Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v3 - Primary 4
Some elements of Drama and Theatre
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Some elements of Drama and Theatre
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Subject: Cultural and Creative Arts
Class: Primary 4
Term: 1st Term
Week: 10
Theme: Performing Arts & Entertainment
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Watch on YouTubeSee Facebook postThis topic introduces Primary 4 learners to the fundamental components that make up a play (drama) and its presentation (theatre). Understanding these elements is crucial for appreciating various forms of storytelling and performance, which are integral to Nigerian culture, from traditional festivals and folklore to modern stage plays and movies. It helps students to not only be spectators but also to critically engage with and potentially participate in creative arts, fostering their imagination, communication skills, and cultural awareness.
Specific Performance Objectives: At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: Identify and name at least three elements of drama.
their voices, body language, and emotions to bring the characters to life for the audience. Nigerian
Example: The students who pretend to be Mama Ngozi, Papa Dele, Emeka, and Chiamaka in the school play are the actors.
2. Audience: Explanation: The audience comprises the people who watch the performance. They are essential to theatre because a performance is created to be experienced by spectators. Their reactions (laughter, applause, silence) are part of the theatre experience. Nigerian
Example: The parents, teachers, and other students watching a school cultural day performance are the audience.
3. Stage/Performance Area: Explanation: This is the designated space where the actors perform the play. It can be a raised platform, a cleared area in a classroom, a school hall, or even an outdoor space in a village square. Nigerian
Example: The cleared portion of the assembly ground in a primary school, or a small platform built in a community hall for a play.
4. Costumes: Explanation: Costumes are the clothes worn by the actors to help them look like the characters they are playing. They give clues about the character's status, profession, culture, or time period. Nigerian
Example: An actor playing a king might wear a flowing agbada and a beaded crown; an actor playing a market woman might wear a wrapper and headtie.
5. Props (Properties): Explanation: Props are small, movable objects used by actors on stage during a performance. They help to make the scene realistic and aid the actors in their portrayal. Nigerian
Example: A calabash, a walking stick for an elder, a woven basket for a market seller, a school bag for a student, a hoe for a farmer.
6. Scenery/Set: Explanation: Scenery or set refers to the large background elements and decorations on the stage that represent the setting of the play. It helps the audience understand where the story is taking place. Nigerian
Example: A painted backdrop showing a village hut, cut-out trees, or a cardboard representation of a market stall.
7. Lighting: Explanation: Lighting refers to the use of lights to illuminate the stage and create specific moods or effects. It can highlight certain actors or areas of the stage. (For Primary 4, this can be simplified to "making the stage bright" or "focusing light on someone"). Nigerian
Example: Using bright lights to show it's daytime, or dimming lights to suggest night or a serious moment (if resources allow, otherwise, simply acknowledging its role).
8. Sound: Explanation: Sound includes music, sound effects, and spoken words (dialogue, but specifically the audibility of it). It helps to create atmosphere, indicate actions off-stage, or enhance emotions. Nigerian
Example:* Drumming to signify a festival, bird chirps for a forest scene, market background chatter, or even the sound of rain. --- This section provides comprehensive explanations of the core concepts for the teacher. 2.
1. Defining Drama and Theatre Drama: Drama refers to the story that is written or planned to be performed. It is the literary aspect of a play. It involves characters, a plot, a setting, and a theme, usually conveyed through dialogue. Think of drama as the blueprint or the script itself.
Example: A story written about a tortoise and a cunning rabbit, where the tortoise outsmarts the rabbit. This story, with its characters and events, is the drama.
Theatre: Theatre refers to the actual performance of the drama. It is the practical realization of the written play. It involves actors performing the characters on a stage for an audience, using costumes, props, scenery, lighting, and sound. Theatre is the live experience.
Example: When students act out the story of the tortoise and the rabbit on the school assembly ground, wearing simple costumes, using a stick as a prop for the tortoise's staff, and having other students watch, that is theatre. 2.
