My Son Pinocchio Enrichment Guide

ENRICHMENT GUIDE
SCHOOL DATES
DECEMBER 1 - 22, 2010
WWW.FIRSTSTAGE .ORG
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Inside the Guide
A Note to Teachers and Parents
Setting the Stage
preparing for the play
Synopsis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
About the Composer Lyricist. . . . 5
About the Playwright . . . . . . . . . 6
Recommended Reading. . . . . . . . 6
My Son Pinocchio. . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Pre-Show Questions . . . . . . . . . . 7
For Teachers
Curriculum connections
before or after the play
HISTORY
The History of the Fairy Tale . . . . . 8-9
Disney’s Pinocchio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Language Arts
Dear Teachers and Parents,
Thank you for joining us this holiday season to witness this remarkable retelling of the
classic fairytale, Pinocchio. MY SON PINOCCHIO, written by the highly acclaimed
composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz, tells the story of Pinocchio through the eyes
of Geppetto. Filled with beloved songs from the animated Disney classic, as well as a
number of new songs and a holiday twist, MY SON PINOCCHIO explores themes of
unconditional love, bravery and consequences.
Enclosed in this enrichment guide is a range of materials and activities intended to help
you discover connections within the play through the curricula. It is our hope that you
will use the experience of attending the theater and seeing MY SON PINOCCHIO with
your students as a teaching tool. As educators and parents, you know best the needs
and abilities of your students. Use this guide to best serve your children—pick and
choose, or adapt, any of these suggestions for discussions or activities. We encourage
you to take advantage of the enclosed student worksheets— please feel free to photocopy the sheets for your students, or the entire guide for the benefit of other teachers.
Best regards,
When You Wish Upon a Star. . . 11-12
Modern Day Fairy Tales. . . . . . . 21-23
ART
I’ve Got No Strings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
An Italian Dictionary. . . . . . . . . . . . 18
HUMANITIES
Julia Magnasco
Education Director
(414) 267-2971
Lie Detectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Consequences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Citizenship’s Five Themes . . . . . 24-25
SCIENCE
Star Clock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14
Whales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
A Whale of a Tale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Curtain Call
Post-Show Discussion Questions . . . 25
Who Said It?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Who Said It? (Answers). . . . . . . . . . 27
First Stage Policies
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The use of recording equipment and cameras are not permitted during the performance.
Food, drink, candy and gum are not permitted during the performance.
Electronic devices are not permitted in the theater space.
Should a student become ill, suffer an injury or have another problem, please escort him
or her out of the theater space.
In the unlikely event of a general emergency, the theater lights will go on and the stage
manager will come on stage to inform the audience of the problem. Remain in your seats,
visually locate the nearest exit and wait for the stage manager to guide your group from
the theater.
Seating for people with disabilities: If you have special seating needs for any student(s) and
did not indicate your need when you ordered your tickets, please call our School Sales
Specialist at (414) 267-2962. Our knowledge of your needs will enable us to serve you
better upon your arrival to the theater.
Setting the Stage: Synopsis
A
s the lights come up, we
see the Blue Fairy and her fairies in
training. The Blue Fairy shares with
the audience her holiday tradition:
celebrating the fact that she grants
perfect wishes. This year, she helped
lonely toy-maker Geppetto bring to
life the puppet boy Pinocchio. As
she sings, she is suddenly interrupted by a loud whisper by Geppetto
who has slowly crept onstage. He
requests that the Blue Fairy take
back Pinocchio because he is defective. He goes on to say that Pinocchio
doesn’t follow rules, is embarrassing, and is not interested in being a
toymaker. He threatens to tell everyone that she is a second rate fairy if
she does not take Pinocchio back.
