This unit covers topics such as migration, seeking asylum, leaving home, and being a refugee.

If these are sensitive topics for you, we recommend checking with an adult before starting this lesson, or completing the lesson with a trusted adult nearby.

Hello, welcome to today's drama lesson with me, Mrs. Mears.

This is our second lesson of unit 5, which is all about migration.

We are going to be today using freeze frames and thought tracking to consider the moment that a family decide they must leave their home to prepare for migration.

For today's lesson, you're going to need some space to work in, so make sure you've got plenty of space above your head, to the side and that there's nothing you're going to tread on, and also you're going to need a pen and paper.

We're going to do quite a bit of writing in role today, so make sure that it's not just a scrap of paper but enough for you to write something substantial on.

Please pause the video now while you get yourself ready.

Great.

So today we are going to be recapping the story so far, so we're going to look at what we've done in lesson one, then we're going to explore the thoughts and feelings of the family, we're then going to pack our bag, and then we're going to be writing in role.

Our key words today are, still image.

A still image is a static image that can either be devised or arrived at by freezing movement.

When we arrive at the moment, we sometimes call that a freeze frame.

When we devise it entirely, it's only called a still image.

Thought-tracking is when we speak our character's thoughts out loud.

Mime is when we use silent acting using gestures, movements and facial expressions to communicate.

Narration is when we speak our commentary aloud which accompanies and describes the action.

And writing in role is when we write from a character's perspective.

So first let's recap what we did last lesson.

Last lesson we woke up in our bedrooms at home, we explored all of the senses, what we could see, hear, smell, touch and taste using the objects in the room, to talk to us, to explain to us.

We then turned on the news and found out that a disaster is coming our way and we explored that through sound schemes.

We then had a conversation on the telephone with a friend and one of us wanted to go, and one of us wanted to stay, and we looked at persuading ourselves as to whether we are going to go, we are going to leave the country or stay.

We then woke up again and explored our room a second time, this time feeling slightly different because we know the disaster is on the way.

So this is where we're up to in the story.

And now let's experience the thoughts and the feelings of the family as we prepare for our migration.

Okay as you can see, we have a very varied family.

Now this might look like your family,, it might look slightly different to your family.

It might be smaller, it might be bigger, but these are the people that I would like us to explore and to imagine our family members going on this journey with us.

So we've got here, we've got a granddad, we've also got a dad, we've got ourselves in the middle, we are a young boy or girl.

We've also got a younger sister who is sitting on the lap of our mother, who is in a wheelchair.

And it's important that we recognise all of these different characters.

So we are going to be creating the thoughts and feelings of our own family using these thought tracks.

I worry, I wish, I wonder, I want and I will or I won't.

Now the first character I'd like us to explore is the granddad.

And we are going to be using I wish, as his sentence starter for his thought track.

So please could you get yourselves into a position where you are emulating and copying the position of the grandad? So he seems to be standing in a mid walk position, so his leg is slightly raised and he's holding onto a walking stick.

His head is facing in one direction, but he's a little bit hunched over with his back.

He's possibly got some back problems which is why he's using his walking stick.

So he needs to say something starting with, I wish.

So maybe it's something like, I wish I wasn't so old and I could really help on this journey.

Maybe it's something like, I wish we didn't have to go.

Maybe it's something like, I wish my wife was still here with me.

So think about what this granddad wishes about this journey, and I'd like you to say it now.

Fantastic, now let's get into the position of the dad.

He seems to be standing with his arms quite wide apart and his legs are hip width apart, one leg seems slightly in front of the other because it's slightly more down his foot.

His shoulders are quite wide, so they're out and wide, and his head is slightly tilted as he's holding onto his son's hand.

So I want you to think about, he looks very, very strong in his position, but I'd like you to use thought track of, I worry.

So maybe he is worried about his children, maybe he's worried about his wife, maybe the grandfather is his father, maybe it's not, maybe it's the mother's father, I don't know.

Maybe he's worried about the journey.

Maybe he's worried about leaving things behind, so think about what he could be worried about, and we're going to give him a worry in three, two, one, please speak your thought track.

Fantastic.

Now I'd like you to get into the position of the mother on the wheelchair.

You may need a chair.

