Joseph and his coat of many colours

content and design

Design and navigation

This package is sent by email as a downloadable file, which can be saved to the hard drive of your computer. The download includes simple instruction to locate the vocal and backing tracks, OHPs for the songs, script and sheet music. Instructions are simple to follow and require little ICT expertise. You do need a good internet connection and up-to-date music player on your computer (e.g. Windows Media Player.) When downloading, ensure you know where the files have been saved for locating during practice. Alternatively, everything could be printed off and paper copies used. I would recommend purchasing a CD-ROM of the songs and make OHP sheets unless using the PC files and interactive whiteboard to display the song words. If you wish to make slight additions/ changes to the script, this is allowable by the publishers. The songs were learnt almost entirely from the whiteboard, which saved the age-old problem of lost/ ripped song sheets.

Curriculum coverage

Learning and performing a class production involves several cross-curricular areas including music, Literacy and drama, art, PE, etc. A strong sense of team work and collaboration is promoted when choosing to perform a whole-class piece of work. The text and vocabulary of the story and songs are well-matched to Key Stage 2 pupils and pupils of lower reading ability can access many of the roles. Such a story could be linked to religious education work or historical study about the Egyptians or it could be done on its own merits as a class/ school production, which does not always link to direct curriculum study units.

Planning

The whole performance lasted approximately 55 minutes. There are plenty of opportunities to extend this if required by replaying songs, adding additional script or dance. The majority of the preparation is with learning the songs since pupils can learn speaking parts at home/ out of school. The script and character parts need to be familiar to the teacher when selecting pupils to undertake roles. The songs need little planning and preparation since they are easy to learn. Little musical expertise is needed since the songs are simple to learn and come with backing tracks or vocals. Time to prepare OHPs is needed, if using, and, like many productions, scenery and or costumes can be detailed or as simplistic as required. I would recommend using an interactive whiteboard to learn the songs from and to use OHPs at the performance if needed to give confidence/ boost the volume of singing. This is particularly needed if performing as a class since there are potentially fewer pupils involved and a mix of abilities.