The Blue Fairy is at first speechless,
then begins her rant catching herself
midway through and tries to laugh
it off. Geppetto makes a dig at her,
saying she has a 99% success rate –
they fairies gasp in shock. The Blue
Fairy pulls it together and she invites the audience to take a trip
back in time.
as if he were real. The Blue Fairy
appears and with a magic wave of
her wand, Pinocchio magically stands
and comes to life. The Blue Fairy
says, “Little Pinocchio. Prove yourself
brave, truthful, and unselfish, and
some day you will be a real boy.” The
puppet runs to Geppetto calling out,
“Daddy!” It is evident Geppetto is
filled with joy at this moment. Finally
breaking from this journey back in
time, Geppetto tries to convince the
Blue Fairy that things did not turn out
how he had planned and she must
help him.
The fairies in training take us back to
see Geppetto and Pinocchio together
on their first day. Geppetto is excited
for Pinocchio to meet the town’s
fathers. Geppetto teaches Pinocchio
a song that his father taught to him
and they enter laughing and singing this tune. Geppetto introduces
Pinocchio (his name meaning “eye
of pine”) as his son and he is congratulated. Geppetto tries to
get Pinocchio to sing to impress the town fathers but to no avail.
After a few moments Pinocchio disappears, much to the annoyance of the town fathers and Geppetto is very embarrassed.
We see Geppetto’s toy shop in all of its holiday glory. Toys
everywhere – windup toys, clacking toys, rolling toys. Geppetto
is preparing to open up his shop to all of the eagerly awaiting
children. As he swings the doors of the shop open, children with
their parents in tow, stream into the shop. There is a hubbub of
children wildly playing and moving about the shop. The parents
are trying to gain control over all of this frenzied joy. Geppetto
shakes his head upon their failure to do so. As the children grab
toys and beg for more, the parents clearly have no control over
them. Off to the side by Geppetto’s workbench sits an unknown
toy covered in a shiny cloth. A child stands behind the rope
that sections off this area and demands that she gets this toy.
Geppetto explains that the toy is not for sale, which sends the
child into a fit. In an effort to solve the situation, Geppetto offers
the child a candy cane. The child suddenly stops the crying, grabs
the candy cane, and pops it in her mouth, without asking her
mother (a request Geppetto made upon giving the candy cane
to the child.) The mother leaves to chase after her daughter and
Geppetto wonders, “Why is it the people who shouldn’t have
children have children.” The rise of commotion pulls Geppetto
out of his reverie as children pull parents to and fro and point at
various toys.
As the fairies bring us to day two on this trip back in time,
Geppetto calls for Pinocchio who appears in the toyshop. When
Geppetto tells Pinocchio that he is going to teach him how to be
a toymaker, Geppetto is met with a negative response. Pinocchio
picks up a toy train and tells his Dad that he wants to be a train
conductor instead. Geppetto snatches the train away and puts it
on a high shelf out of Pinocchio’s reach. Geppetto explains their
lineage of toy making and the importance of what they do as he
inspects one of his new creations. All of a sudden...CRASH! The
shelf and all of its toys come crashing down as Pinocchio tried
to climb the shelf to retrieve the train. Pinocchio says, “I didn’t
do it!” As he tries to pull together a string of excuses, his nose
grows longer. With each of Pinocchio’s excuses, his nose grows
longer and longer. With that, Geppetto grounds his son for what
he has done. Pinocchio begins to cry as Geppetto starts to soften.
As the crying increases, Geppetto feels terrible. He tries to find
the right thing to say. With sudden inspiration, he reaches into
his pocket and just like the crying child in the toyshop, pulls
out a glittering candy cane. Pinocchio bats his hand away and
Geppetto is stunned.
On day three, Geppetto calls for Pinocchio to wake up for his
first school day. Geppetto tells Pinocchio that he needs to make a
good impression so he needs to act like the other kids. Pinocchio
runs over to sit with the other children. Shortly after, a large
Geppetto walks over to his workbench and pulls off the cloth
to reveal an almost finished wooden marionette. He paints a
few last details and steps back to examine his creation. He picks
up Pinocchio by his strings and moves him about, talking to him
2
Setting the Stage: Synopsis
(Continued)
ruckus breaks out and Mrs. Giovanni, the schoolteacher, yells to
Geppetto to break up a fight between Pinocchio and another
child. Mrs. Giovanni tells Geppetto that his son has been imitating the other students all day with has been causing problems.
