B. Drama / D. Visual Arts · Drama and Visual ArtsDrama: Shaping the Drama with New Perspectives
B1.1 B1.3 B2.1About 45 minutes
Learning goals- I can plan and shape a drama with others, both in role and out of role.
- I can introduce a new perspective or idea that moves the drama in a new direction.
- I can use conventions such as role on the wall, mantle of the expert and a meeting in role.
- I can respond to other people's ideas and build on them.
Words to know
in role
Speaking and acting as your character.
out of role
Speaking as yourself, for example to plan or reflect.
convention
A drama technique or strategy, like tableau, hot seating or thought tracking.
role on the wall
A convention: draw an outline of a body; write what others see or know about the character outside it, and the character's private thoughts and feelings inside it.
mantle of the expert
A convention where the group takes on the role of experts (like designers or scientists) who solve a problem.
plot twist
New information or an event that changes the direction of the story.
facilitator
The person who keeps a planning talk on track and makes sure everyone is heard.
Remember from Grade 5
You shaped the Birch Bay drama by adding new perspectives, and you jumped through time with flashbacks, flash-forwards and rewind and replay. You learned to build on others' ideas with "Yes, and..."
In Grade 6 you will take more control of where the drama goes: plan it together out of role, introduce new perspectives and ideas in role, and use new conventions to explore them.
The drama is stuck!
The Cedar Hill town hall has gone in circles for ten minutes. "Keep the garden!" "We need parking!" "Keep the garden!" "We need parking!"
The audience is getting bored. What can you do?
You can shape the direction of the drama by bringing in something new: a new character, a surprising fact, a letter, a different place or time. A new idea forces everyone to respond, and the drama moves forward.
Two ways to bring in new ideas
Out of role (as yourself):
- In a planning huddle, suggest: "What if..." ("What if the clinic has an empty lot behind it?")
- Propose a convention: "Let's try a meeting in role next."
- Ask a question that opens new paths: "Whose voice haven't we heard yet?"
In role (as a character):
- Enter as a new character with a new perspective. ("Hello, I'm from the bus company. We could add a stop right outside the clinic.")
- Bring in a prop with new information: a letter, a photo, a petition, a map.
- Reveal a secret your character has been keeping.
Good planners do both: plan out of role, then trust each other to add surprises in role.
New conventions for Grade 6
Role on the wall. Draw a large outline of a person. Outside the outline, write what other people see and know about the character (job, actions, what they say). Inside, write their private thoughts, feelings and fears. The gaps between inside and outside give great ideas for scenes!
Mantle of the expert. The group becomes a team of experts who must solve the problem. In Cedar Hill, you could become landscape designers hired by the town to draw a plan that works for gardeners and clinic patients. Experts talk, measure, sketch and present, all in role.
Meeting in role. Characters meet to discuss the issue. One person (often a leader in the story) runs the meeting. New perspectives can arrive during the meeting.
Writing in role (from the last lesson) can bring in new ideas too: a diary entry can reveal a secret, and a letter can deliver surprising news.
| New idea | Brought in how? | How it changes the direction |
|---|
| A bus company worker offers a new bus stop outside the clinic | in role, as a new character | Maybe fewer people need to drive. The drama turns toward other solutions. |
| An old photo shows the lot was once the school's skating rink | in role, with a prop | The garden has history; a flashback scene could show the old rink. |
| "Whose voice haven't we heard? What about the clinic's patients?" | out of role, as a question | The group adds Mrs. Patel, who uses a walker, so her perspective is included. |
| "Let's become designers and draw a plan." | out of role, suggesting mantle of the expert | The drama moves from arguing to problem-solving. |
Worked exampleExample: Role on the wall for Jada
Before the big town hall vote, let's look inside Jada.
- Draw an outline of a person and write Jada above it.
- Outside (what people see): Grade 6 student; plays soccer; grows pumpkins with her class; goes to the clinic for asthma check-ups; quiet in big meetings.
