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

Drama: Stepping Into a Character's Shoes

B1.1 B1.2 B2.2About 30 minutes

Learning goals

I can show what a character thinks and feels, and how they see things (their point of view).
I can show a character's attitude with my face, body and voice.
I can speak in role (dialogue) and write in role as a character.
I can explain how an actor showed a character's point of view.

Words to know

role
The part you play in a drama. When you pretend to be someone, you are in role.

character
A person, animal or creature in a story or drama.

point of view
How a character sees what is happening. Two characters can see the same thing in very different ways.

attitude
How a character feels about something, like proud, grumpy, worried or excited.

dialogue
The words characters say to each other.

writing in role
Writing as if you are the character, like a letter, a note or a diary page from the character.

Remember from Grade 1

In Grade 1 you learned that actors use three tools to show a character: their face, their body and their voice. You walked like a giant, talked like a mouse and froze in a tableau (a frozen picture).

This year you will go one step further. You will think about how your character sees the world.

Same snow, different feelings

It is the first big snowfall of the winter. Everyone in the neighbourhood wakes up and looks out the window.

A child thinks: "Yay! Sledding!"
A parent thinks: "Oh no, I have to shovel the driveway before work."
A snowplow driver thinks: "Time to clear the roads so everyone is safe."
A squirrel thinks: "Where did I hide my acorns?"

The snow is the same. But each character sees it in a different way. This is called point of view.

A snowy neighbourhood street after a big snowfall, with a red sled and a snow shovel standing in the snow by a front porch. — The same snowfall, two very different tools: a sled for someone who sees fun, and a shovel for someone who sees work. How would each character feel looking at this street? AI-generated image

Character	What they think about the snow	Attitude (how they feel)
a child	"Sledding! Snow forts!"	excited, happy
a parent	"So much shovelling!"	tired, a bit grumpy
a snowplow driver	"I must clear the roads."	busy, careful, proud of the job
a squirrel	"Where are my acorns?"	worried, in a hurry

One event, four points of view

Same snowfall, four points of view. Each character thinks and feels something different about it: that feeling is their attitude.

Stepping into a character's shoes

"Stepping into someone's shoes" means imagining you are them. Before you play a character, ask yourself:

Who am I? (a child, a troll, a grandmother, a hare)
What do I want?
How do I feel about what is happening? This is your attitude.

Then let your answers change your face, body and voice.

Attitude shows on the outside

A proud character stands tall with chin up and speaks clearly.

A worried character might bite their lip, wring their hands and speak quickly and softly.

A grumpy character might cross their arms, frown and grumble.

The audience can't see inside your head, so show the attitude with your face, body and voice!

Attitude shows on the outside. The audience can tell how each character feels just from the face and body.

Speaking in role and writing in role

When characters talk to each other, their words are called dialogue. When you speak in role, say what the character would say, not what you would say.

You can also write in role. You pretend to be the character and write a note, a letter or a diary page. Writing in role helps you think like the character.

Worked example

Example: Goldilocks from Baby Bear's point of view

In Goldilocks and the Three Bears, we usually follow Goldilocks. Let's step into Baby Bear's shoes instead.

Who am I? Baby Bear, the smallest bear.
What happened? I came home from a walk. Someone ate all my porridge, broke my chair and was sleeping in my bed!
How do I feel? (attitude) Upset, surprised and a little bit scared.
Face and body: eyes wide, bottom lip shaking, pointing at the broken chair.
Voice and dialogue: high and shaky: "Someone's been eating my porridge, and they ate it all up!"

From Baby Bear's point of view, the story is about a stranger who wrecked his things. We showed his upset, surprised attitude with a shaky high voice, wide eyes and pointing.

Worked example

Example: Writing in role as the Hare

In The Tortoise and the Hare (an old fable told in ancient Greece), the speedy Hare takes a nap during the race, and the slow Tortoise wins. Let's write in role as the Hare, the night after the race.

Think: How does the Hare feel now? Embarrassed and grumpy. Maybe he learned something.
Write as "I", because you are the Hare.
Dear Diary, Today was the worst day! I was SO far ahead that I took a little nap. When I woke up, Tortoise was crossing the finish line! Everyone cheered for him. I feel silly. Next time I will not show off.

Writing in role helped us understand the Hare's point of view: he felt embarrassed and learned not to show off.

Just for fun

Squirrels really do forget where they buried lots of their acorns. From an oak tree's point of view, that forgetful squirrel is a helpful gardener planting new trees!

Hands-on activity

Same story, two sides

You need: two stuffed animals or toys, paper and a pencil.

Choose a short, well-known story, like The Three Little Pigs.
Act out one part as the pig. How does the pig feel when the wolf knocks?
Now act out the same part as the wolf. What does the wolf want? How does the wolf feel?
Change your face, body and voice for each character.
Write in role: write (or tell a grown-up who writes) a short note from one character to the other. For example, from the pig: "Dear Wolf, please stop blowing on my house!"

Talk about it: "Which character's point of view was more fun to play? Why?"

Your turn

What does point of view mean in a story?

It is the first day of summer holidays. How might a child feel? How might a teacher feel?

Say "It's raining!" as a duck who loves water. Then as a kid whose picnic is cancelled.

What is dialogue?

Write in role: one sentence the Little Red Hen might write in her diary after eating her bread alone.

Show a proud attitude without words.

Why do actors ask "What does my character want?"

More practice: warm-up

Name the three tools an actor uses.

Show a grumpy attitude with your arms.

True or false: Two characters always feel the same way about the same thing.

When you write a diary page as a character, what is that called?

Say "Hello!" as a shy character.

More practice: on your own

A dog sees the family packing suitcases. What might the dog think and feel? Show it.

In Jack and the Beanstalk, how might the giant feel when Jack takes his golden goose? Say one line of dialogue as the giant.

Your character is excited. Name one thing for the face, one for the body and one for the voice.

Write in role as a snowman on the first warm day of spring. Write one or two sentences.

Your grown-up plays a character who has lost their dog. Tell how they showed the character's attitude.

Challenge

Retell the first part of The Three Billy Goats Gruff from the troll's point of view, in two or three sentences.

Why can the same words ("Look at that!") mean different things when different characters say them?

Your grown-up says: "In this drama you are a beaver, and I am a person building a cottage by your pond." How might each character see the pond differently?

Check your understanding

Quiz

What is a character's point of view?

The words characters say to each other are called ___.

Which shows a proud attitude?

Zoe writes a letter as if she is the wolf. What is she doing?

It snows a lot. Which character would most likely feel excited?

Which question helps an actor find a character's attitude?

For parents and teachers

Big idea: In Grade 2, children build on Grade 1 character work by adopting the attitude and point of view of a character, communicating thoughts, feelings and perspectives through dialogue and writing in role (B1.2). They also explain, using drama words, how these elements communicate ideas (B2.2).

How to help:

While reading, stop and ask: "How do you think the other character feels right now?"
Retell a familiar story from a different character's point of view (the wolf, the giant, Baby Bear).
Let your child dictate writing in role if writing is still slow. The thinking matters more than the spelling.

Common difficulties:

Speaking as themselves instead of the character. Ask, "What would the troll say?" and model one line.
Only one feeling for every character. Offer a choice: "Is the giant angry, or sad, or both?"
Writing in role in the third person ("He felt..."). Remind them: "You are the character. Use I."