PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH (Play Act 1) Grade 6 Term 2 Act 1: In Milo s Bedroom, The Road to Dictionopolis and The Marketplace of Dictionopolis Surname, Name: Class:
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA... 3 What is a Drama?... 3 Novel and Play... 4 Parts of a Script... 5 Be the Playwright... 5 INTRODUCTION TO THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH... 6 About the Author... 6 Drama Vocabulary... 6 Summary of the Novel... 7 ACT I, SCENE I: The Tollbooth... 8 Before Reading... 8 After Reading... 9 Extension Activities... 10 ACT I, SCENE II: The Road to Dictionopolis... 11 Before Reading... 11 After Reading... 12 Extension Activities... 13 ACT I, SCENE III: A Feast of Words... 14 Before Reading... 14 After Reading... 15 EARLY FINISHERS... 16 Costume Designer... 16 Set Designer... 16 Cartoonist... 17 Crossword Puzzle... 18 Student Evaluation... 19 Notes... 19 2
INTRODUCTION TO DRAMA What is a Drama? 1. Read the text. Match the bold words with the pictures. Drama is a form of storytelling in which the story, called a play, is performed by actors 1. The traditions of drama began in ancient Greece, where the audience 2 sat in a huge theatre 3 built around a circular stage 4. Greek playwrights wrote comedies making fun of famous, powerful people, and tragedies about epic heroes. In the earliest plays, one actor described the setting and plot, and narrated most of the action. Over time, the rules of drama changed. In modern theatre, the stage is decorated with scenery, called the set 5, to show the setting. Instead of the words of one narrator, the plot is told by the actions, facial expressions, and speech of many actors. 2. Now use the underlined words in the sentences below. 1. is the art of performing a story. 2. A is a story told through drama. 3. Greek plays about serious topics like heroes were called. 4. Greek plays that made fun of famous people were called. 5. The author of a play is called a. 6. The characters in a story face problems (called the conflict) and find solutions (called the resolution). This is called the of the story. 7. The time and place in which a story happens is called the. 8. In a play, a speaker who describes the action to audience is called the. 3
Novel and Play Compare a page from the novel, The Phantom Tollbooth, by author Norton Juster, to a page from the play, The Phantom Tollbooth, by playwright Susan Namus. Discuss the differences. Chapter 2: Beyond Expectations ACT I, SCENE II: The Road to Dictionopolis The car slowed down and stopped, and hard as he tried, Milo couldn t start it again. MILO. Now I m really getting nowhere. I hope I haven t taken a wrong turn. (The car stops. He tries to start it. It won t move. He gets out and tries to fix it.) I wonder where I am? I wonder where I am, said Milo in a worried tone. LETHARGIAN 1. You re in the Dol drums. (MILO looks around.) You re in the Dol drums, wailed a voice that sounded far away. LETHARGIAN 2. Yes the Dol drums (A YAWN is heard.) He looked around to see who had spoken, but no one was there. MILO. (Yelling.) WHAT ARE THE DOLDRUMS? Yes the Dol drums, yawned another voice, but Milo saw no one. Play WHAT ARE THE DOLDRUMS? he cried loudly, and tried very hard to see who would answer this time. Novel 1. Decide which statement describes a novel (N), and which statement describes a play (P). 1. Written in paragraphs, with an indent at the start of every paragraph. Written in script, with a reverse indent at the start of every speech. 2. Divided into acts and scenes. Divided into books and chapters. 3. The setting and actions are described by the narrator. The setting and actions are described in stage directions (written like this). 4. Words spoken by characters are marked by quotation marks: Words spoken by characters are marked by the character s name on the left. 5. When reading, all the text is read. When performing, only the characters speech is read. 6. The characters feelings are mostly understood by voice and facial expression. The characters feelings can be described by the narrator. 4
