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Student
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The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Aurora
Children's Theatre Study Guide
Ichabod's
Life Lessons: Sleepy Hollow's flawed
characters and what they can teach us. The characters in The
Legend of Sleepy Hollow all contribute to the unfortunate end.
From each of these characters we can learn how selfish acts, and
working against each other, rather than with one another can lead to
unfortunate incidents.
Sleepy
Boy: The Sleepy Boy from the beginning of our tale immediately
doesn't like Ichabod Crane because Mr. Crane is different than the
Sleepy boy. This kind of thinking is closed minded and unfair to the
person being judged. Thinking to yourself that you do not like
someone just because they are different could be holding you back
from meeting someone you would actually like and become friends with.
The
Lessons of Sleepy Hollow
 
Jonesborough Repertory
Theatre, TN
Brom
Bones: Brom is a character who revels in
making others feel small to make himself feel better. He finds the
weakness that Ichabod has, and continually uses this against him.
This tactic eventually works in Brom's favor, but at the cost of
hurting someone. On top of hurting Ichabod, the satisfaction Brom
obtains will never last. He is ahead of the game for only a short
while, as Katrina already has a new beau in mind.
Ichabod
Crane: Ichabod is a man distracted by fear and
greed. Ichabod allows himself to get distracted by his greed, which
leads to his fighting with Brom, and eventually his own downfall.
Ichabod letting his fears get the best of him is how Brom eventually
"wins" the game he and Ichabod are playing.
Katrina
Van Tassel: Katrina uses both Brom and
Ichabod to get what she wants. This is another catalyst to Ichabod's
downfall. Establishing relationships with others will eventually
render reward, sometimes in the form favors, but what is important is
the bond you establish with the other person.
A
Christmas Peter Pan Classroom Ideas
Lesson Ideas
– A Christmas Peter Pan
The classic tale of Peter Pan
explores the world of fantasy and imagination. The popular story,
also captured on film and written by James Matthew Barrie in 1904,
has captivated audiences for decades. Take your students on a journey
of exploration with Peter Pan and the gang through the world of
Neverland. Adapt a lesson plan for K-12 students from math to
physical education with Peter Pan classroom activities.
Walk the Plank Vocabulary
The menace of the story of
Peter Pan is the pirate, Captain Hook. Gather your students and
invite them to test their vocabulary knowledge aboard Hook's plank.
You can create a plank out of cardboard or wood or alternatively use
tape or other items to identify the tip of the plank. Using words
from the book like "engrossed," "spinster" and
"subtle," ask the students either how to spell or define
terms. Every mistake means one step closer to the edge of the plank.
After hitting the edge students are eliminated from the game until
there is one player left.
Neverland Math
Create mystical math questions
for your students to solve using the Peter Pan theme. For younger
grades stick to simpler equations using addition and subtraction. For
example, if Peter Pan has three wishes and he uses one, how many does
he have left? For higher level students you can create tougher
questions using multiplication, division and word problems. For
example, if Captain Hook has a treasure chest with 100 pieces of gold
and Peter Pan takes half but drops half while getting away, how much
gold does Peter bring back to Wendy?
Hook's Treasure Hunt
Take your students on a hunt
around the world to locate Hook's treasure. All you need is a map or
globe of the world and a few stickers to mark the spot. You can
perform this activity one of two ways. One requires you to mark the
map prior to the game and have the children identify the city and/or
country of each mark. You may also present the clean map or globe to
the class and name cities or countries that the students must locate
and mark on the map.
Peter Pan
Keep your students active with
physical activities based on Peter Pan. For younger students, play a
variation of Duck, Duck, Goose entitled Peter, Peter, Pan. Seat the
kids in a circle with one child, known as Captain Hook, walking
around lightly tapping the heads of his peers exclaiming
"Peter" until he lands on the one he wishes to race. He
must exclaim "Pan" when tapping the head to initiate the
race. The two students, Peter and Hook, must run around the circle.
If Peter manages to tag Hook before he sits in Peter’s spot in
the circle, the student playing Peter now plays Hook and gets to tap
heads around the circle.
  
ArtReach's A
Christmas Peter Pan, North Shore Children's Theatre, Salem, MA
DISCUSSING THE
PLAY, CHARACTERS, IDEAS, ETC.