Pinocchio is confused when being punished for this since his dad
told him to act like the other children. Mrs. Giovanni says that
he is on a fast track on becoming a delinquent and as she turns
to go, she offers a familiar question: “Why is it the people who
shouldn’t have children have children?” Just then, Stromboli, a
large, colorfully dressed man carrying a marionette, enters passing out fliers. He launches into his spiel, talking as his marionette
in a high pitched voice. The marionette greets Geppetto and
begins to sell the show, “Stromboli’s Amazing Marionette Holiday
Extravaganza.” A woman and a child pass by and talk about
how awful Stromboli and his shows are. Unfazed, Stromboli
presses on. Stromboli notices Pinocchio off to the side and turns
his attention to the puppet boy. As Stromboli is trying to entice
Pinocchio with his show, he notices something is different about
this boy. He leans down, lifts Pinocchio’s arm to let it swing,
and examines his elbow. This stringless puppet, as he calls him,
could reverse his fortunes. Pinocchio is offered to be the star in
Stromboli’s big Christmas extravaganza. Geppetto steps in at this
moment and tells Stromboli to stop bothering them. Geppetto
tells his son to go inside. The Blue Fairy steps in to get rid of
Stromboli. He bows to her as he backs off the stage, fearful she
may cast a spell on him. He’s gone and the Blue Fairy turns to
Geppetto. He pleads his case once again to the Blue Fairy and in
an act of desperation blurts out, “The kid’s a big disappointment.
I don’t want him – so take him back!” Pinocchio gasps – he has
heard all of this – but his dad does not notice he is too wrapped
up in his rant. Pinocchio writes a note addressed “To Dad” and
exits with a suitcase.
the Blue Fairy – if he finds Pinocchio, she must take him back.
After much hesitation, she agrees.
A child appears and takes Geppetto by the hand in into the town
of Idyllia. He is delighted to hear the local children speaking so
politely to each other. Finally the two arrive to see a couple, Maria
and Bernardo, adoringly watching children play. They grab a confused Geppetto and lead him to Professor Buonragazzo.
Buonragazzo introduces himself and his colorful complicated
machine that creates the perfect child. Geppetto is in complete
disbelief as Maria and Bernardo “order” their perfect child.
Talia is created and appears to her new loving parents, amazing
Geppetto. Buonragazzo creates a new, vaguely familiar version of
Pinocchio for Geppetto, but despite the boy’s perfect demeanor,
Geppetto refuses the boy and exits the scene.
After a brief encounter with the Blue Fairy, Geppetto turns
quickly and runs right into a pig. The pig barks which startles
Geppetto. Geppetto questions this odd behavior and the pig tells
him that although he knows he’s bad at barking, his dad says
that practice makes perfect. Geppetto is confused, telling the pig
that he is not supposed to bark, but squeal instead. He says. “Tell
that to my dad….We come from a long line of dogs.” Geppetto
backs away and approaches some grazing foxes. Once again he
questions the odd behavior. The fox tells him that they are cows.
Fox Mother enters boasting about her fox daughter’s ability to be
a great cow. A quick parent to parent talk ends with Fox Mother
saying, “…if you let your children decide what they want to be,
they might choose to be a…” “Train engineer,” Geppetto replies.
A horse approaches and Geppetto asks him if he’s a duck. He
is indeed a horse, but the horse explains that he was disowned
because he was unable to be what his father wanted him to be.
This strikes a chord with Geppetto. All the while the fairies have
been watching this scene. Geppetto asks the horse if he has seen
Pinocchio and although he hasn’t, he says that many boys pass by
on their way to Pleasure Island. With renewed energy, Geppetto
continues on his search.
