teacher resource pack - hopscotch theatre company

Gillian Geddes BSc (Physio) PGDE (Primary)

TEACHER RESOURCE PACK

Adapted for the Revised Northern Ireland Curriculum

Key Stage 2

Sponsored by:

Gillian Geddes BSc (Physio) PGDE (Primary) for Hopscotch Theatre Company April 2010

Quality arts provision within education has always provided another medium

through which children could explore, express and learn more about themselves

and the world in which they live.

Hopscotch Theatre Company‟s production of “Brand New Andrew Fair Trade

Fred” is an example of how a piece of theatre can sit within a range of subject

areas, linking closely with core elements of the curriculum.

The consumer education theme of the show shares the underlying principles and

values of the revised curriculum, namely “to empower young people to achieve their potential and make informed and responsible decisions throughout their lives. “ (ref: www.nicurriculum.org.uk)

The aim of this teaching pack is that through creative, active learning pupils are

given opportunities to develop both their cross-curricular skills and their

thinking skills / personal capabilities.

Please note that the activities in this pack are not designed to be prescriptive

lesson plans, but rather to give the class or subject teacher ideas of how they

may carry forward certain themes and issues within the show.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, this resource pack was

originally devised for the four capacities of the Scottish Curriculum for

Excellence, and as such has been adapted for the revised Northern Ireland

Curriculum.

I hope you and your class find the activities stimulating, engaging and thought-

provoking.

I would be especially interested in receiving any feedback or questions relating

to the pack, so please don‟t hesitate to contact me at:

[email protected]

Gillian Geddes BSc (Physio) PGDE (Primary)

April 2010

Page 1

http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/

mailto:[email protected]


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks are due to the following companies and individuals:

The Co operative membership for their sponsorship of "Brand New Andrew &

Fair Trade Fred".

Sarah Aldred, Volunteer Schools Coordinator, and Angela Oakley, Special

Projects Volunteer, Scottish Fair Trade Forum

(www.scottishfairtradeforum.org.uk) for their help and advice, especially on the

difference between Fair Trade and Fairtrade.

Cover art courtesy of Hopscotch Theatre Company promotional flyer for

schools. Cartoon by Gerry McHugh.

And lastly, as always, special thanks to all my friends and colleagues at

Hopscotch Theatre Company for giving me the opportunity to produce these

packs in the first place!

Page 2

http://www.scottishfairtradeforum.org.uk/


(personal understanding)

respect themselves, understand their rights and responsibilities

DEVELOP AS AN INDIVIDUAL

(employability)

be aware of the rights of workers & employers

( personal health)

contribute positively to their peer group

(economic awareness)

be discerning and effective consumers

(moral character)

show fairness & integrity in dealing with others take responsibility for choices & actions

(sustainable development)

understand the local & global implications of lifestyle choices act towards promoting an improved environment & a fairer, more just world

DEVELOP AS A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE ECONOMY & ENVIRONMENT

DEVELOP AS A CONTRIBUTOR TO SOCIETY

(mutual understanding)

respect & co-operate with others manage & resolve conflict

(ethical awareness)

assess the human & environmental impact of ethical choices and take action as approp.

(cultural understanding)

recognise the richness and diversity of cultural influences in contemporary society

(citizenship)

respect the equal rights of others be willing to negotiate & compromise use democratic means to influence change contribute to the welfare of school & the community

(media awareness)

assess the role & influence of media within society become aware of the potential impact of media in influencing our personal views, choices and decisions

Fair trade and The Revised Northern Ireland Curriculum

(environmental responsibility)

think globally, act locally

Page 3

Page 1

WEB LINKS

There are far too many excellent sites out there to mention them all, but these

are a few „tried and tested‟ favourites (in no particular order)

I have included websites on a range of products, not just for clothing / textiles;

as well as ones for general background information.

Whilst some are more suitable than others for Key Stage 2, I have included

them anyway for teachers to access for reference or to adapt activities as they

wish.

Those particularly suitable for this age group are marked http://www.co-operative.coop/food/ethics/

A fantastic site from the UK‟s leading supermarket supporter of Fairtrade.

