ASSINGMENT 2: WRITTEN RESPONSE 1

Purpose of the Performance:

The overall concept of our Assembly item is ‘When I Grow Up’ with the

message that everybody is different, in a sense that everyone will grow up

differently. There is a constant pressure felt by students who do not know what they

want to be when they are older. This can be a challenging obstacle to overcome and

makes it an appropriate concept for the students in Year 2. This performance brings

to light how students have plenty of time before they need to decide on what they

want to be when they are older, and the best thing they can do is just keep believing

in themselves. This concept is explored through the use of the children literature,

Oh, The Places You’ll Go, by award winning author Dr. Seuss. This choice of text

was inspired by its ability to create an engaging environment in which students are

exposed to the idea that their future is in their own hands and are able to be

whatever they want to be. 

The strategies used to develop our script into a cohesive performance include

the use of staging directions, gestures, dialogue, props, back drop slides and sound

effects, allowing ease in following and performing the Assembly item. These features

are all embedded constructively within our script to demonstrate how each part of the

performance has been designed for a purpose. The creative choices within the

assembly performance, outlined by the use of props, self-portraits and costumes,

provide a pathway to teach rich learning experiences to students within a Unit of

Inquiry. This would be evident through exploring the Arts Curriculum (outlined below)

and promoting creativity at every avenue. Students would be able to express their

interests and aspirations through engaging in and creating dance routines, visual art
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pieces (self-portrait) and assembly rehearsals where they can develop their fictional

role. The content from this assembly performance can also be intertwined into other

key learning areas such as English and Health. Please see the attached ‘Unit of

Inquiry’ mind map outlining the integration of our Assembly concept into English and

Health learning areas, well as the Arts Disciplines (ACELT1591 and ACPPS016)

(SCSA, 2014).

Structure of the Performance:

Elements of Dance, Drama, Visual Arts, Music and Media, presented in the

performance, are evidence of a rich and multifaceted Unit of Inquiry, as explained

above. The skills and concepts of each Arts discipline is explored within this Unit of

Inquiry, with students utilising this knowledge and skill to create Dance, Drama and

Visual Arts products that structure the Assembly Item.

In terms of Dance, the element of ‘Body’ is explored through body

awareness (body in space in relation to objects) when sharing the space with the

bed prop, tree prop and desk/chair props, as well as body zones (whole body and

part body movements) (ACADAM001). Additionally, non-locomotor movements, such

as swaying and bending, were utilised throughout the Dance sequence to showcase

the development of control and coordination (ACADAM002) in Dance movement

(SCSA, 2014).
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The skills development phase of Dance preparation, leading up to the

rehearsal of the Dance sequence, would see students engaging in an array of

workshopping activities, particularly mechanical movements or mimicking actions,

such as the action verbs on a recipe card. Connelly and Clandinin (2000) recognised

that in order for students to learn in the Dance classroom is to ‘do’.

This style of Dance is aesthetic, and focuses on the ‘image of the body’

(Dinham, 2016). In terms of inclusion and ownership, students are encouraged to

bring their own ‘spark’ to the choreographed routine, as well as suggesting their own

ideas for the production of the routine.

Additionally, using transitional objects (e.g. ribbon) for gradual learners and

predominantly non-locomotor moves for students bound by wheelchairs would

appropriately cater for diversity in the Dance classroom and, ultimately, the

Assembly choreography.

The element of ‘Role’ and ‘Situation’ in Drama looks at embodying a fictional

character and establishing a fictional setting in relation to that role (ACADRM082)

(SCSA, 2014). The Media presentation assisted in creating that fictional setting,

however, with the costumes, props, voice and movement working in unison, the

character of each actor is clearly demonstrated. These elements coincide with a

stereotypical role, unique to each character. The protagonist, Sally, acts a vehicle to

which the audience identities with. Her attitude is mostly solemn, however, her

character grows throughout the duration of the Theatrical performance, as she soon

realises the unimportance of ‘knowing’ the future.

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The communication between the characters and the protagonist, and in terms

of the use of voice, focuses primarily on emotion (this is clearly noted in the ‘Script’),

shaping the situation and atmosphere. In the Assembly performance, the football

player, Nick, for example, talks to Sally in a rushed tone, informing the audience that

he needs to be somewhere (finishing the second half of the football game). This

voice is complement by movement, as he scurries across the stage to leave.

