Education Director. A note from our. Center for Puppetry Arts Study Guide for PreK - Grade 6. Jan 10 - Mar 16, 2008 Performances Tuesday - Sunday

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1 Center for Puppetry Arts Study Guide for PreK - Grade 6 A note from our Education Director Dear Educator, Welcome to the Center for Puppetry Arts and our production of Duke Ellington s Cat by Jon Ludwig. Founded in 1978, the Center is a cherished cultural and educational resource in Atlanta. We value your patronage and are delighted that you have chosen us as a teaching resource. Your students are in for a big treat! Presented in partnership with the By Jon Ludwig Jan 10 - Mar 16, 2008 Performances Tuesday - Sunday Create-A-Puppet Workshop sponsored by: Show sponsored by: Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. Jim Henson Foundation This show is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts Family Series sponsored by: Puppets: The Power of Wonder Exhibit sponsored by: Season sponsored by: Education programs supported in part by: This study guide was designed to enhance student learning before and after your visit to the Center for Puppetry Arts. Duke Ellington s Cat is a swingin musical adventure that celebrates the accomplishments of the great American jazz composer Duke Ellington. This imaginative show is the perfect accompaniment to a thematic unit on music history, African American history, jazz or famous composers. All three areas of programming at the Center for Puppetry Arts (performance, puppetmaking workshops and Museum) meet Georgia Performance Standards (GPS), Georgia Quality Core Curriculum Standards (GA QCCS) and Georgia Bright From the Start Pre-K Program Standards. To access the GA Performance/QCC Standards that have been correlated to each programming area according to grade level, click the links below: Duke Ellington s Cat, P-K & K Duke Ellington s Cat, Grade 1 Duke Ellington s Cat, Grade 2 Duke Ellington s Cat, Grade 3 Duke Ellington s Cat, Grade 4 Duke Ellington s Cat, Grade 5 Duke Ellington s Cat, Grade 6 To access a complete list of GA Performance/QCC Standards for all grades and subjects, please visit Thank you for choosing the Center for Puppetry Arts for your study trip. We hope that your students experience here will live on in their memories for many years to come. Sincerely, Atlanta Foundation Georgia Health Foundation Georgia Power Foundation, Inc. Herman Miller Foundation The Imlay Foundation, Inc. Kraft Foods Pittulloch Foundation The Rich Foundation, Inc. Travelers Foundation Alan Louis Director of Museum and Education Programs

2 Duke Ellington ( ) Edward Kennedy ( Duke ) Ellington was born April 29, 1899 in Washington, DC. An extremely talented pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer, he and his band played together for 50 years. He gained worldwide success and recognition in his lifetime as one of the greatest composers and performers of jazz music. Ellington began studying piano at age seven, influenced at an early age by ragtime pianists. A childhood friend who admired his sophisticated personality nicknamed him Duke. The name stuck and became forever associated with the finest creations in big band and vocal jazz. At age 17, Ellington moved to New York City to make his professional debut and soon became a regular performer at The Cotton Club in Harlem. Some of Ellington s greatest works include Rockin in Rhythm, Satin Doll, New Orleans, Take the A Train, Happy-Go-Lucky Local, The Mooche, and Crescendo in Blue. Duke Ellington playing at The Hurricane Club in 1943 Synopsis On the road with jazz great Duke Ellington is one cool cat. From the early days in the pool halls to the concert halls performing before crowned heads, this feisty feline has been at Duke s side, sometimes even sitting in with the band. But not everything is in rhythm. One day when Duke is to play a suite in honor of the Queen of England, the score has been stolen! Will the cat find the music and get it to the Duke in time? This lyrical look at the life and times of one of America s musical giants gets right in the middle of a career that spanned from the Roaring Twenties through the Civil Rights Movement. Style of Puppetry Duke Ellington s Cat is performed by five skilled puppeteers using a variety of puppets built by a team of artists in the Center s puppet-building workshop. Most of the puppets in the show are flat (or relief) rod puppets of varying texture, color and scale. Some are inspired by the collages of artist Romare Bearden, a contemporary of Duke Ellington. The puppeteers also use shadow puppets, jointed silhouette figures that are cut from sheets of a durable, clear plastic called Lexan that have been painted black. Some of the shadow puppets in the show are performed on the surface of an overhead projector which projects the image onto a screen from behind. The audience sees only the puppet s shadow or silhouette. Some puppet sequences in Duke Ellington s Cat are actually recorded on film using a technique called stop-motion animation. You will notice that the puppets and sets in Duke Ellington s Cat seem to glow in the dark. That is because most of the show is performed under ultraviolet light. The puppets and sets in the production have been painted with a special type of ultraviolet reactive paint that is brighter than normal. Fluorescent colors glow vividly under ultraviolet lights creating a magical, dreamlike effect on stage. The intended effect is to create a visual form of jazz -- fluid and transformational. Character voices are all performed live by the cast. Each puppeteer wears a cordless microphone to amplify her/his voice. As well as original music composed in the style of Duke Ellington, the recorded music is a showcase of some of Ellington s greatest compositions such as East St. Louis Toodle-oo, Take the A Train and It Don t Mean a Thing if it Ain t got that Swing. 2