Click under „ethical trading‟ to access a wealth of resources about Fairtrade,

including background information on a range of products and producers. It is a

great starting point for developing your own cross-curricular resources. You can

download a comprehensive teaching pack about introducing children to

Fairtrade, which contains a wealth of background information, lesson plans and

activities.

For teachers there is even a Fairtrade Wine Tasting Pack to “have fun whilst promoting Fairtrade”!!!

http://www.globaldimension.org.uk/

I love this website! As it says, it is “a guide to books, films, posters and web resources which support global, intercultural and environmental understanding for all age groups and subjects. From climate change to poverty, water to fair trade, you can find a huge range of teaching resources and background material.” You can search by curricular subject, topic, age range, and even by price range

(incl. free resources!) If you can‟t find it here, it basically does not exist!!

Page 4

http://www.co-operative.coop/food/ethics/

http://www.globaldimension.org.uk/


http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/clothes_line/?30

Another excellent site! A downloadable series of 12 lessons and a photo story

exploring cotton production and the textile industry in India.

Lessons include an exploration of the journey of cotton from the field to the

shops; a quiz about India; and a class survey about the origins of students‟ own

clothes, which all explore the concept of Fair Trade.

There is also a supporting information sheet on cotton, trade and Fair Trade for

background information.

The “Cool Planet for Children” link on the right is also very useful.

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/schools/

The website of the Fairtrade Foundation. This is a really useful site detailing

how to become a Fair trade school, with a FAQ section. You can log onto your

own school page “My Fairtrade School” once registered.

Although it does not contain any lesson plans, there are some useful downloads

including a PowerPoint presentation of a set of photos with commentary to

introduce Fairtrade, which are easily adaptable.

http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/schools/resources/

Lots of ideas, including some for a whole-school assembly. It is subdivided into

resources for different age groups – those for KS2 include lesson plans for Fair

trade and literacy, geography, and R.E. These could either be used in their

entirety or adapted dependent on the age and attainment level of your pupils.

There are also activities and games (click on separate link) in a pdf format,

suitable for an older age group.

http://www.papapaa.org/

A Comic Relief site about Fairtrade & cocoa / chocolate split into resources for

9-11 year olds (and also 11-14 years)

Page 5

Page 1

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/education/resources/clothes_line/?30

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/schools/

http://www.traidcraft.co.uk/get_involved/schools/resources/

http://www.papapaa.org/


Quite user-friendly; has a couple of interactive guides which would be good for

use on a SmartBoard or for pupils to work through themselves / using

cooperative learning groups; or for checking understanding.

http://www.sciafyouth.org.uk/youth/make_a_difference/fairtrade

There is a great downloadable guide to Fairtrade in the curriculum for primary

schools, which would be useful as a reference guide and as a starting point for

teachers developing their own differentiated resources.

By clicking on the “Teachers” button on the left you can gain access to

citizenship links – again useful for reference or as a CPD based activity

(personal study or collegiate development time)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/thread/

NB: THIS SITE HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE MAY 2008 AS IT RELATED TO A SPECIFIC BBC THREE PROGRAMME AT THE TIME. Nonetheless, it still contains useful and relevant information.

The feature “From Factory to High Street: The Hidden Cost of Cut-Price

Clothes” and the videos “Blood Sweat and Tears” & “Green is the New Black” are

particularly good at presenting information in a way pupils can readily relate to.

A criticism of the site, however, is that the accompanying writing is TINY – you

will have to cut and paste and enlarge the font to make it readable.

http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues

One for teachers – it is very wordy, but great for background information.

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/resources/photo_library/images.aspx

A selection of photographs can be obtained here and used free of charge for

educational (i.e. non-commercial) purposes.

Page 6

Page 1

http://www.sciafyouth.org.uk/youth/make_a_difference/fairtrade

http://www.bbc.co.uk/thread/

http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues

http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/resources/photo_library/images.aspx


http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/forteachers/linen/ethical/the_cost_of_

cheap_fashion.shtml

BBC Addicted to Cheap Clothing: How Clothes got Cheaper.

