Beowulf Puppet Show

Mrs. Sykes and Mrs. Henry challenged their senior English students to do more than just read Beowulf for British literature class. Her students adapted the classic British legend into a children's story and put on a puppet show. Each of her two classes took on one half of the play, and students worked in groups to take on rolls of script-writing, stage/prop building, directing, performing and voice acting. They researched puppeteering and secured a grant from the John Randolph Foundation to purchase puppets and backdrops. They used the maker space to design and create a portable stage that they could use to practice in their classroom and set up at the nearby elementary school for students to watch.

Tools used: Table saw, brad nailer, power drill & driver, miter saw, speed square, paint.

Students used scrap material to prototype different designs for the stage and backdrop setup.

Students learned how to use new tools to build and paint their stage according to their tested designs.