The Pyramid Puppeteers Present "Nutrition Magician"

By: Marj Spangler

Teaching Team:

School: Linwood Middle School, North Brunswick, NJ

Grade Levels: 6th, 7^th, 8^th Special Education

Academic Focus/
Core Curriculum Standards:

Consumer, Family & Life Skills 9.2 A, B, C, D.

Hurdles Encountered:

Hurdles: Students are at varied grade and academic levels within the same class.

Solution: Differentiated instruction including multi sensory activities and peer mentoring. Working towards a common goal fosters a sense of community among student groups.

Students in the small group instruction "Health Plus" class reinforce their understanding of basic nutrition and the use of the food guide pyramid by writing and performing a puppet show for kindergarten students at the elementary school level.

The project was completed during allotted Health Plus class time.

Language Arts Literacy: Students explore figurative language by creating rhyming verse with a nutritional theme. Reading and writing skills will be reinforced as the students develop ideas for the script, which will incorporate their rhymes as character dialog and lyrics for music that will accompany the puppet show.

Visual Arts: With the guidance of the art teacher, students create sock and stick puppets that will be featured in the puppet show, and decorate the puppet theatre.

Performing Arts: Students enrich their understanding of musical genres by exploring rap and musical theatre in Music Plus class. Students create musical compositions to be incorporated into the puppet show and design and construct the puppet theatre stage.

Mathematics: Students reinforce math concepts at every stage of the project, using measurement, comparison, computation and budgeting.

Technology: Students apply their computer skills and reinforce basic nutrition concepts by successfully navigating the Mypyramid.gov website and completing the "Blast Off" activity.

Consumer, Family & Life Skills: Students demonstrate critical judgment & self-management skills as well as practice ethical values.

Celebration: A curtain call cast party will be held

Recognition: “Academy Awards,” You make a Difference awards and newspaper coverage.

Performance-based Education: Students employ critical thinking skills in planning their approach to this interdisciplinary project while focusing on strategies to improve their interpersonal skills. They worked with the teaching team and classmates to complete the project and schedule performances at the elementary schools.

Cooperative Learning: Students serve as peer mentors and worked in cooperative groups to bring the project to completion.

Interdisciplinary Approach: Students integrate skills in language arts, visual and performing arts, mathematics, technology and health.

Students will develop a sense of pride and self-efficacy and serve as role models for younger students.

Reaching a common goal connects students who experience a sense of achievement and the knowledge that their efforts are valued. Students feel they have helped the little ones and made a difference. All stakeholders in the project expressed similar feelings.

Parents will be invited to a special “Premiere” performance.

Follow-up lessons will be completed as the project comes to a close, involving all stakeholders, focusing on the importance of teamwork in achieving common goals to benefit the community.

Student involvement in all phases of the project.

Completion of academic focus activities .Reflective journal writing.