C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School

1. C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School 2009-2010English pull-out programme: Young Playwrights’ Theatre 11 June 2010

2. Background of our school C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School Name of school:C. & M. A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School Type of school: Subsidized Location:Yuen Long No. of classes: 24 Textbook used: My Pals are Here!

3. Background of our school C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School Language ability:Average Family:most students come from middle-income families Family support: Most parents are educated but they have to work in the daytime. Many students go to tutorial classes after school.

4. Selection of target students C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • Name of our programme: • English Pull-out Programme: Young Playwrights’ Theatre • Target level: P.5 & 6 • Students are selected by: • Average English exam. result: Top 25% in their levels • English teachers’ recommendation • Pre-assessment results

5. Pre-programme assessment C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • Written: reading and writing • Oral • Reading and writing: • - Objectives: • i) assess students’ basic knowledge about • different elements of a play script • ii) assess students’ writing and creative • abilities • - content designed based on a play they were • going to read

6. Design of the pull-out programme C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School 2) Oral: - Objectives: i) assess students’ fluency, pronunciation and tone of voice ii) assess students’ knowledge about stage directions iii) assess students’ improvisation skills - content designed based on a play they were going to read

7. Aims and Objectives of the pull-out programme C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School This programme aims at: 1) developing students’ writing skills by i) broadening students’ vocabulary bank e.g. action verbs, adjectives and adverbs used to describe people’s feelings, gestures or the way they speak ii) improving their editing skills e.g. involving them in editing their own and their classmates’ writing and play scripts

8. Aims and Objectives of the pull-out programme C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School This programme aims at: 2) developing students’ speaking skills by i) teaching them to read with appropriate tone of voice ii) improving their fluency in speaking iii) increasing their confidence in speaking iv) raising their awareness of voice projection when acting on stage

9. Aims and Objectives of the pull-out programme C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School This programme aims at: 3) developing students’ knowledge of the elements of a play e.g. stage directions, setting, climax etc. 4) developing students’ acting skills e.g. gesture, facial expressions, body movement 5) promoting students’ interpersonal and intrapersonal skills e.g. collaboration skills and self-confidence

10. Aims and Objectives of the pull-out programme C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School At the end of the programme, students should be able to: - write up their own play script that matches with the school’s year theme ‘ Love Your Neighbours, Love Your School’ - act out their play script in a drama performance and the graduation ceremony

11. Design of the pull-out programme C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School Time: Extra-curricular activities period (Every Wed) Duration: 55 min (2:20 – 3: 15 p.m.) No. of lessons: 22 lessons Read 1 storybook and 1 play script Storybook: The Worry Website (by Jacqueline Wilson) Play script: “Once Upon a Fairy Tale” (by Christina Hamlett)

12. Lesson Design C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • From The Worry Website, the students learn: • To use first- and third-person narrative to create • characterisation through a character’s actions, emotions or • personalities in writing. • To construct meanings, share ideas and make value • judgement. • To analyse different characterisation techniques and create • characters with the use of characterisation techniques in • acting and writing. • 4) To analyse the different elements of a plot. • 5) To use facial expressions to express emotions and attitudes. • 6) To concentrate on making movements in acting.

13. Lesson Design C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • From “Once Upon a Fairy Tale”, the students learn: • The elements and plot of a play. • How a playwright interacts with the readers and actors in • a play. • Action verbs through body movements and rewriting. • Characterisation in plays by focusing on stage directions • (Adjectives and adverbs) • 5) To write a play script for performance

14. Lesson Design C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • Teaching contents: • In each lesson: • Include activities integrating the four skills; from reading + listening  speaking + writing • (input) (output) • - Include acting games

15. Implementation of the lessons C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School Before the lessons: Teachers discuss the lesson design with the Gifted Education (GE) Section, CDI, EDB a week before implementation The GE Section writes up and revises the lesson plans

16. Implementation of the lessons C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School During the lessons:

17. Implementation of the lessons C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School After the lessons: Evaluation of the previous lessons Planning for the next lesson

18. Difference from Regular English lessons C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • More time for practice: writing and acting • More demanding: students need to read one chapter • of a storybook every week; they need to write their • own play script • Wider range of vocabularies taught e.g. adjectives, • adverbs and action verbs • Small class learning allowed students to gain more • opportunities to practice and interact with the • teachers and classmates. • 5) Approach

19. Evaluation C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • Means of evaluation: • Teachers’ observation • Students’ group work • Students’ individual work • Questionnaires • Post-programme assessment

20. Evaluation C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • 1) Students wrote with better use of action verbs, adjectives and adverbs. • 2) They were able to edit their scripts and their • group mates’ scripts based on the notes given to • them. • 3) They were able to read fluently with appropriate intonation. • They became more confident in speaking in front of • the others.

21. Evaluation C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • 5) Students knew better about the different elements of a play e.g. setting, characters, climax, gesture etc. Results of the pre- and post-program assessment on students’ knowledge of different elements of a play

22. Evaluation C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • 6) Students were able to write stage directions. • 7) They were able to act with appropriate gesture and facial expressions. • 8) Students reflected that they learned how to cooperate with the others.

23. Difficulties encountered C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • Limitation of time: • - students could not arrive in time  over-run • - lunch recess  follow-up • 2) Teachers’ preparation • - a lot of preparation required • 3) Variation in student abilities

24. Future development C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • Two directions for future development: • Re-run the programme • Advantages: • - Teachers can reuse the teaching materials • - As teachers have already used the materials • once, they can implement the lessons more • effectively • Disadvantages: • - The P.5 students who have joined the programme this • year can’t join it again next year, their skills • and knowledge can’t be further developed • through the programme

25. Future development C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School • Extended module – the students who have joined • the programme for one year (P.5) will become group • leaders in the second year • Advantages: • - Some of the materials can still be reused • - The P.5 students can continue to build up • their knowledge and skills based on their • knowledge and skills built previously • - Their leadership skills can also be trained • Disadvantages: • - Teachers have to develop another set of • materials for the leaders.

26. The End C. & M.A. Chui Chak Lam Memorial School Thank you!