AAC Children s Theatre on Tour A C T I V I T Y G U I D E

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1 David Hohn Illustration. davidhohn.com AAC Children s Theatre on Tour A C T I V I T Y G U I D E

2 About this Guide This ACTIVITY GUIDE includes exercises that align with the Arkansas Department of Education Curriculum Frameworks and Common Core State Standards. The following icons provide an immediate recognition of the curriculum connections. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS FOREIGN LANGUAGES LIBRARY MEDIA MATH MUSIC PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HEALTH SCIENCE SOCIAL STUDIES THEATRE VISUAL ARTS Enjoy! Materials may not be used in whole or part without the express written permission of the Arkansas Arts Center.

3 About the Play Friendship is good to have and to share. Stay calm and keep a level head! Set your goals and work hard! These two folktales are chock-full of chicken wisdom and important life lessons, but it is the theme of friendship that pulls them together. Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, Goosey Loosey, and even Foxy Loxy learn important lessons about friendship as they strive to deal with some of the most important issues in life staying fed and avoiding apocalyptic bombardment! Chicken Little and the Little Red Hen is adapted for the stage by Pamela Adam. About the Original Stories Henny Penny, more commonly known as Chicken Little, is a folk tale about a chicken who believes the sky is falling. There are several versions of the story, but the most common features a chicken who believes the sky has fallen when an acorn drops on its head. Because of the chicken s overreaction and resulting mass hysteria, the group falls into the sights of the fox. The phrase The sky is falling! has been used in literature since at least the 1800s to indicate a mistaken belief of impending disaster. The Little Red Hen is most likely of Russian origin. The best-known version in the United States was popularized by Little Golden Books in the 1940s, but the story was popular well before that date. During the 1880s, the story was often used in reading instruction in the United States. The story encourages the virtues of hard work and cooperation. Play Synopsis Henny Penny is outside enjoying a sunny spring day. Though she isn t the smartest chicken in the coop, this sweet bird enjoys everything and has a habit of talking to herself. She is having one of these discussions when she feels something fall on her head and immediately determines that the sky is falling! She yells for help and Ducky Lucky rushes in from the pond. He is annoyed at the interruption, but is himself quite quick to interrupt his friend as he tries to figure out a solution. Goosey Loosey hears the two discussing the urgent matter and sneaks up on them to offer one of his many jokes. Ducky Lucky proposes that they tell the king, for he will know just what to do. Goosey Loosey, however, asks Henny for proof before they go off to tell the king just where is this piece of sky that fell on her head? While the group ponders their next step, Foxy Loxy quietly enters. This sneaky carnivore is always on the lookout for his next meal. Because of his complicated speech patterns and use of big words, the others rarely understand what he is saying. The feathered friends often miss that the sly fox is more interested in them as a meal rather than helping with their problem. They all look to the fox for advice. He suggests that they first find shelter to protect themselves from any more falling pieces of sky and he knows just the place! Henny stops to rest while the others continue toward the hiding place. As she starts after them, she notices some golden kernels of wheat. At that moment, she forgets all about the falling sky and hurries off to show her prize to her friends. But where are they? She meets Foxy Loxy who is very full from a very large meal! As he drifts off to sleep, Ducky Lucky and Goosey Loosey make their grand reappearance turns out they have managed to give the sly fox the slip! Henny shows the group her kernels, but they will not help her plant the wheat. She pleads with them to put aside their differences, but they will not. When they smell the baked bread, however, they all want a piece. But because they did not help, she will eat it all herself! Foxy begs for forgiveness and vows not to continue his attempts to eat the others. They all apologize to each other and to Henny. The play ends with the group enjoying the true treasure of friendship...and a delicious loaf of golden bread.