3 Bibliography Dance, Stanley. The World of Duke Ellington. Da Capo Press, Ellington, Mercer and Stanley Dance. Duke Ellington in Person. Da Capo Press, Gollub, Matthew. The Jazz Fly. Tortuga Press, Hasse, John Edward & Wynton Marsalis. Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington. Da Capo Books, London, Jonathan. Hip Cat. Chronicle Books, Monson, Ingrid. Saying Something: Jazz Improvisation and Interaction (Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology). University of Chicago Press, Orgill, Roxane. If I Only Had a Horn: Young Louis Armstrong. Houghton Mifflin, Pinkney, Andrea. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra. Jump at the Sun, Pinkney, Andrea. Ella Fitzgerald. Jump at the Sun, Porter, Eric. What is This Thing Called Jazz: African American Musicians as Artists, Critics, and Activists (Music of the African Diaspora). University of California Press, Raschka, Chris. Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. Orchard Books, Raschka, Chris. John Coltrane s Giant Steps. Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, Raschka, Chris. Mysterious Thelonious. Scholastic, Rattenbury, Ken. Duke Ellington, Jazz Composer. Yale University Press, Schroeder, Alan. Satchmo s Blues. Dragonfly Books, Tucker, Mark. Ellington: The Early Years. University of Illinois Press, Tucker, Mark. The Duke Ellington Reader. Oxford University Press, Venezia, Mike. Duke Ellington (Getting to Know the World s Greatest Composers). Children s Press Chicago, Yanow, Scott. Trumpet Kings: The Players Who Shaped the Sound of Jazz Trumpet. Backbeat Books, Sketch for Duke Ellington s Cat by Jason von Hinezmeyer 3

4 Internet Resources Visit the official Duke Ellington Web site. Check out A Passion 4 Jazz to discover more about the roots of this original American musical genre. adventures.html Have a listening adventure at the Carnegie Hall Web site. Biographical information on Duke Ellington from PBS. Visit PBS Kids, a great Web site for kids to learn about jazz. Take the National Geographic Kids Magazine Cool Cats brainteaser challenge. Learn more about the magical effects of ultraviolet reactive puppetry from the artists at Dream Puppets in Melbourne, Australia. Learn about the biology of the fascinating creatures we call cats at National Geographic s Cats: Plans for Perfection page. Sketch for Duke Ellington s Cat by Jason von Hinezmeyer 4