This is part of the KS2 Thematic Unit on Linen, but is very useful here as well.

The video is short enough to engage pupils‟ interest, and there are some lesson

ideas and other links also.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2008/jun/08/egyptcotton?picture=33

4613767

This details Egyptian cotton and child labour. Fabulous photographs here, which

can be used to generate a lot of discussion and debate. There are small

accompanying captions. Great for SmartBoard work, or for printing out,

laminating, and getting the pupils to work in pairs / cooperative groups.

KEY TO LESSON PLAN LINKS

Arts

The Arts

Lang & Lit

Language and Literacy

Maths & Num

Mathematics and Numeracy

PDMU

Personal Development and Mutual Understanding

WAU

The World Around Us

Page 7

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/forteachers/linen/ethical/the_cost_of_cheap_fashion.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/forteachers/linen/ethical/the_cost_of_cheap_fashion.shtml




LESSON PLANS

– SOME SHORT ACTIVITIES

Using ICT technology and appropriate software (KidPix, Kidspiration, Microsoft Paint, Google SketchUp 7 and Microsoft Research AutoCollage 2008 are all ones I use; but Fresco art software and Colour Magic are also very good), design and

create an image for Fair Trade that could be used as a desktop wallpaper or

screensaver.

Design an eye- catching poster to promote one aspect of Fair Trade; or use

black, green and blue collage materials to create a picture of the Fairtrade logo

as a centrepiece for a display (try to use ethically-sourced materials wherever possible; or else be eco-friendly by using recycled materials)

Conduct research amongst the school community, family and friends for any

recipes that could be made using Fairtrade products; and compile your own

school recipe book with text and accompanying illustrations / photographs.

Conduct a survey of people‟s favourite Fairtrade product and display the results

in the form of a pictograph or bar chart.

Compare and contrast a Fairtrade item with a non-Fairtrade item (e.g. a bar of

chocolate) Pupils should consider the taste, price, packaging, and place of origin;

and investigate which is the best value for money by comparing weight and

price.

Research some of the countries where Fairtrade products are produced; find

out 5 interesting facts about that country and present this in an alternative

form – e.g. as a PowerPoint presentation, leaflet, or mini fact file. Plot the

countries involved on a map or by using Google Earth.

Use virtual shopping tours (e.g. http://www.superhighstreet.com/) to compare

conventional and Fairtrade products and prices and from this debate why people

might still be buying non-Fairtrade goods.

Links: Arts Lang Lit Maths Num PDMU WAU

Page 8

Page 1

http://www.superhighstreet.com/


Hold your own fashion show! Remember that designs should embody the key

characteristics of a Fair trade garment. Pupils could prepare beforehand by

watching the BBC Breakfast clip “Growth of Ethical Fashion” -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/forteachers/linen/ethical/ethical_fashio

n.shtml (there are some good links here as well, by the way!) and discussing what

is ethical fashion, why it‟s so important, and what are the key features.

Use lessons on persuasive writing and formal letter writing to get pupils to write

letters to pupil council, Headteacher, catering staff, etc encouraging them to

stock Fairtrade products in the school (the Traidcraft website has detailed lesson plans of how to do this)

Write acrostic poems using the words “FAIR TRADE”

Write poems or raps about Fair trade and set these to a musical

accompaniment.

Use the internet to research an organisation that promotes Fair Trade

products. Write a report on it, or use the Hot-Seating technique (described towards the end of this teacher pack) to take on the role of the Managing

Director of the organisation they have researched and answer questions from

the rest of the class.

Using the internet, pupils can research the life of a Fair Trade farmer, grower,

or worker. There are some case studies available at:

http://www.cafedirect.co.uk/our_partners/ (or have a look around the websites mentioned on the “Weblinks” pages and make up your own!) Using a Compare & Contrast diagram (see below), they then compare their own

life to that of their chosen Fair Trade worker.

