World Puppetry Day

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World Puppetry Day has been celebrated every year on March 21st since 2003. Even though the art of puppetry is very old it was not until the first half of the 20th century that puppeteers began sharing more information about their work. The proposal for the celebration of the day was made in 2000 at the XVIII Congress of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette, (UNIMA) in Magdeburg.

Puppetry is a very ancient form of theatre which was first recorded in the 5th century BC in Ancient Greece. Some forms of puppetry, though, may have originated as long ago as 3000 years BC. In almost all human societies puppets have been used for the purpose of entertainment, as sacred objects in rituals, as symbolic effigies (in celebrations such as carnivals), and as a catalyst for social and psychological change in transformative arts.

There is a wide range and many different varieties of puppets, ranging from the simple finger and sock puppets to hand (or glove) puppets (larger forms such as the Japanese Bunraku may even require two puppeteers for each puppet!) and  to more elaborate marionettes, suspended and controlled by a numbers of strings or rods. Shadow puppets are also widely used: flat figures (which have been treated to make them partly translucent), they are pressed against the screen with a strong source of light behind them.

Today, puppets are everywhere. Puppets can be seen on stage, on television, and in the movies.

Some of the most famous puppets include:

Pinocchio / Punch and Judy / Kermit the Frog / Elmo et al.

Using puppets in the classroom can be an engaging and useful way to help students develop emotionally and grow their language and communication skills. Research shows that using puppets in education has many benefits especially with language skills. Children can practice their oral speaking skills by telling a story to a puppet or explaining words or expressions. If the puppet is “confused” and doesn’t understand something, the child can explain and show the puppet what he has learned.

When used by the teacher, puppets are a good tool to get young children’s attention and create teaching scenarios: puppets can sing songs, tell stories, count, and deliver learning across the whole curriculum. They are an excellent tool for developing listening and attention, phonics and maths skills, and personal development.

I have been using puppetry in my teaching for all the aforementioned reasons, but mostly because I have reserved the child enthusiasm for puppets in my heart!

My feeble attempts have all been linked to my lessons:

1st grade: The Very Hungry Caterpillar (for details see here) / A party in the jungle (puppets) (for details see here) / A party in the jungle (paper puppets) (for details see here)

3rd grade: Pinocchio 

6th grade: Mythical Creatures (shadow puppets): Polyphemus the Cyclops (for details see here)

Christmas elves: Rosie and Nosie 

Most of the times my ‘Homemade Productions’ aim at instigating students to find their own inspiration and artistic voice! 

Me and my puppet ‘arsenal’

 

 

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World Poetry Day

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Each year on March 21st World Poetry Day is celebrated. World Poetry Day was introduced in 1999 with the aim of promoting the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry around the world.

In a world filled with technology, what place can there be for poetry? I couldn’t have put it in words better than the beautiful poem of Fiona Gobin:

POETRY MY PASSION

Poetry is my joy, my passion

It’s my heart’s melodious song.

It takes me on magical carpet rides

Soaring to victorious strides.

From my wildest imaginations birth creativity

Indubitably, that’s the art of poetry.

It removes anger, hurt and resentment

Poetry is a soothing balm for all sentiments.

The pen is certainly mightier than the sword

It empowers, educates and mends discord.

It erodes barriers of communication.

Poetry also chastises yet it brings motivation.

Poetry relieves depression

And brings much inspiration.

At times it offers humour and comedy

It also brings peace of mind and serenity.

Poetry is a medium of expression

For love and affection

It paints a picture so artistically

Poetry is my language, my destiny.

Fiona Gobin

 

As regards teaching children, poetry can have copious advantages: Being rich in varied language and poetic devices, poetry introduces children to new vocabulary and rhythms.

Moreover, since it requires children to think and interpret what they’ve read (and it often takes reading a poem several times to truly understand its meaning!), poetry improves children’s reading skills and creative thinking.

Poetry allows children to see the world from new perspectives and learn more about other parts of the world through the eyes of various poets and their poems. When reciting it, poetry is a great way to improve children’s memory and help them remember new words and phrases. But, most important of all, when experimenting with it (with the aim of producing something of their own) poetry teaches children how to express their emotions and put their feelings into words.

What better way to celebrate the day, then, than initiate children into the magic poetry holds!

Some ideas included here:

DLTK’s Crafts for Kids

BBC Bitesize

And my favourite resource:

Shel Silverstein Poet tree

A vast resource of  poems for children here:

Poetry Foundation

Get some help with your rhymes here (while working on your way to fame ! 😆 ):

Rhymebrain

Now, try writing a poem in this Magnetic Poetry Board!

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St. Patrick’s day

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St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by the Irish all over the world on the 17th of March (the anniversary of his death in 461).

But who was Saint Patrick?

Even though the patron of Ireland, he was born in Britain near the end of the 4th century A.D.  At the age of 16 he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave. During this time, he worked as a shepherd and became a devout Christian. Patrick escaped after 6 years as a prisoner, but after a vision returned to Ireland as a missionary and managed to convert the Irish to Christianity. There are many legends around him, for example, that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland. He used the shamrock (plant, each of whose leaves is divided into three leaflets) to explain the Holy Trinity to Irish people.

