THE GUIDE

FOR EDUCATORS
612.874.0400 I www.childrenstheatre.org 612.874.0400 | www.childrenstheatre.org School Group Sales 612.872.5166 I nstultz@childrenstheatre.org

CONTENTS
3 4 4 4 5 5 6 7 9 11 11 12 12 13 16 18 about this Guide introduction about our Season Before Your Show at Your Show after Your Show Theatre Vocabulary academic Standards Statement additional academic Standards about the Play Meet the Storyteller online resources Bibliographic resources learning activity (Grades Kindergarten-2) learning activity (Grades 3-5) Survey

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About This Guide

Welcome to the 2012-2013 Student Matinee season at Childrens Theatre Company. We are glad you are joining us (or thinking about it) for a season of mighty deeds and fearless action, small victories and inspiring achievements, fueled by kids and filled with heroes. Childrens Theatre Company is committed to creating theatre experiences that educate, challenge, and inspire young people. It is our hope that by presenting significant themes that affect young peoples lives in our community, we can help to foster dialogue and active participation in important areas. A theatrical experience can be a gateway into a greater understanding of life. While your students may walk into a Student Matinee expecting a fun break from their daily routine, it is our hope that they walk away having glimpsed a significant truth about the world and how we live in it. This study guide is designed to help you and your students get the most out of your theatre experience. We have included all the information you need to select and schedule your show, as well as suggested activities to expand your theater experience beyond the show. Feel free to select the ideas that work best with your classroom and curriculum needs. We would appreciate knowing which activities you used and how they worked for you. Please complete the survey at the end of this guide to help improve future study guides. To reserve tickets to any of our 2012-2013 Student Matinees please visit our website, childrenstheatre.org. Our Student Matinee section contains all the information you need including order forms, performance calendars, price charts, and subsidy applications. You can also contact Nina Stultz in School Group Sales at 612-872-5166 or nstultz@childrenstheatre.org for more information and to reserve tickets.

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Introduction
This guide is designed to help you and your students get the most out of your theatre experience. We have included all the information you need to select and schedule your show, as well as suggested activities to expand your theater experience beyond the show. Feel free to select the ideas that work best with your classroom and curriculum needs. We would appreciate knowing which activities you used and how they worked for you. Please complete the survey at the end of this guide to help improve future guides.

About the 2012-2013 Season

Welcome to the 2012-2013 season at Childrens Theatre Company our 47th year of bringing great theatre experiences to the young people of our region. We are so glad to have you with us. This season, we are proud to feature eight diverse productions, including a world premiere pirate musical, Buccaneers, Dr. Seuss times two with The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas, a brand-new Pinocchio by CTC favorite Greg Banks (A Wrinkle in Time, Romeo & Juliet), the time-travel story about Jackie Robinson based on Dan Gutmans Jackie and Me and a fully reimagined Alice in Wonderland. We are thrilled to continue work for our earliest learners with The Biggest Little House in the Forest and launch summer programming with our popular adaptation of Laura Numeroffs much-beloved If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. Our mission is to educate, inspire and challenge our audiences, particularly our young people. Theatre is a powerful tool it brings voice to people and problems, starts dialogues about important subjects, allows us to examine issues with new perspective, uses storytelling to animate life in new ways, makes us laugh, cry and sing. Theatre is also a process it involves democracy and collaboration, teamwork and problem-solving, and it is made all the richer by the various people and ideas that come together to create it. We hope you enjoy this season, we hope you share CTC with colleagues and friends, and we hope you bring your own family in to take part in one of our productions.

Before Your Show

Find out what your students know about the subject matter in the story. Have they read any versions of this story before? Which ones? Have they seen a film or television program of Alice in Wonderland? Have they seen a production, in performed on stage before? Create a classroom display about the show you will be seeing. You can include the information from this guide, newspaper reviews, and related books. Invite students to make connection with stories they know and bring in those materials to add to the display.

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At Your Show
As audience members, your students have an import role to play in the show. Using basic theater etiquette will help ensure a wonderful performance for everyone. Students can play their role by: Making bathroom trips before or after the show, or during intermission Remaining seated throughout the performance Giving their full attention to the activities on stage Responding appropriately to activities on stage by laughing at things that are funny and responding to actors if asked Showing appreciation for the actors by applauding Showing respect for the actors and audience by not talking with neighbors or making inappropriate comments Giving the actors a standing ovation at the end of the performance

After Your Show

Have students reflect on the performance and how all the individual elements came together to create the show. What did the sets (backdrops, scenery) look like? How did they help establish the different scenes in the play? What did the costumes (clothing, makeup, wigs) tell you about each character? What was the funniest part in the play? What did your students learn from the play? What questions or conversations did the play bring up for your students? What role did the audience play in the production? If you were an actor, what role would you want to play? There are lots of people who make a play who are not actors. What kinds of things do you think they do?

