Drama in Literature – JSS1 Literature-in-English Lesson Note (Third Term)

Reading a drama text means reading the character names, dialogue and stage directions, and then explaining the setting, characters, events, conflict and theme. When reading aloud, students match their voice to the character’s feelings, follow the stage directions and pay attention to punctuation. This lesson uses a short sample play, The Honest Student.

Lesson details

• Subject: Literature in English
• Class: JSS 1
• Duration: 40 minutes
• Topic: Reading and explanation of a drama text

Behavioural objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

1. Read a drama text aloud with proper expression.
2. Understand what the characters are saying and doing.
3. Explain the events in a drama scene.
4. Identify and follow stage directions.
5. Answer questions about the drama text they read.

Previous knowledge

Students know that drama is written in dialogue form. They understand basic drama terms like character, stage directions, acts and scenes. They have learned about the features of drama.

Teaching aids

• Copies of a simple drama extract
• Whiteboard and markers
• Character name cards
• Chart showing how to read drama

Introduction (4 minutes)

The teacher asks:

• When you read a storybook, how do you know who is speaking?
• How is reading a play different from reading a story?
• Have you ever acted in a play before?

The teacher shows a page from a storybook and a page from a play script side by side. Students notice the differences.

The teacher explains: “Today we will learn how to read and understand drama properly. Reading drama is special because we must imagine we are the characters speaking.”

How do we read a drama text? (8 minutes)

What does a drama text look like?

When you open a drama text, you see three main parts.

1. Character names

• Written in CAPITAL LETTERS or bold
• Appear on the left before the dialogue
• Tell you who is speaking

Example: TUNDE: Good morning, Mother.

This means the character named Tunde is speaking.

2. Dialogue (what characters say)

• Appears after the character name
• Written in normal text
• This is what you read aloud when playing that character

Example: MOTHER: Good morning, my son. Did you sleep well?

The words “Good morning, my son. Did you sleep well?” are what Mother says.

3. Stage directions

• Usually in brackets ( ) or italics
• Tell actors what to do
• Describe actions, movements, or how to speak

Examples: (enters the room) (sits down slowly) (angrily) (whispers)

How do we read drama in class?

Method 1: Role assignment

• Different students play different characters.
• One student reads all stage directions.
• Everyone else follows along silently.

Example: Teacher: “Bola, you read Tunde. Amina, you read Mother. Chidi, you read stage directions.”

Method 2: Round reading

• Students take turns reading different parts.
• Students change characters when the teacher signals.

Method 3: Whole class reading

• Teacher reads first, students listen.
• Then students repeat together.
• Finally, individual students read.

How do we read with expression?

1. Match your voice to the character.
   • If the character is angry, sound angry.
   • If the character is sad, sound sad.
   • If the character is excited, sound excited.
2. Pay attention to punctuation.
   • Full stop (.): pause briefly
   • Question mark (?): voice goes up at the end
   • Exclamation mark (!): say with energy
   • Comma (,): small pause
3. Vary your tone. Do not read in a flat, boring voice. Change your voice to show feelings.

   Bad reading: “I am so happy to see you.” (said in a bored, flat voice)

   Good reading: “I am SO happy to see you!” (said with joy and energy)

4. Follow stage directions. When you see (angrily), sound angry. When you see (whispers), speak softly. When you see (shouts), speak loudly.

Class practice

The teacher writes on the board:

JOHN: (excitedly) I passed my exam!
MARY: (surprised) Really? Congratulations!

Students practise reading with proper expression.

Reading a sample drama text (15 minutes)

Teacher’s note: Use any simple, age-appropriate drama extract. Below is a sample you can replace with your prescribed text.

Sample drama extract

Title: The Honest Student

Characters:

• KOFI (a student)
• MRS. ADAMU (a teacher)
• NGOZI (Kofi’s classmate)

SCENE ONE

Setting: A classroom. Mrs. Adamu is at her desk. Students are working quietly.

MRS. ADAMU: (looking at papers) Class, I have finished marking your tests. Most of you did well.

KOFI: (nervously) Ma, what about my paper?

MRS. ADAMU: Kofi, you scored ninety-five per cent! (smiles) You are the best in the class.

NGOZI: (surprised) Ninety-five? Wow, Kofi!

KOFI: (standing up) Ma, I need to tell you something.

MRS. ADAMU: Yes, what is it?

KOFI: (honestly) Ma, you made a mistake. Question number five is wrong, but you marked it correct. My real score should be ninety per cent.

MRS. ADAMU: (looking at the paper) Oh my! You are right. (proudly) Kofi, I will change your score, but I am very proud of you.

NGOZI: (confused) Kofi, why did you do that? You would have been number one!

KOFI: (simply) Because honesty is more important than being first.

MRS. ADAMU: (to the class) Listen, everyone. This is what we call integrity. Kofi could have kept quiet, but he chose to be honest. (claps) Well done, Kofi!

(All students clap)

THE END

How do we read the drama together?

1. First reading: The teacher reads the entire extract aloud while students follow in their books.
2. Understanding check: The teacher asks:
   • Where does this scene happen?
   • Who are the characters?
   • What is the problem or situation?
3. Role assignment: The teacher assigns roles:
   • Student A: Kofi
   • Student B: Mrs. Adamu
   • Student C: Ngozi
   • Student D: Stage directions
4. Class reading: Students read their assigned parts with expression.
5. Discussion: The teacher discusses what happened.

How do we explain a drama text? (13 minutes)

After reading, we must explain what we read. This means telling the story in our own words.

The setting

Question: Where does the scene take place?

Answer: The scene happens in a classroom.

How we know: The stage directions say “Setting: A classroom.”

The characters

Question: Who are the people in this scene?