In terms of Visual Arts, the elemental focus is on ‘Texture’, whereby students

experiment with and use natural (plants, flowers and shells) and man-made (paper,

pop-sticks, pipe cleaners and string) materials when creating artwork (ACAVAM107)

(SCSA, 2014). These are utilised, specifically, in the performance when each

character engages with the protagonist, Sally. They point to their portrait to show

Sally that they are already aware of what they want to be when they are older, and to

signify Sally being comfortable with not knowing.  The tactile qualities of this art form

allows students to ‘live in the experience’ (Dinham, 2016), harnessing the idea of

diversity in learning through exploring senses. Additionally, working individually

allows students to showcase their uniqueness and emotive potential

(expressionism). The concept of sustainability is brushed upon, through the use of

natural and man-made materials in the art-making process. The importance of

proportion in artwork is reinforced to encourage students to develop a convincing

rendition of a person through materials and iconography (Dinham, 2016).

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Alongside these Arts Disciplines, Music and Media assisted in bringing our

literature text, Oh, the Places You’ll Go, by Dr. Seuss, to life. The students would

perform to music in the final Dance routine, moving skillfully to the beat and

appropriately to the lyrics (ACAMUM082) (SCSA, 2014). Students would have

worked together to decide on appropriate music and sound effects to introduce each

new

character, and placed this onto the Media presentation to appropriately sequence the

Assembly item and character scenes. This PowerPoint Media presentation would,

too, establish a sense of setting through images, exploring how setting can enhance

a narrative (ACAMAM56) (SCSA, 2014).

Overall Effectiveness:

Our group presentation ‘When I Grow Up’ was a dramatic representation of

children expressing their future aspirations, as well as students expressing that it is

fine to not yet be sure of their life path. Our performance item seamlessly sums up

these ideas through Drama, Dance and Visual Arts. Our drama segment puts

forward a young girl who is confused as to what she wants to be when she grows up.

She goes into a dream where the ‘Who’ characters from the text, Oh the Places

You’ll Go, recite to her a poem about the life adventures that she will go on. Later in

her dream students from the class come to her in costumes and props, telling her

about what they want to be and try to help her decide. We bring in the audience by

asking other students questions about what they want to be.

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We worked well as a team to come up with creative ideas, and effectively

used a variety of materials in our Visual Arts element to make an open- ended

portrait of our future selves, that simultaneously would be visually appealing to

teachers and students viewing the Assembly item. We came up with a dance to

accompany the song “when I grow up” that incorporates expressive movements and

different starting times to make the dance interesting and engaging, mimicking a

mosh-style dance routine.

We came together to create our art pieces, all had a segment to write on, and

were able to all create an Assembly item that we are proud of. We are sure that this

would be a wonderful item to perform as a class, that would also equip students with

a positive mindset about their future endeavours.

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References

Dinham, J. (2016). Delivering authentic arts education. Melbourne, VIC: Cengage

Learning   Australia.

Geisel, T. S. (1990). Oh, the places you’ll go! New York, NY: Random House

Publications.

School Curriculum and Standards Authority (2014). Western Australian Curriculum:

Dance. Retrieved from https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/

curriculum-browser/the-arts/dance2#year-2-syllabus

School Curriculum and Standards Authority (2014). Western Australian Curriculum:

Drama. Retrieved from https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/

curriculum-browser/the-arts/drama2#year-2-syllabus

School Curriculum and Standards Authority (2014). Western Australian Curriculum:

English. Retrieved from https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/

curriculum-browser/english-v8#year-2-syllabus

School Curriculum and Standards Authority (2014). Western Australian Curriculum:

Health and Physical Education. Retrieved from https://k10outline.scsa.wa.

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edu.au/home/teaching/curriculum-browser/health-and-physical-

education#year-2-syllabus

School Curriculum and Standards Authority (2014). Western Australian Curriculum:

Media Arts. Retrieved from https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/

curriculum-browser/the-arts/media-arts3

School Curriculum and Standards Authority (2014). Western Australian Curriculum:

Music. Retrieved from https:/k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/

curriculum-browser/the-arts/music2#year-2-syllabus

School Curriculum and Standards Authority (2014). Western Australian Curriculum:

Visual Arts. Retrieved from https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/teaching/

curriculum-browser/the-arts/visual-arts2#year-2-syllabus