Using drama to express feeling and resolve conflicts

This is an activity with a Year 5 group.

Ice-breaker:

Students were asked to roam around the room and group themselves according to the number that was called out.

Exercise One:

Six volunteers were needed to be statues. The other students were asked to be directors. A scenario was read to them and students playing role of statues had to portray that scene in statue form. A photo was then taken of each scenario. The scenarios were as follows: 

• Two groups playing
• Group one asks group two to play with them and they say yes
• Group one ask group two if they could play with them the next day and group two say no
• How do group one responds to this? A group statue is formed again

With each photo taken, friendship cards were used to help students vocalize how they feel. The directors also took an active role in this processing.
Students were then asked what they would do if a group did not let them play in their game. Again form statues and photo is taken.
This time the bad moves were taken out. After processing their initial action, they were asked to look at the cards and see if they correspond. Students were asked to think of consequences with these actions.

Exercise two:

The whole group was then asked to stand up and in groups were asked what they would do in this situation to try to resolve the conflict. Again a photo was taken and we processed their ideas. We de roled by asking students to jump from the stage onto the carpet and shout out their name. 

Students were then asked to sit in a circle. Good move cards were taken out and students were asked to choose to see if they would do something different then what was stated before. Processing of this exercise centred on being assertive. Demonstrated being assertive, passive and aggressive to the students by role playing someone watching a film at the movies. Students also highlighted the need to get help from an adult mainly a teacher and the need to share.