Afro-Asian Drama Elements for Dramatic Reading

Quarter 2: Drama Topic 1: Elements, features, and themes Time Frame: 15 days
of Afro-Asian Drama
Stage 1
Content Standard: Performance Standard:
The learner demonstrates understanding of the different The learner interprets a play through an impressive dramatic reading.
elements, features, and themes of Afro-Asian drama that
provide insights in producing a dramatic reading of a play.
Essential Understanding: Essential Question:
The elements, features, and themes of Afro-Asian drama provide How do the elements, features, and themes of Afro-Asian drama help in
insights into the characters’ lives and their relationship with the understanding and appreciating a given genre?
other characters.
Learners will know: Learners will be able to:

• different features, elements and themes of Afro-Asian • explain the different features, elements and conventions of Afro-Asian
drama. drama
• the importance of the structure of dialogs and mode of • examine the features, themes and elements of Afro-Asian drama
delivery in Afro-Asian drama. • express feelings and traits using proper intonation
• the proper intonation in expressing variety of feelings and • exhibit competencies in doing dramatic reading
traits in drama • compare and contrast features and themes of various Afro-Asian dramas
• variety of character portrayal • identify and assess the elements, features and themes of Afro-Asian
• the correct usage of contrast connectors drama using connectors
• individual strategies in internalizing a role • infer character traits through the structure of dialog and mode of delivery
• the different moods and tones of characters • relate drama themes to real life experiences
• consider various individual strategies in internalizing a role
• reflect on the moods and tones of the character

Stage 2
Product or Performance
Task Evidence at the level of understanding Evidence at the level of performance
The learner should be able to demonstrate understanding The learner performs an impressive
An impressive dramatic covering the six (6) facets of understanding. dramatic reading of a play based on the
reading of a play following criteria:
• audibility

• tone of voice
Explanation • phrasing
• Discuss the elements, features, and themes of Afro-Asian • stress patterns
drama • diction
Interpretation • pronunciation
• Analyze how the elements, features, and themes of Afro- • vocal variety
Asian drama provide understanding of the genre • pauses
• Make sense of the dialogs used in the Afro-Asian drama
• Illustrate authenticity of context and characterization
through text revalidation
Application
• Use proper intonation in expressing variety of feelings and
traits in a drama
• Exhibit competencies in using audible cues (pitch, stress,
diction, accent, etc.) in doing a dramatic reading
Perspective
• Compare and contrast features, and themes of various
Afro-Asian drama
• Infer character traits through the structure of dialog and
mode of delivery
Empathy
• Relate drama themes in real life experiences
• Consider various individual strategies in internalizing a role
for a dramatic reading
Self-knowledge
• Reflect on the moods and tones of the characters

Stage 3

At this stage, the teacher should be able to do the following:
• Make the learners aware of the desired result that is, for him /her to demonstrate understanding of the different features,
elements, and themes of Asian drama to facilitate comprehension and appreciation for Afro-Asian drama
• Take up with the students the essential question” How do the elements, features, and themes of Afro-Asian drama help in
understanding and appreciating the genre?” and make them answer the question based on their experiences and cue them into
the big ideas to explore.
• Allow the students to explain their answer to the EQ by way of giving examples or situations they have observed, witnessed or
experienced.
• Use non-formative assessment to check/evaluate learners’ readiness and competence on the prerequisite skills to the tasks at
hand.
• Inform the students of their topic culminating performance which is an impressive dramatic reading of a play.

Teaching/Learning Sequence:
1. EXPLORE

Suggested Activities:

Dream Vacation
• Ask the students to form groups of five.
• Deliberate within the group a tourist spot they would like to visit on summer.
• Once they are done, ask them to integrate the following stimulus as they enjoy the vacation.
• Be specific on their course of actions.
Stimulus:
- Someone lost his wallet.
- Someone is missing.
- There is no signal in the area.
- A group member has high fever.

• Use this activity as motivation.

My pet fish of terms
• Group the class into five.
• Ask them to look at the fishbowl below.
• Ask each group to find at least five fishes (terms) they are familiar with and give short description of each using any kitchen
utencil as a graphic organizer. Use this activity as springboard to activating prior knowledge.

Impress Upon a Picture
• Present the pictures below to the class.
• Ask the class to give their impressions on the production play they have seen on the picture
• Group the class into five and let them discuss their impression/s with their group mates.
• Let them present their group impressions through semantic webbing.

Shakuntala Ramayana Noh Miss Saigon Flower Drum Song

Of rituals and practice
• Have them research on African and Asian rituals.
• Instruct them to find topics with the following themes:
Group 1 – wedding Group 2 – baptism Group 3 – rain dance Group 4 – birthdays Group 5 – Healing
• Activate the prior knowledge of the students about Asian Drama by asking them of any instances in their lives when they
encounter anything about Asian drama.

