The Project Ploughshares
Puppets for Peace Program
Precepts: Project Ploughshares Calgary began Puppets for Peace in 2001 as a local way of addressing violence in the world. We believe that children learn more quickly and at a deeper level when the arts are the vehicle for the messages involved.
The Project Ploughshares Puppets for Peace program conforms to both the "Health and Active Living Curriculum" and the "Social Studies Program of Studies". It is designed both to assist personal growth in the individual student and to improve classroom and school social climate. Puppets for Peace performances and classroom visits are most effective when they are the highlight of other work being done in a school or pre-school on these issues. Teachers are encouraged to prepare students for the presentation, watch the presentation with their students and reinforce the concepts covered afterwards.
Some Sources Used in the Puppets for Peace Program Development:
* 'Bullyproofing Your School: A Comprehensive Approach' (six authors)
* Calgary Family Services' 'Dare to Care' program
* 'The Bully, the Bullied and the Bystander' by Barbara Coloroso
* Alberta Teachers' Association 'Safe and Caring Schools' initiative.
Puppets for Peace Presentations
The Kindergarten to Grade 1 play, Three's a Picnic, is 30 to 35 minutes. During this much loved play the audience echoes two poems/chants and sings the friendship song. They are invited to offer ideas about how the characters could get along better and they review the CAR poster (Care, Apologize, Respect) with the puppets.
The Grade 1 to 3 play, Lisasaurus Rex, is a 40 to 45 minute presentation. This includes an interactive puppet play and further work with the audience on how all those involved in a bullying situation - the person who bullies, the person who is picked on and the bystanders - can help stop bullying and build a climate of respect. After the play, the puppets introduce 'The Footsteps' strategies, and act out short scenarios which explore what bullying means and how to handle it when one gets bullied and when one is bullying. The audience is invited to make suggestions, get up and try the Footsteps and even role play with the puppets: individual students, chosen by the teachers, are invited to come up and deal with a bullying situation, with the help of the other puppets and the audience. The combination of the professional puppeteers and the child-sized, racially diverse puppets creates a program that is particularly good at holding children's attention. See 'Testimonials'.
The Grade 4 to 6 play, Birds of a Feather, 45 minutes, is a gripping play with a Magpie whose personality provides comic relief. Magpie solicits ways of making one's school and community more peaceful from the audience. It is strongly recommended that teachers prepare their classes for this play using the preparatory lesson plan provided or an equivalent, and follow up after the play with a second lesson plan, also provided.
Puppets for Peace limits its audience size to 75 students in order for learning to be maximized. Included in the fee are teaching materials for follow-up work for the two plays for older students, and posters for each play.
• For a downloadable flyer giving general information see the'Your School' section.
• For a description of the scripts, see the 'Scripts' section.
• For evaluative comments, see the 'Testimonials' section.
Classroom Visits
As follow-up to the puppet presentation, a program is offered to classes of up to 30 students at a time. This 60 to 75 minute presentation does not include the puppets from the play, but the scenerios of the play are referred to. A facilitator will make a brief presentation then involve the class in age-appropriate brainstorming, discussion, role-playing of bullying situations and an anti-bullying survey. See 'Links'.
Contact the Puppets for Peace co-ordinator at: 284-4889
