4th Grade Puppet Performances!

Our fourth grade students just wrapped up a research project about animal adaptations. Each student selected an animal to learn about and started the note taking process in the library. They recorded note facts about the animal's behavioral adaptations (what the animal does that helps it to survive, like migration) and physical adaptations (parts of the animal's anatomy that helps it to survive, like fur or claws). Along with creating a labelled diagram of their animals, the students also wrote a report to synthesize (or pull together) all of their information. As a culminating activity, the fourth grade teachers put the students into pairs, and these pairs each wrote a skit to share what they learned. The students wrote their dialog using a "frame", or outline of the basics, but they were free to add their own creative details. They practiced reading the scripts aloud to improve their fluency, which is a skill we expect effective readers to possess; for example, they should use a voice that shows expression and sounds natural. Practicing with "google eyes" I also held a voluntary puppetry workshop after school to demonstrate methods of making their puppets appear more lifelike and gave each participant a pair of "google eyes" to practice at home. As you might imagine, the students had loads of fun and were enthusiastically engaged in their learning! One of our third grade teachers, Mrs. Allen, actually had a gorgeous puppet theater that her husband had made for her and she was happy to let us borrow it. The students loved using it, and that added touch really gave their performances a polished look. I hope you enjoy their work! Mrs. Ornburn's Class Mrs. Young's Class One group doing a "dress rehearsal" in front of the class.