The Importance of Reading and Viewing Literary Text

Lesson Plan Grade: 8 Subject: English Home Language CAPS Topic: Reading and Viewing CAPS Page Number: 35-36 Concept: Literary Text - Drama: Key features such as character, action, dialogue, plot, conflict, background, setting, narrator, theme Objectives: - To understand the key features of drama. - To understand and describe the role of the character, action, dialogue, plot, conflict, background, setting, narrator, and theme in a drama. - To analyse a piece of drama by identifying these features. Materials: - Copies of a short drama script - Chalkboard/whiteboard - Marker or chalk - Notebooks and pens for students I. Introduction (15 Minutes) - Start the lesson with a brief discussion about what a drama is. - Highlight the fact that drama is different from other literary forms because of its performance aspect. - Briefly discuss the key features of drama - character, action, dialogue, plot, conflict, background, setting, narrator, and theme - and provide definitions of each. II. Development of the Lesson (60 minutes) A. Group Activity: Reading the Script (15 minutes) - Distribute copies of a short drama script to students. - Divide students into groups and assign each group to read a section of the script. Encourage them to nominate different members of the group to take on the different characters. - As students read, instruct them to take notes on the key features. B. Class Discussion: Identifying Key Features (30 minutes) - Invite each group to share their observations on the different elements of drama, relevant to their assigned parts of the script. Interactive discussion among the members of the class will further enrich their knowledge and understanding. - Character: Who are the main and supporting characters in the drama? - Action: What actions or events take place? How do they move the plot forward? - Dialogue: How does the dialogue reveal information about the characters and plot? - Plot: What is the main story line or sequence of events? - Conflict: What conflicts or problems do the characters confront, and how are they resolved? - Background: What do we know about the characters' lives before the events of the drama? - Setting: Where and when does the drama take place? - Narrator: Is there a narrator in the drama? What role do they play? - Theme: What central idea or message does the drama convey? C. Individual Activity: Analysis of the Script (15 minutes) - Instruct students to write a brief analysis of the drama using their notes, incorporating all the key features, and share their insights. III. Conclusion (15 minutes) - Wrap up the lesson by summarizing the main points of the discussion, and emphasizing the importance of understanding these features in fully appreciating a drama. - Ask some questions to test the students' understanding of the lesson. - Assign homework: Students to read another drama script and write an analysis of it using the key features they have learned. Assessment: This will be based on participation in class discussions, the shared insights during the individual activity, and the analysis of the drama script for the homework. References: Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), Grades 7-9, English Home Language.