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Theater Vocabulary
Actor: A person who performs a role in the play. Audience: The group of people that watch and respond to the play. Backstage: The area of the stage that cannot be seen by the audience. Blocking: The planned way actors move on stage. Cast: The group of actors who portray the roles in the play. Character: The role, or personality, the actor portrays. Costume: The clothes worn by the actors on stage. Design: The creative process of developing and implementing how the play will look and feel. Costumes, lighting, sets, and make-up are all designed. Director: The person who oversees the entire process of bringing the play to life on stage. Dress Rehearsal: The final practice performances when the play is done in full costume and with all of the technical elements (light, sound, effects) in place. House: The area where the audience sits. Performance: The live event shared by the cast and the audience. Play: A story written for the stage. Playwright: A person who writes stories for the stage. Prop: Any item on the stage used (carried, moved, manipulated) by the actors. Scene: A section of a play, also called an act. Set: The physical environment that creates the time, place, and mood of the play. Stage Manager: The person who coordinates all aspects of the play during production and performance.

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Academic Standards Statement

Childrens Theatre Companys school programs provide quality learning experiences for your students. Our Teachers Guides provide a variety of lesson plans and educational activities which are grounded in best practices for literacy and arts education and are strategically aligned with the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards. The Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards identify the knowledge and skills that are to be mastered by all students by the end of a grade level and guide educators in the design of curricula. Individual Childrens Theatre Company school programs will address standards for children Kindergarten through eighth grade in the following learning areas: Language Arts Reading Mathematics Social Studies Visual and Theater Arts The following English Language Arts and Arts content standards can be experienced by attending any school matinee and using the Teachers Guide. Additional information on how specific lesson plans align with the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards can be found in many of our Teachers Guides.

Language Arts
Reading Benchmarks: Literature K-5 Key Ideas and Details: 0.1.1.1; 1.1.1.1; 2.1.1.1; 0.1.2.2; 1.1.2.2; 2.1.2.2; 0.1.3.3; 1.1.3.3; 2.1.3.3; 3.1.2.2; 4.1.2.2; 5.1.2.2; 3.1.3.3; 4.1.3.3; 5.1.3.3 Craft and Structure: 0.1.6.6; 1.1.6.6; 2.1.6.6; 3.1.5.5; 4.1.5.5; 5.1.5.5; 3.1.6.6; 4.1.6.6; 5.1.6.6 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: 0.1.7.7; 1.1.7.7; 2.1.7.7; 0.1.9.9; 1.1.9.9; 2.1.9.9; 3.1.7.7; 4.1.7.7; 5.1.7.7 Reading Benchmarks: Foundational Skills K-5 Phonics and Word Recognition: 0.3.0.3; 1.3.0.3; 2.3.03; 3.3.0.3; 4.3.0.3; 5.3.0.3 Writing Benchmarks K-5 Text Types and Purposes: 0.6.3.3; 1.6.3.3; 2.6.3.3; 3.6.3.3; 4.6.3.3; 5.6.3.3 Production and Distribution of Writing: 0.6.5.5; 1.6.5.5; 2.6.5.5; 3.6.4.4; 4.6.4.4; 5.6.4.4; 3.6.5.5; 4.6.5.5 Research to Build and Present Knowledge: 0.6.7.7; 1.6.7.7; 2.6.7.7; 0.6.8.8; 1.6.8.8; 2.6.8.8; 3.6.7.7; 4.6.7.7; 5.6.7.7; 4.6.9.9; 5.6.9.9 Speaking, Viewing, Listening, and Media Literacy Benchmarks K-5 Comprehension and Collaboration: 0.8.1.1; 1.8.1.1; 2.8.1.1; 0.8.2.2; 1.8.2.2; 2.8.2.2; 0.8.3.3; 1.8.3.3; 2.8.3.3; 3.8.1.1; 4.8.1.1; 5.8.1.1; 3.8.2.2; 4.8.2.2; 5.8.2.2 Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas: 0.8.4.4; 1.8.4.4; 2.8.4.4; 0.8.5.5; 1.8.5.5; 2.8.5.5; 3.8.4.4; 4.8.4.4; 5.8.4.4 ...continued on next page

