devising process and stimulus
4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.
Lesson Overview
Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA
Learning Objectives
- Explain the key ideas of devising process and stimulus
- Apply devising process and stimulus to exam-style questions
- Develop independent study skills
- Build cross-topic connections
Prerequisites
- Read the revision notes for devising process and stimulus first (GCSE Revise summary)
- Key vocab to pre-teach: Drama Exam Tips
- Basic skills: reading the summary notes and answering the practice questions there
Materials & Equipment
- Exercise book, coloured pens
- Ruler
- Printed revision notes (link below)
- Internet for videos (see Resources)
Lesson 1: Introduction: devising process and stimulus
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Write down everything you already know about devising process and stimulus. Then check against the key terms: Drama Exam Tips. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Drama Exam Tips.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Drama Exam Tips.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: devising process and stimulus. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Drama because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: devising process and stimulus. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Drama because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look
Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Describe the process you would use to develop a piece of drama from a stimulus. Use a specific example.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Check Out
Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about devising process and stimulus.
Lesson 2: Core Concepts: devising process and stimulus
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Review Previous Lesson
Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on devising process and stimulus. Check them against the notes below.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Key Fact: A stimulus can be anything: an image, a song, a news story, a poem, an object — it's the starting point for devising.
Key Fact: Research: explore the stimulus from multiple angles — personal, social, historical, political — to find depth.
Key Fact: Brainstorming: generate as many ideas as possible without judging them — quantity leads to quality.
Key Fact: Collaborative creation: everyone contributes — share ideas physically and verbally, build on each other's suggestions.
Key Fact: From stimulus to structure: move from exploration (what does this make us think/feel?) to selection (which ideas are strongest?) to structuring (how do we shape this into drama?).
Drama Exam Tips: For devising process questions, use a chronological structure: Stimulus → Response → Research → Exploration → Selection → Structure → Rehearsal → Performance. At each stage, describe what you DID, WHY you did it, and what EFFECT it had on the final piece.
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Image/photograph | Visual analysis, association | Too literal |
| Music/sound | Physical/emotional response | Too abstract |
| News article | Research-based development | Too worthy/preachy |
| Poem/text extract | Linguistic and thematic analysis | Over-literal |
| Object/artefact | Tactile, imaginative | Limited scope |
| Theme/word | Open-ended brainstorming | Too broad initially |
Practice (10 minutes)
Q: Describe the process you would use to develop a piece of drama from a stimulus. Use a specific example.
Answer: Full process: receive stimulus → initial reactions → research → brainstorm → improvise → select strongest ideas → structure → rehearse → refine. Give a specific stimulus example showing each stage.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Explain Back
Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.
Lesson 3: Application: devising process and stimulus
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Quick Recall
Recall the key terms: Drama Exam Tips. Define each in one sentence.
Main Content (35 minutes)
Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.
Q1: Describe the process you would use to develop a piece of drama from a stimulus. Use a specific example.
Answer: Full process: receive stimulus → initial reactions → research → brainstorm → improvise → select strongest ideas → structure → rehearse → refine. Give a specific stimulus example showing each stage.
Q2: How can research enhance a devised piece? What types of research might you do?
Answer: Research adds depth and authenticity: factual research (statistics, history), personal research (interviews, experiences), artistic research (other plays, art works). It prevents cliches and enriches content.
Q3: Explain how collaborative devising is different from working with a script. What are the challenges and benefits?
Answer: Collaborative: everyone contributes ideas, ownership is shared, multiple perspectives enrich the work. Challenges: compromise, conflicting visions, unequal contribution. Benefits: creativity, investment, diverse ideas.
Plenary (5 minutes)
Error Review
Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.
Lesson 4: Exam Practice: devising process and stimulus
Duration: 50 minutes
Starter Activity (5 minutes)
Command Words
Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).
Main Content (35 minutes)
Extended Answer
Extended question: Full-Mark Response You are given the stimulus of a photograph showing a divided community. Describe how you would use this stimulus to devise a piece of drama, explaining your process from initial response to final performance. <div class="
A grade 9 response will: describe the initial response to the stimulus; show detailed research plans; explain how exploration techniques (improvisation, hot-seating) develop ideas; describe the selection process; show how the piece is structured; justify each creative decision with reference to intended effect on the audience. Mark scheme: Devising is Component 2 (30% NEA). You must submit a devised performance and a portfolio. The portfolio must document yo...
Exam Tips: Always describe the FULL devising journey — don't just talk about the final piece | Show how the STIMULUS led to SPECIFIC dramatic choices | In your portfolio, document EVERY stage with evidence | Collaborative means shared ownership — show how everyone contributed
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often make mistakes here. Wrong: Devising is just making up a play on the spot — you don't need to plan or research. Correct: Devising is a structured creative process. It begins with careful stimulus analysis and research, moves through collaborative exploration and improvisation, and requires deliberate selection and structuring. The best devised work combines creative freedom with rigorous development — it is never just improvised on the spot.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
- Synoptic links: explain how devising process and stimulus connects to another Drama topic you have studied
- Real-world: research one real-world use or example of devising process and stimulus
- Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in devising process and stimulus?"
Plenary (5 minutes)
Assessment Criteria
- Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
- Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
- Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2
Homework & Consolidation
- Consolidation: Re-answer any Lesson 3 practice questions answered incorrectly (20 mins)
- Retrieval: Write flashcards for the key terms: Drama Exam Tips (10 mins)
- Exam practice: One past-paper question on devising process and stimulus from the board websites (15 mins)
- Extension: Explain devising process and stimulus to someone else in your own words (10 mins)