MINIBEASTS

The “Minibeast” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• cooperate and work collaboratively together eg. marching in single file like ants  to collect food;
• use role play eg. pretending to be slaters; adopting their features, movement and survival instincts such as crawling around the garden and curling up when they feel threatened.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• use drama to broaden their understanding of minibeasts; their habitat, features, movement and survival instincts. eg the minibeasts protect themselves from the hungry bird by camouflaging in the garden;
• develop an awareness of the interdependence of living things eg. pretending to be bees collecting nectar from the flowers to make honey;
• use role play to observe and notice change eg. pretending to be caterpillars turning into butterflies.

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• make new discoveries about minibeasts including the concepts of camouflage, life cycles and pollination;
• use physical activity and skills to adopt the minibeast’s movement and characteristics eg. talk like grasshoppers by rubbing their legs together.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• use their imaginations to investigate minibeasts living in a garden, exploring features, movement, lifecycles and survival instincts;
• use role play to explore the concept of camouflage.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• interact non-verbally by pretending to be minibeasts, to demonstrate an understanding of lifecycles, pollination, interdependence of living things and camouflage.

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CIRCUS

The “Circus” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• cooperate and work collaboratively with others to perform in a circus and entertain a fictional audience.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• become a circus performer and recognise their specific role eg. clowns make the audience laugh.

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• share humour as they become circus performers, do amusing tricks and interact with the ringmaster.
• use physical activity and skills to achieve the movements of the different circus performers eg. prance like ponies, slow and heavy like elephants and balancing on a tightrope.
• respond, through movement, to a range of musical styles and tempos.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• recognize the specific role of each circus performer eg. tightrope walkers thrill the audience, clowns make the audience laugh.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• use verbal (informing the ringmaster to lock the cage when the lions and tigers are escaping) and non-verbal language to engage in the drama workshop.
• listen and respond to the ringmaster’s instructions and commands.

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FAIRYTALE FIASCO!

The “Fairytale Fiasco” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• cooperate and work collaboratively with others to solve a problem eg. make a spell to turn “back to front” fairytale land back to ‘normal”;
• use drama to explore both the “normal” and “back to front” identities of the characters in the fairytale.
• recognise and express a range of emotions, such as fear when the mice chase the cats, sadness when the dwarves are supposed to be happy and joy when the spell turns Fairytale Land back to normal.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• use drama and storytelling to explore the concept of opposites.

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• share the humour woven through the fairytale.  Wolves rolling in mud? Dragons breathing tomato sauce? Mice chasing cats?
• accept the challenge and manage change when asked to perform their characters as “back to front”;
• use physical activity and skills to achieve the movements of the characters eg. creep like cats, scurry like mice;
• respond, through movement, to a range of music and storytelling.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• use their imaginations and role play to explore the idea of opposites;
• engage with the fairytale and participate in solving the complication that arises;
• use drama to extend their understanding of the structure of a fairytale ie. beginning, complication and happy ending.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• use drama to engage and make meaning of a fairytale;
• use drama to begin to form an understanding of the way a fairytale is structured ie. beginning, complication and happy ending.

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JOURNEY INTO SPACE

The “Journey into Space” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• cooperate and work collaboratively with others eg. when they create a group storm on the planet, Venus;
• use role play to become the different elements in space and adopt their significant features and movement eg. twinkling stars, striking lightening.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• use drama to broaden their understanding of space and the differences between the planets, Earth, Neptune and Venus;
• use drama to explore the effect of temperature on the environment eg. Neptune is cold enough to sustain ice but is too cold to live on.  The temperature on Earth, however, sustains life.

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• make new discoveries about space eg. planets differ and there is no gravity.
• use physical activity and skills to adopt the movement and features of different elements in space eg. shooting stars and ice sculptures.
• use physical activity and skills to understand a concept eg when they pretend to be an astronaut to explore the concept of gravity.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• use role play to investigate and explore space, the differences between Earth, Neptune and Venus and the concept of gravity;
• discuss and reflect on why and how the planets Earth, Neptune and Venus are different.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• interact verbally and non-verbally to demonstrate an understanding of the differences between Earth, Neptune and Venus, and the concept of gravity.

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JUNGLE ANIMALS

The “Jungle Animals” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• cooperate and work collaboratively with others eg. pretending to be jungle animals given the task of hunting for treasures to share.
• use drama to interact and engage by becoming the different inhabitants of the jungle, adopting their movement and habits.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• use drama to broaden their understanding of the jungle environment, its features and inhabitants;
• use drama to develop an understanding of the interdependence between plants and animals eg. the monkeys require trees to swing from, to get from one place to another.

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• use physical activity and skills to move like jungle animals eg. the scarlet macaws pick up their food with their feet;
• respond through movement to a range of music and storytelling.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• use role play to become animals and investigate the jungle environment gaining an understanding of their features, eating habits, movement and survival instincts.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• use drama and creative movement to show that they can follow instructions, make meaning of a story and demonstrate an understanding of the concept of sharing.

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DINOSAURS

The “Dinosaurs” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• cooperate and work collaboratively with others to search for a new habitat to sustain life;
• pretend to be dinosaurs and adopt their features and movement.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• use drama to broaden their understanding of dinosaurs and their life cycle through nest building, egg-hatching, living in a herd and searching for new habitats.
• Develop an understanding of the dinosaur’s dependence on their environment to provide food, water and shelter.