Page 9

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/forteachers/linen/ethical/ethical_fashion.shtml

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/forteachers/linen/ethical/ethical_fashion.shtml

http://www.cafedirect.co.uk/our_partners/


Compare & Contrast Diagram

A - The Pupil B - Fair trade worker

How are they the same?

What did you notice?

How are they different?

How are they different?

Page 10


In groups, pupils discuss and record what they think are the advantages and

disadvantages of using and/or buying Fairtrade products. They should think

about all parties involved – the growers; farmers; shops and supermarkets; and

the consumers. They could record their thoughts / findings in a table similar to

the one below:

ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

We have examined the advantages & disadvantages of

Fairtrade and we think.......

Page 11


LESSON PLAN

Divide the pupils into groups, allocating each group the name of a country. (You

should use the names of both developed and developing countries) The teacher

becomes the “bank”.

Each group receives a quantity of “raw materials” (paper) and “machinery” (glue,

scissors, pencils, rulers, etc)

Example:

Group Paper Pencils Scissors Glue Rulers Monetary Units

A 12 1 0 0 0 20

B 3 1 1 1 2 30

C 1 3 3 2 2 140

D 24 0 0 1 0 12

E 8 1 1 1 1 50

The aim is to manufacture as many “goods” as possible (e.g. geometric shapes

from templates using accurate measurements) The “goods” may be cashed in at

the “bank” (teacher) for 5 monetary units each.

Additional “raw materials” can be purchased at the following costs:

Paper 3 monetary units each

Pencils 40 monetary units each

Scissors 120 monetary units each

Glue 10 monetary units each

Rulers 50 monetary units each

Links: Maths Num PDMU WAU

Page 12


Groups may also barter with each other at their own discretion and at whatever

prices they mutually agree on.

After half an hour or so, stop the game and discuss findings and the concept of

“fairness”.

(WARNING – This game can get extremely noisy!!)

Page 13


LESSON PLAN

Write the names of the following characters from the show on separate sheets

of paper:

Andrew

Fred

Andrew‟s mum

Big Charlie (the “cool kid”) Smedley (the sales assistant & Denzil‟s sidekick) Denzil Dragon (head of Never Never Corporation) Headteacher

Worker in sweatshop

Fair Trade worker

Mr Malsudor (the sweatshop owner)

Have the following adjectives prepared on separate cards: (obviously adapt these as necessary depending on the age / attainment level of your class group. I have included more than is needed for you to pick-and choose – personally, I have found that 8-10 is usually sufficient)

FAIR POWER-HUNGRY MARGINALISED

JUST

ARROGANT DYNAMIC

MATERIALISTIC

TRUSTWORTHY KIND

VALUED INFORMED

CONDESCENDING

EXPLOITED

IGNORANT NARROW-MINDED

BULLYING

UNJUST CONSCIENTIOUS

RESPECTFUL

SUPERFICIAL IMMORAL

JUDGEMENTAL

FAWNING RESPONSIBLE

Links: Lang Lit PDMU WAU

Page 14


Now pick a grouping of 3 characters (either similar or diverse) With the class in a circle, place the papers with the different names on spaced

out in a Venn diagram arrangement (see diagram)

(Alternatively, this could be done on a whiteboard or SmartBoard)

Example of a possible grouping

Hold up word cards in turn; and as a class discuss and decide where the word

should be placed.

If it applies more to Fred, then place it near her name; if it applies more to Mr

Malsudor, nearer his, and so on. If it applies equally to them, then place it in the

middle.

You could also use this to see how characters alter during the course of the

show – for example, Andy could be described as „superficial‟ at the start of the

show and „fawning‟ to Big Charlie, but by the end has become „responsible‟ and

„just‟.

Alternatively, this can be done in groups, with each group justifying their

opinions (it is often interesting how much opinions differ!!) This makes an

excellent cooperative learning activity when done this way, but often becomes

very noisy!

Ask the class to come up with a few more words of their own to add to the mix.

FRED

FAIR TRADE WORKER

MR MALSUDOR

Page 15


LESSON PLAN

This is more of a starter or warm-up activity to facilitate discussion and debate

about Fair Trade, and to help with the following „statement‟ activities. It would

also be useful as an assembly piece to introduce the concept of Fair Trade to

the school community.

