Classroom examples – Primary
The Wooden Arms – Dramatic inquiry response to a NZ picture book
In term 2 and 3 2020, the Dramatic Inquiry team at Knighton Normal School in Hamilton collaborated to create these lovely teaching resources based on the book Wooden Arms by Sarah Johnson. The team rose to the challenge of using the same source material (the quality picture book) to create a collaborative play-based experience for…
Read MoreA taste of Dog Squad – a mantle of the expert-inspired adventure for home (and school) learning
It’s a great pleasure to share this slide show (see link below). It’s an overview of a Mantle of the Expert – inspired adventure called Dog Squad. These slides represent the culmination of an incredible team effort over the last few months. Inspired by the work of Tim Taylor and exploremore, the planning for Dog Squad was…
Read MoreLAC (Little Anxious Creatures) process drama resource
Here’s a wee drama written by the Dramatic Inquiry team at Knighton Normal school in Hamilton (Jacki Paia, David Hannah, Diane Cooper, Nicole Antoniadis, Whakarongo Tauranga) with support from Viv Aitken. This group of teachers has been working to support children in their transition back to face-to-face schooling, with experiences in dramatic play, process drama…
Read MoreTe Rito Toi
The University of Auckland, NZEI, the Principals Federation and the Sir John Kirwan Foundation have partnered to create www.teritotoi.org an online resource to support teachers to return to school through the arts and wellbeing. This is a very valuable, and very attractive resource with lots of inspirational ideas for using drama and other arts. The resource was…
Read MoreDNZ Workshops – on zoom
Coming up VERY SOON, Drama New Zealand is offering two FREE workshops for primary and intermediate teachers looking at dramatic inquiry for home learning / distance learning. These will be held over ZOOM and facilitated by Viv Aitken and Renee Downey. Further information below (including full flier and facilitator biographies) There has already been a…
Read MoreExploremore: Mantle of the Expert-inspired story adventures online
Exploremore is a brilliant new initiative from a group in the UK including Tim Taylor. I really recommend checking it out. As the blurb on the ‘exploremore’ site says, These ideas are a really simple form of learning using stories and adventures, where children become the ‘people’ whose help is needed to solve a problem.…
Read MoreImaginative inquiry has transformed my job
Here’s a story I only just spotted from the GUARDIAN in 2013. Great advocacy from a teacher in the UK who discovered Mantle of the Expert (which she calls Imaginative Inquiry) and now uses it regularly in her junior classroom. I particularly like how Jenny links Mantle of the Expert to Philosophy for children and…
Read MoreAuckland Theatre Company – Storyworlds project
Auckland theatre company has a long history of creating quality theatre for adults and young people. Now it’s developing a brand new programme for young children from years 1-3 called ‘Storyworlds.’ In this approach, children are taken on a creative adventure by actor-teachers, who use a range of dramatic inquiry strategies (including teacher in role,…
Read MoreOrigins: A three day arts adventure with Owhango school
This learning story comes from Owhango school – a small rural school in King Country. Owhango school has 47 children, 2 teachers (Emma and Jessie) and a principal (Ewan) with a real passion for the arts. Ewan applied for funding for PLD and that’s how come I got to spend the last two years visiting…
Read MoreFirst encounters – A Mantle of the Expert exploration of New Zealand history
Whakarongo Tauranga from Knighton School in Hamilton has generously offered to share this account of some recent work in her classroom. Download the full file below. During 2019, Whakarongo has led a team of 10 committed folk at Knighton school to explore how dramatic inquiry, including Mantle of the Expert, can be used to teach…
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