5 Learning Activities P-K & K: Experiencing The Jazz Fly by Matthew Gollub Georgia Bright from the Start Pre-K Content Standards covered: Language & Literacy Development: LD 1 c, d. Georgia Performance Standards covered: Kindergarten, English Language Arts, ELAKR6a. Objective: After attending a performance of Duke Ellington s Cat at the Center for Puppetry Arts, students will experience an audio and/or video rendition of the book The Jazz Fly by Matthew Gollub and compare and contrast information from both stories pertaining to the art of jazz. Materials: A copy of The Jazz Fly by Matthew Gollub along with an audio CD and/or video version of the same story. Procedure: 1. Teachers may obtain audio, video and printed versions of The Jazz Fly here: 2. Play an audio or video version of The Jazz Fly for your students. You may also want to have a printed copy of the book available in the classroom for free reading time. 3. Ask students to compare their experience to the puppet production of Duke Ellington s Cat at the Center for Puppetry Arts. What things about the stories were alike? Was the music similar? Was the style of singing similar? Assessment: Keep The Jazz Fly on the classroom bookshelf throughout the school year. Periodically ask students to recall the type of music they heard in The Jazz Fly and Duke Ellington s Cat and their favorite parts of each story. Storyboard from Duke Ellington s Cat Designed by Kat Conley 5

6 Learning Activities 1st & 2nd Grade: Cool Cat Fraction Activity Georgia Performance Standards covered: Grade 1, Mathematics, Number and Operations M1N4 c; Grade 2, Mathematics, Number and Operations M2N4 a, b. Objective: Students will relate fractions (halves, thirds, fourths, etc.) to concrete pictorial models of the fractions. Materials: Blue crayons, chart paper and markers (or a dry erase or chalk board), Cool Cat Fraction Activity handouts from this study guide (one per student). Procedure: 1. Review fractions with students. Explain that the number below the line (denominator) represents the whole and the number above the line (numerator) represents the part of the whole. Demonstrate this concept using groups of like objects and write the numerical representation in the form of a fraction on the board or on chart paper. 2. Distribute Cool Cat Fraction Activity handouts and blue crayons. 3. Ask students to color the number of cats that will represent the fraction given for each group. For example, since ½ is one out of two, just one cat should be colored blue. Assessment: Collect student handouts and check for accuracy. Remediate if necessary. Sketch for Duke Ellington s Cat by Jason von Hinezmeyer 6

7 Name Cool Cat Fraction Activity Date Directions: Using a blue crayon, color the correct number of cats to represent the fraction shown for each group. 1/2 2/3 6/6 1/4

8 3rd & 4th Grade: The Invention of the Saxophone: A Word Search Puzzle Georgia Performance Standards covered: Grade 3, English/Language Arts, Reading, Vocabulary ELA3R2 a, e, f; English/Language Arts, Reading, Comprehension ELA3R3 a, i, k, p; Grade 4, English/Language Arts, Reading, ELA4R3 a, b, c, e. Objective: Students will read an informational paragraph about the invention of the saxophone and complete a word search puzzle that uses vocabulary from the passage. Materials: Word search puzzle student handout (one per student) from this study guide, highlighters or pencils. Procedure: Learning Activities 1. Distribute word search puzzle student handout to each student. Read the directions aloud to the class. Ask students to read the informational paragraph to themselves and then complete the puzzle. 2. When all students have completed the activity, choose a student to read the paragraph aloud. Answer any questions about the content of the passage or the meaning of any vocabulary words. Assessment: Check student work for completeness. Quiz students on questions from the reading after a few weeks have passed to see if they have retained the information given in the informational paragraph. 8

