BIG MOUTH PUPPET – Colour, Texture, Detail

Students will be able to:

1. Use the elements and principles of design to create a puppet with a distinct personality;
2. Use the element of role to establish and introduce a character;
3. Demonstrate technical accomplishment and creativity;
4. Respond to the work of their peers; and
5. Support their ideas with evidence found in the works.

1. Place students into small groups.
2. Have them work with their puppet characters to develop a story worth telling. (This could be connected to a theme you are studying.)
3. Remind them to establish a clear setting, develop relationships among the characters and to create a story that shows the characters encountering some kind of problem and figuring out how to resolve it.
4. Have students write and refine the script, and decide on how best to present it – props, backdrops, sound effects etc.
5. Allow students plenty of time to practise and rehearse their stories.
6. Consider taping the audio portion of the play and simply moving the puppets to the sound track.
7. Finally, present the plays to your own class and/or others.
8. Video the performances throughout so students may view their works in progress.
9. Be sure to include lots of peer assessment throughout the process so students can learn from each other.

1. Prior to this lesson you may want to have students explore paper sculpture techniques using the lesson plan available on this website.
   Exploring Paper
2. Create a sample big mouth puppet to show students.
3. Place desks in groups of about 6.
4. Arrange construction paper separated by colour, decorative items, paper towel rolls and dowels on a central table.
5. Place glue, masking tape, and scissors in a small basket – one for each group.
6. Place paint kits in a central location – one for each group.
7. Place the hot glue guns and glue sticks in a separate location. 

1. Ask students to think about someone they know who really stands out in their mind. It could be an actual person, or a character from a movie or TV show.
   Close your eyes and imagine you are with that person right now. What characteristics do you notice? What is interesting about this character?
2. Allow students to share a few things that interest them about their characters.
3. Make a list of characteristics such as gestures, clothes, hairstyles, facial expressions, etc.
4.  Introduce the challenge

(40 minutes Drama/Language Arts)

1. Place students into pairs.
2. Ask them to take on the role of their puppet. Ask them to take turns introducing themselves in role and learning as much as they can about each other. Remind them that they should be working the puppet while they do this as if the puppet is doing the talking.
3. Then ask students to remain in role and introduce their partner’s puppet to the rest of the class, providing 3 details about the puppet as part of the introduction. For example, “I’d like to introduce Jamal. He is 13 years old, loves to bug the referee at soccer games and thinks he might become a singer on Canadian Idol.”
4. Discuss:
   - How did the information about the puppet fit with the way it looked?
   - How did the action of the puppet(s) contribute to the effectiveness of the introduction?
   - How did the puppet’s voice affect the introduction?
   - How well could you hear what was being said?
5. Ask students to place their puppets on their tables.
6. Provide sticky notes at each table.
7. Ask students to view the puppets and select three to comment on. They should write their own name on the sticky note as well as a specific comment that says something they like or find interesting about the puppet. They then place the sticky note beside the puppet. Remind them that they have to provide details about what they like, e.g.,
   - You can’t just say, “I really like your puppet. You have to say what you like about the puppet; for example, I really like the way you used the colour purple for the face of your puppet. It makes him seem extra funny and is more interesting than a real skin colour.”

1. Observe students as they work – thoughtful focus, discriminating, seeking more information, elaborating, experimenting
2. Observe students as they discuss the art works – active listening, insightful contributions, supporting ideas with evidence found in the artwork and from personal experience.
3. Use a checklist to track progress. (Downloads – Puppet_tracking.pdf)
4. Have students use the self-assessment form to evaluate their work. (Downloads – Puppet_self-assessment.pdf)
5. Assess the sticky note comments.