In this paper I would like to explore ways in which puppetry and art can be integrated into a unit for helping young children approach film and literature in a more critical manner. As a key component to my unit, I would like to emphasize the active participation of children in using puppetry and art to retell and analyze literature through film.
Focused activities will be implemented in the classroom, using puppetry and film as vehicles for the creation of opportunities to enhance reading and language art skills. In addition, supplementary activities will be suggested for a six to eight week after school program.
I am a self-taught ventriloquist and have developed characters to be used in numerous programs that have been presented at schools, churches and at birthday parties throughout several states. My family of puppets consists of ten relatively large stage size puppets. Most of my puppets were hand made in a studio and are approximately 20 to 36 inches in length. Many have striking characteristics with catching expressions, (e.g., large noses, bright colors, movable eyes and mouth parts, etc.) The focus of these presentations has generally been entertainment or special themes. However, I have found through my work with young children that puppets are beautiful classroom assistants which children perceive as nonthreatening and can relate to on a peer basis. While functioning in this manner, puppets gain and hold the attention of children who generally have very short attention spans.
In my classroom, several “closet characters” have developed bringing their own magical charms into the first grade curriculum through the art of story-telling. There’s Tuesday’s Cup of Sugar who arouses the interests of children in writing a classroom story and then developing their own published works. She delights in listening to these stories later in the week. Wednesday Delight brings a new poem to class each Wednesday. She is very clever in aiding the children in their class discussion of the poem. Eventually she helps them develop their own characters in reading and writing poetry. The results of Alphabet Thursdays story-telling are seen in the creative works of individual children in the classroom. Then there is Friday Funtastic who has developed into a character, but is waiting in the wings for her full potential and development. It is this character in mind that I intend to use for introducing films into my classroom curriculum.
Friday Funtastic is a bright yellow duck attached to a brown bag that pulls over her head. She wears a bright red hat with orange blotches and a droopy yellow flower. Her only additional attire is a green vest with a red pocket to match her red hat. Along with a rasp voice it sounds as if she is speaking with a mouth full of marbles. This may lower her self-esteem, but definitely fits a duck character.
Puppets provide a beautiful tool which children perceive as nonthreatening and can relate to on a peer basis. Puppets can break down barriers and help to achieve communication and self-identity goals in a relatively short span of time. It has been my experience that puppets often function as classroom assistants, supplementing my presentations by gaining and holding the attention of children who generally have very short attention spans, are preoccuped with painful home situations and are subject to a myriad of economic, social and environmental stresses.
Although the relationship to an inanimate object is somewhat different than the affective response to a puppet, film has that compelling capability of holding the attention of children and drawing out the feelings and emotions of the viewer. A significant degree of learning is imparted., I believe, through example and children emulating role models. It is my intent to provide literature through film that provides my students a new appreciation for the art of acting and a growing sense of self-worth. I believe that this is possible through children interacting with a puppet in discussing characters in film, experiencing culture and products from another country, as well as, writing about feelings in personal journals. In other words, my classroom environment will become the “laboratory” for the discovery of self through literature in film. My classroom is the child’s world where she/he experiences the positive social, emotional and intellectual stimulation necessary for growth and development.
I teach first grade in a self-contained classroom at L. W. Beecher School. My classroom contains children from a variety of ethnic backgrounds with varying abilities in the six to eight year old age range. Along with a need for improved vocabulary, many children exhibit low self-esteem and have difficulty conveying their thoughts and feelings. It is my intent to develop a curriculum unit that will not only enhance academic skills but strengthen social-emotional development as well. Although the unit is designed for my first grade classroom, it would be suitable for children in the second and third grade levels.
Objectives:
My overall objectives for my curriculum unit are:
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(1) Gaining the children’s attention and provide an interactive experience.
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a. as individuals
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b. in small groups of two or four
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c. in large groups
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(2) Helping the children to stimulate their intellect and imagination in a classroom setting.
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a. with creative puppetry
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b. through illustrated art work
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c. by a play production
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(3) Helping the children to improve in their oral reading skills through reading and memorization of their stories.
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a. written language
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b. oral language
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(4) Encouraging the development of self-assurance while participating in class activities.
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a. as listeners
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b. as narrators
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c. as actors
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(5) Connecting the classroom unit with the school curriculum.
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a. integrating the unit with language arts
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b. integrating the unit with science and social studies
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c. integrating the unit with social development
Strategies:
Friday Funtasic is a duck who resides in a bag. One might ask: “What can a duck do who merely pops out of a bag and begins to bemoan the fact that her voice is a bit “raspy” from being cooped up in a bag collecting dust?” Wait one moment or perhaps 15 minutes as you discover that the dust in the ducws bag is not the ordinary dust found in your classroom closet. Have no fears; vacuums and dust pans are obsolete. For you see that dust in Friday Funtasic’s bag has become magical dust. As it settles in the classroom, one discovers that the children have been introduced to a wealth of information about a film that they are about to view.
Friday Funtastic will introduce her film friends to the class each Friday for a total of three or four weeks. Three films, “The Secret Garden,” “Heidi,” and “Dumbo” (i.e., an animated film in contrast to the other two films) have been chosen as Friday Funtastic’s friends. Besides the country and culture of the people in the film, she will give suggestions for critical analysis of the story. One example might be: “See if you can determine why the boy in the story was unable to care for himself.” Follow-up activities will include cooperative learning activities where children are paired and discuss themes from the film then report back to class. Journal writing will be included where the children report their critical feelings about the story.
The children will also retell the story in the film through their own puppet creations and illustrated works. For example, in the story film about Heidi, the children will make Heidi puppets. Each child will write their own version of the story then retell the story using their Heidi puppet.
Art activities will also be included in the lessons. One example would be illustrating the story in sequential drawings. This activity will tie into the art of filmmaking and how the film follows a sequential pattern. Small group activities will include making an animated film of the story. Each group will be given a suggestion for a background drawing. The children will draw characters that they will move across the background drawing as the story is retold and videotaped.
Wait one moment! Before the dust settles too quickly, Friday Funtastic will draw upon another magical element and introduce a product to be sampled from the country of the story in the film. One would not want to be remiss if they were traveling to Switzerland and did not taste Swiss chocolate or cheese. Would Friday Funtastic go so deeply into her bag and dare the children to try goat’s milk? Why not, the magical bag may never come our way again.
As a culminating activity, Friday Funtastic will suggest a theme for the children to write their own story. With the aid of the puppet and classroom teacher, one story will be chosen and developed into a play suitable for filming on stage in the school’s All Purpose Room. Included with Friday Funtastic’s writing assignment will be a brief introduction to the art and technology of film. For example, words such as camera, lens, video, scenes and soundtrack will be introduced and discussed.
Unlike the other related activities for each film, the culminating activity will be presented in the after school program. That particular program meets once a week for a period of one hour and a half. The class is more restrictive in size, generally consisting of 12 to 15 children. Considering the number of children and time allotment, the class is more conducive for creative dramatics and play rehearsals than the regular classroom setting. In other words, with fewer children more concentrated effort can be put into the development of the characters for a play.
