3. Field Activity 02

Lessons with 5 graders about shadow theatre: summary

For the Field Activity I decided to make lessons with 5 graders about shadow theatre. Listen short Fairy-tale “The Foolish Man” buy famous Armenian writter Hovhannes Tumanyan, Draw an illustrative picture of the Fairy-tale,they cand draw and paint, work with mixed media, then we will talk about shadow theatre and then will draw characters from their Fairy tale illustration on white paper and cut it, as we have cutted caracters with scisors, we will use phone light and Our Manipulative1XYZ for understanding how we can improve drawing for Shadow theatre, than we made pictures from their sketches by phone, import them into inkspase programm, and part by part outlined them with pentool. After it I show them how they can save it as SVG. The next step is to laser cutt from SVG in FAB-lab Dilijan, So we combined traditional methods and digital methods. then they glue wooden sticks to their characters and start their little theatre activity.

Learning Objectives

Through this activity, learners will:

1. Express Creativity:Create illustration according to the story, design shadow puppets, and craft backdrops.
2. Illustrate and then test and redesign their pictures according to shadow theatre tecnical chalanges.
3. Designing and constructing characters according their characters and also testing.
4. Explore Light and Shadow: Experiment with light, shadow manipulation, and material properties.
5. Collaborate: Work in teams, share ideas, and communicate effectively.
6. Solve Problems: Overcome technical challenges and refine their puppets and setups.
7. Structure their drawings, according the story sequences, detecting steps of transforming free hand drawings according digital fabrication-laser cutting method requirements.
8. Appreciate Culture: Discover the history and cultural significance of shadow theatre.
9. Perform Confidently: Develop storytelling, dramatic expression, and audience skills.
10. Reflect: Evaluate their performance and process for growth and improvement.

REFLECTIONS (For scopesDF)

Learners were very Excited to listen fairy tale to draw characetrs and scenes, compare their drawing to another student darwings, they saw how the same words can be transformed by imafination, and how perception of the story differs. Listening was sinchronize with drawing process, so they listen and draw same time, they working on Picture and characters average for 30-40 minutes, then they copy theirs characters to wite paper on window, each student copy one of their character from fairy tale, it takes 10 minutes, then I asked them to cut it with scissors, and test wit light sorce on our little mainipulativexyz, as a primary shadow theatre model, then they are discususing which models-chatacters are more suitable for light and shadow game, some of them decidesd to change a bit their “puppets”, by redrawing or gluing and cutting some parts from “puppets”. They were engaged in the process, they are discussing how nice is looking their friends “drawings” for the shadow and lihgt. This take a 30-40 minutes improving Character models, and they vote for characters, so we were able to choose at least one character from each student for creating fairy tale. they taook a photo frome choosen files, and I introduces inkspace, importing picture and how we can outline from picture and make SVG file. Next time we met For digitalaizing session, they work in inkspace with siple tools with my help. Then we go to Fab Lab Dilijan and I intriducesd them laser-cutting process. they were watching how their characters were cutting with maschiune, talkin about wow effect of laser, and how “pure cuiting” the laser.

The benefits are coonections between literature, traditional art teqniques and digital fabrication tools. As about digital fabrication is a very little dosage of pesronal experience, as time was short anf they coulld experince a little.

I translated a part of Subject Standarts of Armenia.

Standards

SUBJECT STANDARD FOR THE “ARTS-CRAFT” STUDY FIELD (GRADES 1-12 OF THE SUBJECTS DANCE, “THEATRE”, “DECORATIVE-APPLIED ARTS” AND GRADES 7-12 OF THE INTEGRATED SUBJECT “ART”) IN COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

SECTION 1․

The content domain of the subject group of the “Arts and Crafts” educational field provides a continuous process aimed at the discovery and development of a person’s intellectual and creative abilities through artistic education and aesthetic upbringing, which is carried out through the active involvement of interdisciplinary connections, communication with different types of art, and independent artistic and creative activity.

The goal of the course is to ensure equally accessible, inclusive and high-quality art education within the framework of modern 12-year secondary education and in the presence of schools operating with alternative concepts, in accordance with the competencies defined by the State Standard of General Education (SSE), a uniform final educational result through the development of creative ideas, creative activity, its perception and presentation, competent response to works of art and their meaningfulness.

1. Educational goals of art in a general education school.

1) To develop imagination, critical, creative, figurative thinking, observation, attention, purposefulness, diligence, sensitivity, tolerance. 2) To form the ability to make judgments, analyzes and decisions, and if necessary, to react. 3) To form the desire and ability to see, feel, appreciate, preserve and create the beautiful and harmonious. 4) To form an active listener, the desire and need to visit concert halls, museums, galleries. 5) To teach to practically apply the knowledge and abilities acquired during artistic activities. 6) To form the ability to creatively solve national, universal, social, group, individual and personal problems. 7) To form the need to have one’s own participation in the preservation, reproduction and transmission of cultural values. 8) To create favorable conditions for professional orientation in the field of culture and art. 9) To preserve and develop the traditions of artistic education formed in Armenia in the fields of culture and art, to bring them into line with new economic relations, modern requirements and international educational standards.

