Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

My experience of visiting primary schools has opened my eyes to the fact that drama is not widely used, and there is often little transition period for students with the drama studies they encounter at secondary school. The process of moving up to secondary school can be overwhelming for students, especially if they are not used to five or six lessons a day of different subjects and moving from one classroom to another. 

The following scheme is based on the popular children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, by Roald Dahl. During the scheme students approach the novel in a practical way through drama, crossing boundaries into English. As we are all aware, schools do not have a timetabled slot for drama, and it is incorporated into the English National Curriculum.

The scheme includes activities which are cross-curricular, incorporating other subjects such as Art, Music and PHSE. The drama techniques and terminology studied in the scheme will give the students a solid base from which to progress to the drama studies they will encounter at secondary school.

Through whole-class observation, this scheme also provides you with an opportunity to assess students in terms of their ability and skill. Alongside this, individual assessment can take place through homework tasks.

Learning objectives:

• To identify the main ideas and concepts presented in the novel
• To use the technique of role-on-the-wall to generate a greater understanding of the novel’s characters
• To work collaboratively to produce a tableau image
• To evaluate their group tableau image and individual performance
• To use hot-seating to question a character’s thoughts, feelings and motivation
• To be aware of the features of a television interview 
• To use the techniques of a television interview to question the characters of Charlie and his family
• To work as part of a team
• To work collaboratively to create soundscapes using voice and body movements
• To design, create and present a piece of drama for an audience
• To work as part of a team and create a piece of physical theatre
• To create a television advert using persuasive language 
• To gain experience of self and peer assessment
• To work collaboratively to produce a series of tableaux images and mini scenes
• To encourage individual reflection

Number of lessons: 6