• Process the activity using the following questions:
- What do the rituals tell you?
- How are these rituals related to drama?
- In what aspects do they represent drama?
- What realities about drama do these rituals reveal?
• Use this activity as springboard to Essential Question/s.
• Make the learners answer the Essential Question/s.
• Inform them of their major output, that is, an impressive dramatic reading of a play based on a given set of criteria.

FIRM UP

• Make the learners illustrate or crystallize their knowledge of Asian drama through their description of unique
features, elements, plot, story line and the dominant theme of Afro-Asian drama
• Engage them in meaningful and challenging activities that will enrich what they have learned.
• Engage them in varied activities that will make them reflect, revise and rethink their understanding of the
elements, features and themes of Afro-Asian drama.
• Provide feedback to check for understanding.

Listen to What I Hear
• As a pre-assigned task, group the students into five and look for a copy of the following folk music from India.
1. Bauls
2. Bhangra
3. Dandiya
4. Ganasangeet
5. Lavani
• Once in class, let them play the music.
• Ask them what they have remembered or recall about what they have listened to.
• Allow them to describe how they feel while listening to the music assigned to the group.

Follow the thread

• Present the following stages in the development of the Indian play Ramayana.
• Allow them to read the text that follow.
• Formulate questions to check understanding.
• Provide feedback.

• It starts in Ayodhya, the jewel among cities. Within this city nobody was hungry, nobody was poor, every woman was faithful to her husband,
everybody knew their role in society, everybody was learned in the Vedas, and everybody was happy. And so, at this point, the heroic adventures
of Rama truly begin.

• However, one person in Ayodhya was not happy. It was the king, Dasaratha, and he lamented his lack of sons to carry on the royal line. He
presented his problem to the royal sages, and one had an idea. "We must, King Dasaratha, perform a horse sacrifice as prescribed in the Vedas,
and if it pleases the gods, they may grant you sons." The king was pleased with this idea, and ordered the preparation to begin at once.

• At the same time, the gods were discussing Ravana, the vile, disgusting demon king with 10 heads and 20 arms. Ravana was terrorizing the
sages and ascetics by having his minions disrupt the sacrifices, and destroy the peace and quiet the holy men needed to have in order to meditate.
The gods could not kill Ravana because a long time ago, Brahma had granted him a boon. This boon protected Ravana from all gods, demons,
celestial beings, and the like. However, because Ravana believed that no monkey or human could kill him, he did not ask for protection from the
beings of the human or animal world. So to remove this thorn from the gods' sides, Vishnu, the protector of the universe, decided to be reborn as a
human.

• Back on earth, Dasaratha was performing his horse sacrifice. He was chopping up a perfect white horse with three knives, and with the greatest
care, threw the pieces into the fire. As he put the last piece in the fire, a celestial being in white robes appeared. The being, in a mellow and throaty
voice, spoke these words, "King Dasaratha, the gods are pleased with your fine sacrifice. In order to honor your wishes here is some sacred
porridge." The divine creature handed Dasaratha a bowl with a thick, white substance inside. Then, when the king had returned his attention to the
god-like being, it uttered these instructions, "You must give this divine drink to your wives, and then, they in turn, will produce sons." The king
was overjoyed at this news and hurried to give the porridge to his wives.

• The great king divided the porridge among his three major wives, and to them four sons were born. Rama was the eldest and was born to
Kausalya; Bharata was born to Kaikeyi; and Lakshmana and Satrughna were born to Sumitra. They all excelled in the art of war, were taught
politics and history, and were well learned in the Vedas. When Rama was barely a teenager, the great sage Visvamitra visited the court and made a
demand of the king. "King Dasaratha, I intend to take your eldest son, Rama, to the forest in order to kill the demons that are harassing us." Rama
was the king's favorite son, and the king tried to bargain with the holy man, but it was to no avail. Because Rama and Lakshmana could not bear to
be separated, they both immediately left for the forest.

• Once inside the forest, Visvamitra took them to Tataka, the terrible demoness. She was hideous in form, and enormous. Around her neck was a
human skull. She threw enormous rocks at them while hovering above them and changing shapes. "We must not kill her," instructed Rama, "for

she is a woman, and it would not be right to slay a woman." But Tataka would not give up, and so Lakshmana pierced her heart with a single
arrow, and the gods praised them.

• When the threesome had returned to the sage's ashram, Visvamitra spoke in his deep, unwavering voice, "You have done well, sons of
Dasaratha. As a reward for your valor I present you with these weapons." And he gave Rama and Lakshmana supernatural weapons, with amazing
powers, and all a beautiful gold color. There was a quiver with an unlimited amount of arrows, arrows that could destroy entire armies, and bows
that were so extremely powerful; one couldn't begin to contemplate their power and strength.