4 Statement from the AAC Children s Theatre Music to my ears JOHN ISNER DIRECTOR If you've ever seen a play from the Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre, then you've heard music. Sometimes it's really easy to notice, like if it's part of a song. But often, you might not even be aware of it at all! That's called underscoring (un-dur-skor-ing). Underscoring is music that is played to help the audience (and the actors) feel rhythms, emotions and even give us a hint about what is about to happen. Think about the last TV show or movie you saw, there was probably music everywhere! Music really helps to tell the story. Where does all of this music come from? At the Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre, we have a resident composer and her name is Lori Isner. Just as the playwright takes a story and transforms it into a script, the composer tells the same story through music. Lori works with the script, and her piano, until the emotions and actions come alive in the form of musical notes. During the process, the composer, playwright and director all work together to make sure that the story is communicated. They also work hard to make sure their artistic visions and concepts are shared and cohesive. Then the music is worked into the play during rehearsals. We record the music for our tour shows and it is played through our sound system. However, the music is played live for our plays at our theater in Little Rock. The music within a play can tell us a lot. It can tell us when a character is sad or happy, it can tell us when something good or bad is around the corner, and it can even be there just for pure fun! After you see the play, think back and see if you can remember where the music was. Ask yourself if it made you feel a certain way or how it helped to tell the story. Review Theatre Etiquette BEFORE THE PLAY Please turn off your cell phones so you can look at all the little things that make live theatre a great big experience. Save all food, gum, candy and drinks for after the performance. These items may cause a distraction during the performance. Sit like a grown up in your seat. That way you won t miss a thing! Great theatre audiences listen, laugh when something is funny, and clap at just the right time. They never talk out loud during a performance. Keep your cameras tucked away and turned off. PHOTOGRAPHY IS NOT ALLOWED. Camera flashes blind the actors and can cause them to step off the stage. When the play is over, enjoy talking with your friends and grownups about all the details. See who can remember the most about the play. Start by sharing two things that an actor said that made you smile and two things that you remember about the stage set. Parents: What a great time to have a conversation about the difference between theatre, movies, and TV!

5 Read the Original Stories In order to prepare for the play, read the original stories of Chicken Little and The Little Red Hen. Think about how the original stories were written: What language was used? How were the characters described? Begin thinking about how these stories compare. Also consider the ways in which they are different. Library Media Connection: Read; English Language Arts Reading, Literature: Key Ideas and Details, Integration of Knowledge and Ideas, Craft and Structure About Adaptations The performance that you will see is a variation of the story, or an ADAPTATION. An adaptation is a change made in something so that it can fit a new use. This performance of Chicken Little and the Little Red Hen is an adaptation of two stories (which are meant to be read) into a play (which is meant to be performed and viewed). Pamela Adam is the playwright (play-rite), meaning that she transformed the scenes from the original story into a script for the stage production which is now produced and performed by the Children s Theatre on Tour. Consider these questions for discussion before you attend the play:? What kinds of things does a playwright have to consider when writing a script?? What might the characters look like? What challenges might there be when representing talking animals?? What are some objects (props) that the actors might use to help tell the story?? Draw a picture of one of the scenes in the original story and imagine how it might appear on the stage.? If you were to write an adaptation of this story into a play, what choices would you make? How would you act out the story? Library Media Connection: Associate; Theatre Creating, Evaluating, Reading Learn the Vocabulary Below is a list of words included in the play. Reviewing this list will help you gain new vocabulary and also help you better understand the performance. Try saying these words out loud so that you will know them when you hear the actors say them. Once you know how to say the words, read the definition and try using them in a sentence. Clever (klev-ur) smart; being a quick learner Energy (in-ur-gee) power; ability to be active Feast (feest) a large meal Fellow (fell-oh) a male; a person of equal rank Flour (like flower ) a fine soft powder of wheat used for baking Fowl (like foul ) bird Glee happiness Kernel (ker-null) inner part of a seed Labor (lay-bur) work Proof evidence of truth WOW! English Language Arts Reading, Foundational Skills: Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Word Recognition; Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use; Foreign Language Experiences Connections: Cross-Cultural Connections

