Illustration by David Hohn. AAC Children s Theatre ACTIVITY GUIDE

Transcription

1 Illustration by David Hohn AAC Children s Theatre GUIDE

2 About this Guide This 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!

3 Ev ry moo, ev ry cluck, ev ry quack Click clack, click clack, click clack MOO! About the Play When the cows learn to type and the fowl go on strike, Farmer Brown must find a new way to get milk and eggs. Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type is adapted from Doreen Cronin s original book with illustrator, Betsy Lewin. The book was adapted for the stage by James E. Grote. The music is by George Howe and lyrics by George Howe and James E. Grote. About the Author of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type Play Synopsis Doreen Cronin grew up in Merrick, Long Island. As a child, Cronin thought she d grow up to be either a police officer of an FBI agent. Instead, she trained to become a lawyer. When her father died suddenly, Cronin suspended her law studies and pursued a career in publishing. Soon after her father s death, she awoke in the night and wrote Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. She knew the story would have made her father laugh just as she laughed at the hilarious stories he once told her. Cronin returned to law school and was practicing law when the book was selected as a Caldecott Honor Book in She now works in publishing and continues to write entertaining children s stories involving Farmer Brown and his animals. Farmer Brown loves his farm and his animals. He relishes his daily routine and the sounds of the animals are music to his ears. The animals, however, have a problem. While all Farmer Brown hears is a peaceful array of moos, clucks, and quacks, the animals are actually quite unhappy. The animals try to communicate with Farmer Brown in various ways, but he doesn t seem to understand them! If only they could find a way to let him know that the barn is getting cold. One day, the animals find a typewriter in a pile of boxes. Once they figure out how the machine works, they are delighted with the click-clack rhythm. The cows type a message to Farmer Brown explaining that they would like electric blankets to keep them warm. Farmer Brown, astonished by this odd request, laughs at the very idea. Just imagine it cows and hens with electric blankets! After their first request is denied, another note follows: Closed. No milk. No eggs. The animals have gone on strike! They attempt to negotiate with Farmer Brown and struggle to find a solution to the problem. It is up to Duck, the neutral narrator, to suggest a trade that might just seal the deal and restore peace to the farm. Statement from the AAC Children s Theatre Keith Smith Associate Director & Playwright As a playwright, I can appreciate a well-crafted play even if it happens to be crafted by someone besides me. James Grote s adaptation of Doreen Cronin s Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type is just such a play. Perhaps what I like most about it is the way it embraces the literary genre of the fable with such an unapologetic sense of silliness and fun. Fables are, of course, one of our mainstays here at the Children s Theatre. In any given season our patrons enjoy stories about animals and other non-human entities speaking and acting in human ways to solve their problems and resolve their conflicts. This season, for instance, offers not only Cronin s human barnyard animals, but also anthropomorphized brooms (The Sorcerer s Apprentice), a talking, persevering train (The Engine that Thought it Could), and a certain competitive tortoise and hare who race their way into our adaptation of Aesop s The Boy Who Cried Wolf. In each of these cases as is generally true with fables the story entertains while revealing some truth or exposing some foible of the human condition. Cronin s story and Grote s adaptation carry out this literary mission in the finest tradition of Aesop, George Orwell, James Thurber, and Dr. Seuss to teach us a little something about listening, cooperating, and being aware of the feelings of others.

4 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. They are not allowed in the theater and can be used as a reward for good behavior! 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 permitted. 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 the theater, movies, and TV! Pre-play Discussion In order to prepare for the concepts presented in the play, use the following points for discussion: HUMANS AND ANIMALS Discuss how humans and animals are alike and how they are different. What are some things people can do that animals can t? Name some activities that both animals and humans can do. What can animals do that humans can t? COMMUNICATION Discuss ways humans communicate with each other (examples: face to face, phone, , texting). Discuss how animals communicate with each other. What are some ways humans and animals communicate with each other? What do you think animals would say to us if they could talk? PERSONIFICATION Discuss the concept of PERSONIFICIATION (when the author gives animals human characteristics). Can you think of other stories in which animals behave like humans? Library Media Connection: Associate; Physical Education and Health Healthy Life Skills and Relationships; English Language Arts Language: Knowledge of Language

5 Read the Book In order to prepare for the play, read the book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin with illustrations by Betsy Lewin. Think about how they wrote the book and illustrated the story. 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 at the AAC Children s Theatre is a variation of the original story, or an ADAPTATION. An adaptation is a change made in something so that it can fit a new use. This performance of The Sorcerer s Apprentice is an adaptation of a story (which is meant to be read or told) into a play (which is meant to be performed and viewed). Consider these questions for discussion before you attend the play:? What kinds of things did the authors have to consider in writing a script of the story?? What might the characters look like? What differences do you expect from the illustrations?? What are some objects (props) that they might use to help tell the story?? Draw a picture of one of the scenes in the 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. Quart (kwart) a unit of measurement Tyranny (teer-uh-nee) harsh, cruel, and severe control Amuck (uh-muck) without order Flock (flahk) a group of animals Sincerely (sin-seer-lee) genuine, trustworthy; a common way to end a letter Cattle (cat-uhl) four-legged animals kept on a farm; cows Translate (tranz-layt) to change from language to another Tomfoolery (tom-fool-er-ee) playful or foolish behavior Oppressor (oh-press-or) one who rules in a harsh or cruel way Freedom (free-dum) ability to act or move freely Poultry (pole-tree) birds kept on a farm for eggs or meat Neutral (noo-trull) in the middle; not taking sides in a fight English Language Arts Reading, Foundational Skills: Phonological Awareness, Phonics and Word Recognition; Language: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