2. Elements of Drama These are the fundamental components of the story or script of a play.
1. Plot: Explanation: The plot is the sequence of events in a drama. It is the storyline – what happens from beginning to end. It usually has a beginning, a middle (where the main action and conflict occur), and an end (resolution). Nigerian
Example: In a play about a village dealing with drought, the plot would involve: (beginning) the village suffering from lack of water; (middle) efforts by villagers to find water, seeking help from elders, perhaps a journey to a sacred stream; (end) finding a solution or receiving rain, and the community celebrating.
2. Characters: Explanation: Characters are the people, animals, or even inanimate objects that perform actions and speak dialogue in the drama. They drive the plot forward. Nigerian
Example: In a play about a family preparing for a festival, the characters might be Mama Ngozi (the mother), Papa Dele (the father), their children Emeka and Chiamaka, and perhaps a wise old grandmother, Iya Alaro.
3. Setting: Explanation: The setting is the time and place where the story of the drama unfolds. It tells the audience when (e.g., morning, night, harvest season, during colonial times) and where (e.g., a bustling market, a serene village compound, a modern city apartment, a school classroom) the events are happening. Nigerian
Example: A play set in a Kano market in the afternoon, or a play set in a Rivers State fishing village during the rainy season.
4. Theme: Explanation: The theme is the central idea, message, or moral lesson that the drama conveys. It's the underlying meaning the playwright wants the audience to understand. Common themes include honesty, bravery, kindness, community spirit, consequences of greed, etc. Nigerian
Example: A play where a young boy returns a lost wallet despite being poor might have the theme of "honesty is the best policy" or "good deeds bring blessings."
5. Dialogue: Explanation: Dialogue refers to the spoken words exchanged between characters in a drama. It reveals character personalities, advances the plot, and conveys information. Nigerian
Example: Amina: "Good morning, Mama Tunde! Is the maize fresh today?" Mama Tunde: "Ah, Amina, my daughter! Fresh from the farm this morning. Just for you." This conversation is the dialogue. 2.
3. Elements of Theatre These are the practical components used in the performance of a play.
1. Actors: Explanation: Actors are the individuals who portray the characters in a play. They use their voices, body language, and emotions to bring the characters to life for the audience. Nigerian
Example: The students who pretend to be Mama Ngozi, Papa Dele, Emeka, and Chiamaka in the school play are the actors.
2. Audience: Explanation: The audience comprises the people who watch the performance. They are essential to theatre because a performance is created to be experienced by spectators. Their reactions (laughter, applause, silence) are part of the theatre experience. Nigerian
Example:* The parents, teachers, and other students watching a school cultural day performance Materials: Pictures of traditional plays, cultural festivals, Nigerian movies; simple props (e.g., wrapper, headtie, small basket, walking stick); chalkboard/whiteboard. Introduction (10 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Begin by showing pictures or very short video clips (if available) of a local cultural festival, a children's play, or a scene from a Nigerian movie. Ask students what they observe in the pictures/videos.
Student Activity: Students observe and share what they see (e.g., "people acting," "dancing," "special clothes," "people watching").
Teacher Activity: Guide students to understand that these are examples of "drama" and "theatre." Introduce the topic: "Some elements of Drama and Theatre." Concept Explanation and Discussion (20 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Define "Drama" and "Theatre" clearly, using simple language and the provided Nigerian examples. Emphasize that drama is the story, and theatre is the performance.
Teacher Activity: Introduce and explain each element of Drama (Plot, Characters, Setting, Theme, Dialogue) one by one. For each element, provide the definition and a concrete Nigerian example. Encourage students to suggest their own simple examples after each explanation.
Example:* After explaining "Characters," ask students: "Who are the characters in the story of the 'Tortoise and the Elephant' that you know?" Student Activity: Students listen, ask questions for clarification, and contribute their own examples based on their understanding.
Teacher Activity: Transition to Elements of Theatre. Introduce and explain each element (Actors, Audience, Stage/Performance Area, Costumes, Props, Scenery, Lighting, Sound) with definitions and Nigerian examples. Demonstrate with available simple props or by acting out a very short, simple action.
