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Here is a KS3 Scheme of Work/ Programme of Study for a Murder Mystery project called Darkwood Manor. The program is designed to last 6 to 8 weeks and is filled with exciting tasks to help students enhance their creativity in developing characters and storylines.

The main plot revolves around a manor house that is up for sale, and the owners need to prove that it is not haunted. To do this, a competition is held for the general public to spend a night in the manor and report their findings. The project begins with character development, exploration of the rooms, gathering the local villagers’ viewpoints, and culminates in planning a final performance to showcase their findings and announce a competition winner.

This 23 page workbook accompanies the PowerPoint – KS3 Drama SOW Darkwood Manor. It was implemented to show evidence of teaching and learning. It is packed with tasks to accommodate all levels of learning and interaction including extra tasks in the back for lessons such as cover and behaviour exclusions. This project is taught in Year 7 but is suitable for KS2 as well.

Examples of tasks are:

1. Test your prior knowledge – Key Terminology
2. Reading and annotating a set text, looking at tension and atmosphere.
3. Developing characters for a short performance.
4. Peer Evaluation.
5. Analysing a video for Dramatic Tension.
6. What is Proxemics in Drama.
7. Plan a performance that demonstrates the use of physical theatre.

These materials were created by a non-specialist educator with dyslexia, who was tasked with teaching a few hours a week from a complex scheme of work in a department with limited or no resources. Over the past 6 years, PowerPoint teaching resources have been developed to support non-specialists and new teachers, and more recently, work booklets have been introduced to support theory-based learning and evidence of teaching.