Making Puppets – TEALS case study
Background
The plan of action
Developing the brief
Implementing the plan of action
Evaluation and assessment
Developing the brief
At the second gateway 2, Ana's conceptual, procedural, and legislative and regulatory knowledge were extended and operationalised in the development of her brief.
The students identified where they needed to undertake research to develop their initial ideas and to select materials that were appropriate to the character of their puppet and the type of movement required. To do this, they explored mechanisms, structures, and materials used in puppet construction, including jointing techniques for different types of puppets. They also identified whether they needed to incorporate new features, such as electronics. Then they were ready to develop their personal brief and identify the specifications for their puppet.
All students were required to complete an assignment on health and safety in the workshop. They then developed rules and protocols to ensure safe working practices.
After selecting her puppet design, Ana identified a range of possible construction materials, such as wood, metal, plastic or plastic moulds, clay crete, fimo, fabric, and papier mâché. Her understanding of joining techniques for different materials had been developed during previous units of work and she already had a basic understanding of control systems in terms of inputs, outputs, and switches, as well as how mechanisms such as cams, levers, and pivots could be used.
Ana's understanding of cultural sensitivity issues that were raised in class discussion prompted her to undertake specific research into the symbolic nature of dragons in other cultures, particularly in Asia, to ensure that the development of her puppet would not be incorrect or offensive to others.
From her previous experience in school workshops, Ana had a good understanding of safety protocols for machinery use and general safe workshop practices. She was able to extrapolate her general understandings of safety to the context of puppets, identifying safety issues for their construction and handling, such as the need to cover joints and to have no sharp edges, loose pieces, or long strings that could cut or wrap around limbs. However, she had limited understanding of the health and safety regulations and OSH (occupational safety and health) requirements for such things as the management of materials – their handling and storage and their toxicity. She also had no specific knowledge of copyright laws.
Ana quickly completed an assignment on safety in the workshop with no support from her teacher. The assignment focused on the need for correct attire and knowledge of appropriate behaviour in the workshop, recognition of potential dangers, and the safe use of hand tools and machinery. It also included a section on electricity. Ana explained what OSH stood for and how OSH legislation impacts on employers and employees.
Ana developed her own brief with specifications, which reflected the wide range of factors she had explored.
BriefTo design and make a puppet to suit a purpose. My puppet will be a dragon and it will be made for the purpose of education and recreation with children of any age. The operator will need to be older than ten years of age to handle the size and weight of the puppet. SpecificationsMy puppet will need to:
|
Even at this stage of the unit, Ana displayed confidence and competence when working independently. She had meticulously planned what she wanted to do and how she would achieve it. All aspects of the task were kept in mind, carefully thought through, and the details noted.
Back to TEALS – Case studies index
Download this case study in PDF (78kb) or a Word (136kb) format.