This game demonstrates the way trade works in favour of rich countries and

how the low world price of raw products means that producers in developing

countries end up with a very small share of what we pay for a bar of chocolate!

You will require 6 pupils to volunteer, and a 24 square bar of chocolate. Each

pupil should have a role to play, as listed below, and a sign or placard giving some

kind of information about them.

The cocoa farmer (who owns the land) is given a chocolate bar to represent

what we the consumer pay for a normal bar of chocolate. He or she gets to open

the wrapper, but is warned that before they can enjoy it, they have to make

some payments. As you read off the percentages, the relevant pupil should hold

up their sign, and receive the appropriate number of squares of chocolate. The

farmer should be left with only 1 square of chocolate out of the 24, which

demonstrates the unfairness of it all!

These calculations are for a 24 square chocolate bar:

Who? How Much? Non-cocoa

ingredients

3 squares (13%)

Government 4 squares (15%)

Shops 5 squares (22%)

Chocolate

Companies

10 squares (43%)

Middleman about half of what remains – 1 square (3%)

Farmer 1 square (3%) with which he must pay farm workers, feed

and clothe his family and pay other bills

Links: Arts PDMU WAU

Page 16


LESSON PLAN

Use the diagram above (the “FAIRLINE”).

Using the statements below, ask the pupils to place them in the order they

consider the most appropriate (do this individually / in pairs / in groups)

Ask them to give explanations for their answers. Where do THEY or their

families / carers shop on the fairline? Would they change? Why / why not?

As an extension, pupils could consider 3 different businesses (either major

corporations, local businesses or a combination of both), discuss aspects of

their trading if known (or conduct research / produce questionnaires to

address gaps in their knowledge) and decide where these businesses would

be placed in relation to the others.

Conventional

(“free”) trade

Producers get a

raw deal

Fair trade

Producers get a

much fairer deal

Links: PDMU WAU

Page 17


STATEMENTS:

This is a cooperative of farmers in

a developing country. Each member

gets the chance to have their say.

They get a fair price for their

goods, and have used this money to

help obtain wells for fresh drinking

water.

This is a large chain of supermarkets.

They have sold Fairtrade goods since

1994. They have a wide range of

Fairtrade products, from Easter eggs

made from Fairtrade chocolate to

Fairtrade wine and ale. Even their smaller

stores sell Fairtrade goods.

This is a huge sports company.

They get their trainers made

abroad because it‟s much cheaper

for them, and they don‟t have

unions like in the UK worrying

about the rights of workers.

This shop gets some of its ingredients

directly from the producers. They‟d like

to try more, but some of their prices

might have to go up to pay the farmers a

decent wage, and they don‟t think their

customers would like that.

This is another major chain. They

can sell their clothes really cheaply

to the customer because they have

a large number of workers doing

long hours for cheap rates of pay.

This small independent shop only sells

Fairtrade goods – food, jewellery and

clothes. Their prices are a bit dearer

than some of the other local shops.

Page 18


LESSON PLAN

Prepare a list of statements about Fair Trade (either the ones below or some of

your own choosing)

Divide the class into pairs, and distribute the statements to each pairing. They

must rank the statements in order of importance from most important – least

important, giving each other reasons for their choices.

The pairs then become groups of 4 and reach a consensus of opinion on the

important statements, arranging them in a „diamond‟ shape as shown. Again, they

should be able to give reasoned justification for their answers upon questioning.

Allow a reasonable period of time for them to do this as there should be a lot of

lively debate going on! Emphasise that there is no such thing as a „right‟ or

„wrong‟ answer.

This is a cooperative learning task, and encourages social as well as thinking

skills.

Cooperative learning is a way of organising and enabling learning, and a

framework for pupils and teacher to work together on the learning process. By

providing opportunities for pupils to verbalise their thinking in small groups, it

complements teacher interaction with the whole class.

