Brian Wood`s the Teaching of Drama in Primary School gives the reader a hint about how to proceed while teaching drama
to pupils in primary school. He provides an illustration for practicality in the field of drama-education through Thomas Dylan`s poem "the Wale". A brief description of the subject matter of Thomas Dylan`s poem would certainly better enlighten readers about the details of subsequent works in point. So, a wale suddenly appears on the Island`s shore. A gang of people rush in with differeing attitudes towards the subject of the wale. Some intend to kill it and to eat it afterwards. A witch doctor stresses the sacred aspect of the wale, hence, he recommends no harm be done to it. A girl fills a coconut shell with sea water and pours it over the wale`s blue bulk. A man suggests the wale be floated off the next tide. The witch doctor insists on the fact that it is a taboo to touch it. Peole surrounding the wale suddenly drift away. A white man curses and runs away to the next village for help. The girl gets children to produce a chain of coconut shells filled with water for the sake of pouring more water over the wale`s bulk. While she is doing it, the wale starts to be feeling calmer. The tide gets high, making the wale feel even better. It rears as sea water reaches to his eye. The white man comes back and cannot stand watching the wale being in a state of agony, so, he leaves off, cursing the island while pacing it. The wale does not move. Like a mother, the girl sings to it, telling stories about the mud-skipping fish that lives in the mangroves on the lagoon. She thus saves the wale from death.
How is the teacher then expected to proceed during the drama lesson? How should the teacher proceed? What is expected of the 4-6 years children? The drama about Thomas Dylan`s poem could be conducted in sessions lasting for several weeks. It could also be played in one hour only.
1: The teacher should not involve the children in the direct reading of the poem. Otherwise, the stimulus for drama provided by the poem would be spoilt.
2: The teacher should present the key issue in the poem by playing a role not found in the play. Playing the part of the chief of the tribe-being weak, ready to give up power, blind and unable to walk.
3: The teacher is expected to use the role to set up drama but then to give the responsibilty over to the children for decision-making. The chief, that is, the teacher is not expected to hold any power except asking the children if they should, himself included, to comply with what is expected of them to do. He should not be productive.
4: The teacher can be out of role by describing the Island before the storm-"a tropical paradise", "shut your eyes and imagine, then open them when I tell you".
5: The teacher can come back to role and play the part of the chief of the tribe: "Gods are angry. The storm last night was worst I have ever witnessed. Our dwellings are damaged, fences blown down, trees in the forest uprooted.
6: The teacher is expected to draw the children into play: "Tell me more about damage. I cannot see. You are my eyes and not my hands".
7: The teacher is expected to allot time for the pupils to respond to his request. He draws meaning and significance from their suggestions.
The children go and then come back.
8: The teacher passes on information about the wale, that it is a taboo....He then asks them about their feelings with regard to the wale, the wise man, the chief. This is not a discussion but just a method for getting pupils internalize thoughts and jot them on a piece of paper.
9: The teacher asks the pupils to represent their feelings through images. The class draws the image of the wale.It is a matter of a large class painting of the wale`s head, or of the mural of the wale on the beach. The teacher may comment on the painting afterwards. All drama sessions conclude with asking children to find a space with drawing material.
10: The teacher gets out of role again so as indulge into reflective narration;" The Islanders went out the following day
11: The teacher is expected to tell the pupils to ask questions about the story of the wale. They are not supposed to answer them, though.
12: The teacher asks the pupils to see if their questions would not make them feel like asking other questions.
The pupils write questions. Here are some of them: what colour is the wale? What does it feel like to touch? what does it smell of? how big is it compared with other species on the island?
The pupils return to their writing over the next few days and continue writing till they get satisfied
13: The teacher reads out the poem to the children after the written work.
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