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated in countries with people of Irish descent. It was emigrants, (especially to the United States), who transformed St. Patrick’s Day into a secular holiday of revelry and celebration of all things Irish. Green is connected with the day and people participate in the “wearing of the green” by usually putting a shamrock (the Irish national plant) in their lapel. Even beer is sometimes dyed green to celebrate the day!

 

Forgot to wear green on St. Patty’s Day? Don’t be surprised if you get pinched. St. Patrick’s revellers thought wearing green made one invisible to leprechauns. 

But what are leprechauns?

Leprechauns are fairy creatures who would pinch anyone not wearing green. A leprechaun looks like a little old man and dresses like a shoemaker with a cocked hat and leather apron. According to Irish folklore, leprechauns are tricksters who mend the shoes of Irish fairies. The fairies pay the leprechauns for their work with golden coins, which the leprechauns collect  in large pots. The legend says that if you catch a leprechaun, you can force him to tell you where he hid his pot of gold. Supposedly, this pot of gold is hidden at the end of a rainbow.

Let’s make a leprechaun, shall we? Then we might be able to find his hidden pot of gold (this is something you must draw!!!)

Find a paper roll and either paint it green with ginger hair and beard or use the template to cut green paper for the hat and orange for the hair and beard.

Have a look:

Here is the template:

 

Have a look at this short St. Patrick’s video:

 

 

And here’s a whole library with books about Leprechauns!!!

Press on the picture!

leprechaun

 

Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant or Saint David’s Day!

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Dewi Sant or St. David is the patron saint of Wales. Saint David’s Day is celebrated by the Welsh on the 1st of March.

But who was Saint David?

He was a Celtic monk and bishop who lived in the 6th century and helped to spread the word of Christianity across Wales. His most famous miracle is that while he was preaching to some followers, the ground rose up and formed a hill beneath him so that he could be seen and heard better. He also founded several monasteries in Wales during his lifetime. He is commemorated in Wales by wearing daffodils and leeks. St. David was said to have advised the Welsh to wear a leek in their caps when they battled the Saxons so that they could distinguish friend from foe in battle. Both daffodils and leeks are  national emblems of Wales and are often worn attached to a coat or hat. Some children wear the Welsh national dress of a tall black hat and long dress in red and white. 

Traditional Welsh dress

For a tour around Wales, press here

Here’s an easy daffodil craft, one of the national emblems of Wales:

And here’s the template:

For more crafts and fun activities (and even some Welsh recipes!) visit this blog:

Filthy wizardry, Saint David’s day crafts

Dr. Seuss Day! (March 2nd)

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It was on this glorious day (March 2nd) in 1904 that Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, (even though not a real doctor!) was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was then certain that from that day on the Cat in the Hat, Thing One and Thing Two, the Fox in Sox, Horton who hears a Who, the Grinch, Sam I Am, Thidwick, the Lorax and many many other whimsical characters, would brighten the minds and hearts of countless children, younger (or young at heart, like…myself!) or older.

If Juliet wonders ‘what’s in a name’ in reference to Romeo’s house, with Dr. Seuss, everything’s in a name! Biffer-Baum Birds. The Long-Legger Kwong. Brown Bar-ba-loots. Sneetches.  Wockets and Nizzards—all names which have become an iconic part of childhood… and parenthood.

Undoubtedly, he was born to stand out! In his own words:

‘Why fit in when you were born to stand out?’

Dr. Suess (a.k.a. Dr. Theophrastus Seuss, a.k.a. Theo Le Sieg, a.k.a. Theodor Seuss Geisel) is best known as a prolific children’s author (he released forty-six books during his lifetime!)  who won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984.  Apart from being a cartoonist and a poet he was also an illustrator for many advertising campaigns and was a political cartoonist during World War II. He was also a true perfectionist, known to discard 95% of his material before settling on a theme for a new book, sometimes spending up to a year writing a single story, and preferring payment upon completion, rather than in advance.

One of his posters advertising Flit

Having made an incredible impact on numerous generations he died in 1991 at the age of 87. His famous children’s books have been translated into over 20 languages and are still enjoyed in homes, schools, and communities all over the world. Many of his books continue to inspire people today, with a number of his books being turned into films and his stories continuing to sell well today.

What better way to celebrate Dr. Seuss Day than by reading one of his books?

 

Fun fact: His all-time best-selling book was created on a bet. Dr. Seuss’ editor Bennett Cerf bet him he couldn’t write a book using 50 or fewer words. The result is 1960’s ‘Green Eggs and Ham.’ The story of Sam-I-Am trying to convince an unknown character to eat green eggs and ham has sold more than eight million copies since publication!

Find some other Dr Seuss facts and quotes here:

Dr. Seuss Facts and Quotes for Kids

For a host of celebration activities have a look here:

Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

Which Dr. Seuss character are you? Find out here:

Which Dr. Seuss Character Are You?