Doctor comics part 2

More doctor comics

Another term, more doctors...

ir-01

ir-01,

We've been working with the 'Doctor, doctor' material again. This time round, pupils composed their dialogues and turned them into comic strips either in the traditional pencil-and-paper way, or with Comic Life and our collection of puppet photos. I'm pleased to report that this year's stories are as gruesome as ever...

Medical Mice

Another bit of video, this time from Year 5 working with our new puppet theatre (it's an old wooden clothes-horse with felt stapled over it). Pupils used the 'Doctor! Doctor!' exercise from the Minimus workbook to write little Latin dialogues, which they acted out with the help of our mouse puppets.

We have a set of three - doctor (with tiny scalpel and pill sewn on his paws), patient (optional bandage and spots) and nurse. They started life as a set of soft toys from Ikea, but were..converted...for use as finger puppets. Best not to think about it too hard.

We found that it was impossible to record video and audio at the same time, as the puppet handlers' voices were muffled by the felt screen, so we recorded the dialogue first, then played it back as a guide for the action.

Wasp and Cow

Year 7 wrote little puppet plays to explain the use of the six cases. Here's a collaborative effort, with two of our favourite puppets (picked from an ever-growing collection).

Pandora

My Year 6's and I have been working on a play. It was supposed to be ready in time for last year's Minimus Mythology competition, but everything went wrong - people were away, the weather was terrible (and we had decided to film outdoors). In the end, we shot the film in December, in our school chapel. Then it took another two months to edit and wrestle with the subtitle program. We think it was worth the wait!




Here's the script, if anyone is interested:

Pandora

CAST: Pandora, Prometheus, Iuppiter, Vulcan, Epimetheus , Minerva, Homunculus 1, Homunculus 2, Malus 1 (evil), Malus 2 (evil), Malus 3 (evil) Spes (Hope)

(Prometheus is making little people from clay)

Ep quid facis, frater?

Pro homunculos argillae facio

nunc in homunculos adflo

(The little people come to life)

Ep vivunt! quam callidus es!

H1 sed...frigescimus

Pro saltate! currite!

(They run and jump to keep warm)

H1 & H2 esurimus

Pro ecce...gallina

(Prometheus gives them a chicken)

H1 gallina cruda est

H2 gallinam non consumo

Pro consilium habeo!

(Prometheus goes to Mount Olympus)

Min Prometheus venit, o Iuppiter

Pro salve, Iuppiter

Iup quid vis?

Pro homunculi ignem cupiunt.

Iup minime!

Pro sed....moriantur!

Iup infeliciter. vale!

Min durus es, pater!

(Prometheus goes sadly away, and meets Vulcan)

Pro salve, Vulcane

Vul salve. quid vis?

Pro ignem cupio.

Vul ecce!

(Vulcan gives Prometheus fire)

Pro gratias tibi ago.

(Prometheus gives the fire to the little people)

ecce!

H1 nunc gallinam coquo

(They cook and eat the rubber chicken, and warm themselves by the fire)

H2 optima est!

H1 nunc calidum est!

H2 euge!

(Jupiter sees the fire)

Iup quid accidit? ignem video?

Min homunculi ignem habent

Iup Prometheus improbus est

Min consilium habeo.

(Minerva whispers to Iuppiter)

Min Vulcane!

Vulc adsum, Minerva

Min fac femina argillae!

(Vulcan makes a clay person)

Vulc ecce

Iup nunc in feminam adflo

(Iuppiter breathes on the model and it comes to life)

Min Pandora es

Iup pulchra es!

Min iucunda es!

Iup ...et curiosa es!

Pan salvete!

Iup nunc Prometheum visitamus

Min veni nobiscum, Pandora

Pan certe

(The gods take Pandora to Epimetheus and Prometheus’ house)

Min Prometheus et Epimetheus hic habitant

Iup Epimetheus, ecce uxor tua

Ep gratias tibi ago!

Pro (speaking to himself) cur Iuppiter donum dat?

(Iuppiter gives Pandora a box)

Iup ecce cista magica.

Min noli cistam aperire!

Iup valete.

(The gods leave)

Ep quam pulchra es!

Pro (speaking to himself again) sollicitus sum...

Ep nunc ad agrum vado. vale, Pandora!

Pro noli cistam aperire!

Pan valete!

(Prometheus and Epimetheus go off to the fields)

Pan quid in cista est? curiosa sum...

