Project: Skeleton Esqueleto Puppets

NM Standards: Art, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Objectives

1. To understand how puppets can reflect the cultures that it comes from (historical and cultural understanding.)

2. To name and discuss the characteristics of puppets (perceiving, analyzing and responding.)

3. To create a skeleton puppet using mixed media (creating and performing.)

Materials
Craft foam or lightweight railroad board approximately 9" x 12" and subdivided and cut into 4 pieces:
1" x 9" (arms & legs)
1 piece 4" x 9" (body), and
3 pieces 3" x 4" (head, hands & feet)

pencils
tacky glue and glue brushes
scissors
paper fasteners
1/8" wooden dowel - 18" long
masking tape
sequins, feathers, pom-poms, fabric scraps, buttons, pipe cleaners, foil or patterned paper, yarn, markers (optional).

Motivation Explain that the students will be making skeleton puppets to celebrate Day of the Dead. What do the students know about Día de Muertos? Do they observe Day of the Dead? How does the culture that they come from commemorate the dead? Explain that the students will be making skeleton puppets with human characteristics. They can make a skeleton puppet to reflect a certain person who is living or dead or they can invent a new character. The only limits are the materials that are available and their imaginations.

Procedure
1. Each student chooses a color of craft foam or railroad board to work with. Explain the way that the cut pieces are designated for different body parts. Have the students lay out their foam pieces accordingly to visualize the skeleton form.

2. The students refine the body part shapes by drawing on them with pencil and then cutting away the portions they do not need.

3. Attach the body parts with paper fasteners, overlapping the foam pieces and piercing them with the fasteners. Students can articulate knee, elbow, waist and other joints by cutting the shapes and then using paper fasteners to attach different sections.

4. When the body has been assembled, use glue to adhere the decorative elements to the foam.

5. Let dry.

6. Attach at least one dowel to the back of the skeleton puppet with masking tape. Some students may want to attach dowels to the hands or feet as well.

Evaluation
Have students bring their puppets to life individually, Showing how they move, exploring the characteristics and their features, including their voice.

Organize a student puppet show using the puppets they made.

Have a student led puppet making workshop for other students in the school.

Extensions and Connections
Students can research historic figures and use their work as a basis for making puppets. They can use their puppets to create a related puppet show. (History, Visual and Performing Arts)

Students can explore different types of puppets, for example, marionettes, shadow puppets, giant puppets, finger puppets. They can make different kinds of puppets and put on a show or use them in a procession. (Visual and Performing Arts)

Students can include their puppets in an altar, or ofrenda which is made for Día de Muertos. (Visual arts, Social Studies)

Day of the Dead | History of Day of the Dead |

| 2011 Day of the Dead | Cut Paper with Scissors |

Cut Paper with Knife | Ofrendas | Papel Picado-Cut Paper |

Paper Flowers | Extensions | Vocabulary & Bibliography |

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