Estimated Time: 75 minutes (1 period)

In this lesson, students look deeper into the relationship between economics and social location using a variety of Theatre of the Oppressed techniques.

Learning Goals

At the end of this lesson students will

  • identify and discuss issues of power
  • identify how social location plays a role in power and economics
  • use the techniques of Newspaper Theatre to dive deeper into economic issues and their connections to power
Readiness

It would be beneficial for both the teacher and students to have some previous experience with technique of Theatre of the Oppressed.

Terminology
  • Power
  • Social Location

Drama

  • Newspaper Theatre
  • Think-pair-share
  • Forum Theatre
Materials

Minds On

Whole Class > Great Game of Power

Invite students to play Boal's Great Game of Power. Set up four chairs in a row in front of the group and place the water bottle on one of the chairs. Invite students to come up and silently rearrange the chairs in a way that they think gives one chair more power over the others. They may move objects in any direction, stack them etc., but no objects can be removed. Repeat several times.

Debrief as a class.

Key Questions for Discussion:

  • What were some of the ways power was communicated with the chairs?

  • What do we perceive as powerful?

  • What ways do we communicate status or power on stage?

  • In what ways does social location (age, gender, race, class etc.) influence power on stage? In real life?

Connections

This video shows the Great Game of Power in action

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

The teacher determines the class’ level of understanding of the concept of power through observation and with class discussion.

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Students think critically as they reflect on the ideas of others in the class.

Action

Small Group > Newspaper Theatre

Divide students into groups and give them a selection of newspaper articles about economic/financial issues (see materials for list of suggestions or have students bring in their own articles or share their articles on an online platform). Each group selects one article they wish to explore further and ask them to brainstorm a list of the key issues or ideas in the article, how the economic issue relates to a person's social location (e.g. poor, racialized people were disproportionately affected by Hurricane Katrina) and any questions they may have.

Using Boal's Newspaper Theatre techniques, ask groups to do a Simple Reading and then a Complementary Reading of their chosen article, and discuss the differences between the two. Please note: students may need to do additional research to augment their understanding of the issue(s) presented in their article.

Reconvene as a class and discuss the two readings each group did.

Key Questions for Discussion

  • What was similar between the Simple Reading and the Complimentary Reading? What was different?

  • How did the Complimentary Reading help surface additional issues or information?

  • What kind of information is generally omitted from newspaper articles? Why is this?

Ask students to return to their groups and select a third Newspaper Theatre technique they wish to explore and give them time to rehearse. 

For example, students may choose to do a Crossed Reading of their text with a second text linked to their story (this may have been preselected or they have to find it on the Internet). Have the group assign one or two people per reading (text). Create a choral reading of the text(s) for performance. Rehearse and perfect the Cross Reading of the two linked stories. If the personal technology and capacity is available, the Crossed Reading could be recorded and edited together with voice and iamges.

Each group then shares their work with the class. Once everyone has a chance to share, engage the class in a debrief about the activity.

Key Questions for Discussion

  • What additional information did these techniques help to surface?

  • Did the use of the Newspaper Theatre techniques change your thinking about the issue? If yes, how?

  • Which issues that surfaced through the drama are worth revisiting or need further investigation?

Differentiation (DI)

Allow students the choice of which techniques to investigate based on level of readiness and interest.

Assessment for Learning (AfL)

The teacher uses observations, guided questioning and student discussion to assess student understanding of the themes. Observation of and engagement with critical peer feedback informs the teacher of the level of skill students are developing using Theatre of the Oppressed techniques.

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Student reflection on scene work consolidates understandings of theme and of technique. Descriptive feedback helps students think critically about social location and economic issues using a drama lens.

Consolidation

Individual > Devising Character

Ask students to imagine a character based on the issue they explored in the previous activity (e.g. they might choose a minimum wage worker struggling in the Covid-19 pandemic or a person who has been forced out of their home due to Hurricane Katrina). Write the following questions on the board and ask students to respond from the perspective of their chosen character.

  • What is my current economic situation?
  • What was my economic situation one year ago?
  • Where will I be one year from now?
  • What factors (internal and external) have contributed to my circumstances?

Explain to students that this reflection work will be used in the following lesson to help them develop a short scene.

Extension

The response to these questions might be used as the basis for a more in depth writing in role activity.

Connections

This activity allows students to synthesize their growing understandings of the intersection of economics and social location.

Assessment as Learning (AaL)

Student self-reflection and forward-reflection provides students with a personal perspective on the themes.