James and the Giant Peach Study Guide BCT LAYOUT Title page Table of Contents A Note to Teachers 2 So You re Going to the Theatre 3 About the Play 4 Plot Summary 5 Settings 6 Characters 7 Vocabulary 8 Suggested activity: Where do you go when you start to feel sad? 9-10 Suggest activity: Every family is the same. Every family is different 11 Worksheet: All about Insects 12-16 Worksheet: Insect word search 17 Worksheet: Label the Dragonfly 18 Worksheet: Insects, Arachnids, Arthropods and Annelids 19 Worksheet: How does a peach tree grow? 20 Coloring pages: New York City 21 Coloring pages: James and the Giant Peach 22 Teacher resources 23-24
Dear Educators, A Note to Teachers Greetings! We are excited for you and your students to attend the Birmingham Children s Theatre s rendition of James and the Giant Peach! To prepare for your upcoming visit we invite you to use this packet as a resource in your classroom. This packet is designed to assist you in introducing the play s plot, characters, settings, language, and themes to your students. We hope you find the material in this packet both educationally enriching as well as fun. We encourage you to use these provided activities prior to the day of the event in order to guide your students to a better understanding and enjoyment of what they will see. We hope your students let their imaginations soar as they meet James, his insect friends and the world that is James and the Giant Peach at Birmingham Children s Theatre. Just as importantly, we hope you find this packet full of helpful curriculum that cultivates a rich classroom environment. Thank you for helping to extend the learning process beyond our theatre walls, and for instilling an appreciation of the arts in lives of the Birmingham youths. Kindly, Birmingham Child s Theatre, City of Birmingham
So You re Going to the Theatre... Dear Theatre-goer, Get excited! You are about to enter into a world of imagination and fun where the impossible comes to life. Before you attend the Birmingham Children s Theatre s performance of The Little Engine That Could there are a few guidelines we would like to share with you about theatre etiquette. Theatre Etiquette: Theatre etiquette is the proper and expected behavior for the audience (you!) when watching a performance. Here is a list of the proper and expected behavior at Birmingham Children s Theatre: Arrive on time Have all electronics turned completely off and put away Be respectful: keep your hands and feet to yourself; avoid talking, waving, shouting during the performance; no eating or drinking; only exit in the case of an emergency Sit in your assigned seating Throw any garbage in the proper receptacles Play YOUR Part: A live performance is different than watching a movie or a TV show. During a play, the actors can see your reaction. Your responses help fuel the performance. Don t be afraid to laugh, gasp, and applaud! The actors will feed off your energy and both you and they will experience a magical theatrical adventure.
ABOUT THE PLAY James and the Giant Peach is a novel written by the beloved children s author, Roald Dahl. The rendition which will be performed at BCT was written for the stage by Timothy Allen McDonald with music and words by Benj Hasek and Justin Paul. The play is largely a musical. The songs are essential to the development of the plot and characters. Lighting and stage props, such as puppets, will be used to further enhance the play. Before bringing your students to the play consider discussing the following questions to build their understanding of stagecraft: How does music, even without words, affect us emotionally? How does lighting affect the mood of a scene? (You may need to elaborate that mood is how we feel in a specific moment). PLOT SUMMARY James Henry Trotter is an orphan living in an orphanage in London, England. James parents were tragically killed by an escaped rhino from the London Zoo. Seemingly alone in the world James finds comfort in the small things: the memory of his parents and the critters who keep him company at the orphanage. Much to James surprise, he is told that he will be leaving the orphanage to live with his only two relatives: his aunts named Spiker and Sponge. Never having met or heard of Aunt Spiker or Sponge James is unsure what to expect. It doesn t take long for James to realize just how dreadful a pair the two are. These Atrocious Aunties are immoral, thieving, conniving and cruel. Instead of taking care of James they make him their personal slave. One fateful day, while James is cutting down a peach tree at his aunties order, Ladahlord, a mysterious and magical man, comes to James and offers him a bit of magical assistance. Ladahlord allows James to pick any potion or spell from his magic book; James chooses the potion for making
