Use drama to engage your pupils and bring your teaching of Christianity in RE to life. 40 Creative Ideas for using Drama in RE is a series by The Stapleford Centre which aims to help you to teach abstract concepts by using drama. We hope this will be a real help to you as you plan your lessons and enable pupils to experience RE in new ways.
Hundreds of high quality resources.
One low price!
Teaching Christianity in RE? Click to solve your school's resource needs...
Brian Radcliffe
Formerly a minister for 15 years in a north of England Baptist church, Brian has spent more than 10 years as a Secondary level English, Drama and RE teacher, with an additional interest in the development of the Citizenship curriculum.
A regular contributor to the Assembling Citizens website, he has also published a variety of books and subscription-based file materials on Citizenship and Assembly topics.
Want to further explore Drama and Learning? Brian recently authored the Drama for Learning Pocketbook. See also: Interview with Brian Radcliffe.
Bookshop Featured Product
40 Creative Ideas for Teaching Primary RE
40 Creative Ideas for Teaching Primary RE
This download contains ALL 40 Creative ideas for enhancing your teaching of primary Religious Education.
£36.52
40 Creative Ideas for using Drama in RE
Engage your pupils in the RE curriculum by bringing the Bible and your teaching of Christianity to life. 40 Creative Ideas for using Drama in RE aims to give you the tools to do just that.
Giving your pupils the opportunity to experience RE in your lessons by integrating Drama into your teaching will enable them to better explore some of the more abstract concepts in RE.
40 Creative Ideas for using Drama in RE gives specific ideas as well as general techniques, all of which can be applied to many different aspects of religious education. Suitable for both primary and secondary RE, age 5-14.
Each Idea includes:
- Background information for the teacher.
- Introduction to the activity.
- Specific activities to do, as well as variations, to help keep things fresh.
- Suggestions on how to draw a lesson together.
Written by Brian Radcliffe (author of REthinking no. 10 - Using drama in RE), 40 Creative Ideas for using Drama in RE will help you diversify your teaching of RE and engage pupils more effectively.
'40 Creative Ideas for using Drama in RE' that are currently available for free
38 - Weather forecastMonday, 1st August 2011 'Weather forecast' - Both literal weather in narratives and weather reflecting mood or emotions. >> Download 'Weather forecast' for free (limited time only) |
 |
36 - Hot seatingMonday, 25th July 2011 'Hot seating' - Good for reviewing learning, how does a character studied answer questions from the class? >> Download 'Hot seating' for free (limited time only) |
 |
34 - This is your lifeMonday, 11th July 2011 'This is your life' - Summing up a person's life by using the format of the popular TV series. >> Download 'This is your life' for free (limited time only) |
 |
'40 Creative Ideas for using Drama in RE' that are currently available in the Bookshop
37 - InterviewsMonday, 1st August 2011 'Interviews' - Using interviewing techniques to explore characters and stories. |
 |
35 - TV stationMonday, 18th July 2011 'TV station' - Bring together drama work from during the year. |
 |
33 - Taking turnsMonday, 27th June 2011 'Taking turns' - Ideal for reminding pupils of previous learning and questions this might raise. |
 |
32 - Status levelsMonday, 20th June 2011 'Status levels' - Who are the most important characters and who the least? How does the status of characters change during the events? |
 |
31 - Sound trackingMonday, 13th June 2011 'Sound tracking' - By creating the sound track for a story pupils explore the sequence and mood of a story. |
 |
30 - Slow motionMonday, 6th June 2011 'Slow motion' - Slow motion allows pupils to explore moments of tension in a story. |
 |
29 - Quiz showTuesday, 31st May 2011 'Quiz show' - Quizzes can be a good way of summing up learning. There are a variety of possible formats. |
 |
28 - Puppets 2Monday, 23rd May 2011 'Puppets 2' - Using puppets to explore feelings and emotions. |
 |
27 - Puppets 1Monday, 16th May 2011 'Puppets 1' - Puppets can be used to perform a story or narrative, or to discuss events they may have encountered. |
 |
26 - MachinesMonday, 9th May 2011 'Machines' - Using the idea of machines and repeated actions to understand situations. |
 |
