As a review of the unit, students revisit the Unit Guiding Questions and the related documentation on the wonder wall, and then write a personal reflection. In small groups students share their reflections, selecting a few phrases and thoughts to weave together in a presentation that includes tableaux, movement and choral speaking. Students share their performances with classmates and provide peer feedback. The final step involves applying their new learning and understanding. In small groups, students develop action plans to address issues of exclusion that are being experienced by primary students in the school yard.
Learning Goals
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- examine the theme of inclusion/exclusion by exploring a variety of texts using different drama strategies
- express thoughts about the ideas and issues presented in their own and others' final pieces
- communicate a message to the audience by bringing texts to life through dance
- give meaningful feedback to other groups about the use of dance elements in their final piece
- make meaning from a variety of texts and show understanding of these texts through drama and dance
Terminology
Materials
- PDF #5 Group Script and Planning Sheet photocopied for students
- PDF #6 Self/Peer Assessment and Reflection photocopied for students
- Appendix 13 Guided Visualization
- PDF #7 Two Stars and A Wish photocopied for students
- PDF #8 Culminating Success Criteria Checklist
- PDF #9 Rubric for Culminating Task
- PDF #10 Taking Action photocopied for students
- Chart paper
- Pencils / Pens / Markers
- Music / Music Player
Minds On (~15 minutes)
Whole Class > Guided Visualization
Ask students to find a comfortable sitting position, at their desk or sitting on the carpet. Explain that you are going to take them on a journey in their imaginations, guiding them from an experience of exclusion to an experience of inclusion. Invite students to close their eyes, listen carefully, and allow their imaginations to be active. Once the students are settled and attentive, read the guided visualization (Appendix 13). Following the visualization, invite students to comment on the experience. Explain to students that the ability to imagine positive outcomes is a form of power within.
Prompt: Can you think of examples of times when it might be helpful to use your imagination in this way?
Action (~120-180 minutes)
Whole Class > Revisiting the Guiding Questions
Direct student attention to the Guiding Questions that were introduced at the beginning of the unit and posted to the wonder wall.
Unit Guiding Questions
- What do inclusion and exclusion look like and feel like?
- In what ways is exclusion related to discrimination?
- How can one remain personally empowered in the face of exclusion and/or discrimination?
- How can I use drama, dance and critical literacy to interpret ideas and communicate meaning?
- How can I use drama, dance and critical literacy strategies to explore, challenge, and shift both my own and others point of view?
- How can we use power constructively to build inclusive communities?
Suggest to students that the answers to these important questions now reside in their hearts and minds, and on the wonder wall, except for the final question which they are going to work on together. Check for understanding of each question and invite students to identify activities from the unit or items on the Wonder Wall that address each question.
Whole Class > Introducing the Culminating Task
Explain that the final culminating task of this unit involves four steps. Distribute PDF #5 Group Script and Planning Sheet and explain that you will guide them through each step and share success criteria related to each step.
Teacher Tip: Have students consult the wonder wall to use the variety of resources that deal with the theme of inclusion and exclusion. Picture books, poetry, student work, anchor charts produced through the unit, novels, quotations, images, Internet access, newspaper/magazine clippings (collected by teacher and students throughout the unit) will all be available for students to go to for source material for their culminating task.
Refer back to examples from lessons:
- Tableaux with movement transitions
- Choral speaking
- Power Dance
Step 1: Personal Reflection
Explain that students must pick two or more of the Guiding Questions and compose a personal response to the questions based on what they have learned throughout the unit. Encourage students to use words, phrases and images from the Wonder Wall or from remembered experiences to compose their response. The response can take the form of prose, a poem or rap, a song, or an illustration with a short paragraph.
Step 2: Creation - Weaving Reflections Together
Explain that in small groups of 3 or 4, students will share their personal response with each other. As a group, students then pick 3-5 lines from each of their personal reflections and find a way to weave them together using tableau, choral speaking, and movement. Assure student that they will have adequate time to create and rehearse their piece.
Step 3: Performance: Sharing Reflections
Explain that each group will share their piece with the class, and provide feedback to each other. Use PDF #7 Two Stars and A Wish and/or PDF #6 Self/Peer Assessment and Reflection for peer assessment. Use PDF #6 for self-assessment. Also, review PDF #8 Culminating Success Criteria Checklist with students.
Step 4: Taking Action to Build a More Inclusive Community
Explain that some of the primary students in the school are experiencing exclusion in the school yard at recess and lunch time. In small groups, ask students to create a plan to address this situation. Direct them to use PDF #10 Taking Action to review the success criteria for this task and to outline their plan, identify timelines, and resources needed to implement the plan. Emphasize that the plan must be realistic and do-able so that they can actually put the plan into action (e.g., organizing school yard games; teaching chants and rhymes; performing for the primary students; showing the Sneetches video and leading a discussion; reading stories about inclusion during reading buddies; a poster campaign, etc.).
Assessment of Learning (AoL)
- PDF #8 Culminating Success Criteria Checklist and PDF #9 Rubric for Culminating Task Review the success criteria and rubric with students and allow time for questions. Post the success criteria for student reference throughout the process.
- PDF #10 Taking Action Review the success criteria with students, conference with each group to assess their plan. Use the success criteria to support your overall evaluation.
- Encourage groups to share their work with other groups and provide constructive feedback. Provide groups with PDF #7 Two Stars and A Wish as a way to share feedback. Alternatively, you may wish to use PDF #6 for a more detailed peer assessment.
Consolidation (~30 minutes)
Whole Class > What Needs To Change in Our Own Classroom Community
Invite students to take stock of how inclusive their own classroom is.
Prompts:
- How inclusive are we as a community?
- If the boy were to come to our class, would he feel welcome?
- What might need to change in our classroom?
Revisit the Classroom Agreement related to gender, created at the end of Lesson 6. Ask students if any other agreements are required. Also discuss how they will be monitored and what should happen if an agreement is not honoured.
Next Steps: Establish a system for monitoring progress of building a more inclusive community, both in their own classroom and in the school yard. When students feel comfortable and ready, they can share their performances with other classes using the wonder wall as a backdrop. The performances can be used as a workshop to teach younger students in the school about the importance of inclusion, about being true to yourself, and how important it is to treat others the way you would like to be treated. Grade 5 students can also design and facilitate activities and discussion around the theme of inclusion/exclusion for their audiences.
