In a unique approach to learning about the trickster archetype in folklore and literature, SPHS 10th grade students from Ms. Katie Jaroch’s honors World Literature and Composition class, created and performed puppet shows for Marengo 2nd graders on April 9 and 10, 2025, in the SPHS Library Tiger Den.
This semester, the high school students researched the trickster archetype, read a novel with a modern form of trickster character, and are currently writing research papers about the characters. The puppet shows make up the collaborative part of the research assignment and involved writing an original, and somewhat mischievous, script for a trickster tale, creating puppets and sets, and performing the shows for a captive audience filled with second grade students from Marengo Elementary School.
The top four puppet shows from each class, selected by peer votes, were chosen to present their tales. The result was a lively blend of scholarship, storytelling, and creativity that engaged both the performers and their young audience.