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• share the drama experience and make new discoveries about the dinosaur’s life cycle and dependence on their environment.
• use physical activity and skills to adopt dinosaur movement and characteristics eg. use their fingers to make three horns on the triceratops or eat leaves from the highest branches like the brachiosaurus.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• use their imaginations to explore the dinosaur life cycle through nest building, egg-hatching, living in a herd and searching for new habitats;
• develop their problem solving skills by working together to find a new habitat to sustain dinosaur life.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• interact verbally (share ideas as to how the dinosaurs will continue to live after they wake up to find their habitat devoid of food and water) and non-verbally (by pretending to be dinosaurs) to demonstrate an understanding of the dinosaur life cycle.

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TIDDALICK THE FROG

The “Tiddalick the Frog” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• cooperate and work collaboratively with others to make Tiddalick laugh and get their water back;
• use role play to pretend to be Australian animals adopting their features, movement and habits eg jump like kangaroos; stretch their arms to make long emu necks.
• express a range of emotions, thoughts and views eg. the animals are sad and worried when Tiddalick drinks all of their water and come up with ideas to get it back.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• use role play to broaden their understanding of Australian animals; their habitat, features, movement and survival instincts;
• reenact the dreamtime story to explore and gain respect for the Aboriginal culture and their connection with the environment;
• reflect on the story and recognise living thing’s dependence on water.

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• use storytelling and drama to make the discovery of the importance of water to the animal’s survival;
• share humour as the animals try to make Tiddalick laugh;
• use physical skills and activity to move like the animals, eg. jump like a kangaroo, waddle like a wombat;
• respond through movement to traditional music and storytelling of the Aboriginal culture.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• reflect on the story and recognize the importance of conserving natural resources;
• use their imaginations and creativity to explore the Australian bush and its inhabitants.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• interact verbally and non-verbally to generate ideas to make Tiddalick laugh;
• use drama, movement and storytelling to make meaning and learn that natural resources need to be conserved.

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UNDER THE SEA

The “Under the Sea” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• cooperate and work collaboratively with others to teach the divers not to pollute the sea;
• use role play to pretend to be sea creatures adopting their features, movement and habits eg. seaweed swishes and sways, jellyfish wobble;
• express the emotion of anger, when the divers throw their rubbish into the sea and the emotion of joy when the divers throw their rubbish in the bin.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• use drama to broaden their understanding of sea creatures; their habitat, features, movement and survival instincts;
• recognise the negative impact of the diver’s actions on the sea creatures, showing care for the environment;

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• use physical skills and activity to adopt the sea creature’s features and movement eg. use arms to wriggle octopus tentacles.
• make new discoveries about the effects of polluting the ocean with rubbish eg. the fish are sick after nibbling on the rubbish.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• use their imaginations and creativity to explore the ocean environment and its inhabitants;
• use role play to act out a story about polluting the ocean and recognise the negative impact this has on sea creatures.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• interact non-verbally by pretending to be sea creatures to demonstrate an understanding of their features, movement and the negative effects of pollution.
• engage with the Under the Sea story by acting it out;
• use drama and creative movement to express ideas and make meaning of a story.

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THE BODY INVESTIGATORS

“The Body Investigators” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• cooperate and work collaboratively with others to investigate what is required for a healthy body system to help the unhealthy “Bazza”;
• use role play to pretend to be body parts, adopting their features and function eg. gastric juices mix and churn food;
• use drama to discover what is required for a healthy body system.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• use drama to broaden their understanding of the human body system and how it works by pretending to be neurons, oxygen, red and white blood cells and gastric juices.

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• use drama to discover how a healthy body system works and the connections between the different systems eg. red blood cells take oxygen around the body;
• use physical activity and skills to become parts of the body adopting their features and function eg. neurons sending messages, white blood cells fighting germs;
• use drama to recognise what the human body needs to be healthy and share these ideas eg. the human body requires healthy food like fruits and vegetables.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• use role play to compare a healthy body system with an unhealthy body system and the connection between the different systems eg. the heart pumps blood around the body;
• use drama to develop their problem solving skills as they come up with ideas on how the unhealthy character, “Bazza” can become healthy.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• interact non-verbally by pretending to be parts of the body to demonstrate an understanding of how they work.

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HABITAT HELPERS

The “Habitat Helpers” workshop addresses the following Early Years Learning and Development Outcomes (Birth to 5 years):

Outcome 1: IDENTITY

Children have a strong sense of identity, when they:

• Co-operate and work collaboratively as a team of Habitat Helpers to solve environmental problems in different parts of the world.
• Become the animals and express a range of emotions, from a frightened baby orang-utan separated from its mother to a lonely orca affected by overfishing in Antarctica.

Outcome 2: COMMUNITY

Children are connected with and contribute to their world, when they:

• Use drama to broaden their understanding of environmental issues such as plastic and chemical pollution in The Great Barrier Reef.
• Recognise and help to reduce the negative impact of humans on the natural environment in Tasmania and planting trees to counteract deforestation in Sumatra.

Outcome 3: WELLBEING

Children have a strong sense of wellbeing, when they:

• Use physical skills and activity to adopt the animal’s features and movement eg glide through the waters of Antarctica as a school of fish.
• Make new discoveries about their personal contributions to the concept of sustainability.

Outcome 4: LEARNING

Children are confident and involved learners, when they:

• Use their imagination and creativity to explore different environments and their habitats.
• Use role play and puppetry skills to pretend to be an array of animals adopting their features, movement and habits eg Sumatran tigers prowling in the jungle or echidnas shuffling in the bush.

Outcome 5: COMMUNICATION

Children are effective communicators, when they:

• Participate in a narrative that  encourage the children about how they can make a positive contribution to the world around them.
• Engage with their peers  using voice, body language and gesture to tell a story.