(Pandora starts to open the box)

Ep siste!

(The Evils escape)

Mal 1&2&3 euge!

Mal1 liberati sumus!

Pan eheu!

H 1 & H2 eheu!

Pan & Ep qui estis?

Mal 2 morbus! (The 2 Homunculi become ill)

Mal3 senectus! (they become old)

Mal1 rixa! (they argue)

Mal2 dolor! (they have pains)

Mal3 mors! (they drop dead)

Ep & Pan vae nobis!

(Pandora sees something in the box)

Pan ecce...in cista... quis es?

Spes noli desperare, Pandora. Spes sum. homines adiuvo!

And here is the translation:

(Prometheus is making little people from clay)

Ep what are you doing, brother?

Pro I’m making little men of clay. Now I’m breathing on the little men.

(The little people come to life)

Ep They are alive! How clever you are!

H1 But...we are cold!

Pro Jump! Run!

(They run and jump to keep warm)

H1 & H2 We’re hungry

Pro Here...a chicken!

(Prometheus gives them a chicken)

H1 The chicken is raw.

H2 I can’t eat the chicken.

Pro I have a plan!

(Prometheus goes to Mount Olympus)

Min Prometheus is coming, O Jupiter.

Pro Hello, Jupiter.

Iup What do you want?

Pro The little men want fire.

Iup No!

Pro But...they will die!

Iup Too bad. Goodbye!

Min You are tough, father!

(Prometheus goes sadly away, and meets Vulcan)

Pro Hello, Vulcan.

Vul Hello. What do you want?

Pro I want fire.

Vul Here!

(Vulcan gives Prometheus fire)

Pro Thank you.

(Prometheus gives the fire to the little people)

Here!

H1 Now I’ll cook the chicken.

(They cook and eat the rubber chicken, and warm themselves by the fire)

H2 It’s very good!

H1 Now it is warm!

H2 Hooray!

(Jupiter sees the fire)

Iup What is happening? Do I see fire?

Min The little men have fire,

Iup Prometheus is naughty.

Min I have a plan.

(Minerva whispers to Iuppiter)

Min Vulcan!

Vulc Here I am, Minerva

Min Make a woman of clay!

(Vulcan makes a clay person)

Vulc Here!

Iup Now I’ll breathe on the woman.

(Iuppiter breathes on the model and it comes to life)

Min You are Pandora!

Iup You are beautiful!

Min You are sweet!

Iup ...and you are curious!

Pan Hello!

Iup Now we’ll visit Prometheus.

Min Come with us, Pandora

Pan Yes.

(The gods take Pandora to Epimetheus and Prometheus’ house)

Min Prometheus and Epimetheus live here

Iup Epimetheus, here is your wife.

Ep Thank you!!

Pro (speaking to himself) Why is Jupiter giving a present?

(Iuppiter gives Pandora a box)

Iup Here is a magic box.

Min Don’t open the box!

Iup Goodbye.

(The gods leave)

Ep How beautiful you are!

Pro (speaking to himself again) I am worried...

Ep Now I am going to the field. Goodbye, Pandora!

Pro Don’t open the box!

Pan Goodbye!

(Prometheus and Epimetheus go off to the fields)

Pan What is in the box? I am curious...

(Pandora starts to open the box)

Ep STOP!

(The Evils escape)

Mal 1&2&3 Hooray!

Mal1 We are free!

Pan Oh no!

H 1 & H2 Oh no!

Pan & Ep Who are you?

Mal 2 Disease! (The 2 Homunculi become ill)

Mal3 Old age! (they become old)

Mal1 Quarrels! (they argue)

Mal2 Pain! (they have pains)

Mal3 Death! (they drop dead)

Ep & Pan Alas for us!

(Pandora sees something in the box)

Pan Look...in the box...Who are you?

Spes Don’t despair, Pandora. I am Hope. I will help people!

Another Barbie Myth

The Judgement of Paris this time, with an enlarged cast of plastic people. We photographed the figures against a blue felt display board, so we could edit them more easily (and then we never did).

Firstly, here's Hermes, messenger of the gods, bringing the Golden Apple to Paris.



Here are the three goddesses, lining up for the beauty competition:



Hera, in queen-of-the-gods kit (the dress is really more purple than it looks!)



Athena, with helmet and aegis made of copper foil. The crest is made of paintbrush bristles. I probably should have used Barbie-hair. There was plenty about; we had to crop Athena's hair to fit the helmet on...