Slithering Crocodile Tongues. Accidentally tripping the all of the crocodile tongues escape and find their way to a lone peach. The next morning James and his aunts wake up to find an enormous peach in their yard! Spiker and Sponge, the greedy lot, decide to profit from this strange and wondrous peach. People from all over come to see the peach and soon Spiker and Sponge have plenty of offers on the table from those who are willing to pay a pretty penny for exposing the eight wonder of the world. Weeks later, James is taking a closer look at the giant peach when he notices a door knob on the peach. Before he knows what is happening James is magically drawn into the peach. Once inside he meets a friendly group of bugs: Spider, Grasshopper, Ladybug, Centipede and Earthworm. Formally ordinary bugs, the group ate the peach thus inheriting the power of the crocodile tongues. Suddenly, the peach begins to roll and the entire gang, still inside the peach, land in the ocean. Floating along, the group grows closer together in friendship. The insects teach James that a person can find comfort in friends and strength in knowing that those we love are never really far away in spirit. James teaches the bugs that kindness can be found in the most unexpected places. While sailing along a hungry group of sharks begin to eat the peach. Thanks to some quick thinking and teamwork, the crew of bugs and James are able to connect the peach to a flock of seagulls and the peach sets to the sky. The peach ultimately lands on the top of the Empire State Building in New York City. Spiker and Sponge, having fled London to escape their unfulfilled contracts, are also in NYC and are determined to take back the peach and James. Before they can take hold of James the peach begins to fall and ends up falling directly on the Atrocious Aunties, SPLAT! James and his bug friends vow to always have each others back and they live happily ever after as a family. SETTINGS
Painswick Orphanage in London- The first time we meet James he is a ward at Painswick. It is a dark and dreary and cold place that lacks love. Atrocious Aunties house in Dover- A dirty and rundown cottage with a massive, untended and overgrown garden. Inside the peach- Sticky and wet, James and his critter friends live inside the peach, eating it to stay fed. The Ocean- James and his bug friends must ban together on the open sea as they encounter all sorts of tricky situations. New York City- The final destination of the peach, NYC is where James is set free of his awful aunts. Activity suggestion: Divide the class into five groups, have each group draw one of the settings as they imagine it to be. As a class, have each group present their drawing and then line the drawings in order as a plot reference visual. CHARACTERS James- A gentle boy, the protagonist of the play. James is an orphan who is looking for a family to love and be loved by. Spiker & Sponge- James two atrocious aunts. Spiker and Sponge are greedy and immoral people who steal and lie to get what they car most about: money. Ladahlord- A mysterious and magical man who appears throughout the play as a narrator or sorts. Earthworm- The scaredy-bug of the group. Earthworm is easily frightened but he warms up to James quickly and the two become great friends.
Centipede- A cynical character who does not trust James because James is a human. Centipede is also an orphan, his family was killed by Spiker and Sponge. Ladybug- The motherly figure of the group, Ladybug is always prepared and has a very nurturing persona. Grasshopper- The fatherly figure of the group, Grasshopper is wise and kind to all. Spider- Spider is very sweet and friendly, she definitely takes James under her wing er, leg. Matron Nurse- Runs the Painswick Orphanage. A cold and harsh woman. News reporters- Very excited and pressing group who are fascinated by the giant peach.
VOCABULARY Pit- The part of a fruit that protects the seed Atrocious- Extremely bad; awful Bizarre- not normal; odd Contract- An agreement between two or more people Fumigate- a method of killing insects by using smoke or fumes Orphan- A child who no longer has parents to care for him or her Directions: Complete the crossword puzzle by using the clues. Then unscramble the highlighted letters to find the hidden word! Across 4. a serious promise 6. a way to kills bugs Down 1. very odd 2. awful 3. protects the fruit 5. a child with no parents Answer: PEACH
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Where do you go when you start to feel sad? It s normal for everyone to feel sad sometimes. There are lots of things that can make us sad: when our best friend moves away; when someone says something mean to us; when we lose someone we love. What do we do when we feel sad? James struggles with feeling sad in James and the Giant Peach. In the play James misses his parents and feels all alone. James too asks Where do you go when you start to feel sad? Here are some discussion questions to talk about as a class: 1. What kinds of things could make kids your age feel sad? 2. What do you do when you feel sad? How do you act? 3. How can you tell if someone is sad? 4. What are some things kids can do to feel better when they re sad? Activity: As a class make a list of answers to question #4. Here are some possible answers Talk to a trusted adult about what is bothering you Be around someone who cares and understands Do something that puts you in a happy mood Play your favorite sport Exercise or be active! Listen to upbeat music Ask a friend to hang out and play Draw Write in a journal about how you feel Play with a pet Read a good book Write down three things that make you glad Help someone or do something kind for someone Let yourself be sad and cry but then do one of the things above!