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Academic Standards Statement

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Arts

Theater Arts K-3 Artistic Foundations: 0.1.1.4.1 Artistic Process: Create or Make: 0.2.1.4.1; 0.2.1.4.2 Artist Process Perform and Present: 0.3.1.4.2 Artist Process Respond and Critique: 0.4.1.4.1 Visual Arts K-3 Artistic Process: Create or Make: 0.2.1.5.1 Theater Arts 4-5 Artistic Foundations: 4.1.1.4.2; 4.1.2.4.1; 4.1.3.4.2 Artistic Process: Create or Make: 4.2.1.4.1 Artist Process Perform and Present: 4.3.1.4.1 Artist Process Respond and Critique: 4.4.1.4.1; Visual Arts 4-5 Artistic Process: Create or Make: 4.2.1.5.1
Coding System Each anchor standard has a benchmark identified by a four-digit code. For example, in the code 5.2.8.8 The 5 refers to grade five; The 2 refers to the substrand, Reading Standards for Informational Text K-5; The first 8 refers to the eighth CCR anchor standard, Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence; The second 8 refers to the benchmark for that standard, Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).

For additional information http://education.state.mn.us

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Additional Academic Standards

Grade Kindergarten, Mathematics

Strands Sub-Strands K 3. Geometry and Measurement

Standards

Benchmarks

2. Compare and order objects 1. Use words to compare obaccording to location and mea- jects according to length, size, surable attributes. weight and position. 2. Order 2 or 3 objects using measurable attributes, such as length and weight

Grade 2, Mathematics Strand 2.3 Geometry and Measurement Sub-Strand 2. Understand length as a measurable attribute; use tools to measure length Standards Benchmarks 1. Understand the relationship between the size of the unit of measurement and the number of units needed to measure the length of an object. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between length and the numbers on a ruler by using a ruler measure lengths to the nearest centimeter or inch.

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Additional Academic Standards

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Grade 2, Science Strand 2.1. The Nature of Science and Engineering Sub-Strand 1. The Practice of Science Standards 2. The student will understand that scientific inquiry is a set of interrelated processes incorporating multiple approaches that are used to pose questions about the natural world and investigate phenomena. 1. The student will understand that natural systems have many components that interact to maintain the living system Benchmarks 1. Raise questions about the natural world and seek answers by making careful observations, noting what happens when you interact with an object, and sharing the answers with others. 1. Recognize that plants need space, water, food and air and they fulfill these needs in different ways.

2.4 Life Science

2. Interdependence in Living Systems

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Alice in Wonderland: A Brief Description of the Play

This classic tale of rabbit holes and wonder has been loved by generations, and this season CTC brings it back for a fully re-imagined production. From the Mad Hatters tea party to the Cheshire grin, Alices adventures in Wonderland are unique, captivating and, in Alices own words, curiouser and curiouser! Lewis Carrolls classic comes to life with all the magic, mystery and mischief of the original novel.

Meet the Storyteller, Lewis Carroll

Lewis Carroll was the pen name for Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He was born in 1832 and died in 1898 at the age of 66. He was an English mathematician, photographer, and novelist, best known for his fantasy novel, Alice in Wonderland. Carroll was the oldest son and third child in a family of seven girls and four boys. When Lewis Carroll was a young boy he showed a great imagination and loved inventing games to amuse his family in their small, isolated village. His family created a collection of manuscripts called The Rectory Magazines to which they all contributed. Most of the surviving pieces were written by him. Alice in Wonderland grew out of Carrolls entertainment of the children of Henry George Liddell, dean of Christ Church. Carroll suffered from a very bad stammer, but found that he was able to speak clearly and easily to children. Much of the story was based on a picnic a couple of when they had all been caught in the rain. What began as Alices Adventures Underground was a tale spun by Lewis Carroll in response to their escaping from the rain. Alice Liddell enjoyed the story so much she begged him to write it down. He did, and added a few more adventures. This collection of stories became Alice in Wonderland.

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Online Resources
http://www.lewiscarroll.org/ The site of a non-profit organization dedicated to Lewis Carroll. http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/wonderland/ An interactive and fun online Wonderland! http://www.lewiscarroll.org/carroll/texts/ Visit here to find full text versions of many of Carrols work. http://www.biography.com/people/lewis-carroll-9239598 Go here to find a biography of the author of Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll. http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/aliceinwonderland/ Visit here to find all sorts of games and activities about the Disney version of Alice in Wonderland. http://sabian.org/sabian_alice.php A site that features many lectures and lessons on Alice in Wonderland.

