Ananse And The Pot Of Wisdom: A Stage 1 Drama Lesson

Social and Moral Themes

Outcomes - Drama Module:

DRAS 1.1: “Takes on roles in drama to explore familiar and imagined situations.” (NSW, n.d.)

DRAS 1.2: “Conveys story, depicts events and expresses, feelings by using the, elements of drama and the expressive skills of movement and voice.”

DRAS 1.3: “Interacts collaboratively to communicate the action of the drama with others.”

DRAS 1.4: “Appreciates dramatic work during the making of their own drama and the drama of others.”

Assessment Criteria for Learning - Drama Module:

The dram module assesses the students through; 

Their ability to adapt and sustain a given role using voice and movement skills. 

Their ability to work collaboratively in a team to develop a performance using frozen pictures. 

Their ability to use the drama elements like focus, space, and contracts in creating meaning. 

Lastly, their ability to discuss and appreciate their drama and the others who patriciate in the drama through the drama vocabulary.

Stage of the class: Stage 1

Year of the class: Year 1

Title of a folk tale: Ananse and the Pot of Wisdom

Country of origin of a folk tale: Ghana, West Africa

Social and Moral Themes (use dot points):

Consequences of making bad choices

Wrong choices can have a tremendous effect on your life temporarily or permanently. 

People need to make wise choices. 

Responsibility

A person needs to be accountable for situations by taking control over them through leadership and management.

Patience 

Patience rewards

Trustworthiness

Telling the truth makes people believe what you say.

You need to trust others for assistance and their knowledge.

Lesson 1: Story Map of Ananse’s story (Anike Foundation, 2021)

Lesson 2: Guided Visualization and Discussion -

1. Photos/pictures from the Internet of real people, place and culture or good quality illustrations/paintings

 

Imagine you identify that a God with a pot of wisdom lives somewhere with a son. Together with some of our friends, we decided to visit the God, Nyame, to see what the pot looks like and how the wisdom is transferred from the pot to people. Reaching there, we find that God, Nyame, has rewarded his cunning and greedy child, Ananse, who is busily walking with the pot on his belly without putting it down. We convince Ananse to show us the pot and share his content, but he decides to climb the tree with the pot, which is when a young guy ties another pot on the back and climbs the tree faster than Ananse. Ananse gets sad because the young guy with no pot of wisdom outsmarts him (NSW Board of Studies, 2006). Ananse gets angry and drops the pot releasing tye wisdom. We gain the wisdom and get the power to make decisions and do what we desire.

Students will make small pinch pots using clay for learning purposes to represent the pot of wisdom, and they with take the roles of Nyame, Ananse, and other peoples in the world. 

https://coursehorse.com/nyc/guides/how-to-make-clay-pot

Lesson 3: Warm-up:

a) Original title + new title if using

Characters: Nyame (The God), Ananse (The Child), The little Spider, and other people (Everett, 2022).

b) Examples of adaptations/changes

The student will imitate the God’s posture (respectable with a crown made of well tight clothes), Ananse (with a greedy and cunny character with a pot on the belly), The little spider (Humble and knowledgeable with a pot tight on the back) and the rest of the people sitting without work which they start farming, making clothes and other things after the pot breaks (Everett, 2022).

Characters and Frozen Picture

Frozen Picture:

1. Image of frozen picture

1. Explanation of which moment this is in the story

This is the climax of the story where Ananse drops and crushes the pot of wisdom which spread to all people all over the world which they understood how to farm, make iron, make clothes and other things.

Lesson 4: Role on the Wall and Creating Characters

a. Answer to activity 1 = Role on the Wall image with answers to questions in activity 2

 b. Image of you in character (activity 3) 

God Nyame, Father of Ananse and the owner of the post of wisdom

Follow-up - Writing in Role

As Ananse, you disappointed your father by breaking the pot of wisdom. Therefore, an apology letter will be;

Dear Father,

I want to apologize for breaking the gift you gave me. I lost my temper after realizing that those who did not have the pot did better than me. Kindly forgive as I plan to be a better person.

Yours,

Ananse.