Parts of a Script A script is the text of a play. Use coloured pencils to underline the parts of this script. ACT I, SCENE II: The Road to Dictionopolis (When the lights come up, MILO s bedroom is gone and we see a lonely road in the middle of nowhere.) (ENTER MILO in his car.) MILO. This is weird! I don t recognize any of this scenery at all. (A SIGN is held up before MILO, startling him.) Huh? (He reads.) WELCOME TO EXPECTATIONS. INFORMATION, PREDICTIONS AND ADVICE CHEERFULLY OFFERED. PARK HERE AND BLOW HORN. (MILO blows horn.) stage directions what the actors do set directions describe the setting speech what the actors say character who is speaking Be the Playwright On the right is a scene from the novel, The Phantom Tollbooth. Make it into a drama by writing the scene in script format. Make sure to include set and stage directions (like this) and character names LIKE THIS. ACT I, SCENE III: A Feast of Words Play 5
INTRODUCTION TO THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH About the Author Search the Internet to find information about Norton Juster, then answer the questions. You can use this website: 1. When and where was Norton Juster born? 2. Give one interesting fact about his time in university: 3. Give one interesting fact about his professional (work) life: 4. List some of the other books he has written: Drama Vocabulary Complete the crossword puzzle using the bold words from pages 5 and 6. a s s d 6
Summary of the Novel Read this summary. Write the blue words from the text under the matching pictures. Write the orange numbers on the map on page 2 to show Milo s route. The Phantom Tollbooth is about a young boy named Milo, who is always bored. One day, he sees a box in his bedroom. Opening it, he finds a strange map and tollbooth. He gets into his toy car, drives up to the tollbooth. As he passes the gate, he finds himself in a magical place called the Kingdom of Wisdom. Milo drives to a place called Expectations 1. Following his map, he decides to travel to Dictionopolis. First, he must pass through the Doldrums 2, where time slows down and everyone seems as bored as he was at home. It seems like he will never leave, but then a watchdog named Tock saves him, and they travel on together. Milo learns that the Kingdom of Wisdom has two kings: King Azaz rules Dictionopolis, where everyone loves words, and the Mathemagician rules Digitopolis, where everyone is crazy about numbers. In the past, there were two princesses, Rhyme and Reason, who helped the kings find peaceful solutions to their disagreements. But after a terrible argument, the two kings sent Rhyme and Reason away from the Kingdom, and now the kings won t even talk to each other. At a royal dinner in Dictionopolis 3, King Azaz sends Tock and Milo on a journey to save Rhyme and Reason. On their way, they have many adventures. In the Forest of Sight 4, they pass through the invisible town of Reality, which no one notices, and the town of Illusion, which is visible even though it isn t real. In the Valley of Sound 5, they meet a doctor who gives his patients cacophonous sounds as medicine. Then they meet a Dodecagon, a geometric shape with 12 faces, who takes them to the Numbers Mine 6 to meet the Mathemagician. While visiting Digitopolis 7, Milo convinces the Mathemagician to allow Rhyme and Reason to return to the kingdom. Milo and his friends must travel through the Mountains of Ignorance 8, which are filled with demons who try to stop them, and up the long stairway to the Castle in the Air 9, where the princesses are locked up. Only by using the powers of words and numbers can Milo and his friends succeed in their quest. The Phantom Tollbooth is more than an adventure story. It is filled with plays on words and idioms. Tock, for example, is a watchdog, which means a dog that watches. But he also has a clock for a body, and is obsessed with time: so he is a watch dog. A weatherman tells what the weather will be like. But Milo meets the Whetherman, who can only tell whether or not there will be weather. Keep your eyes opened, and you will find many more word plays in this story! 7
