The Arts · Year 1 · Characters and Curtains · Term 4

Character Development: Who Am I?

Creating simple characters with distinct personalities, motivations, and physical traits.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9ADR2E01
• AC9ADR2D01

About This Topic

In Year 1 drama, character development focuses on creating simple characters with distinct personalities, motivations, and physical traits, aligned with AC9ADR2E01 and AC9ADR2D01. Students design characters based on animals or objects, justify choices for voice and movement, and explain the need to stay in character even when silent. This work supports the Characters and Curtains unit by building expressive skills through play-based exploration.

This topic strengthens imagination, empathy, and oral language within The Arts curriculum. Students learn to embody emotions and intentions, connecting personal experiences to fictional roles. It encourages collaboration as peers observe and respond to each other's characters, refining ideas through feedback.

Active learning benefits this topic greatly. When students physically explore traits through movement and improvisation, abstract ideas like motivation become concrete and memorable. Pair and group activities build confidence, reduce self-consciousness, and allow immediate peer validation, making character work engaging and effective for young learners.

Key Questions

1. Design a character based on a specific animal or object.
2. Justify the choices made for a character's voice and movement.
3. Explain why it is important for an actor to stay in character even when they aren't speaking.

Learning Objectives

• Design a character based on a chosen animal or object, incorporating distinct physical traits.
• Demonstrate a character's personality through specific voice qualities and movement choices.
• Explain the importance of maintaining character consistency, even during moments of silence.
• Analyze the relationship between a character's traits and their potential motivations.
• Create a short improvisation scene where a character's personality is evident through action and dialogue.

Before You Start

Exploring Movement and Body Awareness

Why: Students need to be comfortable using their bodies expressively before they can apply specific movements to a character.

Using Voice to Express Feelings

Why: Understanding how to use vocal variation to convey emotions is foundational for developing a character's voice.

Key Vocabulary

Character	A person, animal, or imaginary creature represented in a story, play, or film. In drama, it is who the actor pretends to be.
Trait	A distinguishing quality or characteristic of a person or thing. For a character, this can be physical, like tall or small, or personality-based, like shy or brave.
Motivation	The reason behind a character's actions or feelings. It is what the character wants or needs.
Movement	How a character uses their body to express themselves. This includes gestures, posture, and how they walk or run.
Voice	The sounds a character makes, including tone, pitch, volume, and speed of speaking, which help show their personality.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

A character is only about costumes or props.

What to Teach Instead

Characters require inner motivations and personality that drive actions. Hot-seating activities, where peers question the character, help students articulate these elements. Group improvisation reveals how traits influence choices beyond appearance.

Common Misconception

Actors only perform when speaking lines.

What to Teach Instead

Silent moments demand consistent body language and facial expressions to maintain belief. Circle games with non-verbal responses build this skill through peer observation. Students notice and discuss how posture conveys emotion without words.

Common Misconception

All characters move and sound alike regardless of traits.

What to Teach Instead

Distinct personalities create unique voices and gaits. Mirror exercises and peer feedback sessions allow students to compare and refine differences. Active embodiment helps them internalize and justify variations.

Active Learning Ideas

Pairs: Mirror Movement Game

Students pair up and face each other. One student moves slowly as their character (e.g., inspired by a sloth), while the partner mirrors the actions precisely. Switch roles after two minutes, then discuss which traits emerged through body language.

20 min·Pairs

Small Groups: Animal Character Build

Groups of four select an animal, brainstorm three traits (personality, motivation, voice), and create a short scene where characters interact. Each student justifies their choices to the group before performing for the class.

30 min·Small Groups

Whole Class: Stay in Character Circle

Form a circle with students in their characters. Pass a ball around; the receiver responds to a prompt (e.g., 'What do you want?') using voice and gesture without breaking role, even when silent.

25 min·Whole Class

Individual: Character Design Sheet

Each student draws their character from an object, labels physical traits, personality, and motivation, then practices voice and walk in front of a mirror before sharing with a partner.

15 min·Individual

Real-World Connections

• Puppeteers in children's television shows, like those on 'Sesame Street,' create distinct characters using specific movements and vocalizations for each puppet. They must maintain the character's persona throughout the show.
• Actors in animated films, such as those voicing characters in 'Bluey,' use their voice and physical performance to bring characters to life, ensuring consistency in personality and behavior.
• Theme park performers, like those dressed as characters at Disneyland, embody their roles through specific walks, gestures, and greetings, staying in character to create an immersive experience for visitors.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Present students with pictures of various animals or everyday objects. Ask them to choose one and quickly sketch it, then add one physical trait and one personality trait. 'What animal did you choose? What is one way it looks? What is one way it acts?'

Exit Ticket

Give each student a card with a simple emotion written on it (e.g., happy, sad, surprised). Ask them to write or draw one way their character might move or sound when feeling that emotion. 'How would your character move when they are surprised? How would they sound?'

Discussion Prompt

After a short improvisation activity, ask students: 'How did you know what [student's name]'s character was feeling? What clues did their voice or movements give you?' Encourage specific observations about character traits.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you teach Year 1 students to create characters from animals?

Start with familiar animals, brainstorming traits like a kangaroo's bouncy energy or a koala's slow calm. Guide students to translate these into human-like personalities, motivations, and movements. Use drawing and simple improv to make choices visible, then have them perform short interactions to test and adjust traits collaboratively.

Why is staying in character important when not speaking?

Silent consistency builds audience belief and shows internal life through body language. It teaches focus and non-verbal communication skills essential for drama. Activities like circle passes reinforce this by rewarding sustained role immersion, helping students see how gestures reveal unspoken thoughts.

What standards does character development cover in Year 1 Australian Curriculum?

AC9ADR2E01 requires exploring and enacting characters with purpose, while AC9ADR2D01 focuses on using voice and movement expressively. These align with designing characters, justifying choices, and maintaining role integrity, integrating imagination with performance skills across the drama strand.

How does active learning help with character development in Year 1?

Active approaches like mirroring, group improv, and embodiment games make abstract traits physical and immediate. Students experience motivations through their bodies, gaining confidence via peer play. This hands-on method boosts retention, reduces anxiety, and fosters empathy as they respond to others' characters in real time.