Fletcher Elementary School fourth grader, Kymani Howell, filmed a puppet show created from fairy tales students are reading during library time. The play was performed by Andraya Cromartie, Ryleii Ahlquist and Jocelyn Stappenbeck in Makerspaces during library time.

Small groups of Fletcher Elementary School fourth graders in Jaime Damon’s class discovered more about fairy tales with puppets, cardboard, glue, Legos and their imaginations as part of Makerspaces with Library Media Specialist Carrie Lyon.

Ms. Lyon uses Makerspaces with students to encourage play and hands-on learning, along with extending their literacy skills during library time.

“Kids are like sponges and they love learning and guiding their own instruction!” said Ms. Lyon. “They have so many things going on in their brains that just amaze me and because of this they truly are capable of so much! They push me daily to be a better teacher and I love that!”

Students read the original fairy tales and then read the “mixed-up” tales; for example, Rapunzel and Falling for Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and Sleepless Beauty, Cinderella, and Bigfoot Cinderella and Ninja-Rella. Ms. Lyon incorporated writing into most of the spaces. She also wanted students to really focus on creating and using trial and error so that they hone their problem-solving skills.

“I’ve been doing Makerspaces for a long time and this time I asked the kids to generate a list of activities they could do to extend the stories and enhance their literacy skills,” said Ms. Lyon. “I guide them with ideas that pertain to reading, writing, puppets, technology, art, music, creation, etc. They always surprise me with their great ideas! Then, I type them up and each week the kids (on individual pieces of paper) write their own learning plan. They choose what they want to do and that, to me, is the key to them wanting to keep learning!”

The fourth graders decided they wanted to work with puppets so Ms. Lyon said that they had to create their own story, learn how to write a script and use an iPad to film their productions. They wrote a script about kids that looked different, were teased about it, and ended up having the bully sent to the principal. The kids decided what to write about based on what they value and want others to learn, since fairy tales teach ways to behave. The students wanted others to feel that it was okay to be different and to speak out.

Fairy tales teach manners, social mores, good character and in general help with life. Fairy tales exist in all cultures but change according to their traditions and social rules. The fractured fairy tales help students see and understand that society is changing and it’s okay to be unique and still respect others for their unique qualities too. For example in Bigfoot Cinderella, Bigfoot’s idea of beauty is very different from ours in the U.S. Fairy tales also help students understand how to handle situations that make them angry or mad. Goldilocks should not have entered a stranger’s home and eaten their food and broken their chairs. Ms. Lyon discusses those rules and the class actually challenges some of the accepted plot points.

“They were so excited! They work on these things with me guiding them when they need it. Some activities are done within one class time and others take longer. This helps to teach students perseverance and they get the amazing opportunity to be successful!” said Ms. Lyon.