Aphrodite, with gold necklace made from a flattened hoop earring I found in a car park. Her diaphanous garment is stuck on with double sided tape.



Paris eyeing up Aphrodite before picking her as the winner. He is clutching one of his sheep (for reassurance only). He refused to stand up, so we had to pin his feet to the table. He can be Oedipus next time round!

"Roman" artefacts, part 2

A few more bits from the 'Roman' cupboard. I like to pick up Roman-looking stuff from charity shops and car boot sales as well as making things.



The torc is made from rope twisted over a wire core. I think it was an old school skipping rope. The ends are stitched and bound with thread. Then I put several coats of gold Meltdown paint on it.





The drinking cup is one of those pots that have expensive chocolate mousse in, I think. (This one came from Oxfam). I was ticked off for drawing wine cups with stems in one of the drafts of Minimus, so I made a point of looking out the other sort. I have to hide it at school because the kitchen keeps a whole lot like this for salad dressing.












This weird glass cup might have a stem but it does look like onyx, so I couldn't turn it down. It's one of a set from Oxfam or somewhere like that. Just the thing for the upper-class triclinium.















My elegant spoon turned up at a jumble sale. It looks pretty Roman to me.









The cooking pot was made by a local pottery for baking bread in. I think Candidus would use it for porridge or something, because Roman bread was flat-bottomed. The only time I tried baking bread according to a Roman recipe, it turned out very flat and rock hard (it tasted good, though). I may need to rethink my cooking methods. I may need to let other people do the cooking.




I found this glass in an Italian supermarket. It's cast in a mould, exactly like real Roman glass. It wasn't as expensive, though.

"Roman" artefacts, part 1

This is a Roman-style comb that I made, for 'hands-on' experience and for acting out Minimus plays. It's made of boxwood and the teeth are (very badly) cut out with a handsaw. The case is leather, like Lepidina's. It's part of a collection of stuff I keep in my classroom. There's a wax tablet, a couple of bits of wood veneer to show how thin the Vindolanda tablets were, a roll of papyrus from the local art shop and a few other bits and pieces. More photos later (I am trying to finish the artwork for the Italian edition of Minimus!)

Corvus the crow

Corvus the Latin-speaking crow has been meeting Form V, who are learning their present tense verb endings with animal noises. He can hold a whiteboard pen pretty well, but his mouse control isn't up to much.

Odysseus mural... gone but not forgotten

Way back in the nineties, when I was first teaching, we painted the story of Odysseus' journey onto the library wall. This year it disappeared under fresh paint and new shelves, but it deserves its moment in public.

Every child in the Prep school at the time contributed at least one drawing. Some children responded with a flow of lively characters and details - others needed persuasion, more persuasion and sinister threats... but everyone was represented in the final composition.

Then I spent a lot of time with tracing paper and the school photocopier, making all the images the right size, before putting them on the wall with carbon paper (carbon paper - I haven't seen any for years!) We had to fit the composition to the shape of the wall, which was a rectangle with a door cut out in the middle.

The wall had been re-plastered and had a coat of nice fresh emulsion. This was before the damp bits appeared... The painting was all done with acrylics, the flow formula type, with glaze and matt media to thin the colours. Then I added the black outlines with Indian ink.

The Archaeology Box

This is the fourth time we've tried the hands-on archaeology experiment, finding out how different materials are affected by being buried underground for months. The first time, we couldn't find one of the burial sites at all. The next time, we flagged the buried box too well and it was disturbed by person or persons unknown (or possibly the school dog!). This time, we dug a really deep hole and recorded how far it was from the classroom window!


We used a small, unlidded wooden box. This is what we put in:
A conker
A piece of candle wax
A thin slip of wood, as thin as the Vindolanda tablets
A piece of paper
A piece of toast
A stainless steel knife
A glass bead
A piece of glazed china
A tiny glass bottle
A feather
A piece of copper foil
A lead weight from a curtain
A 2p coin and a 5p coin
A cow's tooth
A flint
A cork

This is what the stuff looked like when we dug it up in July!

Papier Mache Roman Coins

Another of our rather-longer-term projects was Coin-Making, held up by all sorts of technical difficulties in the process. It took all year (well, to be honest, the casts spent months shoved into a cupboard in frustration after the great Plasticine Disaster) but we managed to turn out some display-worthy pieces in the end. The children were Year 5 when they started this project.