Some Bibliographic Resources

Carroll, Lewis. Alices Adventures in Wonderland; and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. Penguin Books, 2010. Disneys Alice in Wonderland: Graphic Novel, adapted from the movie by Tim Burton. Boom! Studios, 2010. Hautzig, Deborah. Lewis Carrolls Alice in Wonderland. Grossett and Dunlap, 2010. Kovac, Tommy. Wonderland. Disney Press, 2008. Sutherland, T.T. Alice in Wonderland. Disney Press, 2010.

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Learning Activities
Kindergarten-2nd Grade: Growing a Fanciful Garden
Objective: Students will be able to discuss conditions suitable for the growth of plants, identify the major parts of a plant, plant seeds and care for the growing seedlings, record measurements and observations on a graph and in a science log. The will be able to explain how plants need love and care to growth and flourish. In this lesson, the students will gain respect for the beauty and value of plants and the natural environment. Students will learn how various conditions affect the growth of plants. The students will also measure and observe the growth of their seedlings. Materials: Biodegradable pots (2x2x2) Potting soilenough for each student and the teacher to fill at least two pots each Zinnia seedsenough for each student and the teacher to plant at least two each Water Fertilizer Small plastic containers for water and water droppers Metric ruler Graph paper (1x1 grids) Duration: One 45 minute class period. Procedure: Flowers and enchanted gardens are a big part of the fanciful world of Alice in Wonderland, from the garden that Alice is lounging in when she goes down the rabbit hole to the enchanted garden of talking flowers she finds in Wonderland. Have a class discussion about the gardens and flowers in the story. Ask your students if they have gardens at home, what their favorite plants are, etc. If you have a nature center in your city, invite a volunteer or outreach coordinator to your class to talk about plants and gardens with your class. Have your volunteer, or yourself, explain the different ways in which plants are cared for. Tell the students the proper way to care for plants. Discuss the variables (sun, water, soil, fertilizer) that contribute to healthy plants. On a large sheet of paper write students comments about what they learned from their guest or during the lesson. Each student should write his or her name on two biodegradable planting pots. Have the students break out into in small groups to fill their pots with soil (have soil in a Soil can be spooned into the pots until approximately inch from the top of pot.

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Kindergarten-2nd Grade: Growing a Fanciful Garden

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Have the students put one seed in each pot. Demonstrate by pressing your thumb in center of soil, creating a hole inch deep. Put the seed in and cover with soil from the pot. Students follow the procedure while you monitor for progress and accuracy. Students will then use water droppers to measure out one ounce of water (approximately two full water droppers) and water each plant pot. Add the appropriate amount of fertilizer according to the directions on the package. Place the pots on a windowsill or other suitable area where sunlight is available. Prepare a science log for each student to record his/her observations. Students start by writing their observations (either in writing or illustrations) of the seed planting. Have students record observations at least once every three days. They can record the date for each entry, how much water and fertilizer they add, what they see and measurements. Students water and fertilize their plants as needed. Demonstrate how to make a bar graph and record growth over time. For younger students, you may want to prepare the graph and labels on graph paper. Older students may be able to use prior experience to determine labels for the blank graph. Example: vertical axis: Height in Centimeters; horizontal axis: Date Measured). When the flower seedlings appear above the soil, the students will start measuring the height of the plant using metric rulers (every other day). Show them how to measure accurately and record their measurements on the graphs. Measurement of plant should begin at the top of soil. Height will be determined by the highest point of the plant above soil. Assessment: The teacher may evaluate student participation in class discussion and monitor their skills in tracking and measuring the growth of their plants.

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Kindergarten-2nd Grade: Entering Wonderland

Objective: Students will recount the plot points from the story. Students will describe and understand fantastic imagery, both visual and textual, in various works of childrens literature. Duration: One 30 minute class period Materials: Colored paper Markers Crayons Art/craft supplies Procedure: Write the word Wonderland on the board in large letters. Ask the students why the name of this place might include the word wonder. Ask the students to close their eyes and imagine Wonderland. What do they see? Ask them to begin by imagining the Wonderland described and shown in the play. Then ask them to elaborate on their own vision by imagining their own personal Wonderland. Would they like to visit it? Why or why not? Have students use art supplies to draw and color their own Wonderland to display in the classroom or outside in the hallway. Assessment: Observe student participation in the class discussion as well as their art project.