1. Course objectives

1) To broaden the worldview of children. 2) To develop aesthetic and artistic perception. 3) To acquaint them with national and world cultural values, samples of folk art. 4) To teach them to work with materials.

1. Basic principles

1) The necessity of artistic education and aesthetic upbringing for all students. 2) Preservation and modernization of the best traditions of artistic education and aesthetic upbringing. 3) Ensuring accessibility and availability for each student. 4) Encouraging active and free creative activity of students. 5) Ensuring the inseparability of the chain “acquisition of knowledge-practical application-formation of a value system and attitude” during the study of the course. In a comprehensive school, the programs representing the “Arts and Crafts” educational field are built on the basis of basic ideas, according to the spiral principle. Subject (integrated) programs provide effective intra- and interdisciplinary connections, contributing to the formation of a general worldview of students.

1. Forms of educational activities

1) Studying, performing, listening to music, viewing works of fine art. Meetings with artists. 2) Debates, discussions, self-analysis, conversations. 3) Games, competitions, magazines, exhibitions and presentations used for various educational purposes. 4) Experimentation with materials, means and different approaches. 5) Research, studying different media and information sources. 6) Individual and group, independent and collaborative work and projects. 7) Presentations and modeling, creating diagrams and diagrams, watching educational and feature films, discussing. 8) Using professional terms, artistic vocabulary and language, defining and revealing ideas and concepts. 9) Applying media literacy skills to search for information and arguments, informed selection of relevant information and study material. 10) Worksheets and rubrics with various types of tasks, tasks on thematic unit. The “Art” integrated course standard defines the main ideas and sub-ideas, in accordance with which the standard requirements or outcomes have been provided for each age group.

The following main ideas and sub-ideas (concepts) have been defined: CREATION - Formulation of new artistic ideas and design, development and completion of works. It is carried out through:

1) study, testing and research of materials, means and approaches, ideas, 2) formation of professional vocabulary, 3) safe and secure activities, 4) study of the elements and principles characteristic of a given type of art, 5) artistic activities based on innovation and imagination.

PRESENTATION - Performing, interpreting, and presenting works of art. Works are selected, performed, grouped, reviewed, and displayed or presented. Works of art are viewed, analyzed, and interpreted. RESPONDING (PERCEPTING) - Recognizing, perceiving, and appreciating the expression/communication of meaning through art. Being an active observer, perceiving, responding, and evaluating (written and oral) one’s own and others’ works. CONNECTING - Relating artistic ideas and works to their meaning and external context. Relating works of art and creative activity from the perspective of different periods in history, different technological means and approaches, one’s own life experience, and the surrounding reality.

Gallery

Reflection Questions

Student Engagement: How did your students respond to the use of digital fabrication technology? Did it increase their engagement or motivation? Why or why not? They like a lot the process o f laser cutting, they are discussing how laser is working, why it cuold be dangerous, as we have short time thaey look more inerested and wanted to have more figures cutted.

Student Learning Outcomes: How effectively did the digital fabrication component help students achieve the learning objectives? Were there any unexpected learning outcomes?

Collaborated respectfully and effectively in a team. Converted hand-drawn elements into laser-cut-ready files. They want one other lesson to make all their puppets also laser cutted, besides hand drawn. Unexpected learning outcomes, I think were that they paint first the scenes from fairy tale, then they copied their characters and objects to paper cutted with scissors and then they were experimenting with light and shadow they realy were friendly discussing what they can change for making puppet look beter directly for shadow theatre, then they started voting to choose wich caracter tehy will use, and they show real friendship, decided to choose at list one caracter for each student and they were realy reflecting wich one is best suit for the purpose. Thry choose and and started to outline for cutting.

Instructional Challenges: What challenges did you face while teaching this lesson, and how did you address them? Were there any specific points where students struggled with the technology or content? One challenge was time — the lesson took longer than planned because students needed support with using some of the tools. I tried to help them and letting them work in pairs. I invited my coleage to help me for the second part of the lesson. Having a second teacher or helper really made it easier.

Teacher Growth: How has this experience changed your perspective on incorporating technology like digital fabrication into your teaching? What skills or strategies have you developed as a result? This experience helped me see how digital fabrication can be in teaching. Before, I was a bit afraid to use this kind of technology in class. Now I feel more confident and ready to try more projects like this. I also observe that kids are very open to new learnings, and reflected on time management of the lesson.

ScopesDF Link

SHadow Theatre