Tortoise

Objective

To help teachers create a puppet of a tortoise for story-telling and other purposes.

Estimated time to create the Glove Puppet – Tortoise

1 hour

Materials required for creating the Glove Puppet – Tortoise

  1. Plain cotton glove or thick felt glove
  2. Colored felt paper (green, brown, yellow)
  3. Scissors 
  4. Glue drops/ hot glue gun
  5. Black marker or googly eyes (for eyes)
  6. Needle and thread (optional)
  7. Safety pins/ clips (if needed temporarily)

Preparation for activity

  1. Choose child-safe and durable materials (felt, foam, cloth, etc.).
  2. Ensure the glove fits well on the hand.
  3. Select bright, friendly colors to attract children’s attention.
  4. Plan expressions and movement (e.g. mouth, legs) to keep it interactive.
  5. Identify the learning objective (e.g. storytelling, animal features, movement, habitats).
  6. If you are using hot glue instead of Fevicol, ensure that the hot glue is heated suitably and is ready for use.

Procedure

  • Shell Preparation:
  • Draw and cut a circular or oval piece of thick felt paper. 
  • Draw a radial line and make a cut along the line, using scissors. Overlap and glue the split edges. You can even stitch the edges. A shell-like shape is formed.
  • Add shell designs using contrasting colored paper/ felt pieces.
  • Fixing the shell:
  • Use a clean glove as the base. Wear the glove in your hand.
  • Attach the shell to the back of the glove (on the back of the hand area) using glue drops or stitching.
  • Creating head and limbs:
  • Paste googly eyes or draw them on the back of the middle finger.
  • Add eyebrows or mouth expression to make it engaging.
  • Use the remaining fingers to represent legs.
  • Let the glue dry completely before activating the puppet.
  • Test hand fitting and flexibility.

Step by Step Pictures to create the puppet

Important Tips

  1. Use non-toxic glue and materials especially if children handle the puppet.
  2. Ensure all parts are firmly attached to avoid choking hazards.
  3. Keep it lightweight for easy hand movement.
  4. Add some padding for a more 3D effect if desired.
  5. Match colours and features to real tortoises for realism.
  6. While creating the puppet, replicate the character illustration given in the children’s textbook. Once the puppet is ready, use the character’s name from the textbook. Using the name in the textbook helps children to remember the content.
  7. The teacher should use the puppet at an appropriate time. The teacher can narrate the story in a humorous manner. The teacher may make intentional mistakes to encourage children to correct them, thereby helping them become more actively engaged.

Precautions

  1. Always keep the face of the puppet towards the audience.
  2. Avoid sharp objects (like pins) when using them around children.
  3. Do not use weak glue for small parts like eyes.
  4. Always check the puppet for safety before classroom use.

Troubleshooting:

  1. If the puppet (glove) feels too tight, use a larger glove or stretch the base fabric.
  2. If the parts are falling off, use stronger glue or secure by stitching together.
  3. If the eyes or small parts are detaching, replace with marker drawings or stitch in place.
  4. If children are found to be not engaged, add some sound effects or animate movement with fingers.

Instructions to the Teacher Notes to the Teacher

  • Using puppets also aids in developing motor skills, such as hand-eye coordination. Additionally, puppets can enhance communication and social skills, improve focus and concentration and help teach concepts and values. 
  • Use the puppet as a storytelling tool or to introduce concepts like animal movement, habitats or moral lessons.
  • Let students interact with the puppet to boost participation.
  • Integrate simple questions during the demo. (“Where does the tortoise live?”, “How many legs do you see?”)
  • Maintain a calm, friendly tone while performing to create a safe and welcoming environment.
  • Create other animals as a puppet collection for themed lessons.

Using the Learning Teaching Material

The teacher can conduct a ‘Puppet Show’. Teachers can encourage the students to create these puppets and have a ‘Puppet Show’ in the classroom.

Video: How to use Learning Teaching Material

Source and Attribution of images
All images used in the above Assets and Aids are originally created.
This digital material has been developed by the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vahini Inclusive Education Project, a unit of Sri Sathya Sai Central Trust, Prasanthi Nilayam, as a collaborative offering in the service of our nation.