Toy Theater is a unit of study in the 4th grade. Students research topics and create plays using puppets based on their research.
Traditionally, Toy Theater has been done using the American Revolution as the baseline topic, with the plays being depictions of historical events.
This year we decided to try something different. Instead of making mini theaters for the puppets to act in, and creating plays portraying a historical event, we are making movies based on different historical perspectives!
The project is still research based, but now the research is focused on the different perspectives of certain events. Plays will look at both sides of events such as creating and signing of the Declaration of Independence, the British and colonist perspectives on the Boston Massacre, and so on. The puppets will then “act” in front of a green screen and the students will put them into different settings while editing the movie with backgrounds and voice0ver.
4th graders will be using their blogs as ongoing reflective spaces during the Toy Theater process. Check out a few here:
Zadie
Logan
Matthew
Taylor
Emma
Caiden
Klayton
Ethan
Isabella
Emmanuelle Reese
Mila
Maia
Drew
Han
Jonathon
Zoey
Sara
Isabel
Nicolas
Victoria
Amelia
Benjamin
Looking forward to seeing the final videos!