ACT I, SCENE I: The Tollbooth Before Reading 1. Using a dictionary, match the words with their definitions. 1. a tollbooth a. adjective. Done to prevent harm, or to warn about danger. 2. precautionary b. adjective. Happy; pleased with the results of something; having no complaints. 3. the suburbs c. noun. A small building where drivers must pay to use a road or bridge. 4. to guarantee d. noun. Towns on the edges of a larger city where many people live and drive into the city for work. 5. satisfied e. verb. To pay back money, usually to customers who are not happy with the product or services they bought. 6. to refund f. verb. To make a promise, especially about the quality of a product or service. 2. Fill in the blanks with the correct words from above. 1. Little Red Riding Hood is a story that warns children about the dangers of talking to strangers. 2. Many people get tired of the noise and pollution in a big city, so they buy a house in the. 3. When Sally complained about the rat in her bed, the hotel manager offered to her money. 4. When we drive on the new highway, we have to pay money at the. 5. If the teacher is not with my homework, I will have to do it again. 6. I told the teacher: I you will like my homework this time! 3. In this scene, Milo will read this on a package: Results are not guaranteed, but if (you re) not perfectly satisfied, your wasted time will be refunded. What do you think this quote means? If you saw this promise on a package, would you buy the product? Explain your answer. 8
After Reading 1. List and illustrate the items that Milo found in the package: 2. Explain in your own words what the clock says about time. 3. The clock says: When you re bored, what you need more than anything is a rude awakening. What unpleasant truths do you think a bored boy like Milo needs to learn? What rude awakening do you think he will have? 9
Extension Activities Milo has lots of toys, books, decorations, and games in his bedroom, but he is still bored. Reread the description of Milo s room on page 5. Draw the set for Milo s room on the stage. Include as many details from the text as possible. Choose one of the activities below to complete. 1. Write a letter to Milo giving him advice about how to cure his boredom. 2. Write a paragraph agreeing or disagreeing with this statement: Because of electronic devices like tablets and video game consoles, kids are now less bored than they used to be. 10
ACT I, SCENE II: The Road to Dictionopolis Before Reading 1. Complete the chart with different forms of words that we will see in this scene. A Verb Definition Noun Adjective to expect To believe that something expectation expected will probably happen. To allow something; to make permitted something acceptable in law. to speculate To guess or make an opinion about something without strong evidence. To be unaware of; not to pay ignorance attention to something. To send someone away from banished a country as a punishment. To make an announcement; proclamation to publically give something or someone an official name. to reason To make an opinion about something using logic (organized thought). 2. Match the words with the pictures. 1. to daydream 2. strenuous 3. fanfare 4. fractions 5. punctuation marks 6. cloak C F B D E 3. In this scene, the character Reason says: Words and numbers are of equal value, for in the cloak of knowledge, one is the warp and the other is the woof. Look at the diagram. What metaphor does Reason use to describe knowledge? What is she saying about numbers and words? 11
After Reading 1. What kind of place is Expectations? Why do you think Milo begins his journey there? 2. What are the two rules in the Doldrums? 3. Look on the page shown to find synonyms for the word on the left. think page 9 s p r m s,,,, not allowed / not permitted do nothing / waste time page 9 page 10 page 11 a u f the,,, upon b t l l p l l d our,,, off,,, -, k t l i 4. Draw a picture of the watchdog and describe his appearance and personality, including as many details from the story as you can. 5. Why did the two kings banish Rhyme and Reason from the Kingdom of Wisdom? What was the result of their decision? 12
Extension Activities 1. Complete the chart with meanings or examples of each idiom. 2. Choose one of the idioms and make a poster about it. Your poster should include the idiom s meaning, an example showing when you would use the idiom, and a picture. Idiom Meaning Keep your eyes peeled. Idiom Example When I was tidying up my bedroom, my mother told me to keep my eyes peeled for my lost library book. Meaning Keep your ears perked. Idiom Example I was waiting for my father to come home so I kept my ears perked for the sound of his car while I watched TV. Meaning Very quickly. Example In the twinkling of an eye. Idiom Meaning To waste time; to do unimportant activities while waiting for time to pass. Example Idiom To kill time. Meaning Describes something that can t be understood or happens without any reason. Example No rhyme or reason. Idiom Meaning To agree with someone about something. Example To see eye to eye. 13
