Vampires Scheme of Work

(ages 11-12)

This six-week scheme uses a playful 'Vampires' theme as a framing device to open discussions about new people joining a community, cultural difference and bullying. Lessons prioritise practical workshops, ensemble-building games and student-devised scenarios so pupils can explore sensitive issues in an accessible, controlled and discussion-led setting. The unit aims to provoke considered responses from learners while developing dramatic technique through improvisation, character work and collaborative creation.

What Students Will Learn

Across the unit pupils will practise devising and improvisation to create short dramatic scenarios that explore community change and cultural clashes. They will develop ensemble skills, basic characterisation and perspective-taking as they use games and workshops to stage and reflect on situations that touch on bullying and inclusion in age-appropriate ways.

Week 1: New Neighbours
The theme is introduced through the warm-up game ‘Vampires of Strasbourg’. Then a new family moves in next door. One of their neighbours is watching and notices that they are ‘different’ somehow. Practical split scene work is done to explore the similarities and differences between the two families.
Week 2: A Day in the Life
After a warm-up game of ‘Wink Murder’, students create a day in the life of the family in the neighbourhood. The story makes reference to their new neighbours and is structured through mime and frozen pictures.
Week 3: The New Kid at School
This lesson starts with an energetic game of Happy Families. The students then devise routines about the new kid from next door’s first day at their new school. Students use thought aloud and addressing the audience to show how they feel.
Resources Include
Resources
Happy Families
Week 4: Developing a Character
The warm-up game is called ‘Dracula’. Students learn how to develop their characters further through the use of games, hot seating and role-on-the-wall. This helps to develop the plot of the story and any issues that may have arisen so far, by examining different characters points of view.
Week 5: Meet the Neighbours
Following the warm-up exercise ‘Haunted Castle’, the class performs a spontaneous improvisation. This is of a party that the family are hosting to introduce the new neighbours to the rest of the community. Various events happen at the party and the students have to respond in character to them.
Resources Include
Music
Overcast
Week 6: Assessment - The Wedding
This is an assessment piece based on the wedding of two of the characters in the story. It helps to develop students understanding of prejudice. All drama forms learnt and revised in the topic are used to create their own version of the wedding reception and the events that take place at it as well as being recorded for self-evaluation.
Resources Include
Music
Wagner Bridal Chorus