Answer:

• Kofi: a student
• Mrs. Adamu: a teacher
• Ngozi: another student

What we learn about them:

Kofi:

• He is honest.
• He scored high on the test.
• He cares more about honesty than winning.

Mrs. Adamu:

• She is a teacher.
• She made a marking mistake.
• She appreciates honesty.

Ngozi:

• She is surprised by Kofi’s actions.
• She questions why he told the truth.

The events (what happens)

1. Mrs. Adamu tells students she has marked their tests.
2. Kofi asks about his score.
3. Mrs. Adamu says Kofi scored 95% and is best in the class.
4. Kofi stands up and says the teacher made a mistake.
5. Kofi explains that one answer was marked correct when it was wrong.
6. Mrs. Adamu checks and agrees to change the score.
7. Ngozi asks why Kofi revealed the mistake.
8. Kofi says honesty is more important than being first.
9. Mrs. Adamu praises Kofi for his integrity.
10. The class claps for Kofi.

The conflict (problem)

Question: What is the main problem or challenge?

Answer: Kofi must choose between:

• keeping the wrong score and being number one
• being honest and getting a lower score

He chooses honesty.

The theme (message)

Question: What does this play teach us?

Answer: The play teaches that honesty is more important than winning or being first. It shows the value of integrity.

The tone (mood)

Question: What is the feeling or atmosphere?

Answer: The tone starts normal, becomes tense when Kofi reveals the mistake, then becomes positive and uplifting when he is praised.

Character motivation (why they act)

Kofi’s motivation: He believes honesty is right, even when it costs him something.

Mrs. Adamu’s motivation: She wants to teach students both academics and good values.

Ngozi’s motivation: She is curious and cannot understand why someone would give up an advantage.

What do the stage directions tell us?

Let us look at the stage directions in our text.

Each stage direction helps us to:

• picture what is happening
• understand feelings
• know how to act if we perform it

How do we answer questions about the text?

1. Literal questions (direct from the text)

Q: What score did Mrs. Adamu first give Kofi? A: Ninety-five per cent.

Q: What did Kofi tell the teacher? A: He told her that she made a mistake marking question five.

2. Inference questions (reading between the lines)

Q: How did Kofi feel when asking about his paper? A: He felt nervous. We know because the stage direction says (nervously).

Q: Was Mrs. Adamu angry when Kofi corrected her? A: No, she was proud of him for being honest.

3. Personal response questions

Q: What would you do in Kofi’s situation? A: (Students give their own honest answers.)

Q: Do you think Kofi did the right thing? Why? A: (Students explain their opinions.)

4. Theme questions

Q: What lesson does this play teach? A: Honesty is more valuable than winning or being first.

Vocabulary from the text

• Integrity: being honest and having strong moral principles
• Per cent: out of one hundred
• Marked: checked and graded
• Scored: got as a result or grade

Students write these words in their notebooks with meanings.

How do we summarise a scene?

A good summary is short but includes the main points.

Summary example: “Mrs. Adamu tells her class she has marked their tests. Kofi scored the highest with ninety-five per cent, but he notices the teacher made a mistake. Although he could have stayed quiet and been number one, Kofi honestly tells Mrs. Adamu about the error. She praises him for his integrity and the class learns that honesty is more important than winning.”

Class discussion questions

1. Why do you think Kofi told the truth?
2. Was it difficult for Kofi to speak up? Why?
3. How did Mrs. Adamu react to Kofi’s honesty?
4. What did Ngozi learn from this situation?
5. How would you feel if you were Kofi?
6. What does this scene teach about honesty?
7. Can you think of a time when being honest was difficult?

Acting out the scene

After reading and explaining, students perform the scene.

Benefits of acting it out:

• It helps you understand better.
• It makes the story come alive.
• It shows if you really understood the characters.
• It makes learning fun.

Simple performance: Three volunteers come to the front. They act out the scene with expression while others watch.

After the performance, the class discusses:

• Did the actors show the right emotions?
• Were the characters believable?
• What could be done better?

Connecting to real life

The teacher asks:

• Have you ever been in a situation like Kofi’s?
• Why is honesty sometimes difficult?
• What happens when people are dishonest?
• Why do we value honesty?

Students share personal stories and opinions.

Evaluation (2 minutes)

1. How do you know who is speaking in a drama text?
2. What are stage directions? Give two examples from our text.
3. Who are the three characters in the drama we read?
4. What did Kofi do that showed honesty?
5. Where does the scene take place?
6. What is the message or lesson in this drama?
7. How should you read dialogue: in a flat voice or with expression?
8. What does (angrily) in a drama text tell you to do?

Assignment

1. Reading practice: Read the drama extract we studied today at home three times. Practise reading it with proper expression.
2. Summary writing: Write a summary of the drama scene in your own words (5 to 7 sentences). Include where it happens, who is involved, what happens, and what lesson it teaches.
3. Character analysis: Choose one character (Kofi, Mrs. Adamu or Ngozi). Write one paragraph describing:
   1. who they are
   2. what they do in the scene
   3. how they feel
   4. what you think about them
4. Stage directions: Find five stage directions from the text. Write each one and explain what it tells the actor to do.
5. Questions: Answer these questions in complete sentences:
   1. Why did Kofi tell the teacher about the mistake?
   2. How did Mrs. Adamu react to Kofi’s honesty?
   3. What does the word “integrity” mean?
   4. What is the theme of this drama?
6. Personal response: Write a paragraph about a time when you or someone you know had to choose between being honest and getting something you wanted. What happened?
7. Creative task: Write a short continuation of this drama (5 to 10 lines). What might happen next? Perhaps another student learns from Kofi’s example, or Kofi faces another honesty test. Use proper drama format with character names and stage directions.
8. Vocabulary: Use each of these words in your own sentence: honest, integrity, scored, marked, per cent.