Friday, May 18, 2012

Paper Cuttings Inspired by the work of Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Anderson used paper as a medium not only for writing poetry and fairy tales, but also as a means for his imaginative expressing of paper cutting.    While telling a story,  he would  hold a big pair of scissors in his hand along with a sheet of paper, at the end of the tale he would unfold the paper to reveal a fantastic work. As I read abut this, I thought about how wonderful it is to have a story read to you, your mind is free to conjure images at will.  Why not try it with my class?    I decided to read The Great Sea-Serpent and The Pine Tree.  I only read a small excerpt from each
 piece, this way,  the kids could imagine their own endings. 
                                                                                                          



 
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...The small ones swam side by side close together, as herrings and mackerel swim.  But as they were swimming their prettiest in the water and thinking of nothing, there sank with  prodigious noise, from above, right down through them, a long heavy thing that looked as if it would  never  come to an end...


from The Great Sea-Serpent by Hans Christian Andersen


 


1st Grade paper cuttings



In the woods there lived a nice little Pine Tree.  He stood where the sun and the fresh air cold get at him.  Around him grew many comrades- other pines and big firs.  But the little Pine wished so much to be a grown-up tree. 

from The Pine Tree



3rd grade paper cuttings

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