Task 1 – Teacher Preparation for the Readers Theatre Drama Lesson Plan 

1. Readers Theatre definition - For the students to enhance the readers' theatre for the play, they will read aloud the lines and script to memorize their role in the play(Salazar Porras, 2021). At this stage, they will read aloud to understand their lines without props and constitutes (Australian Curriculum, n.d.).
2. Name and Definition of ONE drama element - Character. Involve individuals and persons in a drama that have defined their personal histories in the drama.
3. ONE example of vocal dynamics – Ananse, as a cunny and mischievous character in the play, uses a deep, high, pitched, and gruffly voice where he chatters and loudly with a commanding language due to his pride. The little spider seldom talks, but when he talks, he seems optimistic and clever, while other people seem to have little knowledge of many things, so they talk without purpose with a slow and high-pitched voice full of complaints(Everett, 2022). The God, Nyame, talks politely and authoritatively with a deep low-pitched voice.
4. One example of percussion - ONE example of sounds effects - God Nyame is welcomed with drums on the stage as he is a traditional African god, where drums were a source of appreciation of the God(AKSOY, 2019). Besides, when Ananse and Little spider climb the truth, a traditional African flute of sorrow is played to indicate tense emotions and likely hood of unseen danger ahead, and once the pot drops, humming starts, joined by drums as a sign of thanks to God.
5. ONE example of choral/unison speaking- They will turn the performance into the chorus with a group of five students playing a Partof the play mixed with solo characters at some points. The teacher will be the narrator, and the classes will be divided into four groups: one playing God (Nyame), Ananse, The little spider, and the people.
6. One example of movement and gestures did in chorus/unison - The students will raise their hands carrying a language in front and sauntering to imitate Ananse climbing the tree while others will bend down carrying a language on the back and walking faster to imitate the little spider climbing the tree. The people shah clap and node a yes to indicate the receiving of the wisdom on=ce the pot cracks.
7. Adapted script excerpt – 

Scene 1

Narrator: Once upon a time, they loved a God named Nyame who loved his son, Ananse. One day he decided to give his son a gift. 

Name (Drums playing and hums): Ananse my son, today I give you this fortune of mine as a reward. Take good care of it (He hands the pot of wisdom to Ananse).

Ananse (Rush and Mischievous): Thank you, father. I will keep it right away (Ananse walks away in a hurry with his head looking inside the pot).

People (shouting): Share with us! Could you share it with us? Could you share it with us?

Ananse (Disappointed and disregarded): You will never find it. I will keep it somewhere that I will access alone!