6 DURING THE 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: You have an important role to play! 1. Actors tell the story with words (dialogue), actions (blocking), 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 scenery and by props. Here s how to play our 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.? Were there any characters or events that were in the book but not in the play? 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 book to 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.? What did the farm animals want? What did Farmer Brown want? How were they all able to get what they wanted?? What role does Duck play in solving the problem? What does it mean to be neutral?? If you Farmer Brown, would you give the animals what they wanted? Why or why not?? How do you know when an animal (maybe your pet) needs something? 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. Do you remember a time when you tried to communicate with someone and they didn t understand what you were saying? How did this experience make you feel? What was the result? Did you find a way to make them understand? If so, how? If not, what are some things that you could have done? English Language Arts Writing: Text Types and Purposes; Language: Conventions of Standard English Communicating Without Words List some ways that people communicate with one another. How do people communicate if they speak different languages? Did you know that there are ways to communicate with people without using words? There are six human emotions that can be recognized across cultures through non-verbal communication (communication without speaking). They are: HAPPINESS SURPRISE SADNESS ANGER FEAR DISGUST Read each sentence and draw the correct facial expression. If you get stuck, try acting out an expression for that emotion and look in the mirror. Carefully study your facial expression in the mirror to see how you might draw it on paper. Practice making faces or adjusting your posture (your body s position) to act out each one of these emotions. Work with a partner and take turns experimenting with the ways that you can use nonverbal communication to express your emotions. Act out an expression, remembering not to use words, and have your partner guess which emotion you are portraying. Theater Creating, Reading, Evaluating; Physical Education and Health Health and Wellness: Healthy Life Skills and Relationships

8 Panto-what? In the play, the animals attempt to communicate with Farmer Brown by doing a pantomime (pan-tuh-myme). A pantomime is a type of performance in which a story is told by expressive movements of the body or face alone. In the play, the animals decide to act out how the barn is cold at night. Can you think of some ways that you would act out this scene? Though the animals attempt at pantomime doesn t quite work, practice acting out scenes to see if others can guess what you are trying to communicate. You may choose to act out scenes from the play or from your imagination. You may even write down various actions or scenes on a card and pick randomly. Theater Creating, Reading, Evaluating Talking with Animals In what ways do animals communicate with each other? In what ways do animals communicate with humans? Do you have a pet? How do you know when your pet needs something? Imagine what it would be like if animals could talk to humans. What might your pet say to you? Write a letter to your chosen animal. What would you discuss with your pet? If you do not have a pet, pick your favorite animal and write letter to it. A LETTER TO MY PET English Language Arts Writing: Text Types and Purposes, Production and Distribution of Writing

9 The Art of Argument The animals in the play type notes to Farmer Brown because they want something. They make an argument (ar-gewment) for the electric blankets because it is cold in the barn. In this exercise, you will practice writing notes and developing an argument using persuasive (per-sway-siv) writing. Use the prompts below to learn how to form a good argument. Think of one thing that you would like to change at home. Maybe you would like a later bedtime, a different breakfast, or more TV time. Think about how you would ask for this thing to be changed. What arguments can you offer in support of your request? Imagine being the adult who receives the letter. Do you think you would grant the request? With the help of a teacher or another adult, write letters to your parent or other family members. Remember to be as persuasive as possible. Think about any possible objections that the family member may have and answer it in the letter. For example: I know that I should go to bed early because I need sleep, but I would really like to spend 15 more minutes reading before bed. English Language Arts Writing: Text Types and Purposes, Production and Distribution of Writing: Language: Conventions of Standard English; Library Media Application: Communicate When Workers Strike In the play, the animals go on strike when Farmer Brown doesn t grant their request for electric blankets. What does it mean to go on strike? Use books or the Internet to research what it means to go on strike. What did the animals do when they were on strike? The animals quit giving Farmer Brown milk and eggs because the barn was getting cold. The conditions in the barn were not ideal. Sometimes people go on strike when they want better working conditions. What would happen if all the teachers went on strike? What would happen if all firefighters, police officers, or doctors quit working? From the list below, choose one occupation. In the square, draw an image of someone in that occupation. Next, answer the questions to the side of the drawing. Think about the job duties of the selected career and use your imagination to make a list of things that the employees (the workers) might need in order to do their jobs. Use your imagination to think of what might happen if this person were not able to do their job. You may use a book or the Internet for reference is you get stuck. Construction Worker firefighter Chef banker mechanic Police officer teacher lawyer nurse farmer My job is: Some of my job duties are: Some things that I need in order to do my job are: Some things that may happen if I am not able to do my job are: Social Studies Economics: Resources, Markets; Fine Arts Visual Arts: Creative Processes; Library Media Application: Utilize

