Take 4: Puppets!

This lesson was really fun to do. I think that there is definitely a lot of room for improvement in the way it is structured and my classroom management/timing skills, but there were still a lot of things that went really well.

If I were to do this lesson again, I might split it up into two lessons, or at least be sure that the children have been exposed to the puppet before this lesson. The students LOVED Kevin, my pteradactyl puppet. They asked about him for weeks!

I found that the students were so engrossed with the puppet that they just wanted to keep asking him questions. They didn't want Kevin to go. I think that puppetry should have it's own unit. So much can be done with puppets. Even if I wasn't able to do a puppetry unit, I would at least bring Kevin to a lesson before this so that the students are more used to him. Perhaps I just need to be better at sticking to my plan, but the students had so much fun with Kevin that I gave that section of the lesson an extra 5-8 minutes.

That is one thing that I love about teaching: I feel like I improve and learn something in every lesson that I teach. I love improving so that I can provide better experiences for my students.

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Storytelling Lesson 4

Learning Objective: Students will be able to identify key story elements as they practice telling their stories to classmates.

Materials needed:

• Kevin, my puppet
• White board marker
• Donald Davis’s “Telling Your Own Stories”
• Story map worksheet

Desk Arrangement:

• Space for students to sit in front of the storytelling space
• We won’t be moving around a lot, so just space at the front will be sufficient.

Core Standards:

• Theater Standards
• 2.T.CO.2, 2.T.R.1, 2.T.R.2, 2.T.R.4
• English Language Arts
• Reading Literature Standard 5

So, I hear that you have all been working on your stories! You are telling them on Thursday right? So, today, I want to do a little experimenting. How many of you already have your story picked out? That is wonderful! (Note the students who may need assistance and possibly list off some of the story prompts marked in Donald Davis’s “Telling Your Own Stories”.)

Who remembers the story I told last week? What were some of the things that you liked about it? Listen to the different things mentioned and express appreciation for each. Today, I want to focus on helping your stories use some of the same things that you liked about mine.

To start off, I’d like to introduce you to a special guest. Bring out Kevin, my dinosaur puppet. Tell a story with Kevin.

Invite students to name the most interesting part of the story. Once a few students have answered, identify this “most interesting part” as the climax of the story. The things that happened before this led up to the climax, kind of like climbing a mountain. Draw a story mountain on the board. (Story mountain is another way of explaining a plot diagram.)

Rising action: The series of events that build to the turning point, or most exciting part of the story.

Climax: Also known as the turning point, this is the most exciting part of the story. In the story of Cinderella, it is when the glass slipper fits.

Kevin is so excited to hear all of your stories! He has heard a lot about you and has been waiting to meet you all. Does anyone want to volunteer to share a story with the class? This story does not have to be the one that you are sharing on Thursday, but it can be. Maybe read a few prompts from “Telling Your Own Stories.”

Invite a student to share a story with the class. After the story, thank them for that special gift. Ask the class what they liked about the story. (This ties in a Theater Core Standard.)

Ask the students to identify some of the things that happened on the climb up the mountain. What happened on the way down? How was the ending of the story different than the beginning?

Ask for any other volunteers who want to practice sharing a story with us.

Pass out story mountain worksheet for students to use in preparation for the class tellings on Thursday.

Remember, you can always practice sharing your stories. I bet your parents or your friends or even a stuffed animal would enjoy listening to your stories! I like to share stories with my husband and my brothers and sisters. Sometimes, I even practice with Kevin! Every time I tell a story, it gets better. I guess that’s what happens when you practice! *wink, wink*