ENLARGING A STORY FOR DRAMATIZING ΙΟΙ it; if he does this correctly, he may give a sentence to any other child, and so on. Whenever a child makes a mistake, he loses his opportunity to give a sentence; the one who corrects him gives a sentence. Or the class may be divided into two groups as in (2), introducing competition between the two sides. In all the above exercises, encourage the children to give connected sentences; if they are able to do it, this may be a requirement. For example: First Child: I saw two kittens. Second Child: They were out there under the tree. Fourth Child: They were too spry for me. XI (80). Enlarging a Story for Dramatizing; Pupils' Preparatory Study Start the pupils in the study of the story, The First Buttercups, preparatory to its dramatization. Read the story with them. Talk with them about the changes that must be made in order to prepare the story for dramatizing. Help them to answer some of the first questions, to make sure that they understand them and can answer them. Let them study through the whole lesson, with such individual help as they may require. Do not give them too much help; this robs them of the opportunity of using their own imaginations. XII (82). Enlarging a Story for Dramatizing; Have pupils answer the questions that they studied for their last lesson. Keep before them the idea that their answers must show just what the actors, in playing the story, might do and say. In preparation for this exercise, you should prepare yourself just as carefully as you expect the pupils to prepare themselves. Following the questions in their book, you should think out carefully the whole story, in all its details, as it might work out. Then you should keep this story in your mind-be sure to keep it in your mind, do not impose it on the children—as a guide for yourself in bringing out from the children a complete, clear, and connected narrative. Here is one way in which the story was worked out by one class, following the questions given in the pupils' book. The numbers in parenthesis correspond to the numbers opposite the questions in the pupils' book. A man set out to find the end of the rainbow. (1) He carried a spade over his shoulder. (2, 3, 4) After walking a long way he cried, "Here is the end of the rainbow at last! I have heard that there is a pot of gold buried in the earth here. I will dig and dig until I get it." (5) After digging for some time he found the gold. He lifted it out, saying, "What a lot of gold! What shall I do with it? I will carry it into the woods and bury it." (6, 7, 8) He put the gold into a bag and started for the woods, ENLARGING A STORY FOR DRAMATIZING 103 saying to himself, "How rich I am! I will keep every bit of this gold for myself. Nobody shall have one piece of it." (9) Little did the selfish man know that there was a hole in his bag! As he hurried across the fields on the way to the woods, bit by bit the gold dropped out until he had no gold left. (10, 11, 12) A little fairy was watching the man. She said, "What a pity such a selfish man should have all that gold. I am sure he will do no good with it." (13, 14) When she saw the gold fall, she said, "There, he has lost his gold and I am glad. I will change the gold into bright golden flowers. They will make every one who looks on them glad." (15) So saying, the little fairy flew from gold piece to gold piece touching each with her wand. At the touch of the wand, every gold piece turned into a golden flower. (16) "There," said the little fairy as she flew away, "I have made those dear flowers for the little children." (17) When the man opened his bag and found no gold, he cried, "Why, where is all my gold?" On looking more closely he saw the hole. (18) "Ah, now I know," he said. "It has dropped through this hole. I will go back and look for it." (19) Back to the field hurried the man. He searched and searched, but not a piece of his gold did he ever find. Just as he was leaving the field the little fairy flew to him. (20, 21) "See these bright flowers," she said, pointing to the golden flowers. "Do you know how they came to be here? They were your gold pieces. I saw you drop them and I changed them into buttercups for the children, because I wanted the gold to make ever so many people happy. You were selfish. You would give none to others." The man looked at the fairy for a moment, then at the golden buttercups. (22) At last he turned slowly away, saying to himself, “The flowers are very bright and beautiful. They will make the children happy. I think the fairy is right.” After the children have answered the questions, connect their answers into a complete story. Tell them this story from beginning to end. Let this be the children's story, as nearly as may be, not the story that you worked out for yourself, and certainly not the story that is here given merely for illustration. XIII (82). Dramatizing the Story, "The First If the dramatizing up to this time has been carried out as directed, if the children have been allowed to take the initiative, they should have gained considerable confidence and skill in planning and acting out a simple story, like this one of the first buttercups. Tell them the story again, without question or comment, as it was worked out at the last lesson. Then let them dramatize it. Let them choose the ones to take part; then let the chosen ones carry it out as they think it should be done. Show your confidence in the little actors; give only help enough to prevent a complete failure, if this should seem imminent. When the first dramatization is completed, let the children discuss the merits of it, suggesting definitely wherein it should be improved. Then let them choose a new set of actors to reënact the story with the improvements suggested. It may be thus repeated as many times as seem desirable, but always with certain definite ideas for improvement. It must not become perfunctory and mechanical. SUPPLEMENTARY WORK 105 Supplementary Work The story may be told orally by several children. Do not insist that it be told as you told it, or as it was played; encourage variation; commend originality; it is only essential that the chief events of the story be in substantial agreement with those of the original, and that it be clear, connected, and complete. XIV (82). Picture Stories (Puppy-dog pictures, p. 83) After the children have studied the lesson in their books, have the story told in three parts. PART I. Saving the Puppy's Life (upper picture). PART II. Playmates (between the pictures). This part may be told by the teacher if pupils have not worked it out well. Tell how the boy and the dog became fast friends, playing and growing up together. After two or three years the puppy was a full-grown dog, while the boy was still small. PART III. Saving the Boy's Life (lower picture). Supplementary Work I. In connection with this story tell the children the fables, The Lion and the Mouse, and The Dove and the Ant. Have them compare the three stories, noting what is common to them all. Be sure to have the fact clearly brought out that the boy saved the puppy's life, the dove the ant's life, and |