HomeMy WebLinkAboutRead Aloud Book Gr. 3-Lesson 9Have you ever seen a puppet show? Maybe you have made your own puppets out of
socks or paper bags. You may not realize that puppet shows are a very old art. People
have used puppets to tell stories for thousands of years.
Puppets can be made out of almost any material. They have been made from wood,
clay, paper, and metal. Also, puppets often wear clothing made of lustrous, or shiny,
fabrics. And sometimes puppets perform on colorful stages with shimmering lakes or
dark forests.
People in Egypt made some of the fi rst puppets more than two thousand years ago.
They pulled on taut strings to make the puppets move and dance. If the strings were
loose, the puppets did not move correctly. The Egyptians also made large walking
puppets. Archaeologists have found some of these puppets buried in Egyptian tombs.
Puppets were also very popular in ancient Greece and Rome. Some frail, old puppets
have been found from that time period. They were shriveled and falling apart. But most
of what we know about these puppets comes from writing. Plato, who was a famous
Greek writer, often wrote about puppets. Historians think the Greeks and Romans used
puppets in plays and as toys for children.
Hundreds of years later, people in Europe used rigid wooden puppets called
marionettes to act out plays. Marionettes have joints that move. Each joint has a
string attached to it. When the string is pulled, the joint bends. People performed their
puppet plays in streets and town squares. Soon after that, outdoor puppet theaters
became common in parks and markets.
Eventually, people from Europe brought their puppets to America. Americans began
to try out their own puppet ideas. American puppet theaters were built, but soon other
forms of entertainment, such as radio, became more popular.
In the 1960s, a man named Jim Henson had an idea for a new kind of puppet. These
new puppets were supple and soft. He made them out of foam and cloth. Henson came
up with a name for his puppets, because they were so different from other puppets. He
called them Muppets. You might know them better as Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo.
The next time you’re feeling creative, try making a puppet with some simple supplies.
Give the puppet a name and a voice. Then it will have a life of its own!
COMPREHENSION Which words help you understand how puppets look and
feel? Why do you think using puppets would be a good way to tell a story?
34
35
Warmed by the heat of the campfi re, the girls laughed at the end of Frannie’s
story. Michiko said, “You tell good stories, Frannie.”
Madison turned up her nose. “You think that was a good campfi re story? That
was as exciting as listening to someone recite the alphabet, A to Z. I can tell a
much better story.”
“Really?” Frannie mocked. “Then go ahead.”
Madison cleared her throat. “A long time ago, a girl named Sue felt like
swinging from a bear’s tail. So she set out for the woods. After hours of walking,
she got to the foot of a mountain.”
Her friends were listening closely. Madison continued.
“There, Sue saw the biggest bear in the whole world. That bear was ten—no,
twenty times her size. When she saw him, Sue felt a little scared. But she wasn’t
the giving-up type,” said Madison.
Bibi interrupted, “Is that a word?”
“Oh, Bibi, berate her about grammar later!” implored Daria. “What happened
next?”
“Yes, please go on,” urged Frannie.
“Well, Sue walked right over to that big bear. She grabbed onto his tail and
started swinging from it,” Madison continued. “Then the bear turned to her and
growled, ‘What do you think you’re doing?’
“Sue was a quick thinker. She said, ‘Oh, Mr. Bear, a cougar I met started to
gloat about how much fun it is to swing from his long tail. He said that yours
would be too short to swing from.’
“The bear looked hurt. ‘It’s true. My tail is short,’ he said softly.
“Sue stopped swinging and dropped to the ground. Then she said, ‘But guess what?
Your tail is much better for swinging on than that old cougar’s tail was. I’m going to tell
him so!’ And with that, Sue waved goodbye, turned around, and went home.”
The others looked at Madison for a moment. Then, they started to laugh.
“That was a great campfi re story,” said Frannie.
“Please, Maddy, tell us another!” cried Bibi.
“OK, I’ve been persuaded,” Madison said. “Let me tell you about the boy who
wanted to swim with the dolphins . . .”
COMPREHENSION What words help you understand how people are
talking? Could Madison’s story really have happened? Why or why not?
36
37