So I've got a chair here that you can't see but my legs are to the side and I'm holding onto my daughter my head's up very, very high, because the mother in our picture's got a very high up head.

And I want you to have a wonder for her.

What does she wonder? Maybe she wonders how hard the journey will be, maybe she wonders if she'll be able to make it in her wheelchair.

Maybe she wonders what the food will be like in the new country.

Have a thought for her that starts with I wonder and let me hear that now in three, two, one.

Lovely.

Now let's become the little girl holding her ball.

Think about how excited she is, she's on the lap, we can't see what her legs doing, maybe they're swinging side to side.

Maybe she's got a great, what would her her face look like? Does she really know what's going on? Maybe it's very exciting to her, the idea of moving to a new country.

Some of the other characters, like the dad was worried, but maybe she's not.

So think about, what does she want? She's holding her ball, maybe, I want new toys in my new country.

Maybe she wants to play with and make new friends.

Maybe she wants to go on an exciting adventure, or maybe she wants to stay at home with her teddy bears.

I don't know.

So have a go at her thought track in three, two, one.

Okay.

Now I would like you to create the child in the middle.

That's you, that's the character that you are going to be playing for most of these activities.

Now, he seems to be a little boy in this picture, but if you're a female like me, you can just change him to be a girl, that's absolutely fine.

So I think about how he's standing, he's kind of upright, one foot in front of the other, one arm's down, one arm's holding on to his dad, and I want you to think about two things from him, something that he will and something that he won't.

So maybe it's, I will be strong for my parents.

Maybe it's, I won't let anyone down.

So think about what you will and what you won't as a young boy, and I'd like you to say your thought track now.

Great, now stay with that little boy because we're going to do something slightly different.

We're going to be creating the picture about the internal aspects of the child and the external.

So the external is what he looks like physically, so we had him standing there, holding onto his dad's hand one arm down, one leg slightly in front of the other.

Okay, but the internal picture is, what he's really feeling and thinking.

So this is what we're going to do.

We're going to post for the world on social media.

Now some of you watching may have social media accounts.

Some of you may be too young, but you may know what this involves.

So usually people hashtag so that we can understand who we are tagging in a picture, and we add in key words so that people can search for our pictures really, really clearly.

So what I'd like you to do in a moment is I'd like you to say, hashtag moving to a new country, amazing.

Then you're going to morph into a still image of how you truly feel and thought track that, and you can use, I wish, I worry, I wonder, I hope, what if, it could be something slightly different, doesn't need to be one of the ones that I showed you beforehand.

And then I'd like you to morph back into the original pose.

I'm going to show you an example right now.

Hashtag, moving to a new country, amazing.

Then I'm going to morph.

I'm going to show a child who's really worried and they're going to rock a bit, and freeze, and then I'm going to say my thought track.

I'm really terrified, I wish I didn't have to go, I wish I could stay.

Then I'm going to morph back into the original pose, which I believe was this.

So I'd like you to now pause the video and have a go at doing that for yourselves.

Brilliant, now I'd like you to think about.

what conflicts are there within the family? Does some family members think slightly differently to other family members? Is everyone on the same page, so to speak? And what advice would you give them in this situation? Would you tell them all to stick together, and to just do what the majority think is right? Would you tell them that they have to do what they feel in their own heart is right even if that is abandoning their own family? What advice would you give to them? Okay, we are now going to be moving on to packing our bag.

Now this activity is going to involve me doing a lot of talking.

And now if you've watched my videos before, you'll know that I do sometimes speak quite fast, so I apologise now, if I speak too fast for you but the first part of this activity involves lots of talking.

So we're going to do this activity that involves packing our bag.

Okay so you're going to be looking around your imaginary room and choosing imaginary objects to pack from around this room.

You'll need to describe them as you pack them.

You're going to identify what they look like, what they feel like, what they smell and sound like, if it's something that you could eat, maybe what it tastes like.

Perhaps have a real think about all those five senses.

You're going to talk about the memories that they bring to you as well.

But the key thing that you have to do is to not stop talking.

I'm going to demonstrate this for you right now.

Oh, I'm going to pack this teddy bear, it reminds me of my grandad because he gave it to me.

My granddad who isn't alive anymore.

