Scripting a Crime Drama - Lesson

Lesson Plan

Level(s): Grades 9 to 11

Author: This material has been adapted, with permission, from a unit developed by Mark Zamparo, an Ottawa-based media educator.

Overview

"Scripting a Crime Drama" is intended to follow lesson two of the Crime Drama unit: "Viewing a Crime Drama." In this lesson, students will tackle the scripting of a television crime drama by looking at the plot formulas and structures that underpin this genre. Students begin by studying a script from an actual television series and then they script and produce their own crime dramas.

Learning Outcomes

Students will:

• understand how crime shows construct reality
• appreciate the differences between the constructed reality of crime dramas, and crime in real life
• understand how filmmaking techniques contribute to a drama's overall effect
• be aware of plot formulas that underpin crime drama
• become acquainted with the script-writing process

This lesson and all associated documents (handouts, overheads, backgrounders) are available in an easy-print, pdf kit version.

Lesson Kit:

Lesson_Scripting_Crime_Drama.pdf