Example:* Hold up a wrapper and ask, "If someone wears this to act as a market woman, what do we call it?" (Costume). Pick up a small basket and ask, "What is this object called when an actor uses it in a play?" (Prop). Guided Application and Group Activity (15 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Divide the class into small groups (e.g., 4-5 students per group). Provide each group with a short, simple scenario or a familiar folktale summary (e.g., "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," but localized).
Student Activity: Each group discusses and identifies: At least 2 elements of drama present in the story (e.g., plot, characters). At least 2 elements of theatre that would be needed to perform the story (e.g., actors, costumes). One student from each group presents their findings to the class.
Teacher Activity: Circulate among groups, provide support, answer questions, and correct misconceptions. Facilitate feedback after group presentations. Consolidation and Wrap-up (5 minutes)
Teacher Activity: Review the key elements of drama and theatre by asking quick questions. Re-emphasize the distinction between them.
Student Activity: Students volunteer answers and summarize what they have learned. --- The teacher should present these questions to students, allow them time to answer, and then facilitate a discussion to arrive at the correct solutions.
Question: Imagine a short play about a Nigerian boy named Musa who finds a lost goat and returns it to its owner in the village. a) What do we call Musa in this play? b) What is the main message or lesson this play teaches? c) If students act out this play, what do we call the people watching them perform?
Solution: a)
Character: Musa is a person in the story. b)
Theme: The main message could be "honesty" or "kindness." c)
Audience: The people watching are the audience.
Commentary: This question checks understanding of "Character" (element of drama), "Theme" (element of drama), and "Audience" (element of theatre). It uses a familiar Nigerian context to make the concepts relatable.
Question: During a school play about farming, the actors use a hoe and a basket. They also wear traditional farmer's clothes. a) What do we call the hoe and basket used by the actors? b) What do we call the traditional farmer's clothes worn by the actors?
Solution: a)
Props: The hoe and basket are objects used on stage. b)
Costumes: The clothes worn by actors are costumes.
Commentary: This question helps students differentiate between "Props" and "Costumes," both elements of theatre, using practical classroom-level examples.
Question: A story you read has a beginning, a middle, and an end, describing how a small community built a new well. What is this sequence of events called in drama?
Solution: Plot: The sequence of events is the plot.
Commentary: This directly addresses the understanding of "Plot" as an element of drama, emphasizing its structure.
Question: If a group of students are performing a drama in the school hall, and they use painted cloths to show a village market in the background, what is this painted background called?
Solution: Scenery / Set: The painted cloths that create the background are the scenery or set.
Commentary: This assesses the understanding of "Scenery/Set" as an element of theatre, relating it to practical setup. ---
Community Festivals and Cultural Events: Many Nigerian communities host festivals (e.g., New Yam Festival, Argungu Fishing Festival, Eyo Festival). These events often feature dramatic performances, storytelling, masquerades, and theatrical displays. Understanding elements of drama and theatre helps students appreciate the narratives (drama) and the performance aspects (theatre) of these rich cultural expressions. They can identify the characters (performers), the setting (village square), costumes (traditional attire), and the plot (ritualistic dance, reenactment of historical events).
Nollywood and Local Storytelling: Nigerian movies (Nollywood) and local TV series are prime examples of drama and theatre. Students can apply their knowledge by identifying the plot, characters, setting, and theme in their favourite Nigerian films. They can also recognize the actors, costumes, props, and different locations used as sets, thus enhancing their critical viewing skills and appreciation for indigenous creative content. Moral Lessons and Social
Commentary: Traditional Nigerian folktales and moralistic plays are often performed in communities or schools to teach important values like honesty, hard work, respect for elders, and consequences of greed. By understanding elements like 'theme' and 'plot', students can better grasp the moral lessons embedded in these stories and apply them to their daily lives, reinforcing positive social behaviour and cultural ethics. ---