10 What a Relief! How do the animals end up communicating with Farmer Brown? What types of technology do you use to communicate with people? Today we use many different types of technology to communicate. Before the invention of the printing press in 1439, all books and letters had to be written by hand. It took a lot of time and many materials to make even one small book! This meant that books were very expensive and not everyone had access to the information. Imagine never having a book to read! The earliest type of printing can be dated back to 3000 BC. Mesopotamian civilizations used round cylinder seals for rolling to make indentions on clay tablets. China and Egypt also used small stamps for seals. With new printing techniques such as woodcut printing, people have learned to print multiple copies of text, images, or patterns. In this type of printing, the wood block is prepared and all areas are cut away except for the design or text. This means that the design will be raised while all of the non-inked area will be lower. This is called RELIEF PRINTING. With this type of printing, the design has to be carved backwards so that when the block is inked and pressed onto the paper, it will appear correctly. Check out a video about the relief printing process at Make a homemade relief print using Styrofoam! Materials: Instructions: Paint or ink Styrofoam take-out tray Scissors Pencil Paper Small paint roller or brayer Wooden spoon 1. Cut the edges of the Styrofoam tray so that you have a flat surface to work on. 2. Draw an image onto the tray using a pencil. Draw your image in the reverse of how you want it to appear. 3. Use scissors to carefully cut away the areas that you do not want to be included in your printed design. 4. Place a small amount of ink or paint on the cookie tray. Roll both ways with the roller to evenly pick up the paint or ink. Roll until the paint comes up to little points. Roll away from yourself slowly to pick up the ink on the roller and toward yourself quickly to remove it. 5. Roll the inked roller evenly over the design on your tray. 6. Once the printing block (tray) is inked, carefully place the paper on top and using either your hand or the back of a wooden spoon, rub lightly over the surface of the paper. Be careful not to wiggle the paper. 7. Remove the paper and repeat the process for more prints. Fine Arts Visual Arts: Foundations, Creative Processes, Reflections and Responses; Social Studies History

11 Click, Clack, YOU! A typewriter is a machine used to produce letters by means of a keyboard. Once the typist (someone that types) hits the button, the key hits a ribbon of ink. The earliest typewriter was invented in 1714 by Henry Mill. Many inventors have created their own versions of the typewriter. In fact, there are more than 52 different versions of the invention story. Though there were many versions, the typewriter was standardized in The QWERTY keyboard is the most popular format used today. The name comes from the first six letters on the top row of letters. This format was invented in Sholes & Gliden Type Writer, Locate a keyboard and use it as a reference to answer the following questions. Did you know that the longest common English word spelled using only buttons on the top row of the QWeRtY keyboard is typewriter. Fill in the blank beside the number with the correct key. Your choices are found in the column on the right. (Hint: You may see the same number twice on the above keyboard. This means that the same key may appear in more than one location on the real keyboard.) 1. Shift keys 2. Enter Tab 5. H 6. * 7. F9 8. Home 9. Esc 10. Use what you have learned about typing and keyboards to type a short letter to a friend or family member. Social Studies History; English Language Arts Writing: Text Types and Purposes; Language: Conventions of Standard English Answers: 1. H; 2. Esc; 3. Tab; 4. F9; 5. Home; 6. Shift; 7. ; 8. *; 9. Enter; 10. 4

12 Further Reading Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin (Ages 3+) Farmer Brown is going on vacation. He asks his brother, Bob, to take care of the animals. "But keep an eye on Duck. He's trouble." Bob follows the instructions in Farmer Brown's notes exactly. He orders pizza with anchovies for the hens, bathes the pigs with bubble bath, and lets the cows choose a movie. Mrs. Wish-Washy s Farm by Joy Cowley (Ages 3+) Uh-oh. Mrs. Wishy-Washy is at it again. Rubbing and scrubbing all the animals on the farm. But this time they aren't standing for it. Duck, Cow, and Pig are leaving mean old Mrs. Wishy-Washy for good! Duck For President by Doreen Cronin (Ages 4+) Here is a duck who began in a humble pond. Who worked his way to farmer. To governor. And now, perhaps, to the highest office in the land. Dear Mrs. Larue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague (Ages 4-8) When Ike Larue is "imprisoned" at the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy, he tries everything to get sent home - weepy letters to his owner, even illness. In reality, Brotweiler is more like camp than prison, but still, Ike's not cut out for life without Mrs. Larue & his creature comforts. Finally, he runs away only to find himself back in Snort City - just in time to save Mrs. Larue's life. I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff (Ages 4-8) Alex just has to convince his mom to let him have an iguana, so he puts his arguments in writing. He promises that she won't have to feed it or clean its cage or even see it if she doesn't want to. Of course Mom imagines life with a six-foot-long iguana eating them out of house and home. Library Media Connection: Read Visit your local library for more suggestions!

13 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 Sponsored by: