Puppetry (visual arts)

Puppetry can be an extremely effective tool within the visual arts curriculum, as well as throughout the other KLAs, and even for students' overall development. Within a visual arts classroom, puppets present a way for students to be creative and expressive with the materials available to them. Puppetry goes beyond just the process of art-making, however. 

The cast of the the twisted 'Little Red Riding Hood'

Particularly in the primary school setting, puppets can help teachers to engage the students in a classroom management capacity, as well as address difficult issues which students might be resistant to discuss otherwise (O'Hare, 2005). These issues could range from completing homework, to school bullying. Having a puppet as the go-between for teachers and students can eliminate some of the pressure for students, as the power dynamic is altered.

Red Riding Hood schemes with the
woodcutter and the wolf

The teacher could also use puppets which are controlled by the students, allowing them to feel a bit more anonymous and gain some confidence with their communication skills (Gibson & Campbell, 2013) . Students who are shy may feel they are able to respond and contribute when it is someone else (the puppet) speaking, and not them. It also removes some of the fear of making mistakes, as the puppet is perceived to be the one making the error, not the student (Özdeniz, 2000). Students can express themselves freely, sometimes even displaying thoughts and emotions they would not otherwise share in a classroom. 

Grandma interrupts their master plan

References

Gibson, R., Campbell, V. (2013). Playing with puppetry. In R. Ewing (Ed.). Creative Arts in the lives of young children: play, imagination and learning. pp. 114-128. Camberwell, VIC: ACER press. 

Özdeniz, D. (2000). Puppets in primary. 

O'Hare, J. (2005). Puppets in education: process or product? In M. Bernier &J. O'Hare (Eds.) Puppetry in Education and Therapy: Unlocking Doors to the Mind and Heart. pp. 63-68. Indiana, USA: AuthorHouse.

Art appreciation

Art appreciation itself can be a somewhat confronting experience for students, who may be hesitant to engage fully with the art. In order for students to develop a deeper way of creating and responding to art, students must first truly look at the artwork. The inquiry method, proposed by Feldman (1970), suggests that by stalling students in order to make them stop and look, one can begin the process of effective art appreciation. 

Memory drawing of a wheel

There are many ways in which a teacher in the primary classroom can achieve this - games are a useful method of getting students to participate and engage without even realising that what they are doing is appreciating and responding to art. A couple of examples of these are the alphabet game (asking students to come up with something from the artwork that begins with each letter of the alphabet), dinner party (where students must ask questions to discover which art work they are portraying), and the art map compass. The important thing for primary teachers to remember is that art appreciation should be enjoyable, and will be most effective when it is meaningful for students. 

Drawing with a picture to work from

Art appreciation has numerous benefits for primary students; research shows that students who engage in art appreciation within the curriculum displayed higher self esteem (Aylward, Hartley, Field, Greer &Vega‐Lahr, 1993). It's an important skill to nurture, in order to equip students with the skills necessary to make sense of art (Gibson & Ewing, 2011).

References

Aylward, K., Hartley, S., Field, T., Greer, J., & Vega‐Lahr, N.
(1993). An art appreciation curriculum for preschool children. Early Child Development and

Care, 96:1, 35-48.

Feldman, E. (1970). Becoming human through art: aesthetic experience in the school. Michigan, USA: Prentice-Hall.

Ewing, R., & Gibson, R. (2011). Transforming the curriculum through the arts. Melbourne: Palgrave Macmillan.

Puppetry (drama)

References 

Gibson, R., Campbell, V. (2013). Playing with puppetry. In R. Ewing (Ed.). Creative Arts in the lives of young children: play, imagination and learning. pp. 114-128. Camberwell, VIC: ACER press. 

Özdeniz, D. (2000). Puppets in primary. 

O'Hare, J. (2005). Puppets in education: process or product? In M. Bernier &J. O'Hare (Eds.) Puppetry in Education and Therapy: Unlocking Doors to the Mind and Heart. pp. 63-68. Indiana, USA: AuthorHouse.