6th Grade Shadow Puppetry

During this lesson, the 6th-grade student will learn the history of Chinese Shadow Puppet Shows. The student will participate in a shadow puppet activity where he/she will use voice to imitate a variety of characters, conditions, and emotions. Although the study of shadow puppetry is the main emphasis of this lesson, it also focuses on reading for comprehension with the ability to analyze a story to identify various story elements such as plot, characters, and theme - making this lesson an  ELA infused/arts integration lesson.

Duration
Less than 1 hour
Lesson Type
Traditional Lesson

Lesson Created By: ShirleyBell

Essential Question

How do I use my voice to imitate a variety of characters, conditions, and emotions?

Grade(s):

  • 6

Lesson Progression

Students will review notes on shadow puppet show history either on their own or with the teacher (see resources).

Students will watch a short youtube clip, Cat and Mouse, a demonstration of a Chinese Puppet Show.

Shadow will participate in a puppet activity - creating their own shadow show (see resources).

Shadow Puppetry with Shirley Mack Bell | Asynchronous Studio Lessons

Shirley Mack Bell (Busbee Creative Arts Academy) leads a lesson on shadow puppetry. Shadow puppetry has origins dating back to China's Song Dynasty.

View Asset

The Giving Tree

Story by Shel Silverstein

View Resource

6th Grade Shadow Puppet Lesson

Use this file to instruct the lesson.

View Resource

Assessments

1. Teacher observation.
2. Oral reflection to discuss how students used voice to imitate a variety of characters, conditions, and emotions.