6 DURING THE PLAY You have an important role to play! It wouldn t be a play without you! Your part is to pretend that the play is real. Part of this includes accepting certain things: 1. Actors tell the story with words (dialogue), actions (blocking), props (objects), and songs. 2. Actors may sing songs that tell about the story or their feelings. 3. Actors may speak to the audience. 4. An actor may play several characters by changing their voice, costume, or posture. 5. Places are suggested by panels on the set and by props. HERE S HOW TO PLAY YOUR PART: A play is different than television or a movie. The actors are right in front of you and can see your reactions, feel your attention, and hear your laughter and applause. Watch and listen carefully to understand the story. The story is told by the actors and comes to life through your imagination! Thank you for being a great part of our audience and enjoy the show! Review AFTER THE PLAY Do you remember what you learned about adaptations? Now that you have seen the play, discuss these questions. Share your answers with friends or family that also saw the play and compare your experiences.? In what ways was the play different than the original stories?? Were there any characters or events that were in the story but not in the play? Were any characters different? Why do you think these choices were made?? What did the set look like? Did it match the picture that you drew before the play? What do you think the set and costume designers need to consider when bringing the story to the stage?? What objects (props) helped tell the story on stage? Library Media Connection: Associate; Theatre Creating, Evaluating, Reading Critical Thinking Questions Read the following questions and either write your answers or tell someone in complete sentences. Make sure to use correct grammar and spelling.? How were the two stories of Chicken Little and The Little Red Hen combined to make one story? What tied them together?? Why did Henny Penny think the sky was falling? What really happened?? How did Foxy Loxy offer to help Henny Penny and her friends? Why does Henny not realize that the fox wants to eat them? How could this dangerous situation have been avoided?? Why did Henny Penny at first say that she would eat the bread alone? Why did she decide to share her bread with the others? English Language Arts Writing: Text Type and Purposes; Speaking & Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration; Language: Conventions of Standard English

7 Writing Exercise Write a brief answer to the following question. Make sure to write in complete sentences and use correct grammar, spelling, and organization. Recall a time when you reacted to something before you knew all of the facts or reasons. What was the situation? How did you react? What happened when you tried to tell other people? What happened in the end? What did you learn? What would you have done differently? English Language Arts Writing: Text Types and Purposes; Language: Conventions of Standard English A TALE OF TWO CHICKENS The play, Chicken Little and the Little Red Hen, is a combination of two well-known stories. Though the play features only one chicken, there are actually two characters in the original stories: Henny Penny and the Little Red Hen. Think about some of the characteristics of each character and write them in the circles marked either Chicken Little or The Little Red Hen. Next, think about how the characters are similar. Write these characteristics that both characters share where the two circles meet (marked Both ). Library Media Application: Organize; English Language Arts Writing: Text Types and Purposes; Language: Conventions of Standard English FLEE THE FOX In the play, Henny Penny and her feathered friends encounter a very clever, and very HUNGRY fox. In this role-playing game of tag, one participant will play the role of Foxy Loxy. The fox will chase all other participants around a specified playing area. Once tagged by the fox, the participant must remain frozen until everyone has been tagged. You may take turns playing Foxy Loxy in order to spread the fun! DID YOU KNOW? Regular physical activity improves strength and endurance, helps creates healthy bones and muscles, helps control weight, and increases selfesteem. Young people aged 6-17 years should participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. VARIATIONS FROZEN FOODS. Once tagged, participants may be unfrozen by being tagged by anyone other than the fox. FAINTING FOWL. Once tagged, the participant lays on the ground with two feet in the air. In order for the poultry to wake up, two people must tag one leg each. Physical Education Movement Concepts, Health-Related Fitness, Lifetime Activities and Recreation

