Who says learning can’t be fun, too?
Twenty-two aspiring future elementary teachers from Elon transformed myths from cultures around the world into vivid scenery and puppet shows Feb. 28 for 55 second- and third-grade students at Blessed Sacrament School in Burlington. Integrating research about the culture, creating images of the geographical environment, and translating text and character into script and puppets, the Elon students brought a world of cultures to the school’s media center.
By the end of the puppet shows the school children could locate Armenia on the map, knew that Western North Carolina is a home for the Cherokee people, and that kangaroos are marsupials.
The Elon students are enrolled in a course titled Fine Arts in the Public Schools, taught by Barbara Rhoades, adjunct assistant professor of art. Many of the students are sophomores who hope to join Elon’s teacher certification program. Rhoades says this experience has convinced even more of these students that they have chosen the right career.