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Why Penguins Can’t Fly. How Waves Came to Be. Why Dogs Bark.

The fourth graders performed these and other “Pourquoi Tales,” original myths and tales, for Lower School students, parents, and special guests on Monday, November 21 and Tuesday, November 22 in the Ceres M. Horn Theatre. The actors and actresses wore colorful masks made from plaster molds of their own faces.

The “Pourquoi Tales” are a culmination of the fourth grade unit on mythology. “The kids read and compare myths from all around the world, beginning with Greek myths,” explained fourth grade teacher Craig Whiteford. “Then they each write their own. The students select two from each homeroom that would make interesting plays, then decide on the casting and the design of the masks. It's all about them. They have ownership of the entire process,” added Whiteford.

Other tales performed were Why Male Deers Have Antlers, Why the Woodpecker Pecks, Why the Flamingo Stands on One Leg, Why Frogs Have Long Tongues, and Why Some Animals Live Longer Than Others.

“The students really enjoy this project. It is hard to squelch the enthusiasm surrounding the tales!” shared fourth grade teacher Wendy Reed.

Watch the “Pourquoi Tales.”