Key Resource: Using Role Play/Dialogue/Drama in the Classroom

Pupils, and adults too, learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning experience. Role play, dialogue and drama are very active ways to explore what your pupils already know. By interaction with others and sharing their ideas, your pupils can build a broader and/or deeper understanding of the topic. The three strategies in this key resource allow pupils to develop their thinking skills, work in contexts that allow them to talk about more sensitive issues and use their creativity and imagination to extend their knowledge and to resolve problems. You will have to plan your lessons carefully and think how you introduce them to the techniques. You will need to think about whether you work with the whole class at once or with small groups. This may depend on the size of your class and their ages. All of the three methods below have strengths that allow you to use them across a range of curriculum areas. So, how can you use these strategies in your classroom, what things do you need to think about if you want to use them and what benefits will they bring?