Each group member should be given a number, and the teacher should assign a

specific task to each number - e.g. the 1‟s collect the resources; the 2‟s are

timekeepers; the 3‟s praise the group and keep the motivation going; the 4‟s

make notes (& so forth)

MOST IMPORTANT

LEAST IMPORTANT

Links: Lang Lit PDMU WAU

Page 19


The learning outcomes are an academic task and a social task.

Academic: to understand the meaning of the statements, decide how important

each one is to you as a group, and be able to explain your choices to the rest of

the class.

Social: to be able to take turns and participate fully in your group.

Cooperative learning involves ALL group members having a turn and

participating, otherwise they will not achieve success!

Groups mark themselves as to how they rate they got on in both the academic

and social task.

[I personally use either the „fist to 5‟ method (hold up number of fingers, 5 being excellent) or colouring in stars]

When I use cooperative learning myself, I number the tables the groups are

sitting at A, B, C, etc. I can then do a „spot check‟ of individual participation by

calling out “Person A3, please tell me something your group has decided about

statement number one” or “Person D4, tell me what D3 said about statement 2”

(etc). I have a prepared grid so that I can make a note:

A B C D

1

2

3

4

In the boxes, I mark the pupil‟s initials and a symbol for how well they

participated – e.g. It avoids pupils feeling as though they‟re being „picked on‟, but also keeps them

on their toes as they never know what letter/number combination I‟ll say next!

Page 20


Another cooperative learning task in the same vein is to use the statements

below (or again use your own if you prefer) into 3 groups –

1. True

2. Not True

3. Not Sure

As before, there should be a consensus of opinion and justification of choices.

For this task, the pupils would have to have done some prior work or research on

Fair Trade.

STATEMENTS FOR RANKING IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE

– REASONS FOR BUYING FAIRTRADE

The farmer earns more money.

The farmer has better, safer conditions to work in.

The farmer can afford health care for his/her family.

The farmer can afford to send his/her children to school.

Fewer chemicals are used, so the environment is better protected.

It means customers can make a difference through how and what they buy.

Page 21


Farmers work fewer hours – six days a week (46 hours), so they have more time to spend with their family.

There is a commitment to a long-term relationship between producers and buyers, which provides stability and security.

Farmers can have more control over their own lives.

STATEMENTS FOR TRUE / FALSE / NOT SURE

(they are in fact all true!)

In the last 10 years the price of a bar of chocolate has doubled, but the price of cocoa beans has halved.

A bar of chocolate here costs roughly what a cocoa farmer in Ghana earns in a month.

Some companies make more money than entire countries.

One pair of jeans is usually made in more than 10 different countries.

People in the UK dump over 100 tonnes of clothes each week.

Page 22


The average person in the UK consumes 35 times more than the average person in India.

Over 2500 products are now certified with the Fairtrade mark.

2004 saw the introduction of Fairtrade footballs and Fairtrade flowers.

To become a Fairtrade school, you need to have a Fairtrade policy.

In the UK, we spend £2.5 billion per month on clothes. What we spend on clothes in three months would more than pay off Africa’s entire debt to the UK.

Fairtrade fortnight is in the first 2 weeks of March.

Page 23


LESSON PLAN

The Hopscotch production of “Brand New Andrew Fair Trade Fred” uses many

images – pictures that they‟ve painted with words.

Some for discussion are:

The pupils‟ reactions to Andy‟s clothes at the start of the show (“Wowee!

Hey Andy – nice threads! What a fantastic jacket, Andrew. That must have cost a fortune”)

Charlie‟s reaction when he finds out that Andrew isn‟t as cool as he first

thought (“That rag you’re wearing has only double internal cuff stitching,

whereas this work of art that I am sporting has triple internal cuff stitching. The latest design. I mean… catch up, Andrew. You’re walking about like a tramp.”)

Smedley the sales assistant doing a high-pressure sale to Andrew and his

mum (“This is the new tight collar look. A snip at £150. I think you’ll find you’re

paying for the label”)

Denzil Dragon‟s attitude to getting kids to want his brand (“Ker-ching! The

kids will bully each other into buying the latest gear and the more they buy our clothes – the more they’ll be advertising for us and the more we sell. Nothing can stop us.”)