• Now that they had these weapons with an infinite amount of power, Visvamitra enlightened Rama and his brother on their next task. "You must
stand vigilant, guarding a sacrifice from demons for six days and seven nights." So the brothers watched over the sacrifice the sages were
performing, and guarded it. But there were no demons. Then, suddenly on the sixth day, which was the most important part of the ritual, hundreds
of demons swooped down, flinging dead flesh and spitting blood. Lakshmana and Rama took aim, and whoosh, let their arrows fly. Every arrow
found its mark and before long, every single demon had been utterly destroyed.

• With the grisly task finished, the brothers and the sage left the forest to go to the city of Mithila. The king of the city was in possession of a
mighty bow, the Bow of Shiva, which was left in the city many eons ago. The king also had a daughter named Sita. Sita was born of mother earth
and has all the qualities of a perfect woman and wife. She was fair, beautiful, kind, loving, and had a heart of gold. In order to win Sita's hand in
marriage, a prince or king had to lift the great bow of Shiva and string it, but nobody could do it. After witnessing everybody's failure, Lakshmana
convinced Rama to try his luck. As Rama approached the bow, a light seemed to shimmer from him. He grasped the great bow with one hand,
easily lifted it up, and strung it. But when he tried to draw the bow, it broke with a sound like a thunderclap. In fact, the sound was so loud that all
but the strongest men were knocked senseless by it. And to Rama's boundless delight, Sita stepped forward and put a garland of lotuses around his
neck, which we all know means that she accepted his marriage proposal.

• They returned to Ayodhya, and got married. King Dasaratha realized that he was growing old and decided to give up the reign to his favorite
and oldest son, Rama. The people of the city rejoiced when they heard the news, for they all loved Rama, too. But the maidservant to Kaikeyi,
Manthara, convinced Kaikeyi that she would be better off if her son, Bharata, was king. So Kaikeyi approached Dasaratha and said these hateful
words, "My husband, remember when I saved your life in the battlefield so many years ago? And do you remember that you granted me two
boons at that time. The time has come for you to fulfill your promise! I want Rama exiled for 14 years and forced to live like an ascetic, and
Bharata to be made king!" Dasaratha replied in anguish to her venomous words, "Oh woman, have you no heart? Please ask anything but that."
But she would not give in and the king was forced to honor his promise. When Rama heard the news, he wished to honor his father's wishes, so he
departed to the forest immediately, accompanied by his ever faithful brother, Lakshmana, and his wife, Sita.

• Bharata was in his uncle's court when the news of his kingship and Rama's exile reached him. When he returned to Ayodhya he found out that
his father, King Dasaratha, had died of a broken heart. He refused to profit from his mother's evil scheming, and departed immediately to the
forest with a huge army, and an iron resolve to restore his brother to the throne.

• When Lakshmana heard the thundering of a thousand hooves, a million footmen, and saw the flag of Ayodhya, he tried to convince Rama that
Bharata was here to kill them, and that they needed to destroy the army. But Rama calmed him down, and decided to talk to Bharata. As Rama
and Bharata met, they hugged each other and Bharata made his plea. "My dear brother, won't you come back to Ayodhya to rule? The people need
you." But Rama intended to honor his father's boons and told Bharata that he needed to stay in the forest. So Bharata took Rama's sandals, put
them on the throne, and vowed not to go into Ayodhya until Rama returned. Bharata then ruled in Rama's name in a small town outside of
Ayodhya.

• And so Rama and his faithful family members walked through the beautiful forest called Dandaka. They found a pleasant spot that had lots of
game by a stream. They built a hut and lived happily for ten peaceful, happy years.

• One day Supernaka, the terrible demoness, was traveling through the forest when she saw Rama. She looked at his handsome body and thought,
"I would like to have that man for my husband." So she changed herself into a beautiful lady and tried to seduce Rama. But Rama could see
through her guise, and so he brought her to Lakshmana. Lakshmana was so furious at the idea of his brother marrying a demoness that with three
swift arrows he promptly cut off Supernaka's ears and nose.

• This terrible demon woman, so terrible to behold, ran to her brother Ravana, the King of Lanka. When he had heard her plight he grew
outraged, and sent an army of 14000 rakshasas to destroy Rama. Furthermore, Supernaka told Ravana of Sita's exquisite beauty and at once the
king of the demons desired her to be his wife.

• Meanwhile, the army of demons had approached the place where Rama, Lakshmana and Sita were living. Rama and Lakshmana were ready for
the onslaught, bows in hand. The demons attacked! The air was filled with whistling arrows and terrible cries. (Pause while fighting is going on)
But finally Rama had slaughtered every rakshasa that Ravana had sent.