SNOW FAIRIES:
Ask the class to pretend that they are snow fairies. What is
your name and what do you look like? Where do you live and
why? Do you have a magic wand, or could your special powers be
in your shoe or your hat? What are your magical powers?
If the sun was shining brightly on you, what would you do? Show
how you would do it.
CHRISTMAS CAROLS:
Which are your favorite Christmas Carols and why? Have
everyone sing a Christmas Carol. Now pretend you are a pirate
singing the song. What words would you change to make it sound
more like a pirate?
CAPTAIN HOOK
TREASURE MAP: Choose Christmas tree ornaments to be
treasures. Hide them on the around the school or on the
playground and let the children find them like an Easter egg
hunt. Have them draw a map from their desk to the place where
they found the treasure. Look at places on a map or a globe
where pirates once sailed such as the Caribbean and Spain. Find
your home on the map and trace the way to the nearest port and then
to the place of the pirates’ origin.
SANTA ELVES:
If you were an elf what would your name be and what kind of toy
would you make? What kind of materials would you use?
Paper, wood, plastic, glue? What tools would you
use? Are these in your garage at home or would you need to
invent special magical tool? How long do you think it would take you
to make such a toy? Who would you give your toy to? Draw
picture of the toy you would like to give your best friend or family member.
CROCODILE:
Have everyone draw a picture of a crocodile. How wide is your
crocodiles mouth, how big are his teeth? What does he like to
eat the best? Discuss the difference between crocodiles and
alligators. Look up where they live and find them on a
map. Do you think a crocodile would rather live in a zoo or in
the sea?
PIRATE’S SHIP:
Draw a picture of a pirate ships and identify the various parts of
the ship: main deck, rigging, mast, sails, port, starboard,
bow, stern. Pretend that you are a pirate and you are being
attacked by another ship. What kind of treasure do you have on
board and what will you do to protect it? Pretend the Captain
is a villain like Captain Hook and stage a mutiny.
Classroom
Activities for Kid Frankenstein
Talk, Write and
Perform Kid Frankenstein
Mad Scientist:
The idea of the Mad Scientist is that the scientist loves his work
so much he takes it too far. Think of other professions,
especially those you aspire to be. Talk about what can go wrong
when someone takes their ambitions a little too far.
Suggestions: Astronaut, Baker, Football Player, Librarian, School Bus Driver.
Create Your Own
Silly Monster: Think of all things you
think are funny. Tutus, chickens, top hats, tricycles, wigs,
even things from your freezer or refrigerator. After you have
named these things, draw your own monster incorporating these objects
as part of the monster. For instance, your monster may have a
beak like a chicken and wear a tutu and a top hat. What magical
powers does your silly monster have?
Create Your Own Laboratory:
Have each student bring in or draw a picture of something in their
own home that could become a part of a magical laboratory where
anything can happen. Look for objects with electric cords,
knobs, wheels, dials, buttons, etc. Pretend the object has a
magic power. Demonstrate that power to the class.
Now have students put their magic objects together to make a
laboratory. Demonstrate your laboratory’s process and what
is the outcome of the function? Frankie chose to
make a Frankenstein monster in his laboratory. What would you
like to make?
  
"Crazy am I? We'll see if
I'm crazy or not!" - Mad Scientist Frankie Stein in ArtReach's
play 'Kid Frankenstein'!
Youth Summer Theatre Program,
Grand Rapids, MN
Dress as Monsters:
What monsters are your favorites? Have kids come to school
dressed as their favorite monster. This can be especially fun
on the day of the performance of Kid Frankenstein – especially
if it’s around Halloween!
Real Life Monsters:
Monsters are just a figment of our imaginations. Monsters come
from people looking at real creatures and assigning them super
powers. Think about real life animals and natural objects
like gnarly trees and clouds in the sky. Imagine that you see
monsters in these objects that come to life. What do they look
like? What powers do they have?
Frankenstein at
the Movies! Show classic movies such as
Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein and Young
Frankenstein. If you are short on time or wish to cut out
certain scenes, just show excerpts. Pop some
popcorn! Throw blankets on the floor and let kids sit on
the floor. Tell them if they get too scared to grab each
other and scream their heads off! That’s part of the
fun. And remind them that nothing in the movie is real.
