Puppet Characters Creation

Year Level

Years 2-7 (with differentiation for diverse academic and literacy levels)

Duration

80 minutes

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Learning Area

The Arts – Drama
Aligned with the South Australian Curriculum – Drama strand for Years 1-6 (including emphasis on emotional expression and character development)

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Unit Title

Puppet Power: Emotions in Theatre
Lesson 1 of 4: Creating Puppet Characters

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WALT (We Are Learning To)

Create puppet characters that express emotions through design and dramatic intention.

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Success Criteria

• I can identify at least three different emotions.
• I can design a puppet character that shows these emotions visually.
• I can explain the personality or feeling my puppet represents.
• (Extension) I can write a short backstory for my puppet.

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Curriculum Links

South Australian Curriculum - The Arts (Drama)

• Foundation to Year 2: Use elements of drama and imagination in dramatic play, including emotions and role-play (AC9ADR2D01).
• Years 3 and 4: Explore emotions and character ideas through dramatic play and process drama (AC9ADR4E02, AC9ADR4E02_E3).
• Years 5 and 6: Develop characters and situations to communicate emotions and ideas using voice and movement (AC9ADR6C01).
• Development of physical and expressive skills through improvisation and character creation (AC9ADR6C01_E1, AC9ADR6C01_E2).
• Employing respectful relationships and empathy when developing roles (AC9ADR8D01_E7).

These align directly with designing puppet characters that display emotions and personalities reflecting personal or cultural stories.

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Classroom Context

• Remote Aboriginal school with students mainly at year 1-4 academic levels, mostly developing literacy skills.
• Class of 7 students, with varying reading abilities, some dyslexic-friendly adaptations needed.
• Activities kept short (~15 minutes each) with regular breaks.
• Literacy-rich, using visual aids and verbal discussions to enhance understanding.

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Materials Needed

• Puppet-making supplies: sock puppets, paper bags, coloured paper, glue, markers, fabric scraps, googly eyes, wool, pipe cleaners etc.
• Emotion picture cards or visual emotion charts (happy, sad, angry, surprised, scared, calm).
• Template sheets of basic puppet shapes for those needing design support.
• Writing paper or pre-printed backstory frames for advanced learners.
• Recording device or notebook for sharing puppet ideas.

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Lesson Sequence

Time	Activity	Details	Differentiation/Support
0-10 min	Introduction & Warm-up

• Brief circle time discussion on emotions.
• Show emotion pictures, ask students to identify and mimic faces/body language for emotions.
• Explain WALT and success criteria simply and visually. | Use visual aids & mimicry for conceptualisation. | | 10-25 min | Emotion Brainstorm & Puppet Planning |
• Students choose 3 emotions to express with their puppet.
• Use templates or blank paper to sketch puppet faces/body.
• Discuss personality traits connected to those emotions (e.g. shy, brave, cheerful). | Templates, visual prompts; verbal prompts for non-readers. | | 25-35 min | Break / Movement Pause | Gentle movement or stretch break to refresh. | | 35-60 min | Puppet Creation |
• Students create their puppets using supplied materials.
• Teacher circulates, prompts thinking about showing emotions in puppet design (facial expression, colours, accessories). | Provide extra help or slower pace for younger/lower-level students. Advanced students write short character backstory during or after puppet creation. | | 60-70 min | Sharing & Character Explanation |
• Each student introduces their puppet to the group, explains emotions and personality.
• Discuss: How do you show happy/sad/angry on your puppet? | Peer listening, oral expression practice; teacher models question prompts. | | 70-80 min | Reflection & Wrap-up |
• Quick group reflection: What was hard/easy?
• Recap key learnings.
• Preview next lesson focus on using puppets in storytelling. | Use simple sentence starters on board for non-readers: “My puppet feels...” |

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Differentiation Strategies

• For students needing support: Puppet templates to trace and colour; visual emotion cards to select from; one-on-one teacher assistance during crafting.
• For students with dyslexia: Emphasise visual instructions; use picture prompts; allow verbal sharing instead of writing; minimise text-heavy materials.
• For advanced learners: Encourage writing a short character backstory describing puppet’s feelings, motivations or fictional history.

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Assessment

• Formative:
  Observation of students’ ability to identify and discuss emotions during introduction and puppet planning.
  Informal assessment via questioning and student explanations during sharing.
• Summative:
  Completed puppet designs that visually communicate chosen emotions aligned with WALT and success criteria.
  Optional written or oral backstory to show deeper understanding of character.

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Aboriginal Cultural Inclusion

• Encourage students to reflect on emotions and characteristics that might be important in their own community stories or Dreaming tales.
• Allow use of natural or found materials from the local environment to personalise puppets.
• Include storytelling elements linked to community and Country where appropriate.

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Teacher Notes

• Maintain a supportive, patient teaching environment with lots of encouragement.
• Use clear, simple language and repeat instructions.
• Use puppets yourself to model emotion expression at beginning to engage and scaffold.
• Capture photos or short videos (with permissions) for student reflection and community sharing.

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This lesson supports foundational drama skills through creative arts, drama elements, empathy development, and literacy through thematic puppet creation. It aligns with South Australian Curriculum drama content descriptions and elaborations, particularly AC9ADR2D01, AC9ADR4E02, and AC9ADR6C01 for emotional character creation and expression .

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