Directions: Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students. Assign each group a letter from a kid who is feeling sad. Instruct each group to collectively write a letter in response that includes some kind words and advice. My dad got a new job in a different state. My whole family had to move. Now I am far away from my best friends, my school and everything I am familiar with. Everyone at school already has friends and I don t feel like I ll ever make any. I am so mad at my dad and mom for making me move, I just don t know who to talk to or what to do! -Sarah My grandmother just died. She and I were very close. I miss her so much that it hurts. I can t sleep or eat because I am too sad. I keep on crying just thinking about all the things we used to do together. What can I do to feel happy again? - Greg My parents got a divorce this summer. Now I live with my mom on some days and with my dad on some days. I miss the way things used to be. I miss the family traditions we had. It feels like everything is changing and that scares me. I don t know how I can be happy now that my family is broken. Please help me. -Maggie My baseball team lost our championship game last night. It was my turn at bat and I struck out. I feel like I let my whole team down. I feel like I let my dad down too. I feel sad and mad all at the same time. I don t think I ever want to play baseball again -Brian
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: Every family is the same. Every family is different. At the start of the play James feels that he is all alone because he has no family he knows of. When James is told he has two aunts he is hopeful. However, once he goes to live with his Atrocious Aunts he wishes they weren t his family. James aunts are cruel to him and make him feel even more alone than ever. James realizes that, even though they may be his aunts, they are not family. What is family? Discuss as a class what comes to mind when we think of the word family? The literal meaning might mean those we are related to by blood, but what about the connotative meeting? Brainstorm answers to the question what is family? as a class. Family is Always there for one another Supportive Encouraging Loving Accepting They protect each other etc. Once we realize these core family characteristics we also realize that each family is the same, even though each family is different because they are made up of unique people! When we think about family in this way we eliminate barriers. Our family could include friends, teachers, teammates anyone! James even realizes that his family is a bunch of magical bugs! Here are some activities to demonstrate how, even though each family is built up of different people, family is still a common ground we can all understand.
Classmate Interview: Pair students up and give each the Family Questionnaire. Have one student interview the other and then swap. Family Questionnaire: 1. How many people are in your family? 2. Is there anyone who is not a blood relative that you consider family? who? 3. What is an example where a family member supported you? 4. What is an activity your family enjoys doing together? 5. What is your favorite family tradition? 6. Is there a special meal your family likes to eat together? 7. What is an example of a family member protecting you? 8. What is a life lesson that a family member has taught you? 9. What is unique about your family? 10. What is your favorite thing about your family? Additional activities: Have your students turn their interview questionnaire into an article about the student they interviewed. You can even have them design it to look like a newspaper or magazine expose. Have students draw or paint a family portrait. Remind students that the people in their portrait do not have to be blood relatives. Read the book The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman and discuss it s content as a class.
WORKSHEET: INSECT INSPECTOR What is an insect? An insect an invertebrate (an animal with no backbone) that has all of the following: three body sections three pairs of legs (six legs total) compound eyes (eyes that are made up of many sections) antennae may have wings The three body parts of an insect are the head, thorax and abdomen.
Here are some readings about the insects that you will see in James and the Giant Peach:
Centipede, one of James new friends, is not an insect. Centipedes belong to the arthropod family. An arthropod is also an invertebrate. Arthropods have more than one body section, just like insects. They also have exoskeletons which means that it has a skeleton on the outside of its body. A lot of insects ARE arthropods. A ladybug is an insect that is an arthropod. A ladybug has an exoskeleton but also meets the criteria of an insect. One reason centipedes do not qualify as insects is because they have more than 6 legs,in fact, they have 100! Here is some additional information about this wriggly critter! **fun fact box: 80% of all animals belong to the arthropod family
Spider, another new friend of James, is not an insect either. Spiders belong to the arachnid family. An arachnid is a creature that: has two body sections has four pairs of legs (8 legs total) has no wings has no antennae cannot chew A spider is also an arthropod! There are more than 30,000 different species of spiders. There are spiders on every continent but Antartica! All spiders are predators. A predator hunts their food. Strongly enough, many spiders eat other spiders. Most spiders are completely harmless to humans. There are very few spiders that have a strong enough venom to harm people. In fact, spiders are more helpful than harmful. Spiders eat dangerous insects and help plants be healthy. *fun fact box: An extreme fear of spiders is called arachnophobia
Earthworm, the scaredy bug of the group, is an annelid. An annelid is a worm that has separated body sections. Annelids are also invertebrates. Earthworms live in the soil. They are very good for soil! Here are some more interesting facts about earthworms: An earthworm breathes through its skin An earthworm is both male and female Earthworms have no ears or eyes Worms can dig as far down as six feet into the ground Earthworms live between 1-2 years Earthworms have more than one heart, some have five! It is a myth that you can cut a worm into two worms, only one half might live Earthworms are on every continent except Antartica
Curious about what other animals qualify as insects? Here are just a few!