Scene 2…

Task 2 – Lesson Plan for the Readers Theatre Drama Lesson

Unit Title: Ananse and the Pot of Wisdom Lesson Number: 5	Stage 1	Year 1		Time taken for lesson 60 minutes.
Prior Learning: Students have read/been told the folk tale and completed a number of Process Drama activities for comprehension and engagement in the story - Story Board/Map, Guided Visualisation, Frozen Picture, Role on the Wall, Creating Characters, Writing in Role. Therefore, they have a solid understanding of the story and the characters and plotline. The students have no prior experience of Readers Theatre at this point in the unit but the teacher has allocated roles to each of the students and they have read through the Readers Theatre script.
Materials/ Resources needed: 1. Class set of teachers adapted play script of the folk tale 2. Tips for Great Readers Theatre resource 3. Class set of music stands for scripts 4. Video on drama acting. 5. Percussion instruments – triangle, clap sticks, tambourine, drum (Everett, 2022).	Drama Vocabulary 1. Drama Form - Readers Theatre 2. Choral/Unison Speaking 3. Vocal Dynamics - Pitch, Tempo, Volume 4. Drama Element - Contrast
Teaching and Learning Sequence: Introduction: 1. The teacher shall introduce the lesson where they will rehearse the theatres' performance for the readers of the folk tale of Ananse and the pot of wisdom (NSW, n.d.). They shall use choral speaking o in groups. 2. The teacher shall share the videos of the previous performances of the children of folktale drams and the recorded YouTube videos as a sign of motivation for the things (NSW, n.d.). During the video watched, the dream techniques like characters, plot, gestures, and movement shall be pointed out and help the students understand what they mean. Video to watch: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=419602138804899 3. The teacher shall also teach on voices and tempo and demonstrate appropriate languages used in drama appropriate to the age of the students. 4. The teachers shall then divide the students into four groups giving them roles for the play, namely, Nyame, Ananse, The little spider, and the People. Middle: This is the center of the play, where the teacher shall present the various Parts of the play based on the elements of a drama.  1. Readers Theatre The teacher introduces the activity (Australian Curriculum, n.d.). For the students to enhance the readers' theatre for the play, they will read aloud the lines and script to memorize their role in the play (Weebly, n.d.). At this stage, they will read aloud to understand their lines without props and constitutes. 2. Drama element The teacher introduces the activity.  Character. Involve individuals and persons in a drama that have defined their personal histories in the drama. 3. Vocal dynamics The teacher introduces the activity. Ananse, as a cunny and mischievous character in the play, uses a deep, high, pitched, and gruffly voice where he chatters and loudly with a commanding language due to his pride (Wang, 2021). The little spider seldom talks, but when he talks, he seems optimistic and clever, while other people seem to have little knowledge of many things, so they talk without purpose with a slow and high-pitched voice full of complaints. The God, Nyame, talks politely and authoritatively with a deep low-pitched voice. 4. Percussion and sounds effects The teacher introduces the activity. God Nyame is welcomed with drums on the stage as he is a traditional African god, where drums were a source of appreciation of the God (Weebly, n.d.). Besides, when Ananse and Little spider climb the truth, a traditional African flute of sorrow is played to indicate tense emotions and likely hood of unseen danger ahead, and once the pot drops, humming starts, joined by drums as a sign of thanks to God. 5. Choral/unison speaking The teacher introduces the activity. They will turn the performance into the chorus with a group of five students playing a Part of the play mixed with solo characters at some points (Australian Curriculum, The Arts, n.d.). The teacher will be the narrator, and the classes will be divided into four groups: one playing God (Nyame), Ananse, The little spider, and the people. 6. Movement and gestures did in chorus/unison The teacher introduces the activity (Everett, 2022). The students will raise their hands carrying a language in front and sauntering to imitate Ananse climbing the tree while others will bend down carrying a language on the back and walking faster to imitate the little spider climbing the tree. The people shah clap and node a yes to indicate the receiving of the wisdom once the pot cracks. Conclusion: 1. Reflecting – the teachers will allow the class to reflect on different characters, drama features, and vocabulary. 2. Follow-up Activity – the teacher shall follow the students' activities, including allowing them to draw the story to ensure that the drama lesson was a success.			Time proposed for each step included in the class lesson Introduction 15 minutes Middle 35 minutes Conclusion 10 minutes
Differentiation Grouping Strategy: I will differentiate the students using grouping methods regarding performance abilities, content mastery and mastery of chellngi8mng roles like Ananse.

Reference List:

AKSOY, P. (2019). Drama in preschool education from theoretical processes to practice examples in preschool education. Theory and practice in social sciences, 67.

Anike Foundation. (2021). Ananse and the Pot of Wisdom. Retrieved from Anike Foundation: https://anikefoundation.org/african-folktales/ananse-and-the-pot-of-wisdom

Australian Curriculum. (n.d.). The Arts. Retrieved from ACARA: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/the-arts/

Australian Curriculum. (n.d.). The Arts: Drama. Retrieved from ACARA: https://australiancurriculum.edu.au/resources/work-samples/samples/readers-theatre-blueback-above/

Everett, L. (2022). EDAE 303), Drama Warm-ups, in Drama Topic Notes. Armidale, Australia: University of New England.

Everett, L. (2022). EDAE 303), What is Readers Theatre, in Drama Topic Notes. Armidale, Australia: University of New England.

Everett, L. (2022). EDAE 303), Choral Speaking, in Drama Topic Notes. Armidale, Australia: University of New England.

Everett, L. (2022). EDAE 303), Creative Arts Key Learning Areas, in Drama Topic Notes. Armidale, Australia: University of New England.

NSW Board of Studies. (2006). Creative Arts K-6 Syllabus. . Retrieved from Sydney, Australia: NSW Board of Studies: https://www.educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/home

NSW. (n.d.). Drama: Stories on Screen. Retrieved from Education Standards Authority: https://arc.nesa.nsw.edu.au/go/stage-3/arts/activities/drama-stories-on-screen

Salazar Porras, M. (2021). Implementing Reader’s Theater Technique as a tool for providing confidence in speaking and reading skills with students of tenth graders at Bagaces Night Highschool, Liberia Regional Office of Education, 2020. 

Wang, K. (2021). Differentiation: Achieving Success in a Mixed-Ability Classroom. Retrieved from Fast Forward by Carnegie learning: https://www.scilearn.com/differentiation-achieving-success-mixed-ability-classroom/

Weebly. (n.d.). Strategies for special interventions. Retrieved from Weebly: https://strategiesforspecialinterventions.weebly.com/readers-theatre.html