This activity will be done over two classes.
CLASS ONE
LET’S PRACTICE THE VOCABULARY WE WILL NEED!
Flashcards
Memory game
WE NEED:
A pop bottle
2 metal lids
2 popsicle sticks
string
a piece of cardboard
a pencil, pen or marker (to draw the feet)
tape
scissors
a needle or compass (to make holes)
glue
paint
paint brushes
plastic lids for paint
container for water (to clean the brush)
a rag (to clean the brush)
newspaper or plastic (to protect your work surface)
OPTIONAL:
large paper clips (to hold the popsicle sticks together as they dry)
a glass jar (to paint the wings and tail of the duck)
STEPS:
1.) Collect all of the materials you will need. Remove labels and wash supplies as needed.
2.) Make 2 holes in the bottle, one near the top and one near the bottom. (You can use a large needle or a compass.)
3.) Thread the string through the bottom hole and feed it through the neck of the bottle. (Make sure that the string is long enough for your puppet cords and extra length to tie around the popsicle sticks.)
4.) Tie a large knot in the string, and pull it back through the neck. Repeat the process with the second hole.
5.) Reinforce the holes with tape.
6.) Paint the bottle whatever colour you want the body of your chicken to be. (Don’t worry about the bottom section of the bottle. We will paint it later.)
7.) Make holes in the center of the metal lids. (I use an old compass.)
8.) Thread string through the holes, and tie large knots. (The strings should be the same length as the ones you have in your bottle.)
9.) Trace a metal lid onto a piece of cardboard.
10.) Draw the front of the duck’s feet, and cut out the completed foot. Repeat for the second foot.
11.) Glue the cardboard onto the bottom of the metal lids.
12.) Glue the popsicle sticks together in the middle, so that they form a cross. (I use clips to hold them together while they dry.)
13.) Paint the feet.
14.) The paint on the bottle should be almost dry. Let’s be gentle with it, so we don’t scratch the paint. Paint the tail (the bottom of the bottle), the eyes, the beak, the wings, and anything else that you want to add.
15.) Now, our duck parts need to dry. Let’s clean our brushes and lids and tidy up. Then let’s leave everything in a clean, dry place that is out of the way.
CLASS TWO
Welcome back! Let’s review the vocabulary again with our Flashcards.
LET’S TALK ABOUT OUR FAVOURITE BIRDS.
My favourite is the Canada Goose.
Canada Geese make a distinct sound, that is called a honk. You can hear it here: Ducks Unlimited
Do you want to learn more about them? OPTIONAL HOMEWORK: Read this interesting article from HuffPost.
Your turn!
What are your favourite birds? Tell me about them.
A.) What do they look like?
B.) Where do they live?
C.) What do they eat?
Before we begin, let’s review the vocabulary again with our Flashcards.
LET’S FINISH MAKING OUR DUCKS.
16.) OPTIONAL STEP: Do you want more detail? Add tail feathers and wings.
Draw the shape of the feather you want, and cut it out. Use it to trase out the rest of the feathers.
17.) Glue the feathers onto your duck. I decided to add a beak, but use your imagination and add whatever you like.
18.) Tape the strings of the duck’s body to opposite sides of the popsicle stick. Make sure that the srings are the same length.
19.) Decide how long you want your duck’s legs. Tape the strings for the feet to the remaining sides.
20.) Now your puppet has long strings. But it is a lot easier to manipulate your duck if the strings are shorter, especially when you first learning how. So wind the strings around the popsicle sticks to make them shorter.
And there you go! Enjoy your hand-made puppet!