Directions: Label this dragonfly. Be sure to include each of the words in the word bank at least once! Word Bank: Head/ Thorax/ Wing/ Antennae/Abdomen/Compound Eye
Directions: Put a check in the box if it is true for the group. INSECTS ARACHNIDS ARTHROPODS ANNELIDS Has antennae Has an exoskeleton Has six legs Has compound eyes Is on every continent but Antartica Has wings Has eight legs Has three body parts Is an invertebrate Has two body parts Helps humans It s body is in sections
WORKSHEET: How does a peach really grow? In James and the Giant Peach some magical crocodile tongues cause a peach to grow to an enormous size, but that s not how peaches REALLY grow. Peaches come from peach trees. A peach tree grows from a seed. First, a peach seed is planted in the ground. The seed of a peach is inside of the peach pit. The hard pit protects the seed. Once the seed is planted it needs lots of water. A seed that gets enough water and enough air will begin to develop and grow, this is called germinate. As the seed continues to germinate the roots of the peach tree grow down, down, down into the ground. The stem of the baby tree begins to grow up towards the sky and out of the ground. We call this young, baby plant a seedling. The seedling will continue to grow until it is an adult peach tree. Blossoms will grow on the branches. When the time is right, the blossoms will develop into peaches that we can harvest for food.
Suggested sensory activity: Have the students look at and feel the outside of a peach. Let students describe what they see, feel and smell. Words like fuzzy, orange, yellow, red, soft, round Next, slice the peach in half and allow students to touch the inner part of he peach, including the flesh and pit. Again, have students described what they see, feel and smell. Words like sweet, bright, sticky, wet, soft, hard, smooth, rough Finally, allow students to taste a slice of peach. Have them describe the taste and texture of the peach.
TEACHER RESOURCES 3rd Grade: Arts Education/Theatre 4.) Dramatize universal subjects and ideas in stories from different cultures. 6.) Identify different elements in a theatrical performance. 7.) Evaluate the effectiveness of the theatrical elements of a performance using accurate, respectful, supportive, and constructive comments. 8.) Describe effects that sounds, movements, and visual images have on an audience. Reading/ Key Ideas and Details 10.) Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers. Writing 24.) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. 25.) With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 22-24 above.) [W.3.4] Speaking and Listening 31.) Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on Grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. [SL.3.1] Science 7.) Describe the life cycle of plants, including seed, seed germination, growth, and reproduction. 8.) Identify how organisms are classified in the Animalia and Plantae kingdoms. 10.) Determine habitat conditions that support plant growth and survival. 4th grade: Arts Education/Theatre 1.) Demonstrate ways in which an actor communicates character and emotions. 5.) Identify thoughts and feelings evoked by a performance. 6.) Evaluate audience behavior of self and others to determine appropriateness. 7.) Evaluate the use of lighting, costumes, sound effects, makeup, props, and sets for effectiveness in a performance. Reading 10.) Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. [RI.4.1] 12.) Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text. [RI.4.3] 13.) Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a Grade 4 topic or subject area. [RI.4.4] Science 5.) Describe the interdependence of plants and animals. 6.) Classify animals as vertebrates or invertebrates and as endotherms or ectotherms.
5th grade: Arts Education/Theatre 5.) Analyze a dramatic performance to identify its intended personal emotional response. 7.) Describe how audience behavior affects a performance. 10.) Identify universal themes in literature. Reading 1.) Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. [RL.5.1] 13.) Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a Grade 5 topic or subject area. [RI.5.4] Writing 24.) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. [W.5.3] 25.) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 22-24 above.) [W.5.4] Speaking and Listening 32.) Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on Grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. [SL.5.1] Science 7.) Identify common parts of plant and animal cells, including the nucleus, cytoplasm, and cell membrane. 9.) Describe the relationship of populations within a habitat to various communities and ecosystems.