• True to his wish, and following his desires instead of his brain, as all rakshasas will do, Ravana set out with his Uncle Marica to capture Sita.
He had Marica change himself into a golden deer. As Ravana expected, the deer caught Sita's fancy and she asked Rama to capture it. Rama
willingly obliged his wife, but not until giving firm instructions to Lakshmana to guard Sita. As Rama got closer to the deer, he saw that it was a
demon, and right before Rama killed it, the deer uttered these words in Rama's voice, "Sita, help me!" When Lakshmana and Sita heard these
words, Sita convinced Lakshmana to go help Rama. But first he drew a circle around the hut that would protect Sita and told her to stay within it.

When Lakshmana was gone, Ravana turned himself into the likeness of an ascetic and begged from Sita. Because an ascetic cannot come into a
woman's home Sita came out of the circle and Ravana quickly turned himself back into a demon, and carried her off.

• Meanwhile in the forest Lakshmana found Rama and they discovered and that someone had tried to lure them away from Sita. When they found
that Sita had been abducted Rama was filled with sorrow and tried seeking advice of where Sita had disappeared. Finally he met some monkeys
that Sita had seen and dropped her jewelry to. When the monkeys agreed to help them, their king, Sugriva, sent search parties in every direction.

• Hanuman, a mighty monkey that can do the impossible, went with one of the search groups. When they came to the ocean they were told that
Sita was on an island 300 miles away. After this Hanuman, forever loyal to Rama, made the jump to Lanka. In Lanka he found Sita and offered to
take Sita to Rama, but Sita refused to let anyone but Rama touch her. Sita also gave a ring to Hanuman to give to Rama. As Hanuman was trying
to escape he was caught by the rakshasas who decided to set his tail on fire. With his tail ablaze Hanuman leaped from house to house setting all
of Lanka on fire except the grove where Sita was. After this he went back to report to Rama.

• When Hanuman returned to Rama he told him of the good news and gave him the ring. After receiving this news Rama set out with his monkey
army to attack Lanka. When they came to the mighty ocean the monkey army built a great bridge to Lanka. When they reached Lanka, both sides
were ready for war.

• The armies collided, monkeys and bears against the demons and hideous creatures. There were cries of pain, shouts, screams and the
bloodcurdling laugh of the demons. The air was thick with arrows, and the ground was soaked with blood. In the midst of this terrible carnage,
Rama searched for Ravana.

• As Rama and Ravana met, a light seemed to be shining on Rama, while the clouds darkened about Ravana's head. Ravana charged, but Rama
neatly parried and thrust back with his sword. They fought, long and hard, for many hours, until Rama, using his divine bow, pierced Ravana's
heart. The monkeys, at the same time, defeated the rakshasa army. Rama and his troops gave Ravana a proper burial, for as Rama so wisely put it,
"Hostility ends at death."

• Sita's purity was in doubt by the people, because she had been in the house of another man. To prove her purity she walked into a burning pyre.
Her loyalty to Rama was revealed, as she survived unscathed. Lakshmana and Sita returned to Ayodhya where Rama was crowned king and he
ruled in peace for many thousands of years.

Characters in Motion

• Let them identify the characters from the play “Ramayana”.
• Ask them to single out particular traits from each character and tell them to identify weather the trait is a strength or a weakness and how
the trait was revealed in the play.

Character Trait Strength Weakness How the trait was
revealed in the play.

The conflict is...

• Let them identify the conflict from the play “Ramayana”.
• Ask them to express, through a graphic organizer, how the conflict shaped the course of the play and how it was resolved.
• Refer to the sample organizer below.

resolution

conflict

How the How it shaped
characters the flow of the
dealt with it. play

Dream Theme

• Let them identify the theme of the play “Ramayana”
• Process the activity by asking the following questions:
1. What is the theme of the play “Ramayana”
2. What details lead you to identifying the theme?
3. How is this theme different to other theme of dramas you can see on television?
4. What does this reveal about Afro-Asian plays?
5. How does the theme affect you as an individual?
6. Were you able to relate an experience, a thought or a personal feeling with the play?
7. What does this imply?

Standing Ovation

• Below are common audiences.
• Ask the students to remain in their respective groups and identify the target audience of the play “Ramayana” and justify.

Group Identify and Justify
According to age group
According to personality (silent, outgoing etc)
According to profession (if there’s any)
According to interest
According to citizenship

Dialogue

• Present to the class a 3d video of “Ramayana Play” accessible through this link : http://video.in.msn.com/watch/video/ramayana-the-
epic-dialogue-promo/fcrcw59m?from=truveo
• Ask the students to select their favorite lines or dialogues from the play.
• Working in pairs, ask the students to share answers.
• Process the activity using the following questions:
1. Why did you choose the dialogue?
2. In what way do these dialogues reflect yours and your partner’s real life experiences?
3. What does this reveal about dialogues as an element of Afro-Asian drama?

