Drama Lessons for the Primary School Year

John Doona has followed up his imaginative take on Shakespeare for the Primary School with this practical resource, chock-a-block with ideas. It includes 25 schemes to take the teacher through the academic year. A range of accessible drama techniques are used to explore meaty topics ranging from Hallowe’en: The Pendle Witches to World Refugee Day: Earthquakes as well as lighter subjects such as A Christmas Carol and World Space Week: Yuri and the Aliens.The material covers Key Stages 1 and 2, offering schemes suitable for 5-12 year olds.

In all there are over 100 drama lessons, each one of which reflects thorough research through a wealth of background information, practical ideas and curriculum links. The detailed explanation of each lesson coupled with the wide range of topics makes the book suitable for the novice as well as the most seasoned drama practitioner.

The ideas make a strong case for the use of drama within and across the curriculum, highly pertinent at a time when drama seems to have been erased from the UK primary syllabus. Luckily, with the help of books like this, drama is still available to the creative teacher as a tool to motivate learning and understanding.