Purpose: Teaching the children ways that they can retell stories or act out their own is a powerful way for children to learn about how stories work. It also allows
children to socially practice the language of stories as they tell them.
This is important preparation for future reading and writing development. An additional outcome of this activity is learning about light and shadows.
Materials/Advance Preparation:
- Stiff paper or cardboard
- Scissors
- Pencils
- Popsicle sticks
- Light source (e.g. flashlight or overhead projector or clip-on
light).
- A screen or a blank wall
- An simple and enjoyable story to read to the children, one with engaging
characters and clear action. A very short story, especially one
children already know well and love, is best.
Directions:
- Tell
or read the story to the children, with lots of expression, at least two times.
- Together determine the essential characters and scenes. From this list
encourage
the children to choose a character or a piece of scenery to draw.
(For example The Three Little Pigs
would need 3 pigs, the wolf, 3 houses, perhaps a tree and a big pot. But
it is also fine to have 4 pigs or 2 wolves). Alternatively you could photocopy the characters from a
picture book and paste them on
the stiff paper.
- Cut out the characters and scenery.
- Tape
the pictures onto Popsicle sticks.
- Show
the children briefly how to make a shadow.
- You
will probably want to tell the story a few times for them as they act it out,
but then they should be able to do their own narration. Be sure to allow for
their own creative interpretation of the story. They do not have to follow
the original text exactly. Remember that the purpose of the activity is to
help them develop a sense of story.
Note: If you make or acquire a collection of characters and
scenes over time, you can extend this activity by asking the children to make up their own stories and act them out
using the stock of materials available. This is a good group activity.
But beware: The teacher must not direct the "performance." S/he must
step back and let the children do it themselves.
Eric Gidseg
Shadow Puppets