Drama Research
• Divide the class into four groups such as:
Group 1: Chinese Drama
Group 2: Japanese Drama
Group 3: Philippine Drama
Group 4: Drama of other Asian country
• Instruct the class to have further readings/research on the distinct features of Afro-Asian drama assigned to them.

• Remind them to be creative in presenting their report.
• Have the class present their research about the distinct features of Afro-Asian drama.
• Ask the class to internalize the importance of learning the distinct features of Afro-Asian drama.
• Instruct the class to compare and contrast Afro-Asian drama using mind maps.

Chinese
Drama

Indian Japanese
Drama Drama

• Let them report their outputs to the class; have them observe the correct use of connectors
• Have the class observe the format below.
Indian drama uses ______________ while Chinese drama practices _____________ in the play presentation.
Japanese drama usually has _____________ performers while Indian drama has _________ performers.
• Provide feedback.
• Let the class reflect on the unique features of Afro-Asian drama.
• Instruct them to write a reflective essay on the impact of knowing the different features of Afro-Asian drama to them.

DEEPEN
• Provide the students with thought provoking questions that will make them reflect, rethink, and revise their
assumptions about the unique features of Afro-Asian drama
• Address the learners’ uniqueness, their strength and weaknesses by providing them with differentiated
instruction as needed.
• Expose the students to the correct connectors in making comparison and contrast
• Engage them in meaningful, challenging and differentiated activities that will reinforce what they have
learned about Afro-Asian drama.
• Engage them in meaningful self evaluation.
• Provide feedback for understanding.

What Would you do if…?
• Divide the class into four groups.
• Provide them with real-life situations and let them decide an action if they were in those situations.
choosing between father and a boyfriend
letting go a friend due to some conflicts
staying away from peers due to family pressure
deciding between your loved one and a newly found faith/religion
• Allow each group to have ample time to discuss their actions on the chosen situation.
• Instruct the class to present their out puts.

Getting into the Selection
• Provide each group with a summary of the play “Shakuntala”.
• Unlock some vocabulary words found in the selection.
Ask the students to choose the word from the pool which means the same as the word/words in parentheses.

heralds curse
hesitate ashram
apparently dynasty
garland blurs

(1) An __________ (abode, refuge) is the home of the family – the basic unit of society. It is from the family that individuals
come to birth and it is within the family that they find the first school of the social virtues that are important to build a society. (2)
__________ (obviously) parents are the first teachers.
Every child is a gift to its brothers, sisters, parents and entire family. They say a good child is a (3) _________ (wreath of
flowers) that brings honor to the parents while a black sheep is a (4) __________ (damantion, but nevertheless, the child is loved
and cared for.
In most cases the family (5) _________ (announces) progress and strives to contribute to national development. Family
members don’t (6) __________ (waver) to pursue fields of endeavor that would bring them honor and glory. Take for example the
political (7) _________ (ancestry lines of hereditary rules) we have in the country.

Shakuntala: A Summary

In Hindu mythology Shakuntala is considered to be the mother of Emperor Bharata and the wife of Dushyanta who was the founder of the Paurav
vansha (Paurav Dynasty). Shakuntala was born of Vishvamitra and Menaka. Rishi Kanva found her in the forest surrounded and protected by
birds (Shakunton in Sanskrit), so she was named Shakuntala.

Once, while out on a hunt with his army, Dushyanta passed through a forest full of bilv, ark, khadir, kapith, dahv etc. trees. The forest undulated
with interspered rocky hillocks and extended over several yojanas and there was no trace of any man. It was full of wildlife.

Dushyanta, along with his powerful army, happened to pass through extensive desert after which he reached a good forest. This forest was full of
ashramas (hermitages) and there were fruit-bearing trees but no xerophytic trees. Here Dushyanta came across the ashrama of Rishi Kanva, the
son of Kashyapa Rishi. It was surrounded by the Malini River.

Menaka had come at the behest of the King of the Gods Indra to distract the great sage Vishvamitra from his deep meditations. She succeeded in
distracting him, and sired a child by him. Vishwamitra, angered by the loss of the virtue gained through his many hard years of strict ascetism,
distanced himself from the child and mother to return to his work. Realizing that she could not leave the child with him, and having to return to
the heavenly realms, Menaka left Shakuntala, just after birth, on the banks of the Malini River on the peaks of the Himalayas. As stated above,
Rishi Kanva found the newly born girl in the forest surrounded and protected by birds and thus named her Shakuntala. According to a source
Titwala, a small town near Kalyan in Maharashtra, is considered to be the site of the hermitage where Shakuntala was born.