8 GOOSEY LOOSEY S COMEDY CLUB Goosey Loosey considers himself to be quite the comedian! Can you recall some of his favorite jokes? He often laughs at his own jokes, but it s definitely more fun to make other people laugh! Now it s your turn to tell the jokes! In this activity, you will either create or recall jokes that you will then present for a group. In addition to performing the jokes, you will also design a poster to advertise your routine at the comedy club. Goosey Loosey Ha! Ha! Ha! PERFORMING FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY What jokes will you tell? Use your imagination to create new jokes, ask others to tell you their favorite jokes, or with adult supervision, try visiting these websites if you need help choosing jokes for your comedy club act: English Language Arts Writing: Text Types and Purposes; Language: Knowledge of Language; Visual Arts Creative Processes; Theatre Creating, Reading HOW THE SKY REALLY DOES FALL In the story of Chicken Little, Henny Penny thinks that the sky is falling. By the end of the story, we know that what she felt was not the sky falling, but some things really do fall from the sky! Precipitation (pre-sip-ih-tay-shun) is water that falls to the earth as hail, mist, rain, sleet, or snow. In this activity, you will learn how water forms in clouds and then falls to the earth as rain. Materials: Shaving cream Blue food coloring mixed with water Pipette or eye dropper Clear glass or cup ACTIVITY Keep an experiment log. Process: 1. Fill the glass jar 3/4 cup of the way with cold water. 2. Spray the shaving cream on top of the water, making sure that it covers the entire surface. 3. Squeeze several drops of the blue food coloring on top of the shaving cream and observe. 4. Keep adding drops of food coloring to the shaving cream until you start to see streams of blue falling into the water. 1. Estimate how many drops of food coloring it will take to make the rain fall from the shaving cream cloud. 2. Record the actual number of drops. 3. What is the difference between your estimate and the actual number? How does it work? The shaving cream represents the CLOUD and the blue food coloring represents the RAIN. As the water droplets gather inside clouds and continue to grow, they eventually become heavy enough to fall to earth. The same thing is happening in this experiment. The shaving cream becomes so saturated that the blue food coloring eventually pushes through the cold water. The molecules in the cold water are moving slowly, therefore it takes longer for the blue food coloring to spread throughout the water. This makes the blue food coloring look like streams (drops of rain) as it pushes into the water. Science Nature of Science: Characteristics and Processes of Science; Earth and Space Science: Weather

9 bread beginnings Shortly after the group decides to seek shelter on the way to visit the king, Henny Penny finds a few golden kernels of wheat that she then uses to make bread. Bread is a very common food we eat it almost every day. But have you ever stopped to wonder HOW bread is made? In this activity, you will learn about the process of growing, cultivating, and harvesting wheat which is then milled into flour and used to bake bread. ACTIVITY Review the images of the wheat-growing process. Write the order of the steps in the line next to the image. For example, the first step in the process will be marked 1, the last process will be marked 4. Harvesting the wheat Growing the wheat Using flour to bake bread Milling the wheat into flour ACTIVITY Research which countries produce the most wheat. Create a chart and locate the countries on a map. ACTIVITY Now it s your turn to bake the bread! THIS ACTIVITY REQUIRES ADULT SUPERVISION. Bread has been a staple in the diet of many people throughout the world for over 30,000 years! Even today, it is the most widely consumed food in the world. Not only is it an important source of carbohydrates (car-boh-hi-draytz), but it is portable and compact, meaning that it can be carried and easily eaten. As you will soon discover, making bread requires a bit of patience, but the payoff is well worth it! (BE SURE TO CONSIDER POSSIBLE FOOD ALLERGIES.) Ingredients: 2 cups very warm water Large spoonful of honey 1 Tablespoon yeast 4 cups flour Pinch of salt DID YOU KNOW? Yeast (yeest) is what makes the bread rise. Yeast floats around in the air, looking for a nice place to make a home like a starchy bowl of flour and water. Yeast is a live, single-celled fungus. Baker s yeast lies dormant (non-active) until it comes into contact with warm water. Once activated, the yeast feeds on sugars in the flour, and releases carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) that makes bread rise. The yeast bubbles are contained by the proteins in the flour. Process: 1. Make it count : Measure the ingredients and set them aside. 2. Make a snack for the yeast : Mix the warm water and honey in a large mixing bowl. 3. Feed the yeast : Sprinkle the yeast over the water and honey mixture. Let the yeast mixture foam. 4. Let it snow : Start adding flour into the bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt, too. Keep adding the flour taking breaks to knead the dough until the dough is stiff and no longer sticky. 5. Taking a nap : It s time for the dough to take a nap under a blanket (i.e. covered loosely with a towel and set in a warm spot to double in size for an hour or two). 6. Make shapes : Peek under the blanket. Has your dough doubled in size? If so, you are ready to knead the dough with your fists for a bit and then shape it into either a loaf, buns, or shaped breads. 7. Make a toasty bed : Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. SEND US A PICTURE OF YOU IN YOUR MASK! 8. Another rest : Rest the dough for approximately 20 minutes while the oven preheats. 9. Ready to bake : Bake the bread in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until light brown. Keep an eye on the bread because it may take more or less time to bake, depending on the size and shape of the loaf. 10. Share the bread : Carefully remove the bread from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Slice the bread and share with friends! Adapted from a recipe by Simple Kids Mathematics Measurement & Data, Matter: Properties and Changes, Earth Systems: Structure and Properties; Social Studies Geography: Physical and Spatial, Economics: Markets

