Resource 3: Role plays for exploring school networks

 Teacher resource for planning or adapting to use with pupils

Here are some ideas to get you started when thinking about role plays. With a little thought, you will be able to build on these ideas and think of role plays suitable for your pupils. Remember to think of questions for the class, after the children have performed the role play. You will need to make sure they understand what they have to do and say. Also, make sure that everyone gets a chance at performing. You could also ask the pupils if they think the teacher should get involved in any of these problems.

Younger children

1. Fatima and Awino have been friends since Standard 1. They are now in Standard 3. A new girl, called Mueni, joins the class. Felly decides she will not be friends with Precious any more as she likes going to Mueni’s house to play with her dog. Precious is very unhappy because Fatima is unkind to her. She spends most break times crying.
   • What could Precious do to solve her problem?
   • What should Felly do if she really cares about Awino?
   • What could Beatrice do to help the situation?
2. Okumu is a very shy boy. He wears heavy spectacles because he does not see very well. He does not like sports and is not very good at them. None of the boys in his class will be friends with him because he will not play football. He is often alone and hates school because he does not have a friend.
   • What advice can you give Okumu?

Older pupils

1. Maima wants to hang around with a group of boys who call themselves ‘The A Team’. They seem to have a lot of fun and always have girls hanging around them. Some of them smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol. They steal money from their parents to buy these things. If they can’t get money they steal from the local shop. They say that if Maima wants to join them, then he must bring cigarettes and money.
   • What should Maima do?
2. Selina has met a boy who is much older than her. She is 13 and he is 16 years old. She likes him very much and thinks about marrying him. He wants to have sex with her, but she is not sure. She wants to keep him as her boyfriend but she is worried about AIDS or getting pregnant. She wants to go to university.
   • What should Sarah do?