Friday, December 14, 2012

Dream Puppets, Megan and Jenn’s Lesson





Walking into class, the lights were low and the whole room was set up like a theater. There was excitement and anticipation evident in everyone’s faces, then the show started. Shadow puppets! Megan and Jenn put on a show complete with theatrical voices, props and even help from the audience. What a great way to introduce a lesson. When they turned the lights on and transitioned to the Smart Board, we were all sucked in, waiting to see what we would be doing. Capturing attention… soooo important. They presented artists who worked with dream-like imagery, along with one artist who designed the Fieries from the Labyrinth. This being one of my favorite movies of all time, I was into it.
We were told to think of dreams we had, first write them down, then visualize characters that we could create as puppets. My dreams are extremely vivid, and I remember them all the time, so again I felt a connection with the subject matter. 
The demo was very helpful, straightforward and clear. Both Megan and Jenn have an amazing presence as teachers. Megan articulates and has a great teacher voice, and although Jenn speaks a little softer, she is very warm and knowledgeable, a great leader for the students.
Making the puppets was fun. We could choose a character and make joints so they could move. I was able to finish my puppet, and I could see how students would be excited to get to the part of the lesson where they put on their own puppet show. I thought this lesson was a fun way to connect to the theme of sleep. Also, it allowed personal introspection from the part of the student and for Middle School and High School that is very important.

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