Arts Bridge: Sixth Visit! (November 17th)

Today was a really fun day where I just got to do some fun puppetry work with the students. My goal was to get them acquainted with the idea that a “puppet” can be made out of almost anything and to get them exploring the very distinct characters they can make into puppets.

It was really fun. I showed them an example hand puppet that my classroom teacher already had and we named it and gave it a personality. Then I showed them one of my recent puppet requisitions, a “handa” (a panda whose legs and head stick on your fingertips). Then we took the puppets they made last time in class and gave them names, personalities, and starting exploring the space with them. It was a good time.

Becky Wallin was there and she snapped a few pictures for me:

(Lesson outline below)

 

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Imagined Worlds and Puppety:

Grade: 1^st

Materials:

·      White paper

·      Crayons

·      Owl hat

·      Puppets students made previously.

Objective: Students will demonstrate their ability to create an imagined world by using puppets in a creative drama experience.

Drama Core Standards:

·      TH.Cr.1.1.1.a. Propose potential choices characters could make in a guided drama experience (e.g., process drama, story drama, creative drama).

·      TH.Pr.4.1.1.b. Use body, face, gestures, and voice to communicate character traits and emotions in a guided drama experience (e.g., process drama, story drama, creative drama).

Step One: Introduction

·      Explain that today we’re going to be creating characters with the puppets we made previously. Each puppet may have different ways of talking, moving, and thinking, and each different animal will need to use their strengths to help the group.

·      Show the students the winter image below. Ask them some questions about it such as:

o   What season is seen in the picture?

o   How do you think the animals are feeling? Are they cold?

o   How do you think animals stay warm in the winter?

·      Share that you just received an urgent message from your friend, Mr. Owl about the wintertime. He says that he needs the help of the students’ puppets to get ready for a fast-approaching winter.

·      Have the students get their puppets and gather together again.

·      Explain that Mr. Owl is gong to be arriving momentarily

Step Two: Teacher in role

·      Put on the owl hat and become “Mr. Owl.”

·      Explain that the teacher said that you would be willing to help with an urgent problem regarding the impending winter. Winter is coming early this year and the local animals still haven’t finished getting ready. We need your help!

·      Share that we need people who would be good at the following jobs:

o   Building shelters

o   Gathering food

o   Making blankets and nests for warmth

·      Ask for volunteers for each job and have the puppets set to work on creating one large shelter, gathering food, and making nests in the shelter. Use side-coaching phrases such as:

o   Some jobs might require the help of another puppet. Maybe you need to lift a big log together.

o   How is your puppet feeling as they work? Is it tiring or do they like working?

o   Does your puppet work fast or slow?

·      Stop the work periodically and ask individual puppets to explain what they are working on.

·      Share that there’s a winter storm coming very fast and they need to have the shelter done before it gets there. Hurry!

·      Once the shelter is finished have everyone climb inside and gather together as the storm rages outside.

·      As “Mr. Owl” congratulate the puppets on their wonderful help. Explain that you have to go now to gather the animals that the puppets have helped.

·      Take off the owl hat.

Step Three: Assessment:

·      Ask the students some questions about their work such as:

o   What did you do?

o   What kinds of food did you gather?

o   Where did you find things to make nests/blankets? What were they made of?

o   What did the shelter look like?

o   Was your puppet a good help to the group? Why or whynot?

·      Have the students return to their desks and ask them to draw a picture of the shelter, the nests, and the food that they gathered/made. What did it look like to them?