Chinese Dragon Puppet

1. Students research and find the significance of dragons in Chinese culture. Discover how dragons are depicted in Chinese literature, culture, and festivals. The following is one way to make a dragon puppet.
2. Using Crayola® Model Magic®, form a dragon head about as large as a fist. Poke holes in the back of the head for fingers.
3. With contrasting colors of Model Magic, add facial features to the dragon such as eyes, eyebrows, ears, nose, horns, and fangs. Air-dry the dragon head at least 24 hours.
4. Cover the art area with white paper. With Crayola Scissors, cut enough plain white 100% polyester fabric to cover the lower part of the arm. Draw a Chinese pattern on the fabric with Crayola Fabric Crayons.
5. To make an ironing pad, place white paper or recycled newspaper over an iron-safe surface. Place fabric on ironing pad. Top design with white paper.
6. Ironing should be done by an adult in a well-ventilated area. Set iron on synthetic. Press design with slow steady pressure for 1 to 2 minutes. Lift iron to move it. Hold paper in place to prevent blurring. Remove paper carefully. For brighter colors, add more crayon while the fabric is still warm. *Overheating or scorching may release irritating fumes.
7. Using Crayola School Glue, attach fabric to your dragon’s head. Air-dry before performing or parading with your puppet.

LA: Read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the complexity band proficiently.

LA: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

LA: Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

SS: Describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence behavior of people living in a particular culture.

SS: Use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools to generate, manipulate, and interpret information.

SS: Describe how people create places that reflect ideas, personality, culture, and wants and needs as they design homes, playgrounds, classrooms, and the like.

VA: Intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas.

VA: Select and use the qualities of structures and functions of art to improve communication of their ideas.

VA: Describe and place a variety of art objects in historical and cultural contexts.

Students can experiment with creating fabric designs by drawing in reverse on white paper and having an adult iron the design onto the fabric.

Invite an expert on Chinese culture and the New Year's celebrations, as well as other aspects of Chinese culture, to visit the classroom. Prior to the visit, have students prepare questions for the guest. After the meeting, student post to a class blog what they have learned.

Students investigate the history of puppetry, as well as other cultures that use puppets in cultural celebrations. Research should be summarized into an electronic presentation and uploaded to a class computer for future viewing.