LESSON IDEAS 

This is one of a series of lesson ideas provided by Gill Chesney-Green from Derbyshire in the UK.  (Thanks a plenty Gill! - Kim Flintoff - Webmaster)

LESSON: Adrian Mole - Diary

AIMS: To look at the theme of Bullying through humour

OBJECTIVES: Handling humour, Characterisation, Encouragement of reading

STRATEGIES: Small groups of 3-5

LESSON:

Read out the extract:

*Thursday 21st May

          Barry Kent duffed me up in the cloakroom today. He hung me on one of the coathooks. He called me a  "coppers' nark" and other things too bad to write down. My grandma found out about the menacing (my father didn't want her to know on account of her diabetes). She listened to it all then she put her hat on, thinned her lips and went out. She was gone one hour and seven minutes; she came in, took off her coat, fluffed her hair out and took £27.18 from the anti-mugger belt round her waist. She said, "He won't bother you again, Adrian, but if he does, let me know." Then she got the tea ready. Pilchards, tomatoes and ginger cake. I bought her a box of diabetic chocolates from the chemist's as a token of my esteem.

Read out the passage to the group.

Obviously Grandma and Barry Kent's meeting was not seen by Adrian Mole. 

Bring the scene to life:

Where would it be set?

Who else would be involved? (Barry's father, Barry's friends etc?)

What effect will Grandma have on Barry? ... on the others in scene? (Remember she comes back with £27.18p !!)

As a follow on scene, devise a piece to show the next gang meeting of Barry's gang.

How will they react to the news that Grandma got all that money from him? (and left him a wimp?)

Will Barry be in the scene? (not at all? Not at the beginning? Etc)

Devise a scene to show Adrian and Barry meeting .... how does each react? Will others join them? Will Grandma come along?

Reflection:

Does Adrian's story seem real? What sort of experiences do most people have in connection with bullying? Do you think that it was handled well by his Grandma?

Ask each person to think about and then say out loud what Barry Kent might write in his diary after looking back on all that happened.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Script a scene between one of Barry's parents and Adrian's dad. What will the atmosphere be? How will each of the characters behave towards each other?

 ASSESSMENT POSSIBILITIES: 

Give another passage from Adrian Mole and ask the groups to devise drama ideas from it.

CROSS-CURRICULAR LINKS: English & Library, Citizenship

RESOURCES:

Extracts from Adrian Mole - 

*Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4 
Sue Townsend / Mass Market Paperback / Published 1987