Dushyanta, pursuing a male deer wounded by his arrow into the ashrama, saw Shakuntala nursing the deer, her pet, and fell in love with her. He
profusely begged her forgiveness for harming the deer and spent some time at the ashrama. They fell in love and Dushyanta married Shakuntala
there in the ashrama. Having to leave after some time due to unrest in the capital city, Dushyanta gave Shakuntala a royal ring as a sign of their
love, promising her that he would return for her.

Shakuntala spent much time dreaming of her new husband and was often distracted by her daydreams. One day, a powerful rishi, Durvasa, came
to the ashram but, lost in her thoughts about Dushyanta, Shakuntala failed to greet him properly. Incensed by this slight, the rishi cursed
Shakuntala, saying that the person she was dreaming of would forget about her altogether. As he departed in a rage, one of Shakuntala's friends
quickly explained to him the reason for her friend's distraction. The rishi, realizing that his extreme wrath was not warranted, modified his curse
saying that the person who had forgotten Shakuntala would remember everything again if she showed him a personal token that had been given to
her.

Time passed, and Shakuntala, wondering why Dushyanta did not return for her, finally set out for the capital city with her father and some of her
companions. On the way, they had to cross a river by a canoe ferry and, seduced by the deep blue waters of the river, Shakuntala ran her fingers
through the water. Her ring slipped off her finger without her realizing it.

Arriving at Dushyanta's court, Shakuntala was hurt and surprised when her husband did not recognize her, nor recollected anything about her.
Humiliated, Shakuntala returned to the forests and, collecting her son, settled in a wild part of the forest by herself. Here she spent her days as
Bharat, her son, grew older. Surrounded only by wild animals, Bharat grew to be a strong youth and made a sport of opening the mouths of tigers

and lions and counting their teeth!

Meanwhile, a fisherman was surprised to find a royal ring in the belly of a fish he had caught. Recognizing the royal seal, he took the ring to the
palace and, upon seeing his ring, Dushyanta's memories of his lovely bride came rushing back to him. He immediately set out to find her and,
arriving at her father's ashram, discovered that she was no longer there. He continued deeper into the forest to find his wife and came upon a
surprising scene in the forest: a young boy had pried open the mouth of a lion and was busy counting its teeth! The king greeted the boy, amazed
by his boldness and strength, and asked his name. He was surprised when the boy answered that he was Bharata, the son of King Dushyanta. The
boy took him to Shakuntala, and thus the family was reunited.

In the Mahabharata, a slightly different version of this tale is told, where Dushyanta's failure to recognise Shakuntala is in fact a ploy to have his
subjects accept her as his true wife, since he had feared rumors might otherwise have arisen as to the propriety of the marriage.

Interacting with text
• Engage the class in an active-knowledge sharing activity
Provide a list of questions pertaining to the selection.
What kind of a father is Kanva? How is he similar to most fathers nowadays?
Describe Shakuntala as a daughter, as a sister and as a friend.
Describe the relationship of Shakuntala towards the servants.
What Indian traditions and culture are mentioned in the play? Relate these to Filipino traditions and culture.
Ask the students to answer the questions the best that they can.
• Ask volunteers in the class who have answered all the questions
• Give feedback.

Comparison and Contrast Activity
• Divide the class according to the distinct characters in the play “Shakuntala”.
• Encourage them to use connectors properly when making comparison and contrast.
• Introduce to the class the correct usage of connectors when making comparison and contrast.
• Use a spring board like a dialogue or a paragraph to introduce the lesson on connectors.
• Let the class study the sample sentences using connectors.

Examples:
1. Henry speaks loudly while Larry speaks softly.
2. Gene faces the audience but she lacks eye to eye contact with the audience; however his voice is very
clear.
3. Ellen looks shy in her movements yet she delivers her line properly.

Placing it all together

1. Read the story “The Calabash Kids: A Tale from Tanzania” retold by Aaron Shepard.
2. Identify the elements of the Afro-Asian Drama incorporated in this play.

“The Calabashi Kids”

NARRATOR 1: Once there was a woman named Shindo, who lived in a village at the foot of a snow-capped mountain.

NARRATOR 4: Her husband had died, and she had no children, so she was very lonely.

NARRATOR 2: And she was always tired too, for she had no one to help with the chores.

NARRATOR 3: All on her own, she

NARRATOR 1: cleaned the hut,

NARRATOR 4: cleaned the yard,

NARRATOR 2: tended the chickens,

NARRATOR 3: washed her clothes in the river,

NARRATOR 1: carried water,

NARRATOR 4: cut firewood,

NARRATOR 2: and cooked her solitary meals.

NARRATOR 3: At the end of each day, Shindo gazed up at the snowy peak and prayed.

SHINDO: Great Mountain Spirit! My work is too hard. Send me help!

NARRATOR 1: One day, Shindo was weeding her small field by the river, where she grew vegetables and bananas and gourds. Suddenly, a
noble chieftain appeared beside her.

