10. VASA –Valley Arts and ScienceVASA –Valley Arts and Science
Academy Charter SchoolAcademy Charter School
11. Fandango – I Am “VASA”Fandango – I Am “VASA”
““Fandango” Puppets shareFandango” Puppets share
what makes their schoolwhat makes their school
special.special.
32. Letters of AdviceLetters of Advice
When you take this class, you might think or say, whyWhen you take this class, you might think or say, why
am I taking a puppetry class? Or this class is goingam I taking a puppetry class? Or this class is going
to be easy and a waste of my time. It’s not!to be easy and a waste of my time. It’s not!
I was able to work with kids and see if this was trulyI was able to work with kids and see if this was truly
the career I would want to be in.the career I would want to be in.
By participating in a service-learning course, you willBy participating in a service-learning course, you will
become more outgoing and develop relationshipsbecome more outgoing and develop relationships
with awesome people you would never have metwith awesome people you would never have met
before.before.
I learned so much from this class and I hope you doI learned so much from this class and I hope you do
too… just have fun with it.too… just have fun with it.
34. ThankYou!ThankYou!
Professor KimV. MorinProfessor KimV. Morin
kimm@csufresno.edukimm@csufresno.edu
5201 N Maple Ave Mail Stop SA 465201 N Maple Ave Mail Stop SA 46
Department ofTheatre ArtsDepartment ofTheatre Arts
Fresno StateFresno State
Fresno, CA 93740-8027Fresno, CA 93740-8027
Editor's Notes
I want to introduce you to some things we are doing at Fresno State to support Arts Education in the Schools. We have a new name (the students just voted on it!) It is called P.A.W. – or Puppeteers at Work.
I teach an online course in all four arts to students who want to become elementary teachers. I also supervise students who want to become HS Drama teachers. I have taught puppetry for 25 years, but the Service-learning aspect of this class is what I am passionate about.
This is a poem called “Cloud Art.” I took what my students wrote about in their journals about what having a Service-learning course in puppetry meant – and this is what came of it. The larger words were repeated more often. Take a moment and see what words you notice.
Volunteerism is when a person volunteers in the community. But Service-learning is different. It happens when the service and the learning merge to have the same goals – they each support each other.
A Service-learning classroom looks different. Sometimes the instructor works with the students, sometimes the students work with the community partners, and best of all is when all three work together.
For many years, I did the “Old School” model. I worked with Stone Soup. Fresno for 15 years. My entire class would go to Stone Soup and run an after school puppetry program for 6 weeks for 60-80 children. It was very successful – but I wanted to offer greater flexibility and reach more students.
Then last spring I went back for some Professional development and looked at Service-Learning in a new way. So now we still offer 6-week after school programs – in fact, last spring we went to 2 schools at the same time. Here are many of the Community organizations we have worked with in the last 3 semester – and this is not all of them!
So here comes a quick show and tell of some of the projects we have been doing. I don’t have many pictures from this semester yet.
Here are some of the after school projects we have done. We are at Wolters this year doing recycling.
Students made Fandango paper bag puppets. Many opted to sing the school song for the performance.
Focus on healthy choices and exerciser. Performance and puppet-making with the parents.
Another project about Bullying.
My students had to learn to make the puppets first. Now they often make bodies for students to create their own masterpieces.
Students read “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me” by Maya Angelou. HS students from Armona Union Academy made puppets representing their fears then wrote scenes about bullying that they shared with younger grades.
Started – they wanted a puppet show the third week of classes – we could not prepare in time. But we could make finger puppets that were given away as prizes. We also did puppet-making projects that are still continuing.
Keeping our programs running We are able to provide all of our program materials for free (so far!)
We offer all of our programs at no cost to the community organization -
Students research multiple Grant Opportunities. They have also helped teachers apply for grants. We continue this process so we can offer free services to the community
