DRAMA DOWNLOAD

There was once a king who wanted to rule everyone and everything…

The King's Sentence - a world without words (7-11 years)

The King's Sentence - a world without words (7-11 years)

This lesson plan for KS2 uses an original and inspiring story to explore how we can communicate non-verbally through gesture, body language and sign language, using storytelling, discussion and drama activities.

The story is about a greedy King and Alexia, a girl who loves words. Unfortunately she talks too much in front of the King and he decrees that all words will be banned. The story describes how Alexia gets the King to change his mind with the help of the wind.

You can read the first part of the story below in English or Polish – thanks to Aneta Kowalska for her translation.

‘The King’s Sentence’ is also great for home-schoolers as many of the activities can be done one-to-one.

#GreedyKing #LiteracyMatters #BookWorms #LoveWords #GirlPower

Click the button to buy The King’s Sentence Lesson Plan 6-page story and drama activities (PDF) for just £4.99 with PayPal.

I really want to thank you for publishing the story The King’s Sentence, it’s really inspiring… My daily work is based on contact with children – you are the spark in my classes.

Aneta Kowalska, Poland 
Aneta Kowalska, Poland

I have absolutely loved using this lesson. It’s been so much fun to try with a wide range of classes and ages. I have used it with year 1 all the way to year 6 (slightly adapted for the older ones) but they loved it. The response from the children has been fabulous and I loved watching what they have come up with. I definitely recommend trying it. Such a great lesson to engage a whole class and they really enjoyed learning sign language too.

Rebecca Oliver 
Rebecca Oliver

‘I took two classes of year 3 students through ‘The King’s Sentence’ on Friday. They absolutely loved it and it has provided them and their English teacher with a platform to explore storytelling writing. Your imagination is inspirational!’

Hayley Casingena 
Hayley Casingena

‘I have been doing the story with Y4,Y5 and Y6. They thought the bathtub/nostril part was very funny. I think it has been a great lesson on many levels, including that they understood and explored the importance of language, practised expressing themselves through their bodies, improvisation and pair work and thought about what is important in life.’

Carolyn Berry 
Carolyn Berry
Click to read the story in English!
The King’s Sentence by David Farmer © 2015

 

There was once a king who wanted to rule everyone and everything.

Each year the people of the kingdom queued up to give the King half their money. Half their vegetables, half their fruit, half of everything. So the king got richer and richer and the people got poorer and poorer. But the richer the King got, the sadder he became and the more he wanted. He didn’t just want to rule the people. He wanted to rule the animals. He wanted to rule the trees and the leaves. He wanted to rule the flowers, the rivers, the ants, the earthworms, the icicles, the bicycles, the bees, the seas and the fleas.

In the middle of the kingdom, in the middle of the sea there was an island and on it was a thick forest. In the middle of the forest there was a small village and in the small village were some goats, sheep and cows. In one of the smaller houses lived a little girl called Alexia.

One day Alexia went with her family to give the King half of the sheep and half the cattle and half of all their money. The family queued up outside the palace all day long.

Alexia was bored. ‘Why is this taking so long?’ she asked.

‘Be quiet’, shushed her mother, ‘The King might hear you!’

But Alexia couldn’t be quiet. Alexia was one of those girls who loves to talk. She loved saying words, hearing words and even singing words.

Before they knew it, the family were standing in front of the King. The palace was full of animals. There were sheep, cattle, hens, dogs, cats, rats, mice and lice. They were baaing, mooing, clucking, barking, squawking and squeaking.

‘Why does the king need all these animals? Where will he put them all?’ asked Alexia.

Well, the king overheard what Alexia said and he looked furious. His face turned red, his eyes began to bulge, sweat appeared on his forehead, his nostrils opened wide and he started to huff and puff quickly like a steam engine. He opened his mouth so wide that everybody could see inside it. They could see his teeth and his tongue and his tonsils.

‘How dare you!’ roared the king. ‘How dare you speak in front of the King!’

The King stood up and passed sentence on the whole country.

‘No more words will be spoken. No more words will be sung. All words will be banned.’

The families went back to their villages. They worked hard every day on their farms to grow more fruit and vegetables for the king.

Everybody was silent because all words had been banned. No one was allowed to say atom, or beverage, or knees-up, or belly button.

Alexia found this very difficult because she loved words of every kind. ‘What will happen to the words?’ thought Alexia. ‘If nobody speaks them and nobody sings them?’

And then Alexia had an idea. Some people say it was a brave idea. Some people think it was a mad idea. But it was Alexia’s idea and she decided to do it.

Download the Lesson Plan to find out how the story ends!

Click to read the story in Polish!
Rozkaz króla autor: David Farmer © 2015
Tłumaczenie: Aneta Kowalska

Był sobie król, który chciał władać wszystkimi i wszystkim.

Każdego roku poddani z królestwa zbierali się, by oddać królowi połowę swoich pieniędzy. Połowę swoich warzyw, połowę swoich owoców, połowę wszystkiego. Więc król stawał się coraz bogatszy, a ludzie stawali się coraz biedniejsi. Wraz ze wzrostem bogactwa króla, stawał się on coraz smutniejszy, chciał za to więcej wszystkiego. Chciał nie tylko władać ludźmi. Chciał też rozkazywać zwierzętom. Chciał, aby słuchały go drzewa i liście. Chciał być królem dla kwiatów, rzek, mrówek, dżdżownic, sopli lodu, rowerów, pszczół, mórz i pcheł.

