Fifth Grade Puppet Play

On Thursday the fifth grade put on their annual Explorer Puppet Play.  The preparation for this show started months ago when the students researched the lives of Ferdinand Magellan and James Cook.  After learning about the explorers and their famous voyage, the students wrote the scripts, made their puppets and painted the scenery.  Of course there were also weeks of practicing their parts and memorizing their lines before all their hard work could finally culminate in the performance.  It was nice to see them receive roaring applause at the end of their show, they deserved it.  This project is an example of how student learning can be combined with creativity to create a project that students feel an ownership of and are invested in.   Now that the final product has been shared and celebrated, the fifth graders, no doubt, feel good about the long hours they put in and are proud that their signatures are now among the hundreds on the back of puppet stage.  Are yours?

Greg Henderson

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