Selected Poems of Joy Harjo - Music Center

ASSESS
Explain concepts of design for shadow puppets.
Share drawings or “mock ups” (experimental cuttings) and their meanings.
Describe ways in which they used design elements to create the puppet design.
Discuss how shapes and shadows can portray images and express ideas inspired by the poem’s content
Lesson Extension: Add moving parts to articulate puppets
Instructions:
Observe a puppet with one moving part on the screen that requires two control rods.
What do you notice about how the puppet was made?
o Some of the puppets have connectors – called brads – that allow them to articulate body part movement.
o Others have taped hinges so that they can first be seen one way and then opened to reveal something else.
Remember, this effect can be created either by making a hinge that opens to “reveal” or by making two puppets that the puppeteer
overlaps and then removes one to reveal the other.
If you are planning a moving part for your puppet, plan for only two control rods.
Why? (One puppeteer will operate the puppet and has only two hands to do so.)
Lesson Extension: Cut interior spaces within puppets and working with color
Instructions:
Let’s practice making some interior (negative) spaces in the puppets to add design possibilities.
Fold the paper slightly and cut, puncturing the paper and then making cuts to add texture.
Add color with tissue paper or thin plastic and/or color with markers.
o Tape the paper or plastic on the back of the puppet with care not to tape over the cut out segments. (This requires substantial additional time.)
VOCABULARY Found Poem, design, images, shadow puppet, positive space, negative space, shape, scale, silhouette, rod, wire cutters, puppeteer, screen,
light, “reveal”
Helpful Hints and Success Strategies:
Before the Lesson
Each student knows his/her line from the Found Poem
Each student understands the meaning of his/her line from the Found Poem.
After the Lesson –strategies to reinforce and continue learning
Students assess their designs to confirm how their shadow puppet design connects to the meaning of the line that they plan to present.
Students assess their designs to confirm that the puppet design is mechanically sound -can be cut and hold together- and that its meaning will be
understood from its shape. Some students may draw a scene such as a landscape rather than specific puppet image. Encourage students to choose which
of the scene could become the core puppets and remind students that the puppet movement will share the story. For example – a full sun puppet that can
rise and set in the space may be a stronger puppet design choice than a sunset image that cannot move or change.
Music Center Anchor Work Model Curriculum Unit: Selected Poems of Joy Harjo.
©2011 Music Center: Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County. All Rights Reserved.
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