At Year 8 all pupils have one Drama lesson a week. This lesson will be a predominantly practical lesson and take place either in the Theatre, Drama Studio or possibly the Dance Studio.

 

In Year 8 we aim to build upon and utilise the skills, knowledge and experience gained at Year 7. Throughout Year 8 pupils will have the opportunity to use their creativity and imagination to explore issues as diverse as hilarious physical comedy to the horror of the Holocaust.

 

Here is an overview of our Year 8 curriculum:

 

	TITLE	AREAS COVERED	DATES TAUGHT
UNIT 1	Slapstick & Physical Theatre	Physical theatre, work with props, health and safety in performance, comedy techniques	SEPT – OCT
UNIT 2	The Wild West	Researching a role, creating an environment, historical research, promenade theatre	OCT – DEC
UNIT 3	Musical Theatre	Group singing, solo singing group dancing, choreography, small scale production	JAN – FEB
UNIT 4	The Holocaust	Historical research, extended role-play, naturalism, symbolism & metaphor	FEB – APRIL
UNIT 5	Missing	Teacher in role, questioning skills, emotion memory, problem-solving	APRIL – MAY
UNIT 6	Ghost Stories	Tension, atmosphere, use of silence & pause, sound effects in performance	MAY – JULY

 

Assessment:

 

After each unit of work is completed, pupils will complete a written self-evaluation which encourages them to reflect on the skills and knowledge they have acquired and to think of targets they should work towards.

 

A teacher assessment also takes place at the end of each unit and each pupil is given a level (1-8) based on the National Arts Council level descriptions, as well as targets for improvement. The levels and targets are readily shared and discussed with each pupil.