CHIEFTAIN: I am a messenger from the Great Mountain Spirit.

NARRATOR 4: He handed the astonished woman some gourd seeds.

CHIEFTAIN: Plant these carefully. They are the answer to your prayers.

NARRATOR 2: Then the chieftain vanished.

SHINDO: (skeptically, looking at the seeds in her hand) What help could I get from a handful of seeds?

NARRATOR 3: Still, she planted and tended them as carefully as she could.

NARRATOR 1: Shindo was amazed at how quickly the seeds grew. In just a week, long vines trailed over the ground, and ripe gourds hung
from them.

NARRATOR 4: Shindo brought the gourds home, sliced off the tops, and scooped out the pulp. Then she laid the gourds on the rafters
of her hut to dry.

NARRATOR 2: When they hardened, she could sell them at the market as calabashes, to be made into bowls and jugs.

NARRATOR 3: One fine gourd Shindo set by the cook fire. This one she wanted to use herself, and she hoped it would dry faster.

NARRATOR 1: The next morning, Shindo went off again to tend her field.

NARRATOR 4: But meanwhile, back in the hut,

NARRATOR 2: the gourds began to change.

NARRATOR 3: They sprouted heads,

NARRATOR 1: then arms,

NARRATOR 4: then legs.

NARRATOR 2: Soon they were not gourds at all.

NARRATOR 3: They were—

ALL NARRATORS: children!

NARRATOR 1: One boy lay by the fire, where Shindo had put the fine gourd.

NARRATOR 4: The other children called to him from the rafters.

CHILDREN:

Ki-te-te, come help us!
We’ll work for our mother.
Come help us, Ki-te-te,
Our favorite brother!

NARRATOR 2: Kitete helped his brothers and sisters down from the rafters.

NARRATOR 3: Then the children started quickly on the chores.

CHILD 1: Clean the hut!

CHILD 2: Clean the yard!

CHILD 3: Feed the chickens!

CHILD 4: Wash the clothes!

CHILD 5: Carry water!

CHILD 6: Cut the wood!

CHILD 7: Cook the meal!

NARRATOR 1: All joined in but Kitete.

NARRATOR 4: Drying by the fire had made the boy slow-witted. So he just sat there, smiling widely.

NARRATOR 2: When the work was done, Kitete helped the others climb back on the rafters.

NARRATOR 3: Then they all turned again into gourds.

NARRATOR 1: That afternoon, as Shindo returned home, the other women of the village called to her.

WOMAN 1: Who were those children in your yard today?

WOMAN 2: Where did they come from?

WOMAN 3: Why were they doing your chores?

SHINDO: (angrily) What children? Are you all making fun of me?

NARRATOR 4: But when she reached her hut, she was astounded.

NARRATOR 2: The work was done, and even her meal was ready!

NARRATOR 3: She could not imagine who had helped her.

NARRATOR 1: The same thing happened the next day. As soon as Shindo had gone off, the gourds turned into children,

NARRATOR 4: with heads

NARRATOR 2: and arms

NARRATOR 3: and legs.

NARRATOR 1: The ones on the rafters called out,

CHILDREN:


NARRATOR 4: Kitete helped them down, and they did all the chores.








NARRATOR 2: Then they climbed back to the rafters, and turned again into gourds.

NARRATOR 3: Once more, Shindo came home and was amazed to see the work all done. But this time, she decided to find out who were

her helpers.

NARRATOR 1: The next morning, Shindo pretended to leave, but she hid beside the door of the hut and peeked in. And so she saw the
gourds turn into children,

NARRATOR 4: with heads

NARRATOR 2: and arms

NARRATOR 3: and legs.

NARRATOR 1: And she heard the ones on the rafters call out,

CHILDREN:


NARRATOR 4: Kitete helped them down. As the children rushed out the door, they nearly ran into Shindo.

NARRATOR 2: She was too astonished to speak, and so were the children. But after a moment, they went on with their chores.








NARRATOR 3: When they were done, they started to climb back to the rafters.

SHINDO: (urgently) No, no! You must not change back into gourds! You will be the children I never had, and I will love you and care for
you!

***

NARRATOR 1: So Shindo kept the children as her own.

NARRATOR 4: She was no longer lonely.

NARRATOR 2: And the children were so helpful, she soon became rich, with many fields of vegetables and bananas, and flocks of sheep
and goats.

NARRATOR 3: That is, all were helpful but Kitete, who stayed by the fire with his simple-minded smile.

NARRATOR 1: Most of the time, Shindo didn’t mind.

NARRATOR 4: In fact, Kitete was really her favorite, because he was like a sweet baby.

NARRATOR 2: But sometimes, when she was tired or unhappy about something else, she would get annoyed and yell at him.

SHINDO: You useless child! Why can’t you be smart like your brothers and sisters, and work as hard as they do?