How Mr Malsudor the sweatshop owner acts (“The people who buy these

things don’t care where they come from. When you go into a shop, do you ask where the things were made and how much the person who made it was paid? No.”)

Pupils should use one or more of these images to begin a piece of writing or use

an idea / person that the poem, song or scene from the production has made

them think about.

They should write a story, poem or impression – a „fragment caught in words‟

(e.g. a journal or diary entry).

They should be encouraged to go beyond the opening visual imagery, for

example:

How were the pupils behaving towards each other before Andy appeared? –

were there any comments about how cool / uncool they were? How did the

pupil feel after he‟d seen Andy? – was he happy at Andy speaking to him, or

did he perhaps feel inferior because he thought that his own clothes weren‟t

up to scratch?

Links: Lang Lit Arts

Page 24


What did Charlie say to his peers about Andy and why he wasn‟t speaking to

him?

How did Smedley act after he‟d got another sale? What was Mum‟s

immediate reaction to forking out all that money? What happened to Andy‟s

„old‟ jacket?

Does Denzil have a family of his own? Are they made to walk around like

„billboards‟ as well? What was Denzil doing or saying before and after his

talk with Smedley?

Pupils can then extend this through art by drawing the person or image they‟ve

written about, thinking about:

What pose the person is in

What they were doing just before they were caught in that pose

What they will be doing after

Page 25


LESSON PLAN

3 or 4 lessons, approximately 45 minutes each.

Pupils to produce a newspaper report, either:

a) giving the reader information about Fair Trade (broadsheet style) OR

b) a „sensationalist‟ article exposing the background behind the Never Never

Corporation and their use of sweatshops in developing countries (tabloid style)

LESSON ONE (preparatory):

Have a variety of front pages from different newspaper available (tabloids;

broadsheets; free publications)

Discuss with pupils the layout of the pages – title; headlines; sub-headings;

pictures; etc.

Discuss what types of stories make front page news; and the different language

used for different types of publication / different target audience (socio-

demographic groups)

Elicit from pupils what type of information a news report needs to have and

write these on the whiteboard.

(There are reminder posters and prompts for non-fiction including recounts and newspaper reports available at www.communication4all.co.uk/http/Nonfiction.htm)

e.g. who / what the story is about

What happened When it happened Where it happened Why it happened Eyewitnesses Quotes Pictures / photos Explain that in the next lesson they are going to become journalists telling their

readers the facts about Fair Trade.

Links: Arts Lang Lit WAU

Page 25

Page 26

http://www.communication4all.co.uk/http/Nonfiction.htm


They will need to decide what type of reporting style they would like – e.g.

serious / factual (broadsheet) or more sensationalist (tabloid)

LESSON TWO:

Pupils plan their report and make draft copies.

They could perhaps use the thought tunnel drama convention (detailed elsewhere in this resource pack) for their „eyewitness quotes‟.

They would also enjoy taking photos of each other in different suitable poses to

add some realism to their photos! (otherwise use Google images or draw pictures)

LESSON THREE:

Pupils finalise their newspapers and print them „hot off the press‟.

There are excellent editable newspaper templates available at

http://www.presentationmagazine.com/editable-powerpoint-newspapers-

407.htm (PowerPoint file containing several different types of newspaper) or

else have pupils prepare their own.

You can of course also use the excellent Comic Life software application to

produce a comic strip version of a Fair Trade story, using photographs of your

pupils and other images.

Page 27

http://www.presentationmagazine.com/editable-powerpoint-newspapers-407.htm



Broadsheet newspaper

Created using http://www.presentationmagazine.com/editable-powerpoint-newspapers-407.htm Photograph: www.younglivin.org.uk/index/getting_involved.htm

Page 28


http://www.younglivin.org.uk/index/getting_involved.htm


Tabloid newspaper

Created using http://www.presentationmagazine.com/editable-powerpoint-newspapers-407.htm

Photograph courtesy of Hopscotch Theatre Company, showing Janis Marshall in her role as Denzil Dragon

Page 29



TYPICAL DRAMA CONVENTIONS

– for use with role play and writing newspaper reports

HOT SEATING

Hot seating is where people take on the role of characters from a story and

other people ask them questions. The characters have to answer the questions

in as much detail as possible.