- Inside (private thoughts): "I'm scared to speak in front of adults." "I don't want to pick a side." "What if my friends think I'm a traitor for caring about the clinic?"
- Notice the gap: outside she looks quiet; inside she has strong feelings and a big worry.
- New scene idea from the gap: Jada writes a speech in her room the night before, crumples it up, and starts again.
- New perspective she could bring: "I'm a kid who loves the garden and needs the clinic. Can't we have both?"
Role on the wall reveals the inner life behind a character, and the gap between inside and outside gives the group new ideas to shape the drama.
The role on the wall from the example. Outside the outline: what people see. Inside: Jada's private thoughts. The gap between them gives ideas for new scenes.Worked exampleExample: Shaping the drama together out of role
Three students plan the next part of the Cedar Hill drama.
- Facilitator (Sam): "We've done the argument scene. Where should we go next?"
- Priya: "What if a new character arrives with an idea nobody has thought of?"
- Leo: "Yes, and it could be someone who uses a wheelchair, because we haven't heard from a patient yet."
- Sam: "Good. Let's try mantle of the expert after that, so we stop arguing and start designing."
- Priya: "Can I suggest one change? Let the new character be unsure too, so it's not too easy."
- Agree: Scene 5 is a meeting in role where Mrs. Patel arrives; Scene 6 is the designer team.
The group listened, built on each other's ideas, added a new perspective, and chose conventions that move the drama forward.
Just for funWith mantle of the expert, you can be a landscape designer, a bus company worker and a town councillor, all before lunch. Try fitting THAT on one name tag! 🎭
Working well in a drama group
- Offer, don't take over. Suggest an idea, then ask, "What do you think?"
- Accept and build: "Yes, and..." keeps ideas growing.
- Disagree kindly: "I like that. Could we also try...?"
- Invite quiet voices: "We haven't heard from you yet. What would your character do?"
- In role, accept a surprise another actor brings in and respond to it truthfully.
Hands-on activityWhat-if cards
You need: index cards or scrap paper, a pencil, a family member or two, and a hat or bowl.
- Write five "what if" cards for Cedar Hill, for example:
- What if an old photo shows the garden was once a skating rink?
- What if a bee expert says the garden is important for pollinators?
- What if the clinic offers to help pay for a new garden somewhere else?
- What if a snowstorm hits on the night of the vote?
- What if Jada's little brother is the one who needs the clinic most?
- Draw a role on the wall for one character on a big sheet of paper.
- Play a meeting in role (3 minutes). Halfway through, one person draws a card and brings it in in role.
- Huddle out of role (1 minute): How did the new idea change the drama? What should happen next?
- Mantle of the expert: become garden designers and sketch a plan that answers as many perspectives as possible. Present it to "the council" in role.
- Reflect: each person shares which new idea changed the drama most and which convention they preferred, with a reason.
Your turn
1What is the difference between speaking in role and out of role?
In role you speak and act as your character. Out of role you speak as yourself, for example to plan or reflect.
2Give two ways to bring a new idea into a drama in role.
Any two: enter as a new character; bring in a prop with new information (letter, photo, map); reveal a secret; deliver news in a phone call.
3In role on the wall, what goes inside the outline?
The character's private thoughts, feelings and fears.
4What is mantle of the expert?
The group takes on the role of experts (designers, scientists, reporters) who solve a problem in role.
5Your Cedar Hill meeting keeps going in circles. Suggest one new perspective that could move it forward.
Example: a bus company worker with a new bus stop idea; a patient who uses a wheelchair; a bee expert; a landowner with an empty lot nearby. Any new perspective with a clear idea.
6What does a facilitator do in a planning huddle?
Keeps the talk on track and makes sure everyone is heard.
7A partner suggests an idea you don't like. What could you say?
Something kind that builds: "I like that part. Could we also try...?" or "Let's try yours first, then mine."
