PLATYPUS EXPLORATION DRAMA ACTIVITY PLAN

Pre-service Teacher ‘s name: Date:

Lauren Brine 12/08/2020

Year level/ age range & number of children:
Reception and Year 1, with 10 students
Estimated duration of the learning experience:
30 minutes
Prior learning and background of the children:
Highlight planning process:
Planned collaboratively with Supervising Teacher
Planned collaboratively with peer
Planned independently based on ST lessons
Planned Independently
Deconstruction of Supervising Teacher’s lesson

The children have had some previous activities based on the physical attributes (including labelling a
diagram), further researching interesting facts about the Platypus.

At the beginning of the lesson I will have a picture on the board of a Platypus that the Studio, along with the
pre-service Learning Advisor, will label. This draws on the children’s current knowledge of the defining traits
of the platypus.

Learning intention (aim):

The children will explore the different traits of the Platypus through dramatic movements to support their
investigative learning.

Learning area:

Specific Topic: Drama

Australian Curriculum content description(s):

- Use voice, facial expression, movement and space to imagine and establish role and situation
(ACADRM028)
o Elaboration
 Communicating non-verbally by using facial expression and movement to explore and
show role and situation
Relevant parts of the achievement standard from the Australian Curriculum:
Students make and present drama using the elements of role, situation and focus in dramatic play and
improvisation.

Success criteria for children (objectives):

The learning advisor can ascertain the children’s understanding by observing the children’s movements as
they personify key features of the platypus (bill, movements under water for example).
Success criteria for the teacher:

- The children are moving around the area utilising different dynamics in their movement to personify
key features of the Platypus.

Teaching strategies: Preparation/ organisation/ resources:

Modelling, Questioning, Scaffolding, Open
Exploration (allowing the children to
interpret the movements of the Platypus in
their individualistic way – without being
showed how to do it by a teacher)
- Access to computer with internet (for Youtube)
- Platypus video (00:30) from National Geographic
(https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/00000144-
0a43-d3cb-a96c-7b4fcc960000)
- ‘A Platypus song for children’ by Poco Drom (Start
at 2:30) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=zGhCil7_Ga8)
- Open space for children to move around

Opportunities to provide feedback:

- After the children have had time to explore the personification of the Platypus the preservice
learning advisor will have them enact the key features of the Platypus one final time. This will allow
the children the opportunity to choose their favourite movements and provide the preservice
learning advisor with feedback on what dynamics and features of the Platypus they would like to
explore more.

LESSON RUNNING SCHEDULE: Time frames (Approximate time

frames need to be flexible, tweak
these to match context)
Transition: 2-3 minutes

The children will have time to relax and focus with a mindfulness period before
the start of the activity. Once the children have gathered onto the ‘Campfire’ the
preservice learning advisor will prompt the children’s thinking on the Platypus by
displaying a picture of the mammal on the screen, further asking the children
questions about what they know so far.

Introduction: 7 minutes

- After the children have identified some of their knowledge gained

from previous activities that preservice learning advisor will show
the National Geographic video on the Platypus.
- After the first viewing of the video the preservice learning advisor
will have the children identify some different actions they may have
noticed about the Platypus (could be how it moves on land and
underwater, how its eyes seem to glow underwater etc.)
Development: 10-12 minutes

- The preservice learning advisor will then play key snippets of the
video which demonstrate the physical features of the mammal that
they have been learning about in previous experiences.
o How the platypus waddles
o How the platypus uses its bill underwater
- In these snippets the children will have the opportunity to move like
the Platypus, with each child focusing their movements on what
 they found interesting in that scene.
- After the children have had the chance to explore some interesting
movements the preservice learning advisor will ask a few probing
questions to scaffold some other movements that highlight the key
physical features of the Platypus.
o What could we use to show the Platypus’ big bill?
o How could we show its claws?
- The teacher will introduce the Platypus song by Poco Drom (begin
at 2:30) running through the order of the song with the children’s
actions
o Eat like a platypus
o Swim like a platypus
o Waddle like a platypus

Consolidation and practice: 3-6 minutes

- The children move to the song using the different actions that have
been explored during the activity.

Conclusion WWW reflection: 5 minutes

To wrap up the activity the preservice learning advisor will have the labelled
diagram created by the children displayed on the screen. The class will go through
each part of the Platypus acting out different actions that they have utilised in
their movements (e.g. snapping their hands together like a bill, using their fingers
as the claws, waving their hand behind their back for the tail).

PST Evaluation:
Did the lesson go as planned? Did you organise and manage the learning experience well? Did you use effective communication?
Did you provide clear directions? Did you provide enough feedback? Did the children achieve the specific learning intention and
success criteria? Why did they/didn’t they? Were there any children who I needed to differentiate the learning experience for?
Where does your planning need to go next to ensure children’s success? How would you improve in your next planned
experience?

Supervising learning advisor feedback on the implementation of the lesson:

Appendix A: Platypus Diagram to be displayed at beginning of the experience
Appendix B: Platypus Diagram to be displayed at beginning of the experience for the children
to act out

eyes fur

nostrils

toes tail
bill webbing claws