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The Alien Planet
Aimed at age 11/12 Year 7
Useful for group in new school
Objectives
    To make students aware of their place in relation to others
    To make them consider attitudes to others

Lesson One
    Get all students to relax on the floor, take as long over this as lesson
time allows.
Using imagination let them create their bedrooms around them in their
minds eye. Question them on simple things like, type of covers, carpet
colour, view from window etc.
This helps to improve concentration and helps them focus.
Each pupil then is told to imagine that they are woken by their radio
alarm with the following message (given by teacher in role):
    “The metreological office have just informed us that a huge tidal wave/hurricane/earthquake is about to hit the town/state/island of _____________and the world as we know it will be no more. Would all
local inhabitants pack one small suitcase and go to the airport where a specially designed shuttle will take you to a safe planet, recently
discovered by our top scientists."
In mime each pupil packs the case and gets ready to leave time out for discussion of what is in case and why teacher in role then becomes
person in charge at airport the shuttle made from chairs should be ready prepared with one to few seats for number in class students asked to
board in orderly fashion only to discover one too few seats -time out for discussion on how to solve the problem, rules I insist on are that no one
can sit on anyone else’s lap, some groups ditch luggage, some choose to
ditch people!
End lesson by telling everyone to come to next lesson with clear outline of their character and why they should be allowed to go.

Lesson Two
    Start with recap of last week.
    In groups of about six they reveal their characters and why they should
be allowed to go.
Groups choose 4 of six that would be most useful to New World.
Remaining few then try to justify a place on the shuttle.
Eventually all are allowed to go! If there is time left the group should be taken on journey by relaxing on the floor as before and imagining what
they find when the shuttle lands -time out to discuss what the planet
looks like.

Lesson Three
    Students will need pencil and paper.
Start with relaxation on floor and a recap about the planet. Tell all
students to imagine that they are exploring the island on their own, as
you take them around it stop and ask what they can see. Suddenly they
meet an alien, they can see the alien but he can’t see them, what is
he/she doing, what is he/she wearing, what does he/she look like, are
they alone? Last thing the alien does is to look around and look directly
at you so that face is clear. Run. Back in group circle students will explain what their alien looked like, you might ask why they ran away.
Everyone draws the alien and this can be used as a base for masks if time
and facilities allow.

Lesson Four
    Meeting an alien, it is realised that the only way to live here is to get to know the aliens.
How do they greet each other, examine the ways humans do, handshakes, kisses, hugs etc. In pairs explore how many ways you can think of to greet each other that we don’t usually use. Choosing two favourites each pair demonstrates, group as a whole chooses favourite to be alien greeting. Everyone practices this. Language is the next problem – in pairs choose
two sounds each and using only those sounds improvise short scene about one of the following – a car accident, someone is lost, buying a hat.
Watch these – how easy were they to understand?
If some were easier than others were, why? (body language, facial
expression etc.) Choose a few sounds to make up alien language
With partner improvise the first meeting – it may go well
but it doesn’t have to.

Lesson Five
    Sometime later – improvisation in groups of four or five showing
how two groups now are living together – discuss options for this.
They may get on well, humans may have taught aliens English,
two sides may live together but apart etc. Watch improvisations and
discuss realism of situations. This can be followed up by reading the play Scapegoats which leads in nicely to work on racial prejudice.

                    This fabulous plan was generously donated by Rose Farish.
                           You can reach Rose at:  gollom@globalnet.co.uk