadcast as the different scenes appear.
- Mime using different radios – hand-held, walkie talkies etc.
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Explore
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- Prompts inquiry
- Structures inquiry
- Maintains session momentum
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- Emergency situation cards: short scenarios of amusing emergencies.
- In groups, leader improvises the scene as the rest of group mimes the action.
- Swap: group mimes as a ‘reporter’ improvises the narration of the action.
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Explain
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- Presents new content
- Develops language and literacy
- Strengthens connections
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- World Radio Day: discuss the themes.
- Share the World Radio Day UN video.
- In groups, respond to the themes – create a short scene demonstrating each. Emphasis on serious responses.
- Hot-seating: journalist, refugee, radio broadcaster.
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Elaborate Facilitates substantive conversation
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- Cultivates higher order thinking
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- Groups select a scenario for broadcast eg. Nepal earthquake, bushfire, refugee, bomb threat, flooding.
- Students develop a script. Characters include broadcaster (DJ), reporter, ‘involved civilian’.
- Recording of script, editing with sound effects, music, voiceovers.
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Evaluate
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- Assesses performance against standards
- Facilitates student self assessment
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- ‘Braodcast’ of radio programmes.
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Resources
Tags: 5Es,
drama,
lesson plan,
radio