More practice: warm-up
1What two words start a sentence that builds on someone's idea?
2True or false: You should only add new ideas out of role.
False. You can add them in role and out of role.
3Name one drama convention you know.
Any one: tableau, thought tracking, hot seating, meeting in role, writing in role, role on the wall, mantle of the expert, conscience alley, flashback.
4In role on the wall, what goes outside the outline?
What other people see and know about the character (job, actions, words).
New information or an event that changes the direction of the story.
More practice: on your own
1Explain how the old photo of the skating rink could change the Cedar Hill drama.
It shows the lot has history for the community. Characters might want to protect it even more, or someone might suggest making it a rink again in winter and a garden in summer. It could also lead to a flashback scene. It moves the drama in a new direction.
2Why is it important to accept a surprise another actor brings in, instead of ignoring it?
If you ignore it, the scene stops making sense and the other actor's idea is wasted. Accepting it and responding truthfully keeps belief in the drama and lets the story grow.
3Make a role on the wall for Mrs. Lin: two things outside and two things inside.
Example: Outside: owns the bakery; buys herbs from gardeners; friendly to customers. Inside: "I'm worried my bakery will close if people can't park." "I don't want my gardener friends to be angry with me." Look for public facts outside and private feelings inside.
4How does mantle of the expert change the mood of a drama about an argument?
It turns people from arguing into solving the problem together as a team, which can make the drama more hopeful and creative, and helps the group consider every perspective.
5Give a personal response to the what-if activity, including your preference for one convention.
Example: "I felt excited when the snowstorm card came up because suddenly everyone had to think about icy sidewalks. It connects to last winter when my grandma couldn't get to her appointment. I preferred mantle of the expert because we got to draw a solution." Look for feeling, reason, connection and preference.
Challenge
1Plan a three-scene sequence for Cedar Hill that uses three different conventions, and explain how each one shapes the direction of the drama.
Example: 1. Role on the wall for Councillor Beaulieu shows she is torn, so the group decides she needs more information. 2. Meeting in role: a new character, a patient who uses a wheelchair, explains the problem with the icy walk; the drama turns toward accessible parking. 3. Mantle of the expert: designers plan a few accessible spaces at the edge of the garden; the drama moves from conflict to solution. Look for three conventions and a reason for each.
2A student keeps taking over the planning huddle and won't let others' ideas be tried. As facilitator, what would you say and do?
Example: "You have great ideas. Let's hear from everyone first, then pick." Go around the circle so each person offers one idea; try two ideas quickly and compare; give the student a role with responsibility (like note taker). Look for a respectful way to share control.
3Explain why introducing a new perspective is often more powerful in role than out of role.
In role, the other characters must respond in the moment, which creates real surprise, tension and honest reactions, and the audience sees the change happen inside the story. Out of role, it's only a plan; in role, it becomes part of the drama.
Quiz
1. Speaking out of role means ___.
2. In role on the wall, the character's private fears are written ___.
3. In mantle of the expert, the group ___.
4. Which is an example of introducing a new idea in role?
5. Which response best builds on a partner's idea?
6. Why bring a new perspective into a stuck drama?
Big idea: Grade 6 students plan and shape the direction of the drama or role play by introducing new perspectives and ideas, both in and out of role (B1.3), while examining issues and themes (B1.1) and responding to their own and others' drama work (B2.1).
How to help:
- Be a willing actor who accepts surprises. When your child brings in a new idea in role, respond truthfully as your character.
- Model planning talk: "What if...?" "Yes, and..." "Whose voice haven't we heard?"
- Keep the role on the wall poster on the fridge. Add to it as the drama grows.
Common difficulties:
- Ideas that end the drama ("A meteor destroys the town!"). Ask: "Does this help us explore the issue, or does it just stop it?"
- Ignoring others' ideas. Practise "Yes, and..." in quick games.
- Confusing in and out of role. Use a signal, like a hand clap or a hat on/hat off, to show the switch.