The Puppet Pals App

I'm excited to be sharing the Puppet Pals app with teachers this week at our district professional development. I see it as being incredibly versatile - and useful with any age level for almost any topic. We have purchased the Director's Pass version, although there are some neat projects that can be done with the free version as well. The Director's Pass has 13 actor sets and a wide range of backgrounds, with the promise of more sets to come (at no additional charge!)including Arthropod Armada, Christmas, Entertainers, Fair Weather Friends, Fairytale, Monsters, On the Farm, Pirates, Political Partay, Talk Shows, Thanksgiving, Wild West, and Zombie Attack, but also the ability to add actor(s) and background(s) from your photo collection (either images you have taken or images saved from the internet). These images can be cropped to create your own puppets.

Using Puppet Pals is easy - especially if you are under 12. :) My strongest advice, especially for teachers and older children, is that you need to provide time (or take time) for the planning stages. If you want the stories your children produce to be well-written, quality work they need to play ahead. Here are some tips:

1. Plan & Storyboard: Lay out your story in a storyboard or graphic organizer.
2. Dialogue & Stage Direction: Make sure your dialogue is written and clear as to who speaks when (also what voice you will use for each actor), what actions the actors need to perform (e.g. move off screen, come closer, walk, appear on screen, turn, appear smaller, etc…), and what actions need to take place between scene changes (e.g. rearrange actors, have an actor move off stage or into the background).
3. Group Assignments: If you are working in a group, you will want to assign parts and actors and plan accordingly. Not everyone may have an actor assignment. One person may be responsible for the changing of the backdrop or prop.
4. Dress Rehearsal: Once your story is written, parts are assigned, and dialogue is rehearsed, you are ready to perform. I would suggest doing a dry run before recording.

Slide to Perform: The Basics

1. Select Characters: Tap “Press to Start”. Select actors by tapping on them (a green check mark will appear in the bottom of the actor when it is selected). Tap “Next”.
2. Select Backdrops: Select backdrops by tapping on them (a green check mark will appear in the bottom of the actor when it is selected). Tap “Next”.
3. Change Backgrounds while filming: For full screen image, change the orientation of your iPad to landscape (held horizontally).
4. Turn Character, Change their Size, or Move them from the Stage: Tap & drag a character to move, pinch out to enlarge, pinch in to reduce, and double-tap to change direction. Tap & drag actor out of area of backdrop to remove them from a scene.
5. Record, Pause, & Stop: Tap Record (red circle). You can Pause (2 vertical parallel lines) in between scenes, Tap Stop (white square) when finished. Click Play (green triangle) to preview. If you are satisfied with the quality of your show, you are ready to Save.
6. Save: Tap Save (looks like old-school 3.5 inch floppy). Type a title in the space provided. Tap Save.
7. Export: When you launch the app, tap “Saved Shows”. You will be presented with an option to “Export”. Your show will be saved in the video section of your camera roll.
8. Upload to YouTube, Schoology or Email: From your camera roll, locate the video. Tap the rectangle with the arrow in the upper right hand corner. You will have the option to email the video (many videos may be too large for this option), send it to YouTube (will have to sign in to an account), or copy the video. If uploading to Schoology, open your Schoology app and create an update. Attach the video in your update and post.

Possible Topics for Puppet Pals

1. Illustrate a vocabulary word, math problem, or scientific concept
2. Recreate a story in a different setting
3. Apply today’s government and economic structure to that of the Wild West
4. Create a news story (interview a character or a witness)
5. Illustrate a poem (include various elements of figurative language: simile, metaphor, personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, idioms, cliches) or practice rhyme scheme & meter
6. Write a story using a certain number of prepositional phrases, adverbs, adjectives, etc…
7. Create a story to illustrate humor or another emotion or depict sarcasm or irony (verbal, dramatic, situational) or even a paradox
8. Create a story to illustrate word play & literary techniques (spoonerisms, wellerisms, rhetoric,puns,
9. Create a story to narrate conflict or climax
10. Create a story that is a biographical retelling of a historical figure from the era (or a historical fiction account) – check out Time Warp Trio for some great extensions and ideas (also has an Old West section) to spice up your show.
11. Create a talk show to have various characters share their story or debate a topic.

For practice: Choose 1 of the following show ideas:

• Option A: Create a Puppet Pal Show using the existing characters and backdrops that highlight at least 3 idioms, 3 prepositions, 1 metaphor, and 1 simile. Export your show (as a video) so others can see it.
• Option B: Create a Puppet Pals Show using at least 2 one-syllable rhyming words, 2 two or three-syllable rhyming words, 2 idioms, and 2 alliterations.

You may use the resources highlighted here to assist you with your show: Idiom Dictionary, Idiom Site,Rhymezone, Ryhmer, The Preposition, Your Dictionary: Alliteration, Your Dictionary: Similes & Metaphors,Buzzle.com: Metaphors.

Many of these ideas shared by Lisa Johnson. Thanks Lisa!! Check out her blog at http://www.techchef4u.com/