Grade by Grade
B. Drama / D. Visual Arts · Drama and Visual Arts

Drama: Let's Pretend! Role Play

B1.1 B1.3 B3.1About 30 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can pretend to be someone else in a role play.
  • I can step into role and step out of role.
  • I can add to my partner's ideas when we play pretend.
  • I can name times I see drama at home, at school and in my community.

Words to know

drama
Pretending to be someone else, in a made-up place, to tell a story or explore an idea.
role
The person, animal or thing you pretend to be, like a firefighter, a bear or a talking snowman.
in role
When you are pretending to be your character.
out of role
When you stop pretending and are yourself again.
role play
Acting out a real-life or make-believe situation by taking on roles.
setting
Where and when the drama happens, like a dentist's office, a forest or a spaceship.
audience
The people who watch a drama.

Let's pretend!

Have you ever played store, house or doctor? Have you ever pretended to be a puppy or a superhero?

Then you already know how to do drama! Drama is pretending to be someone else, somewhere else, to tell a story or explore an idea.

What is a role?

The person you pretend to be is your role. You could be:

  • a community helper: a firefighter, a librarian, a bus driver, a nurse
  • an animal: a beaver building a dam, a bear waking up in spring
  • a story character: Goldilocks, a giant, a talking snowman

When you are pretending, you are in role. When you stop and are yourself again, you are out of role.

A wooden dress-up chest full of costume pieces: a firefighter helmet, a chef's hat, a stethoscope, a superhero cape and more.
A dress-up box is full of roles to try! Which community helper, animal or story character could you become? AI-generated image

Stepping in and out of role

A fun way to show you are going in role: stand up, turn around once, and say "3, 2, 1, action!" Now you are your character.

To come out of role, say "Freeze! Back to me!" and shake it off. Now you are yourself again.

This helps everyone know when you are pretending and when you are not.

Me, myself(out of role)"3, 2, 1, action!"In role:a firefighter!"Freeze! Back to me!"Shake it off:out of role again
Going in role and coming out of role. The special words tell everyone when you are pretending and when you are yourself.

Build on each other's ideas

In drama, we work as a team. When your partner has an idea, don't say "No!" Instead, say "Yes, and..." and add something.

  • Partner: "Oh no, the cat is stuck up the tree!"
  • You: "Yes, and I'm a firefighter! I'll get my ladder!"

Now the story keeps growing!

Partner:"Oh no, the cat is stuck up the tree!"You:"Yes, and I'm a firefighter! I'll get my ladder!"Partner:"Yes, and the cat jumps into my arms!"Each "Yes, and..." adds a new idea, so the story keeps growing.
"Yes, and..." means you accept your partner's idea and add something new to it.
Worked example

Example: A role play at the library

Let's role play returning a book to the library. One person is the librarian. One person is the visitor.

  1. Choose the setting: a library. Set up a pretend desk with a box of books.
  2. Choose the roles: Dad is the librarian. Zara is the visitor.
  3. "3, 2, 1, action!" Zara walks in carrying a book. Librarian: "Good morning! How can I help you?"
  4. Zara builds on the idea: "Yes, I'm returning this book about polar bears. And I'd like to borrow a book about dinosaurs!"
  5. Librarian adds more: "Wonderful! The dinosaur books are on the bottom shelf. Do you have your library card?"
  6. "Freeze! Back to me!" Everyone steps out of role.

Zara and Dad each stayed in role, added ideas with "yes, and," and stepped out of role at the end. That's a role play!

Worked example

Example: Where do I see drama?

Ella makes a list of the times she sees drama in her life.

  1. At home: playing pretend with her brother, a puppet show with socks.
  2. At school: acting out a story in class, the winter concert play.
  3. In the community: a play at the library, a puppet show at a festival, a holiday pageant, a show at a theatre.
  4. On a screen: actors in TV shows and movies are doing drama too!

Drama is all around us: at home, at school, in our community and on screens.

Just for fun

What if you forgot to say "Freeze! Back to me!" after pretending to be a puppy? You might spend the whole afternoon wagging, sniffing your shoes and asking for belly rubs!

Hands-on activity

Pretend play box

You need: a box or bag of everyday things to use as props, like a hat, a scarf, a wooden spoon, a toy phone, a backpack, an empty cereal box.

  1. Pick a setting from a hat: a bakery, a vet's office, a camping trip, a snowy day at the park, a bus.
  2. Each person chooses a role that fits the setting.
  3. Say "3, 2, 1, action!" and play the scene for about 2 minutes.
  4. Remember: say "Yes, and..." to add to each other's ideas.
  5. Say "Freeze! Back to me!" to step out of role.
  6. Talk about it: "What was your favourite idea that someone added?"

Your turn

1

Pretend to be a bus driver. What do you say to the passengers?

2

What does in role mean?

3

Your partner says: "Look! A baby bird fell out of its nest!" Add an idea with "Yes, and..."

4

Name a role you could play at a vet's office.

5

Show how you step out of role.

6

Name one place in your community where you could see drama.

More practice: warm-up

1

What is drama?

2

Pretend to be a puppy. What does a puppy do?

3

What is a setting?

4

What do actors say to start a scene in our game?

5

Have you ever played pretend at home? What did you pretend to be?

More practice: on your own

1

Role play ordering pizza on the phone. One person is the customer and one works at the pizza shop. What do you each say?

2

Your partner says, "We're astronauts and the rocket is shaking!" You say, "No, we're not." Is that a good drama answer? Why?

3

Why is it important to step out of role at the end?

4

Pick a setting: a hockey arena. Name three roles.

5

Where might your family watch drama together?

Challenge

1

Play "Yes, and..." with a grown-up. Make a story about a snowman that comes to life. Each person adds 3 ideas.

2

Is a firefighter at a real fire doing drama? Is an actor playing a firefighter in a school play doing drama? Explain.

3

Plan a role play about a problem: two friends both want the same swing. Who are the roles? How could the problem be solved?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What is a role in drama?

2.

When you stop pretending and are yourself again, you are ___.

3.

Your partner says, "Let's pretend we're at the beach!" What is the best drama answer?

4.

Where and when a drama happens is called the ___.

5.

Which is an example of drama in your community?

6.

Which is a good role to play at a dentist's office?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Grade 1 drama is built on dramatic play and role play. Children step in and out of role, and build on others' ideas, both in role and out of role. They also notice the drama in their lives (pretend play, school plays, puppet shows, theatre).

How to help:

  • Join your child's pretend play! Take a role and follow their lead.
  • Use clear in-role and out-of-role signals, especially with scary characters ("Freeze! Back to me!").
  • Teach "Yes, and...". It's great for cooperation as well as drama.

Common difficulties:

  • Blocking ideas ("No, we're not!"). Model "Yes, and..." and praise when your child adds to an idea.
  • Shyness. Start with a puppet or a stuffed animal; many children find it easier to speak through a puppet.
  • Getting silly. Keep scenes short (1 to 2 minutes) with a clear start and stop.