Project Title: String Seminar for Elementary Students

Audience: Local public elementary school class

Time Frame: 10-minute demonstration followed by 20 minutes of training.

Goal: Students will gain an appreciation of string figures by viewing a demonstration and learning to make string figures of their own. They will also locate regions well-known for their string figures.

Overview: After a demonstration, students will learn several string maneuvers. First they will learn "Opening A," one of the common "bases" of other string figures. Next they will make a "Cup and Saucer," also known as a "Sake Cup" in Japan and an "Outrigger Canoe" in New Caledonia. Students will locate North America, Japan, Pacific Ocean, and New Caledonia on a map or globe. If time remains and the students are willing and able, they will learn the "Mosquito" and the story that goes with it. They will be able to locate Africa, South America, and the Atlantic Ocean on a map or globe.

Materials: Loops of string (for each person), globe, string figure directions and map handouts.

Directions:

1) Tell students that many cultures from around the world make string figures. Show them the areas that are most noted for their string figures (Americas, the Arctic, Australia, Japan, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Western Africa). Point out that one of the reasons that creating string figures is so widespread is that the materials used for making string are widely available and inexpensive, and a length of string is easy to carry around.
2) Show students how to do Opening A then demonstrate the "Cup and Saucer" and tell them its other names and places it is made. Show students how the "Cup and Saucer" can then be made into "Owl's Eyes."
3) Ask students to point out Africa and South America on the globe. Have students note similarities and differences between the two continents. Explain that the string figure in the story is made in both places. Tell them the "Mosquito" story with accompanying string figure movements.
4) Hand out a loop of string and directions for each student to keep. Show them how to do "Opening A" then the "Cup and Saucer." If time permits, show them how to do the "Mosquito."

Summary:

I presented the string "seminar" to Lauren Miller's 2nd Grade class at Butteville Elementary School in Edgewood, California. The last time I worked with her class she taught 3rd and 4th graders, a grade level I felt was appropriate to teach string figures to. When I found out I would be working with 2nd graders, I decided I would teach them the Opening A trick rather than the Cup and Saucer. That was the right decision.

There were 14 students in the class. I was forewarned that they had a short attention span, but they did fine in that regard, at least until they had strings in their hands. Everyone followed along until some of the students couldn't do the next move as fast as others, and so the fast ones just kept on going. So by the time the others had caught up, the first group was lost in play. I have to wonder what a teacher with 30 students does! I ended up working with them individually, as did the teacher, and in the end maybe half the class could do the Opening A trick. Those that could were very proud of themselves but those who could not did not feel so good. So I told them about how Chizuko had to show me how to make the turtle over 20 times and then she had to teach me again because I forgot it. This helped most of the students but there were two students who were beside themselves. However, the teacher explained that this was always the case with those two.

All in all, I think the presentation went fine and I enjoyed it. The first part of the presentation, showing them a variety of string figures and having them point out continents on the globe as I told them where the figures were made, went well (I will bring my own globe next time, however, as the globe left something to be desired). Their favorite part was the Mosquito story and Chizuko's string turtle. However, I felt bad that I couldn't stick around and help the ones who hadn't "got" it yet. I asked those who had learned how to do the figure to show their friends and classmates; those who had mastered the figure nodded in agreement, so hopefully the others will learn as well.

One of my favorite memories of the day was of a little Kindergartner who saw me practicing figures before going into the class. He was very impressed and asked me to show him again. So I repeated the figure and showed him another one. He asked me if I was going to show students and I said yes. He informed me that he was in Room 4 and wanted to know if that was the class I was going to. I had to tell him I was going to the Second Grade class, which disappointed him, but he sure liked those string figures.