W samym środku królestwa, w samym środku morza, znajdowała się wyspa, którą porastał gęsty las. W samym środku tego lasu była mała wioska a w tej wiosce żyły kozy, owce i krowy. W jednym z małych domków mieszkała mała dziewczynka – Alexia.

Pewnego razu Alexia poszła z rodziną oddać królowi połowę owiec, połowę krów i połowę swoich pieniędzy. Rodzina czekała przed pałacem cały dzień.

Alexi nudziło się „Dlaczego to tak długo trwa?” – spytała.

„Bądź cicho.” – szepnęła jej mama – „Król może cię usłyszeć!”

Ale Alexia nie mogła być cicho. Była jedną z tych dziewczynek, które uwielbiają rozmawiać. Uwielbiała mówić słowa, słyszeć je a nawet je śpiewać.

Zanim rodzina się zorientowała, już stali przed królem. Pałac królewski był pełen zwierząt. Były tam owce, bydło, kury, psy, koty, szczury, myszy i wszy. One wszystkie meczały, muczały, szczekały, piszczały i gdakały.

„Dlaczego król ma wszystkie te zwierzęta? Gdzie będzie je wszystkie trzymał?” – zapytała Alexia.

Król usłyszał to, co mówiła Alexia i bardzo się zezłościł. Jego twarz stała się czerwona, wytrzeszczył oczy i pot pojawił się na jego czole. Jego nozdrza poszerzyły się i zaczął sapać jak lokomotywa od pociągu. Otworzył szeroko usta i wszyscy mogli zajrzeć do środka. Mogli zobaczyć jego zęby, język i migdałki.

„Jak śmiesz!” – wrzasnął król – „Jak śmiesz mówić przed królem!”

Król wstał i wydał rozkaz dla całego królestwa.

„Nie będziecie mówić więcej słów. Nie będziecie ich też śpiewać. Wszystkie słowa będą zakazane.”

Rodziny powróciły do swoich wiosek. Pracowały ciężko każdego dnia na swoich polach, aby urosło więcej owoców i warzyw dla króla.

Każdy był cicho, gdyż wszystkie słowa były zakazane. Nikt nie mógł powiedzieć „atom”, „picie”, „wstań” czy „pępek”.

Dla Alexii było to bardzo trudne, bo kochała wszystkie słowa. „Co się z nimi stanie?” – pomyślała Alexia – „Jeśli nikt ich nie powie i nikt nie zaśpiewa?”

I wtedy wpadła na pomysł. Niektórzy mówią, że był to odważny pomysł. Niektórzy myślą, że to był szalony pomysł. Ale był to tylko jej pomysł i zdecydowała, że go zrealizuje.

Download the Lesson Plan to find out how the story ends – in Polish and in English!

A Midsummer Night's Dream illustration by John Shelley

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (5-11 years)

Drama activities based on ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, including a live performance of the story of Titania and Oberon
Cinderella - Listen To Me - Restorative Justice (5-11 years)

Cinderella – Listen To Me – Restorative Justice (5-11 years)

Explore bullying issues through the story of Cinderella using drama, writing and restorative justice techniques
Commedia dell'arte Drama Unit

Commedia dell’arte Drama Unit

Commedia dell’arte began in the marketplaces of 16th-century Europe as improvised theatre which was rude, funny and satirical.
Drama Games for Language Teaching (teenage to adult)

Drama Games for Language Teaching (teenage to adult)

14 easy to use drama games and activities suitable for a range of ages and language levels.
Funnybones Drama and Dance Unit (5-7 years)

Funnybones Drama and Dance Unit (5-7 years)

Practical and funny drama and dance activities linked to this evergreen story (5-7 years)
Guide to Freeze-Frames and Still Images

Guide to Freeze-Frames and Still Images

Ideas about using freeze-frames in drama, including 50+ ways to use them across the curriculum and a checklist for grading.
Introducing Augusto Boal  (12 years to adult)

Introducing Augusto Boal (12 years to adult)

3 full-length practical sessions introducing the work of the revolutionary Brazilian theatre maker.
The Gruffalo Drama Activities (4-7 years)

The Gruffalo Drama Activities (4-7 years)

Explore familiar themes and characters through improvisation and role play.
The King's Sentence - a world without words

The King’s Sentence – a world without words

Lesson plan and original story for KS2 exploring non-verbal communication through gesture and sign language.
The Musicians of Bremen Script

The Musicians of Bremen Script

Sparkling play script of the Brothers Grimm tale for performance in schools
The Refugee Cat Drama Unit (5-11 years)

The Refugee Cat Drama Unit (5-11 years)

The incredible real-life story of a refugee family and their cat told through storytelling, discussion and drama activities.
The Tiger Child Drama Unit (4-7 years)

The Tiger Child Drama Unit (4-7 years)

A range of drama and storytelling activities based on a traditional Indian folk-tale for KS1 and reception.
World War Two Evacuees Drama Unit (7-11 years)

World War Two Evacuees Drama Unit (7-11 years)

Explore the experience of World War Two evacuees using media, drama strategies and a fictional story.