This would be suitable for any of the major characters.

Simple props can be useful here.

Why do we do hot seating?

So we can find out more about the characters.

We can also develop more understanding especially about their behaviour and

feelings and what it is like being in their shoes.

It gives everyone access to information, irrespective of ability.

The exercise particularly suits learners with an „abstract random‟ or „reflective‟

learning style.

As the students determine what information they receive (by asking the

questions) they are practising the management of their own learning.

Introduction:

Explain „hot seating‟ to the group if they are not familiar with this way of

working; although most pupils will probably have had some experience of this by

middle primary.

If someone is in the hot seat and runs out of things to say or if someone else

would like to respond to a point made, they can take the place of the person who

is in the seat. It should be stressed that hot seating or role play is not about

acting but putting oneself in another person‟s shoes.

Method

Working in small groups; ask different pupils in each group to take on the role

of one of the characters. Other people in the group ask questions of the

character about their behaviour or feelings, either on the night in question or

the following day.

Page 30


TEACHER IN ROLE

This is a powerful convention and involves the teacher engaging fully in the

drama by adopting various roles.

The technique is a tool through which the teacher can support, extend and

challenge the children‟s thinking from inside the drama.

The teacher in a role, TIR, can influence the events from within the unfolding

dramatic situation.

Pupils must be clear as to when the teacher is in role and when he / she is back

to being their teacher, so ensure that this is established from the offset.

THOUGHT TRACKING

In this convention, the private thoughts of individuals are shared. This can be

organised in different ways; the teacher can touch individuals on the shoulder

during a freeze-frame, or interrupt an improvisation and ask them to voice their

thoughts, or the class can adopt the role of one character and simultaneously

speak aloud their thoughts and fears in a particular situation. Alternatively the

teacher, or a child, in role, can give witness to the class and speak personally

about recent events from a „special‟ chair. Members of the class can step

forward to stand behind the chair and express their thoughts and views about

the character, or the views of the character. It is useful to slow down the

action and can prompt both deeper understanding of individual characters and

thoughtful, sensitive responses to what has happened.

This would be an excellent one to try with any of the major characters.

DECISION / CONSCIENCE ALLEY

This convention refers to any situation in which there are different choices of

action, and enables the children to examine conflicting interests or dilemmas. It

is useful to examine the pros and cons of a decision as different perspectives

on a complex situation can be put forward.

Page 31


Two lines of children face each other, and one child in role as a character walks

slowly down the alley between them. As the character progresses down the

alley, their thoughts or the sets of views for and against a particular course of

action are voiced aloud by the rest of the class. It is useful to then ask the

pupil playing the character which statements or arguments they found

convincing or persuasive and why.

FREEZE FRAMES WITH THOUGHT TAPPING & CHARACTER

Group of pupils sit as an audience, with one pupil designated the „starter‟. This

pupil decides on a scene that could be acted out, but does not communicate this

to the rest. (Alternatively, teachers can show a card with a suggested scene to the pupil if they wish) This pupil goes to the designated „stage area‟ and takes up a position. The other

pupils (the audience) have to think about what they might be doing and one at a

time go in to build up the scene. Pupils are free to participate in the scene or

not as they wish.

Once a scene has been created, the remaining members of the audience are

asked what they think is going on in the scene and what the story might be

surrounding the image.

The teacher (or a designated pupil) then goes round the characters one at a

time and taps them. Each participating pupil must then say a word / sentence /

sound in their character.

Variations:

Tap and ask a question – e.g. “How are you feeling?”; “What are you doing?”

When they go into a scene, each person must do an action or say a word / sound

then freeze. The next person to join must make their action and / or sound link

to the one just heard / seen.

Page 32

teacher resource pack - hopscotch theatre company

Documents