And it smells like him 'cause it's a bit musty and old and it's only got one eye, and I really love it.

It's quite squishy feeling because some of the stuffing is falling out, I love this so much.

Oh, I'm also going to put it this picture.

This picture is of my cousin, my cousin Bob.

And Bob was really, really fun and we used to go on the swings all the time.

He used to tell me about all the different things he liked to do at school and I would get really excited about when I get to go to school.

Oh, I'm also going to take this bag.

This bag belonged to my mum's mum's mum.

It's amazing, it's full of all different compartments and things.

And I really like to look inside, it's bright blue, and it still has a really rough texture to it.

I am going to take this hat.

This hat is wonderful and it rests on my head beautifully, it's bright pink, and it really makes me feel great and happy.

I'm going to take my CD player with my collection of "The Spice Girls", because they are my favourite favourite band, in the whole wide world.

And this was given to me as a present when I was one years old.

I love it so, so, so much, that's going in my bag now.

I also need to get something else I'm going to get, I'm going to get, I'm going to get a plant.

Okay, this plant, now I can't put that in the bag, I'm going to put that over here.

I've got to put in this hair brush.

This hairbrush is wonderful.

It gets all the locks out of my hair and I love it.

It's a bit broken and it sounds like a duck when you bang it on the floor, okay, but it's going in my bag and these are the things I'm going to pack.

Oh, I also need to pack something really, really warm in case that it is cold where we go, so I'm going to pack this scarf.

This scar wasn't given to me by anyone special, it's brand new, it's not very nice, but it needs to go in my bag.

I also need to pack a swimming costume, 'cause what if we have to go swimming.

I've never been swimming, I really want to go swimming.

So let's pack the swimming costume.

Here we go, this is something that I was given a long time ago, it probably won't fit, but I'm going to have at it anyway, I'm going to put it in there, okay, close my box.

There we go.

Okay, so you noticed that I didn't stop talking.

That's what I want you to do.

The more you talk, the more you have to force yourself into using your imagination, and that's the purpose of this activity.

So I'd like you to do this for at least a minute.

If you have a way to time yourself, without looking at your watch, that would be great.

If not, just do as much as you can for a few minutes and then stop.

So pause this video now, while you try that out of yourself.

Well done.

We're now going to do this activity slightly differently.

And I'd like you to pack your bag using just three items. You're going to need to find something practical.

So for example, clothes, maybe a toothbrush maybe a hairbrush, something that you need, you're also going to need something that is of sentimental value.

So for example, a photograph, maybe something like a teddy bear that someone has given to you, something that means something to you that you don't necessarily need, but that you really want because of the value that holds in your heart.

And another item, which could be sentimental or practical or a mixture of the two or neither.

But three things that you want to pack in your bag.

You're going to handle them with great care, and you're going to imagine the feel, the smell, the sound of them.

You're going to recall your memories, and you're going to imagine how they're going to look in your future home.

However, this time you are going to do the activity in silence.

I will demonstrate this for you right now.

Now it's your turn.

Please pause the video now while you have a go at that.

Now that you've done that activity silently, but still thinking about all the memories and the way that things feel, I would like you to do this activity again, three times using three pieces of music that I'm going to play for you now.

I would like you to think about how they affect the way that you handle each object.

Please begin in a freeze frame and start moving when the music stops.

Well done.

And now begin your freeze frame again to start with music two.

Again, get into your freeze frame to start when the music starts.

I've got a question for you, which items in your suitcase connected you emotionally to the character that's about to go on this journey? Were they the practical items? Were they the sentimental items? Which ones helped you connect most? And how did the music change the way that you handled the objects? Did you handle them with more care, less care, with a particular emotion in mind? Did it change the motivation of your character, the willingness to pack? Great.

We are now going to be moving on to activity where we are writing in role.

I'm going to write my letter and I'm going to read it aloud as I do so, to give you an example of the sort of letter that you might want to create.

Dear Mo, I know you're also agonising about the war but I wanted to let you know that my family have decided it's time for us to go.

We have family in Europe and we're heading for Germany.

We don't know if we'll get there, but we have to try.

I wanted to let you know that I've always valued my friend, I have always valued your friendship.

You've been my best friend since we were five, and I can't believe that I might never see you again.

