Role Play -Half a Day

OBJECTIVE

1. To provide real-world scenarios that facilitate effective learning.

2. To enhance students' communicative and language skills.

3. To foster empathy and understanding of different perspectives by engaging students in character roles.

4. To help students overcome stage fright.

PLANNING

As part of our B.Ed curriculum, we were required to conduct an innovative lesson plan for our students. I chose the role-play method to teach the lesson "Half a Day" by Naguib Mahfouz. I believed that role-playing would be an effective and engaging way to convey the story's themes. The students volunteered for various characters in the story. I wrote the script for the role play and distributed it to the students. The story was divided into four scenes. After a few days of practice, the students performed the play beautifully on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.

LEARNING OUTCOME

Students will be able to:

- Understand the basics of setting up a role play.

- Gain a basic understanding of scriptwriting.

- Write and enact a role play.

- Comprehend the plot and characters of the story.

- Grasp the moral of the story.

                      SCRIPT

Narrator : Today we are going to present a skit "Half a Day " written by Naguib Mahfouz. 

                      Scene 1

The young Narrator walks with his father to school, feeling anxious. His father reassures him that school is for growth, not punishment, while the boy looks back at his supportive mother.

characters

- Narrator (the child)

- Father

- Mother

Settings

- Street lined with gardens

Narrator: (walking with his father, holding his hand) "Why school? I shall never do anything to annoy you."

Father :laughing) "I'm not punishing you. School's not a punishment. It's the factory that makes useful people out of children. Don't you want to grow up?"

Narrator:(thinking) "I did not believe there was any good in tearing me away from home and throwing me into this building."

Mother:(watching  the narrator) 

                    Scene 2

At the school gate, the father encourages the boy to join the other children. The boy hesitates but is approached by another student who mentions his father's death, exposing him to life's broader realities. 

Characters

- Narrator

- Father

- Boy 

Setting

- School gate, courtyard full of children

Father: "Go in by yourself and join them. Put a smile on your face and be a good example to others, won't you?"

Narrator: (hesitating, clinging to his father's hand) 

Father: (gently pushing him) "Be bold. Today you truly begin life. You will find me waiting for you when it's time to leave."

Narrator:(taking a few steps, looking around, feeling lost) 

Boy: (approaching) "Who brought you?"

Narrator: "My father."

Boy:"My father's dead."

                              Scene 3

A kind lady welcomes the boy, explaining that school is like a new home. Inside, he sees a mix of activities, realizing that school includes both enjoyable moments and discipline, essential for learning. 

Characters

- Narrator

- Lady

- Children

Setting

- Inside the school, various activities

Lady :"This is your new home. Here too there are mothers and fathers. Here there is everything that is enjoyable and beneficial to knowledge and life. Dry your tears and face life joyfully, won't you?"

Narrator:(thinking) "We submitted to the facts, and this submission brought a sort of contentment."

Teacher:"We play all sorts of games, chant songs, learn languages, and see a globe of the Earth."

Narrator: (thinking) "My misgivings had no basis. I had never imagined school would have this rich variety."

                         Scene 4

After school, the boy notices changes in the street, reflecting the passage of time. He is surprised when a young boy calls him "Grandpa," highlighting how quickly life can change.

Characters

- Narrator

- Middle Aged Man

- Ironing Shop Boy

Setting

- School gate, outside the school, busy street

Narrator:(leaving school, looking for his father) "I peered around but found no trace of my father."

Middle Aged man:(approaching) "It's a long time since we last met, how are you?"

Narrator: "And you, how are you?"

Middle Aged man :"As you can see, not all that good, the Almighty be praised!" (walks away)

Narrator:(thinking) "Where was the street lined with gardens? When did all these vehicles invade it?"

Ironing shop boy:(stretching out his arm) "Grandpa, let me take you across."

Narrator:(confused, thinking) "How could all this have happened in half a day?"