NARRATOR 3: Kitete would only grin back at her.

NARRATOR 1: One day, Shindo was out in the yard, cutting vegetables for a stew. As she carried the pot from the bright sunlight into
the hut, she tripped over Kitete.

NARRATOR 4: She fell, and the clay pot shattered. Vegetables and water streamed everywhere.

SHINDO: (getting up, screaming at him) Stupid boy! Haven’t I told you to stay out of my way? (derisively) But what can I expect? You’re
not a real child at all. You’re nothing but a calabash!

NARRATOR 2: The very next moment, Kitete was no longer there.

NARRATOR 3: In his place was a gourd.

SHINDO: (shrieking) What have I done? I didn’t mean what I said! You’re not a calabash, you’re my own darling son!

NARRATOR 1: The other children came crowding into the hut.

SHINDO: Oh, children, please do something!

NARRATOR 4: They looked at each other a moment.

NARRATOR 2: Then over each other they climbed, scampering up to the rafters.

NARRATOR 3: When the last child had been helped up by Shindo, they called out one last time,

CHILDREN:

OUR FAVORITE BROTHER!

NARRATOR 1: For a long moment, nothing happened.

NARRATOR 4: Then slowly,

NARRATOR 2: the gourd began to change.

NARRATOR 3: It sprouted a head,

NARRATOR 1: then arms,

NARRATOR 4: then legs.

NARRATOR 2: At last, it was not a gourd at all.

NARRATOR 3: It was—

SHINDO & CHILDREN: (shouting happily, as SHINDO hugs him) KITETE!

***

NARRATOR 1: Shindo learned her lesson.

NARRATOR 4: Ever after, she was very careful what she called her children.

NARRATOR 2: And so they gave her comfort and happiness,

NARRATOR 3: all the rest of her days.

Characters on the lose

• Allow students to choose a character from the play “Calabashi
Kids”.
• Ask them to imagine this character to turn his/her weakness
into strength.
• Process the activity by asking relevant questions.
• Also, pick out two characters and two situations from the play.
• Compare and contrast the characters and the situations using
the following connectors.

The Anatomy of Calabashi

• Ask them to think of an organizer that would best assort the elements of the play “The Calabashi Kids”.
• Require them to supply the organizer with the correct answers.
• Let a representative present the group’s output in front of the class.

Beautiful Mind

• Ask the students to respond to the following questions:
If you are the author of “Calabashi Kids”, what would have been your inspiration in writing the play?
What would you want to express?
Who would have been represented by the characters?
How were the situations in the play related to your personal encounters?
• Give feedback.
• Check the learners’ mastery of the essential understanding and the content standard.

1. TRANSFER
At this stage, the teacher must be able to do the following:
• Have the learners make independent application of delivering and interpreting lines through
dramatic reading
• Have the learners perform an impressive dramatic reading of a chosen Asian drama
• Have them see the connections between tasks and their real world.
• Provide feedback to check for understanding.

Group Presentation
• Divide the class into five groups and assign one drama from any of the Asian countries.
Group 1: Chinese drama
Group 2: Indian drama
Group 3: Japanese drama
Group 4: Philippine drama
Group 5: Any other Asian drama
• Ask them to interpret the play assigned to them through a impressive dramatic reading.

Optional Activities
• Another option is to choose one Asian drama and divide the class according to the number of acts.
• Remind the class that they need to read the act assign to them
• Assign one act for one group.
• Ask each group to choose a portion which is the highlight of the act assigned to them.
• Let the leader assign a role to each member
• Have the class read the act assigned to them.
• Let the class practice reading the act or play assigned to them.
• Facilitate the practice being done.
• Ask the students to recall the different techniques and strategies in reading dialogues or play in particular.
• Encourage the class to share the problems they encounter while practicing and how they go about them.
• Remind the class that they need to come up with a culminating performance.
• Ask the EQ to the class.
• Elicit answers from them leading to the EU.
• Remind the class that they are going to be assessed on the dramatic reading they are going to do.
• Encourage the students to come up with their rubrics.
• Provide rubrics for assessment.
• Encourage them to modify the rubrics.
• Let them do the dramatic reading.
• Instruct the class to tabulate the results they gather.
• Have them read the comments and evaluation results.
• Let the students reflect on the assessment results.
• Make the students come up with a journal of their reflections.
• Encourage the class to relate the lessons and activities they have done to the world.
• Elicit ideas on how effective listening affects moods and tones as well as their manner of speaking.
• Ask them what they have realized after encountering the different Asian dramas.
• Let them realize the value of understanding other countries’ customs, traditions, beliefs and culture reflected in the different Asian
dramas.

As of January 28, 2011 BSE-DepED

Afro-Asian Drama Elements for Dramatic Reading

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