25 - Using masksTuesday, 3rd May 2011 'Using masks' - Going beyond facial expression to show emotions. |
 |
24 - Entrances and exitsMonday, 11th April 2011 'Entrances and exits' - This technique helps to develop a character, establishing their past and their future and placing an individual scene from a story in the context of the whole. |
 |
23 - DocumentsMonday, 4th April 2011 'Documents' - What can we learn from documents and what effect can they have on those who handle them? |
 |
22 - Choral speakingMonday, 28th March 2011 'Choral speaking' - Works well with poetic sections of the Bible such as Psalms. |
 |
21 - CeremonyMonday, 21st March 2011 'Ceremony' - Good for bringing a topic to a close, giving infinite creative potential. |
 |
20 - AdvertsMonday, 14th March 2011 'Adverts' - Reinforce previous learning by transferring key features into another medium. |
 |
19 - A different audienceMonday, 7th March 2011 'A different audience' - Summative activities for which pupils need a clear grasp of essential knowledge. |
 |
18 - TV news itemMonday, 28th February 2011 'TV news item' - Exploring stories from a number of different viewpoints. |
 |
17 - Thought trackingMonday, 14th February 2011 'Thought tracking' - Excellent for helping pupils bring to life every character in a role play, with attention given to motivation and response. |
 |
16 - Still images to depict narrativesMonday, 7th February 2011 'Still images to depict narratives' - A way of helping pupils to remember the details of a narrative sequence. >> Get 'Still images to depict narratives' from the Bookshop (only 99p) |
 |
15 - Sporting commentariesMonday, 31st January 2011 'Sporting commentaries' - Getting inside the action of a story or event. |
 |
14 - SpectrumTuesday, 25th January 2011 'Spectrum' - Expressing an opinion can be difficult for some pupils. This technique enables them to progress step by step from action to verbalisation. |
 |
13 - Phone callMonday, 17th January 2011 'Phone call' - Particularly suitable for engaging pupils with responses to surprising events and for embedding the details of a story. |
 |
12 - Role on the wallMonday, 10th January 2011 'Role on the wall' - Investigating a wide range of characters. Works especially well when there is a dichotamy of personality, popularity or opportunity. |
 |
11 - Multiple personalityWednesday, 5th January 2011 'Multiple personality' - What are the dilemmas facing some biblical characters? Pupils explore duality of word and thought. |
 |
10 - GestureMonday, 13th December 2010 'Gesture' - What is the place of gesture and ritual in worship? Experiencing gesture and its possible meaning. |
 |
09 - Conscience alleyMonday, 6th December 2010 'Conscience alley' - Developing different points of view around an issue or moral dilemma. |
 |
08 - Tour guideMonday, 29th November 2010 'Tour guide' - By becoming tour guides, or being guided, pupils explore a religious location. |
 |
07 - Suitcase for a journeyMonday, 22nd November 2010 'Suitcase for a journey' - Who owns the suitcase, what can we learn about them and their journey? Pupils can explore characters and their stories. >> Get 'Suitcase for a journey' from the Bookshop (only 99p) |
 |
06 - Still images to examine characterMonday, 15th November 2010 'Still images to examine character' - Ideas for exploring characters and creating significant moments from Bible stories, or inspirational Christians. >> Get 'Still images to examine character' from the Bookshop (only 99p) |
 |
05 - Split StageMonday, 8th November 2010 'Split Stage' - A fantastic Creative Idea that utilises 'split staging' to explore a parable of Jesus. |
 |
04 - Attitude gridMonday, 1st November 2010 'Attitude grid' - Investigate and act out different individual attitudes and explore with your pupils what impact attitudes have on the whole community. |
 |
03 - Human LegoMonday, 25th October 2010 'Human Lego' - Use lego or duplo to explore stories and themes from the Bible. |
 |
02 - Forum theatreMonday, 18th October 2010 'Forum theatre' - Use this technique for exploring alternative answers to the question 'What happens next?' Can be used with any story that contains a moral dilemma, such as The Lost Son. |
 |
01 - Human sculpture / Call my nameMonday, 11th October 2010 'Human sculpture / Call my name' - Explores the topic of 'God's calling' by looking at Samuel and other Biblical characters, as well as contemporary examples of Christian calling. >> Get 'Human sculpture / Call my name' from the Bookshop (only 99p) |
 |