Afterwards talk about scary movies and how to keep from getting too
scared by them.
"Logic
will get you from A to Z; imagination will get you everywhere.”
-- Albert Einstein
Creative
Dramatics and More Fun Ideas for Jack
and the Beanstalk!
Have Classroom
Fun with this
Famous Mountain Jack Tale
Appalachia:
Has anyone visited the Smoky Mountains? Do they know of anyone who
hiked the Appalachian Trail? Tell the class about your experiences.
What did you like best about the area? Have everyone imagine a
favorite mountain or valley spot and draw a picture. Draw children in
the picture. How do they spend their days? Imagine yourself in the
deep dark woods. Is it peaceful? Describe the things that live in the forest.
Cows: If
you were going to dress up as a cow for Halloween, how would you
look? What kind of costume pieces would you need to be a cow? If
there's a cowbell around, ring it for the class and talk about its
uses for farmers. Ask kids, do you like the sound? Do you think cows do?
Magic
Beans, Crazy Creatures & Giants in the Sky!
   
Jack
in the Beanstalk is one of ArtReach's most popular musicals!
Folksongs: Folk
music is fun because it's music that anyone can join in with! And
it's interesting because every single culture has their own folk
music! There's English folk music, Scottish folk music, Welsh folk
music, Irish folk music, American folk music, South American folk
music, Polish folk music, Hungarian folk music, Russian folk music,
Australian Aboriginal folk music and on and on. Can you name a song
that you have learned in your class that is a folk song? Find out
what country or region it is from. Locate it on the map and look up
other songs from that area. You may be surprised how many you know!
Ask the music teacher to devote a session to old folk songs and new
songs that sound like folk songs.
Crazy
Creatures: Jack was afraid of purple-eyed monsters, horny-toed
dragons and warty-faced giants. What kind of scary beings do you
imagine? Make a mask out of construction paper or foam. Show the
class how your scary creature walks and talks. What does he eat? Are
they afraid of him too?
For a fun creative dramatics
exercise, have each student choose a characteristic from the first
column and a type of creature in the second. Combine the two, become
the crazy creature and sing Polly Wolly Doodle as your creature would.
IItchy-eared
Elephant
Lizard-tongued
Spider
Baggy-kneed
Astronaut
Sticky-fingered
Orangutan
Three-horned
Kitty cat
Think of ways to defeat the
monster and stage the battle for the class. Do you feel like a hero?
Divide the class into two sides and have a battle of imaginary beasts.
Magic Beans: Do
you believe in magic beans, like Jack did? Plant some sunflower
seeds in a cup and grow it on a windowsill in the classroom. Talk
about the very large plant that comes from a tiny seed. Can you see
why that growth would cause people to be inspired by its
"magic"? Consider the trees you can see from your school.
They grow much slower than Jack's beanstalk but they certainly grow
magically tall, don't they?
Dreams of Magic:
Magic Polly tells Jack the magic beans will do all his chores and
grow candy canes. If you had magic beans what powers would you like
them to have?
Castle in the Sky:
What kind of castle do the giants live in? Is it beautiful and
ornate? Or run down and falling apart? What kind of furniture do you
think you would find there? Jack hid in a potato bin. What kind of
hiding places would you look for in a castle in the sky? Roll out
some paper on the floor and draw a picture of your classes' castle.
“Today
is your day!
Your
mountain is waiting,
So get
on your way!”
-- Dr. Seuss
The
Little Mermaid
is Full of Fun Activities
Have an
Underwater Sea Party!
Invitations:
The wording of your under the sea birthday party invitations can say
"Calling all Jellyfish, Sharks, Squid and Seals, too...There's
going to be an adventure, and we'd love to share it with you! You're
O-Fish-ally invited to come under the sea. It's (your child's name)
Under the Sea Birthday Party!". Then include day, time, address.
Here is a slightly different
idea for your under the sea party invitations. Make your under the
sea birthday party invitations as "messages-in-bottles."
Simply fill clear plastic bottles with sand, mini sea shells,
glitter, etc. Write your invitations on parchment paper, then roll
them into scrolls, and insert invitations into bottles.