It breaks my heart to know that the last time we spoke, I was rude to you.

I want you to know I was foolish, and you are the most important person to me.

I still have the football you bought me for my birthday and I'm taking it with me to Germany.

I'm hoping I might one day play football professionally in the Bundesliga.

Germany is so safe, life will be perfect.

I don't know any German, so I really hope I can learn it quickly.

You were always the best at languages.

I wish you were coming with us.

I'm worried about the journey.

I don't like boats and I've never been on a train before.

Because my parents don't have jobs, we can't get a visa, so getting into the country will be hard.

My dad says we have options.

We can either seek refuge status, or we can hide in a lorry until we get through the border.

I don't like the idea of hiding in the lorry.

People have died doing it before.

Still, if we stay here, the war will reach us any day and we'll be dead anyway.

We have no choice it seems, and I'm praying we make it.

Please write back soon.

Catch you later, alligator.

Adam.

So what made that effective as a piece of writing? It was told in first person, it had some emotional moments, memories of the character.

It told the story as to why I was going somewhere, how I felt about it.

It had an ending that was very personal, and I said, catch you later alligator.

So these are the things that I want you to include when you write your own piece in role.

So you're going to write a letter to your friend in role explaining that you are leaving the country.

You're going to write in first person.

What first person is is using I all the time.

Not talking about he, she, they, or talking about ourselves.

I am worried.

Okay.

We're going to be using descriptive language.

We're going to include our thoughts, our worries, and our hope for the future.

I want you to state an emotive or fun memory, and I want you to end the letter in a personal way.

Please pause the video to complete your task now and resume once you've finished.

Great.

I now that you did perform this letter in three different ways.

First of all, I'd like you to read it aloud as if you were writing it yourself in the same way that I did when I demonstrated to you beforehand.

So please pause the video now while you attempt this.

Great.

Now I'd like you to read it aloud in third person, over the shoulder of a friend, and you might use a toy or a Teddy to do this, and you're going to directly address the audience occasionally.

So by using third person, we're going to change everything that you've written that you've written as I, to either he, she or they and everything I've written, which is me, you're going to change to him or her or them as you read it out loud.

I'll demonstrate for you now with a section of my letter.

Dear Mo, He knows that you are agonising about the war too, that he's decided he wants to let you know that his family have decided it's time for them to go.

They have family in Europe and they're heading for Germany.

They don't know if they'll get there, but they have to try.

He wanted to let you know that he's always valued your friendship.

You've been his best friend since he was five, and he can't believe that he might never see you again.

It breaks his heart to know that the last time he spoke to you, he was rude.

Please pause the video now, while you try that out for yourself.

Well done.

We're now going to move on to the third way of performing your letter.

This way I'd like you narrate your letter in role, so still using a first person again, but this time you're only going to speak one word from each sentence aloud, maybe two if you really feel the need.

So highlight your words first, before performing.

I've done this using a colour highlighter, you might just want to underline or circle the words in each sentence that you feel are the most important.

For example, mo, war, go, Germany, try, friendship, important, football, hoping, perfect, learn, wish, worried, journey, refuge, hiding, lorry, dead, praying, write, Alligator, Adam.

So I'd like you to have a go and see how it feels to just say one word from each sentence.

Well done.

So which way of delivering your in role writing felt the most effective? And why was that? Was it simply reading it aloud, as you'd written it in first person? Maybe it was reading it in third person, over the shoulder of the friend who was writing it.

Or maybe it was taking out some of those key words, and really using them for emphasis.

And how did it create that effect? Was it a powerful effect? Was it an emotional effect? What was it? So how prepared do you believe that your character is for this migration journey? Are they ready? Are they still not quite there yet? I mean, they have to go straight away now.

Well done.

So before we go, we've got our big question which is how does saying goodbye to people in places that we love affect us? Does it make us stronger? Does it make us more brave, or does it damage us and make us feel insecure and anxious? Next lesson, we're going to be exploring the journey itself, doing lots of physical theatre.

So I hope that you can join me for that lesson.

Well done for today.

If you'd like to share your work with Oak National, please ask your parent or carer to tag your work on Twitter using @OakNational and #LearnwithOak.

Well done, goodbye.