Dancing Marionette

1. Imagine a Dancing Marionette made with uniquely designed paper full of curls, twirls, and swirls!
2. Students use Crayola Gel Markers to create unique designs on a piece of white card stock. Cut the decorated paper for the marionette's head, hat, arms, legs, torso, hands, and feet. Coordinate the colors and shapes!
3. Add chenille sticks for the hair. Curl the decorated paper around a marker barrel to make swirls.
4. With Crayola Glitter Glue, add sparkles and details to the marionette. Air-dry the decorations.
5. Fold the arms and legs in an accordion style fold so the marionette can dance and bounce. Glue the arms and legs to the torso. Wire or jump rings could also be used to attach moving parts. Glue the hands and feet to the arms and legs.
6. Glue two craft sticks together to form an X. Decorate the craft sticks. Cut five strings (two for the hands, two for the feet, and one for the head). Glue strings to the ends of the hands, feet, and back of head. Air-dry the glue.
7. Tie the other ends of the strings to the craft sticks. Space them out so the strings will not tangle.

LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

LA: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the test says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

LA: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

LA: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

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.

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

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

VA: Use subjects, themes, and symbols that demonstrate knowledge of contexts, values, and aesthetics that communicate intended meaning in artworks.

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

VA: Describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in school are interrelated with the visual arts.

Students research the history of marionette puppets throughout history. Students may choose to create their marionettes with symbols, facial features, and clothing representative from a particular era in their history. Students present their research and artwork to the class orally as well as in written form. Marionettes and writing pieces can be displayed in a common area of the school for public viewing.

Working in small groups, students compose an original play that focuses on a character education issue that younger students are developing. Organize a time when older students can perform their play for younger students. Ask younger students to post to a blog about their reactions to the original play and the marionettes.

As a follow-up to the play presentations, ask older students to evaluate the activity and steps leading to performances in terms of use of their class time. What curricular connections are present in their research, artwork, play writing, etc.? Students can post their final thoughts on the activity to a class blog.