10 Further Reading The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philomen Sturges, illustrated by Amy Walrod (Ages 3-5) The story of the industrious Little Red Hen is not a new one, but when this particular hen spies a can of tomato sauce in her cupboard and decides to make a pizza, the familiar tale takes on a fresh new twist. Kids will love following along as the hen, with no help from her friends the duck, the dog, and the cat, goes through the steps of making a pizza shopping for supplies, making the dough, and adding the toppings. Ouch! by Ragnihild Scamell, illustrated by Michael Terry (Ages 4+) Hedgehog has finished building a cozy nest for winter. Unfortunately, a ripe apple falls from the tree above and gets stuck in her spines making it impossible for her to fit in her new digs. She has several friends to whom she can go for advice, but their instructions simply make her situation worse. Can she find the help she needs to remove the foods from her spines? Louise: The Adventures of a Chicken by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Harry Bliss (Ages 4-8) Louise longs for adventure so she leaves her home and ventures out into the world. The pleasures and perils she meets prove plentiful: marauding pirates on the majestic seas, a ferocious lion under the bright lights of the big top, a mysterious stranger in an exotic and bustling bazaar. Follow along on the many adventures of this not-so-chicken chicken. The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack, illustrated by Kurt Wiese (Ages 4-8) On a day like any other, Ping sets off from the boat he calls home with his comically large family in search of "pleasant things to eat." On this particular day, he is accidentally left behind when the boat leaves. Undaunted, the little duck heads out onto the Yangtze River in search of his family, only to find new friends and adventures and a bit of peril around every bend. With Love, Little Red Hen by Alma Flor Ada, illustrated by Leslie Tyron (Ages 5-8) Hidden Forest has a new resident. Little Red Hen and her seven little chicks have moved into a cottage and plan to grow a bountiful crop of corn in the nearby field. The problem is that none of the Red Hen's neighbors are willing to help with the hard work. So Goldilocks, who has heard about the new arrivals from her friend Little Red Riding Hood, comes up with a neighborly idea: Why don't all the residents of Hidden Forest chip in and work on the garden? Better yet, why not make it a surprise? Library Media Personal Growth: Read Visit your local library for more suggestions!

11 What Was Your Favorite Part of the Play? Did you know that the play you saw was the result of many people working together? There are many roles in the theatre department and each of the people in charge of these tasks must do their very best as a team in order to produce a great performance. Below is a list of some of these roles: The DIRECTOR is the person responsible for the overall artistic vision of a production. The SET DESIGNER is the person responsible for designing and overseeing the construction of the stage setting. The COSTUME DESIGNER is the person in charge of the clothing worn by the actors in a performance. The TECHNICAL DIRECTOR is the person in charge of the technical requirements of a production as well as the equipment. The STAGE MANAGER is the person responsible for overseeing all the backstage elements of a production (scheduling, rehearsals, etc.) The ACTOR is the one who performs a role or represents a character in a play. The CHOREOGRAPHER is the person who designs the dance steps to be used in a play. The MUSIC DIRECTOR is the person responsible for the musical content of a production. Which of these roles most closely matches your favorite part of the play? WANT MORE INFORMATION? If you would like more information about the Arkansas Arts Center Children s Theatre, visit our website at: or call We would love to hear from you! Write to us at:: ARKANSAS ARTS CENTER CHILDREN S THEATRE P.O. BOX 2137 LITTLE ROCK, AR TOURING SEASON SPONSORED BY: Target Entergy Arkansas, Inc. Central Arkansas Planning and Development District, Inc. Nucor Steel, Inc. Union Pacific Foundation Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas Arkansas Arts Center Children s Theatre is supported in part by: The Shubert Foundation, the City of Little Rock; the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau; the City of North Little Rock; Arkansas Arts Center Board of Trustees; and the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the National Endowment for the Arts.