We started by planning the coins on paper, and drawing them about 15 cm in diameter. We put our coin drawings under acetate sheets, but those plastic pocket things would work just as well.

Then we made flat plasticine designs on the acetate. (Next time: use coloured plasticine, not white!) The most successful designs were well flattened, and had no undercut bits. The children used pen tops, brush handles and cocktail sticks to impress patterns and writing on their mouldings.















Next, we made long flat strips about an inch wide and built a circular wall round the coin design. Then I mixed plaster of Paris (not all at once, I think we did two or three coins at a time) and poured it into the wall. If you thump the table a couple of times, the bubbles leave and the top surface smooths out. The stuff takes an hour of so to dry properly. This is my here-is-one-I-made-earlier cast:
















The easy part was done. Now we had to dig the plasticine out from the cast. This was where we regretted the white plasticine, as it looked just like the wretched plaster. I trimmed up any little overhangs where the liquid plaster had seeped under the plasticine. Then we had to grease the moulds with Vaseline and an old brush.















We used the sort of papier mache that comes powdery and dry in a bag, and looks like tuna mayonnaise when you add water. We filled the moulds and made the coins about 0.5 cm thick. The stuff took a few days to dry but if you try to take the coins out too soon, the design part will not be dried hard and may break up.















The coins were painted with Berol 'Meltdown' paint, which is water soluble but needs about three coats to look solid. They'll be going on the walls next term.

The coins here were made by Issie, Hetty, Eleanor and Ellie

Boudicca!

Our Year 4 children performed an assembly about Boudicca right at the end of term (not that anyone had anything else to think about that week...). Most of the Iceni were in checky PJ bottoms and blue face paint (but I'm not going to post any pictures of topless gentlemen) and the Romans in my red T-shirts. The children made their own Celtic shields. The horse is a Moreton Hall classic of great antiquity, as it was the first costume I made. Which explains why it looks more like a camel. The front half looked particularly impressive singing along to 'Onward Christian soldiers' with its big red mouth. I am particularly proud of the chariot which would have run along the stage properly if the horse's bottom had remembered to pick up the pole. The axle is a mop handle and the thing itself is cardboard painted with wood varnish. There isn't any bottom to it.

The Roman soldiers' helmets and shields were made by pupils a few years back (I need to make a new set, I think!). They were very proud of themselves, because they managed to say all their lines in Latin ("eheu! Boudicca saeva est! timeo" "sed Boudicca femina est. Romani feminas non timent!")

Myths With Recycled Barbies

As I teach everyone Latin, Art and ICT, it was a natural and irresistible move to make mythological scenes and take digital photos of them. Our Art room lay figure, Bob, would happily dress up for us, but I decided it would be easier to work with small figuresThe children have been generous in donating obsolete dolls, and I have picked up a few in charity shops and car boot sales. So far we have done the abduction of Helen, Daphne and Apollo and Medusa. We haven’t been violent on purpose; we did cover cheap-knockoff-Action Man in PVA and sand, but it will soak off, and the head falling off Medusa was an accident that happened when I was trying to sew a brunette wig on the thing’s scalp. What a pity.

The second of our stand-against-the-wall-of-sickbay videos, filmed as a series of short clips with a Canon G5 on a not very stable tripod and re-dubbed later to cover up the background noise and my ever more desperate instructions (You're off stage! Hit him now! Go on, die!) The script was written to fit with Chapter 8 of Minimus, where Flavius visits the doctor, and the 'Doctor, doctor!' exercises in the teacher's book. No children were actually damaged during the making of the film (although there were times...)

Powered by Castpost

This story is a break with the usual formula of Dr F Latin plays: we filmed it in short clips, outside the school sick bay (the only blank wall we could find!) and re-recorded all the sound track to lose the sound of Harry Potter playing in the next room, and me yelling instructions to the actors. The script is available on the Minimus website.

Powered by Castpost

Minimus bloggere incipit...

salvete omnes! Minimus and I are venturing from the safe haven of our website into the scary outer space of the blogosphere. I hope that Minimus readers and website visitors will leave the odd comment, as it's very easy to do. I also hope that I can set up Minimus podcasts and streaming video (never say I don't have aspirations far beyond my actual abilities...)

I should be able to keep people updated on developments in the Minimus world - and there are a lot of pots boiling at once, such as the Italian edition and a growing collection of teachers' resources.

valete,

Dr F