ACT I, SCENE III: A Feast of Words Before Reading 1 1. Match the words with their meanings. 1. an obstacle a. a satisfying, filling meal 2. a spelling bee b. misunderstanding 3. half-baked c. solid, large 4. misapprehension d. a word-spelling contest 5. bonnet e. silly; not carefully thought-through 6. substantial f. being attractive; making you want it 7. tempting g. an old-fashioned hat worn by women 8. a square meal h. a barrier, something that is difficult to pass 5 2. In this scene, there are many word plays about words that sound similar to food. Draw lines to match the food with similar-sounding words. desserts salt muffin ragamuffin: cinnamon bun rigmarole: dressed in old clothes a long, complicated procedure your just deserts: the punishment you deserve dinner roll synonym: different word with the same meaning somersault: rolling over head first 3. In this scene, you will read: The frightening fiends have sworn to tear any intruder limb from limb. Look at the pictures below. What do you think this sentence means? fiend = demon intruder = unwelcome visitor sworn = promised limbs = arms and legs 14
4. Complete this chart showing two idioms that you will see in this scene. Idiom and Illustration Meaning To be obsessed with an idea (usually an unusual one), and to always talk about that idea. Example To have a bee in your bonnet. Idiom and Illustration Meaning To eat your words. Example Rabbit told everyone he was the fastest runner. He had to eat his words when Turtle won the race. After Reading 1. The Humbug likes to use the words balderdash and bosh, which are synonyms for his name humbug. All three words mean empty, dishonest talk. Do you think Humbug s name is appropriate for his character? Explain your answer. 2. Describe the feast in Dictionopolis. 3. What job does King Azaz give Milo to do? What does the king give Milo to help him? 4. According to the Humbug, what obstacles and dangers will Milo face on his journey? 15
EARLY FINISHERS Costume Designer Look at the CAST on page 2 of your Phantom Tollbooth Play Script. Choose TWO of the characters and design costumes for them. Set Designer Look at the SETS on page 3 of your Phantom Tollbooth Playscript. Choose ONE scene and illustrate how you imagine the scenery would look on the stage in that scene. 16
Cartoonist Write and illustrate a comic strip showing one of the scenes from the Act I. 17
Crossword Puzzle How many of our vocabulary words can you find in this crossword puzzle? 4. to be inviting or attractive to 8. residential areas surrounding a city 12. dirty child in torn clothes; person wearing tattered clothes 17. anticipation 20. a lengthy and complicated procedure 22. an acrobatic movement in which the body rolls end over end, making a complete revolution. 26. (adj.) large, important; major, significant; prosperous; not imaginary, material 28. content 1. to form an idea without having definite or complete evidence 2. Imagining pleasant things that take your mind off the unpleasant reality 3. call by bugles or trumpets; showy display; spectacular public display 5. someone who is in a place or situation where they are not wanted 6. an official announcement 7. logic 9. a type of hat that covers the ears and is tied under the chin, worn by babies or, especially in the past, by women 10. the use of marks such as commas and periods in writing 11. promise 13. an evil spirit or demon 14. lack of knowledge 15. a wrong idea, misunderstanding 16. used to try and protect a person or thing from something dangerous or harmful 18. allowed 19. a long, loose, sleeveless piece of material worn over the clothes 21. ensure 23. barrier 24. money that is given back 25. an arm or leg of a person or animal 27. a booth, as on a highway or bridge, where tolls are paid 18
Student Evaluation Please take a few minutes to tell us how we did. Evaluate this booklet in the chart below. Poor Average Good Very Good Excellent I learnt a lot of things 1 2 3 4 5 Understandable 1 2 3 4 5 Useful 1 2 3 4 5 Fun 1 2 3 4 5 Exercises that I found useful: Exercises that I would change: What other topics should be included in the booklet? Notes
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