9 Name Date Saxophone Word Search Directions: Read the paragraph below. Search the puzzle for the vocabulary words in bold print. Circle or highlight each word as you find it. Words are hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, forward and backward. V G B N H T L X Q G L O G F P W E G Y B J F J D P P J S E D I O R E J F B I O H J C I V H N N O S E N O H P O X A S F T E R V D A Y E I N V E N T E W V T M E W T O X B D L N N Y R E R S E N I I X P E A I C E U L T Z G K T N L B E R U D A B E R U W U P E D E A R U X F F J Q D K B V X D L E O T E S L M J A Z Z I Y C S L B R L W I J S G C S Y V T R I A D G S A W S A R T S E H C R O I U H E A J C I F B N T X A G G B A P W B Q Z M I W G W W N B R C F The saxophone was invented by Antoine-Joseph (Adolphe) Sax in the 1840 s in Belgium. Sax was an expert instrument maker and a talented clarinet player. He was the oldest of eleven children. Sax was the son of an instrument maker. He grew up playing music and building instruments like flutes and clarinets. Later he started improving on early bugle designs and other valved woodwind instruments. Sax was challenged in court by many people that said he did not really invent the saxophone. Some believed that the instrument did not even exist. They wanted to discredit Sax. His enemies were unsuccessful however. Sax received a patent for the saxophone on June 22, The saxophone was invented for use in both orchestras and concert bands. Today it is thought of primarily as a jazz instrument. Today s saxophones are louder and more versatile in tone than originally intended by their creator. 9

10 Learning Activities 5th and 6th Grade: History of Jazz Reading Comprehension Activity Georgia Performance Standards covered: Grade 5, English/Language Arts, Reading, ELA5R1 (for informational texts) a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h; ELA5R3 a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i. Grade 6, English/Language Arts, Reading and Literature, ELA6R1 (for informational texts) a, b, c, d, e; ELA6R2 a, b, c, d. Objective: Students will visit a Web site and read about the history of jazz presented in timeline form and then answer questions about the content. Materials: Computers with Internet access and student handouts (one per student) from this study guide. Procedure: 1. Have students go to: 2. Ask students to read each portion of the History of Jazz timeline (if possible, have them listen to the audio clips for each section). 3. After students have completed the reading, ask them to complete the student handout. 4. Review the correct answers with students. Answers: 1) jazz musicians; 2) trumpet; 3) blues; 4) Louis Armstrong; 5) New Orleans; 6) improvisation; 7) Washington, D.C.; 8) seven years old; 9) bebop; 10) trumpet Assessment: Review handouts for completeness and accuracy. Remediate if necessary Spring Street, NW at 18th Atlanta, Georgia USA Ticket Sales: Administrative: info@puppet.org Headquarters of UNIMA-USA Member of Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts and Theatre Communications Group Text by Alan Louis Copyright Center for Puppetry Arts Education Dept., December AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, AT&T logo and all other marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. 10

11 Name Date The History of Jazz Directions: Visit and read each section of the History of Jazz timeline. After you have finished reading, answer the questions below. 1. The drum set was invented by. 2. Which instrument does Wynton Marsalis play?. 3. This style of music is the foundation of jazz as well as the prime source of rhythm and blues, rock n roll, and country music. It is known as the. 4. This jazz great was affectionately known as Satchmo. His name was. 5. In which U.S. city was Louis Armstrong born?. 6. Creating, or making up, music as you go along is called. 7. In which American city was Edward Kennedy Duke Ellington born?. 8. How old was Duke Ellington when he first began studying the piano?. 9. This style of music was considered jazz for intellectuals. It is called. 10. Which instrument did John Birks Dizzy Gillespie play?. 11

12 Study Guide Feedback Form The following questions are intended for the teachers and group leaders who make use of the Center for Puppetry Arts study guides. 1. In what grade are your students? 2. Which show did you see? When? 3. Was this your first time at the Center? 4. Was this the first time you used a Study Guide? 5. Did you download/use the guide before or after your field trip? 6. Did you find the bibliography useful? If so, how? 7. Did you find the list of online resources useful? If so, how? 8. Did you reproduce the activity sheet for your grade? 9. Additional information and/or comments: Please fax back to the Center for Puppetry Arts at Your feedback will help us to better meet your needs. Thank you for your help!