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3rd-5th Grade: Learning the Rules, Like Alice

Objective: The student will recognize that many of the games he/she plays are learned from others, learn to play two new card games, describe the importance of a partnership, predict winning cards by logical thinking, provide a service by teaching others how to play a game. Duration: One 45 minute class period. Materials: A display board Two decks of playing cards for each group of four learners One copy of Attachment One: Scenarios cut into individual cards Procedure: Begin by discussing how in Alice in Wonderland, Alice has to follow a lot of rules. Ask the students to give examples of how even in a fantasy world like Wonderland, there are many sets of rules that Alice has to follow in order to find her way home. Just like Alice, well be playing some games with cards as well! Arrange the class into groups of four and hand each group a scenario card from Attachment One: Scenario. Tell them you are giving each group the name of a familiar game. They should keep it secret from the other teams for now. Tell them they are going to play the game of Charades to act out the name of the game on their scenario cards. The rules of this game: 1. The teams work cooperatively and use game etiquette. 2. The goal is to communicate the name of their game to the other groups. 3. The acting team may use actions without words. 4. The other groups may use words and ask questions. 5. The acting team may gesture and shake their heads in response but not talk. 6. When another team guesses the game, that round is over. Play the game of Charades by having each team take a turn to act out the game on their scenario card. Review the role of rules and etiquette in playing a game. Discuss how the rules and etiquette improve the game experience. In the Charades game, they guessed the names of several games. Ask what all these games have in common. (For example, they are all played with other people.) Then ask the learners how they learned the rules and etiquette required to play these games. Discuss whether most games are learned by someone teaching them. Assessment: The teacher will observe student involvement in the class discussions, as well as the students involvement in the group activities which emphasize working together as a group/cooperating in following the rules for the assigned activities serve as assessments for this lesson.

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3rd-5th Grade: Wonderful Creatures

Objective: Students will discuss the personification of animals in Alice in Wonderland. They will make connections to actual animal behavior and the human characteristics assigned to them. Duration: One 30 minute class period. Materials: Print outs of John Tenniels illustrations found here: http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tenniel/alice/gallery1.html Procedure:Talk about the animals featured in the play. Then show students the illustrations of these animals, as well as other ones from the story. For example, the Dear Little Puppy, the Blue Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, the Gryphon, and the Mock Turtle. Discuss the ways that these creatures are similar to or different from animals the students might encounter in real life. Have students describe how the animal normally behaves: a rabbit is fast; a turtle is slow; a cat is independent; a dog likes attention. Then discuss with students how Lewis Carrolls text personifies animals by giving them human traits. Examine with students, for example, how the rabbit is dressedis he anxious, relaxed? Explain that to give human qualities to animals is called personification. Ask the class members if they have petsif so, what would their pets be like if they were human? How do the animals of Wonderland personify human traits that relate to their animal traits? Assessment: Note student participation in the class discussion and their grasp of personification and if they are making intelligent and creative connections.

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Survey
It is useful for us to know what was helpful to you as you read and/or used this guide. Please fill out and mail or e-mail this quick response sheet to us. We appreciate your ideas. Please note if you have received a Transportation Subsidy from Childrens Theatre Company completion of this form is required to receive reimbursement. 1. Was it easy for you to find and download the Guide? 2. Did you spend more time working with the material BEFORE or AFTER the play? o Before o After o Equally Before and After 3. Did using this Guide add to your theatre experience? o Yes o Some o No 4. What did you use from the Guide? 5. How did the experience of preparing for and then seeing the play impact your students? 6. Is there something you would like to see included in the Guide that wasnt here? 7. How much of the Guide did you read? o Didnt have time o Some o All 8. Which of the following best describes you? I teach: o Preschool o Elementary School o Middle school other comments Mail to: Childrens Theatre Company 2400 3rd Avenue South Minneapolis, MN 55404 Attention: School Group Sales, Nina Stultz OR email: nstultz@childrenstheatre.org Transportation Reimbursement Requests: Account Number Play Title and Date Attended This information is required to accurately process your request. Childrens Theatre Company (CTC) is the first theatre for young people to win the coveted Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theater (2003). CTC serves over 300,000 people annually and is one of the 20 largest theatre companies in the nation. The company is noted for defining worldwide standards with an innovative mix of classic tales, celebrated international productions and challenging new work. Peter Brosius, Artistic Director These Learning Activites are inspired by those presented at www.learningtogive.org, a site dedicated to providing education resources that inspire giving and civic engagement. o High school o Home school

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