IN MEDIAS RES
TECHNIQUE
Because the story begins in the middle of the action, this is an example of in medias res. We are immediately thrust into the story when the gingerbread man comes to life and leaps out of the oven, but we are not told how the dough was mixed or how the gingerbread man was baked. In addition, the gingerbread man's journey begins immediately, and we are introduced to the characters he encounters, including the old woman, the cow, the horse, and the fox, immediately. Another characteristic of medias res is that the story provides little background information or exposition and instead jumps right into the action.
MATERIALS NEEDED
Glue
Pebble Stones
Pictures cut-outs
Scissors
THE STEPS
1.
First, prepare the materials such as glue, pebble and cut-out picture.
2.
Next, put a dab of glue on the back of each cutout and stick it to a separate pebble stone each.
3.
Next, stick the glued cut-out picture on the pebble stone.
4.
That's all and now do the same to the other cut-out pictures too.
ACTIVITY TIME
STORY SUMMARY
The story begins with a little old man and a little old woman who lives in a cottage. They would have been happy except for the fact that they did not have a child. One day, when the old lady was making gingerbread, she cut a piece in the shape of a boy and put it into the oven. When she opened the oven again, the little gingerbread boy jumped out and proceeded to run away as fast as he could. The woman called her husband, and they went after him but could not catch him. The gingerbread man runs by a barn with a cow. Next, the gingerbread man came to a field full of mowers, again boasting that they couldn't catch him. Then came a cow, then a pig, but no one was close to catching the gingerbread man. Then the gingerbread man came across a fox. He boasted like usual, but the fox was fast. The fox caught him and began to eat him up.
THE GINGERBREAD MAN
TEACHER'S INSTRUCTIONS
1.
In the first scene, the teacher begins with a brief introduction and then displays the stones with the cutouts of an old woman, an old man, and a cottage. Then, the teacher reveals gingerbread's beginning, when the old woman decides to bake gingerbread.
2.
The teacher exchanges the cottage stone for the garden stone in the next scene. This is to indicate a change in the place setting.
3.
Moving forward, the teacher removes all stones except for the gingerbread man and replaces them with a pig and yard stone to demonstrate that the gingerbread man is experiencing a new encounter because the pig begins to chase him through the garden after seeing him flee from the old woman and man.
4.
Next, the teacher removes all stones except the gingerbread man stone and replaces them with a cow and a barn stone to demonstrate that the gingerbread man is again experiencing a new encounter.
5.
After that, the teacher removes all except the gingerbread man stone and replaces it with a horse and field stone to show that a new encounter is happening to the gingerbread man again. In this scene, the emphasis is on the horse and gingerbread man's running and pursuit.
6.
The teacher then removes all stones except for the gingerbread man and replaces them with fox and river stones to demonstrate that the gingerbread man is experiencing a new encounter. This is the final scene, and the teacher can remove the gingerbread man's stone to signify that the fox ate him.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS
1.
The teacher prepares a few stones and cut-out pictures to conduct the activity.
3.
The teacher asks pupils to divide themselves into groups of three, making it easier for them to communicate with their peers.
2.
The teacher asks pupils to stick the cut-outs on stones and start to think creatively about how to present the story later.
4.
After the storytelling session, the pupils can give their comments and feedback on the activity.
REFERENCES
All animation and pictures are from Canva.
Techniques
https://norsensus.no/storydown/storytelling-techniques/
Story
Literacy, A. O. (2022, December 23). Gingerbread Man Stick Puppets. ABC’s of Literacy. https://abcsofliteracy.com/gingerbread-man-stick-puppets/
The Gingerbread Man Story - Enchanted Learning. (2005, December 24). Enchanted Learning. https://www.enchantedlearning.com/stories/folktale/gingerbreadman/story/
Sharma, S., & Sharma, S. (2021, October 22). Gingerbread Man Story. Bedtimeshortstories. https://www.bedtimeshortstories.com/gingerbread-man-story