Learning Goals

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • establish the element of space/place for role play
  • use a variety of expressive voice and movement techniques to support the depiction of character in role
  • use role play to explore, develop, and represent themes, ideas, characters, feelings, and beliefs in producing drama works
  • use writing in role to present identified issues in the story from a variety of perspectives
Materials
  • Appendix 3 Persephone's Diary

Minds On

Whole Class > Guess Who?

  • An improv exercise such as Guess Who? in which a volunteer, pretending to be a well-known celebrity or fictional character, is Hot-Seated by the class.
  • The volunteer can only answer questions with “Yes” or “No.”  Students ask questions until they have guessed the identity of the volunteer.

Action

Whole Class > Teacher in Role Whole Group Drama: Demeter 

  • Explain to students the events that have transpired since Persephone’s kidnapping: Demeter has become so sad and grief-stricken that she is no longer performing her duties as Goddess of Grain and Growth, and consequently, all the crops are dying and the people of the Physical World do not have enough to eat.
  • Students will be playing the roles of people of the Physical World. They are so worried and sick that they have called Demeter to meet with them to try to convince her to care about their wellbeing and restore the crops.
  • Preparing the Space: Discuss how the people of the Physical World would prepare for Demeter’s arrival. Do they prepare the space? How do they greet her? Do they have special offerings to get on her good side? What techniques will they use to convince her to restore the crops?
    • Teacher in role as Demeter informs students as people of the Physical World of her feelings and why she has perhaps neglected her crops. She asks students to help her in this tragic moment. Students improvise in role to persuade her of their needs. Let students guide the conversation, though you may want to drop hints that Demeter believes Zeus knows more about Persephone’s disappearance then he is letting on. Remind students that he is Hades’ brother and that he does not seem as upset about her disappearance as Demeter.
    • As Demeter, ask students for help and strategies. Ask students if they think Demeter should go to Zeus to ask for help, or if there are other characters she should speak to. The teacher can then step into one of these roles or invite a student volunteer to play any of these roles.

Whole Class > Teacher in Role Whole Group Drama: Zeus

  • Explain the concept of Collective Character to the class. They will be playing one character, Demeter, and so all of their questions/responses should be consistent with one another. They are coming to Zeus to ask for help and want to try to get him to contact Hades about bringing Persephone back.
  • Teacher in role as Zeus listens to the concerns of Demeter, voiced by the students playing the collective character. This exercise works well when Zeus is played quite arrogantly, as if he has something to hide. Allow the students to try to convince you to contact Hades and end the conversation with a promise that you will send your messenger Hermes to the Underworld to speak to Hades.

Consolidation

Individual > Writing in Role

  • This is an excellent point in the process drama to introduce Writing in Role as either an in-class or take home assignment. Let students choose from any of the major players in the story and write a diary entry or letter in role as that character, expressing their innermost thoughts and feelings about this situation (see sample Appendix 3 Persephone’s Diary).
  • If the writing is done in class, ask students to choose a line from their writing in role pieces that clearly sums up how that character is feeling. Teacher goes around the room and Thought-Tracks each person by tapping him or her on the shoulder; as each student is tapped, he or she can begin reading the writing piece, or can read one line.
  • After the Thought-Tracking, ask students about what they heard in the writing pieces. Teacher Prompts: How do the characters points of view differ from one another? Towards whom do they feel sympathy? Anger?
Assessment for Learning (AfL)

Suggestions:

Assessment as Learning (AaL)
  • Responding to students in role requires students to reflect and adjust their approach to their character, consider their character's motivations, etc. in real time

Suggestions:

Assessment of Learning (AoL)
  • PDF #2 Writing in Role Rubric