Drama Ideas for Funnybones

funnybones-2 This wonderful book by Janet and Allan Ahlberg is still being enjoyed by children more than thirty years after its original publication in 1980 and there are now eight other books in the series.

This article outlines ways to explore the book using drama strategies which are linked to in the text.

Primary Literacy Framework

The following aims and objectives are taken from the renewed Primary Framework for Literacy and Mathematics for schools in the UK. Links to various sections of the Drama Resource website have been added so that teachers may find the appropriate drama resources.

In the drama strand most children will learn to:

Use dramatic techniques, including work in role to explore ideas and texts
Create, share and evaluate ideas and understanding through drama

Foundation Stage
Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences

Year 1
Explore familiar themes and characters through improvisation and roleplay
Act out their own and well-known stories, using voices for characters
Discuss why they like a performance

The Evacuees - A Drama Unit - Part 1

KEY STAGE 2 (Year 3/4)

This drama unit links to QCA History Unit 9: What was it like for children in the Second World War? and in particular section 4: What was it like to be an evacuee?

Evacuee girl Outline:

The unit explores the history of a real nine year old girl evacuated from London to Norfolk at the beginning of the Second World War and the stories of other children and families outside Manchester. A range of drama techniques and strategies are used. The material can be extended over several sessions.

The Evacuees - A Drama Unit - Part 2

KEY STAGE 2 (Year 3/4)

This is the second part of the drama unit linking to QCA History Unit 9: What was it like for children in the Second World War? and in particular section 4: What was it like to be an evacuee?

The Evacuees - Extracts

These extracts are designed to be used with the drama unit on The Evacuees.

Margaret Webb EXTRACT ONE: Leaving Home

Friday 1st September 1939, a beautiful sunny morning and there I was, Margaret Webb, at the age of 9 years, standing on the platform at London Fields Station with my sister Joyce who was 4 years older, plus hundreds of other children. We were all agog at going on this lovely train journey to God knows where.

Drama Lesson Plan for The Gruffalo (Part One)

Drama Lessons for Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 based on The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson (Macmillan 1999)

Learning objectives (linked to objectives from the Primary Framework for Literacy and Mathematics):

Use language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences
Explore familiar themes and characters through improvisation and roleplay
Act out their own and well-known stories, using voices for characters
Present part of traditional stories, their own stories or work drawn from different parts of the curriculum for members of their own class

Drama Lesson Plan for The Gruffalo (Part Two)

Further drama activities on The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson can be developed by using some of the techniques below.

Expressions: Showing facial expressions of the different characters at various points in the story. Ask the children to stand in a circle. Explain that you are going to ask them to imagine how characters felt at different times in the story. Choose a character and a moment, for example the fox when he first met the mouse. Countdown three-two-one and clap your hands or bang a drum as a signal for them to make the face. You could pick out some of the children to show the others. Then choose a different moment/animal, for example the fox when he sees the Gruffalo.

Drama Ideas for Funnybones

Primary Literacy Framework

The Evacuees - A Drama Unit - Part 1

The Evacuees - A Drama Unit - Part 2

The Evacuees - Extracts

Drama Lesson Plan for The Gruffalo (Part One)

Drama Lesson Plan for The Gruffalo (Part Two)

Primary Drama Courses

Drama Books by David Farmer