Blast off! Life in space

Astronaut spacewalking with the Earth in the background

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This unit of work provides learning experiences for year 3 and 4 students in the arts, specifically drama and dance, through an exploration of space: the universe, space travel and the life of an astronaut.

The unit engages in making/creating and responding. Students use the dramatic elements of role-play, dramatic play, improvisation, soundscape, characterisation, devising, ensemble and the stagecraft areas of properties and costume design. They use the dance elements of body, space, time, dynamic and relationships.

Drama and dance objectives

Students:

  • create roles, improvise and use imaginative play to shape dramatic action
  • experiment with dance elements of body, space, time, dynamic and relationships
  • explore and experiment with both verbal and nonverbal language – dialogue, mime, gesture, movement and freeze
  • communicate their ideas to others through presenting, performing and sharing
  • reflect on their own and others' generative, creative and imaginative works as critical thinkers and art makers.

Related objectives

Students:

  • develop an understanding of the universe beyond Earth, known as space
  • engage with, research and evaluate information about space.

Assessment

There are assessment opportunities throughout this unit in making/creating and responding, in both drama and dance.

Teaching sequence

  1. Part 1: imagining space
  2. Part 2: developing, experimenting and resolving – spacey ideas
  3. Part 3: reflecting on space