Let
them create a mural of sea life.
 
George J. Mitchell School, Egg
Harbor NJ
Decorations:
Decorate your under the sea birthday party room with green and blue
balloons. Hang green "seaweed" streamers from the ceiling,
chairs, or from the top of a windowsill. Cut out starfish, seahorses,
and other sea animals from construction paper. Tape cutouts to some
of the streamers. Cover the lights in the room with blue cellophane
paper, which will give the party "under water"
feeling. Spread out any stuffed sea animals that you might have
around the room. Have Mylar fish and dolphin balloons free-floating
in the area, and have lots of blue latex balloons on the floor to
create "ocean atmosphere." Hang a fish net in the
corner of the under the sea birthday party room. Put a blue or
turquoise tablecloth on your under the sea party table, and then
spread multi-colored confetti around it. Put plastic fish in a clear
bowl for table centerpiece. Hang a personalized theme "Happy
Birthday!" banner in the area.
Guest Arrival
and Introductory Activities:
Seascape Gel Bags:
Here are some directions for your under the sea birthday party guests
to follow for this activity. Cut small fish from foam paper. Fill a
Ziploc bag with blue hair gel so when the bag is closed it's about
1/4" thick. Place the fish shapes, colored beads, and some
glitter in the bag. Squeeze out excess air from the bag before
sealing it Place the bag, sealed end first, inside another bag. Seal
the second bag and cover the zipped end with clear tape. Have
children make the fish move by running their hands over the surface
of the bag.
Sea Life Mural: Tape
a wide sheet of butcher paper on the wall at kids' eye level. Spread
posters and pictures of tropical fish, dolphins, sharks, and other
sea animals for ideas. Provide the kids with paints and markers, and
let them create a mural of sea life.
Party Favors: Since
kids are fascinated with sea life, any theme related items as
keepsakes will do the trick! For your under the sea party favors, you
can have such items as beach balls, fish squirts, straws, sticker
sheets, toy dolphins, and starfishes.
Under the Sea
Birthday Party Games:
Pin-the-Tail on
the Whale: This classic game is easy to design and set up.
Just draw a large whale on paper, leaving out the tail. Then cut out
"whale tails" for all your guests. Put children's initials
and a double-sided tape on each tail. At game time, blindfold the
kids one by one, spin them around, and get them to pin their tail
shapes where they belong.
Shark Chase: Get
the kids to spread out on one side of the party area - they are
fish. Scatter five or more hula hoops around the opposite side of the
area (the hoops are the fish's "homes"). Select one
child to be a shark, and have that player stand between the
"fish" and their "homes." When the
"shark" calls Shark!, he or she runs after the
"fish" and tags as many as possible. The fish must reach
home - step inside the hula hoop - to be safe from the shark.
Any player who is tagged becomes a shark for the next round, and tags
remaining fish. For each round, take away one hula hoop until only
one hoop is left. The game continues until all the fish are caught.
Play
"Shark
Chase" and "Octopus Alert" with your students!
 
Lindsey Elementary,
Chesterland OH - Old
Rochester Regional Jr High VT
Beanbag Fish
Toss: Place candies or small prizes in three or four pails.
Place the pails against the walls. Have a couple of beanbags for
children to throw. (It's ideal that you make a beanbag that looks
like fish, but it's not crucial!) Have the kids take turns throwing
beanbags into a pail. Allow children to choose a prize from whatever
bucket the beanbag lands in. Be sure every under the sea birthday
party guest receives a prize.
Octopus Alert:
Here is a great outdoor game for under the sea birthday party, and it
will require water balloons. Choose one person to be an octopus.
Arrange everyone else in a big circle around the octopus. Have the
kids in the circle toss a water balloon back and forth, trying to
keep it away from the octopus. If the octopus pops the water balloon
by batting it out of the circle, the person who threw it is out. Last
child left in the circle wins.
Musical Sea
Animal: Have your party guests sit in a circle. Play lively
music in the background, and let the kids pass around a sea animal
toy. Whenever the music stops the person holding the toy - goes out
of the game, and receives a prize (e.g., favor bag). Play until
everyone has won a prize.
“Life
itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.”
Hans Christian Andersen
Classroom
Exercises: <
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