Back in the toy shop, Geppetto calls out to Pinocchio but there is
no answer. Geppetto finally finds the note from Pinocchio informing him that he went to dance and sing with Stromboli’s show.
At first, Geppetto believes this to be the best thing for Pinocchio,
but after further consideration, decides to go check up on him
and see if he is okay.
Upon looking for Pinocchio, Stromboli finds himself to be walking
in circles. Suddenly the Blue Fairy appears, followed by her fairies
in training. Stromboli requests his wish to be granted, he wants
Pinocchio back. After some hesitation, the Blue Fairy figures
that since he wants Pinocchio, he should have him. They strike
a deal – once the Blue Fairy finds Pinocchio, he will be returned
to Stromboli.
Pinocchio, dressed in an elf costume, is onstage performing in
Stromboli’s show. The children in the audience are captivated by
his performance as he defies the abilities of an ordinary marionette. They clap and cheer for Pinocchio making Stromboli very
happy. The children leave, buzzing with excitement as Stromboli
takes Pinocchio backstage and puts him in a small cage. Stromboli
excitedly counts his money as Pinocchio begs to come out of the
cage. Just as Stromboli is scolding him, “Do what you’re told!”
Geppetto steps in. Covering Pinocchio he amicably talks with
Geppetto and tells him that he was a one night engagement and
has since left the show. Geppetto hurries to catch him. Stromboli
rushes backstage only to find that Pinocchio is gone! He hurries
off looking for him in all directions.
Meanwhile in Pleasure Island, a ringleader introduces this
children’s paradise- part circus, part carnival with rides, candy
machines, and toys everywhere. There is a large spectacle of fireworks, big bands playing and naughty children running around.
Geppetto enters, looking for Pinocchio and is greeted rudely by
a group of delinquents. They bully him around and he eventually
understands that they will not be helpful to him in his search.
Other kids join in to taunt him and circle him. Two other kids
appear and grab Geppetto, dragging him away from the circle.
Geppetto walks the streets of the village looking for Pinocchio.
When the fairies descend upon Geppetto he makes a deal with
3
Setting the Stage: Synopsis
(Continued)
The Ringleader of the kids appears and as he waves his arm, the
crowd backs away and Pinocchio is revealed. Pinocchio, at first
startled to see his father, yells at his father, “I heard what you
said about me!...That you didn’t want me. Well, now I don’t want
you!” This riles up the crowd. Embarrassed Geppetto tries to
right his wrongs and get Pinocchio back home. Pinocchio, captivated by the energy of the crowd, talks back to his father and lets
out a “HEE HAW!” Slowly he sees that he is sprouting a tail and
ears - he is turning into a donkey! (As are the other delinquents.)
This frightens him and he runs to Geppetto for help. The chaos
and panic ensue as the scene fades to darkness.
back of the whale’s throat and the whale will sneeze therefore releasing them. Geppetto asks questions to Pinocchio to
which he replies with only lies. For a moment this is confusing
to Geppetto until he sees his nose growing longer and longer,
long enough to reach the back of the whale’s throat. The whale
begins to breathe deeper and deeper and finally releases the two
with a giant sneeze.
Back in the toy shop, Geppetto and Pinocchio are playing.
Stromboli and the Blue Fairy enter in order to take Pinocchio back.
Geppetto and Stromboli argue and Stromboli lurches toward the
boy and grabs him. He exits quickly. Geppetto is crushed and
asks the fairy for the last of his three wishes. With a full heart of
understanding, the Blue Fairy waves her wand and a swirl of light
and sparkles rain down on Pinocchio. Stromboli steps back confused. Pinocchio has transformed into a real boy! In a final act of
magic, the Blue Fairy waves her wand and Stromboli disappears.
Geppetto and Pinocchio run to each and share a true embrace of
father and son. Parents and children from around town come to
see the real Pinocchio and congratulate the new family.
Geppetto appears in a row boat pursuing the large ship of donkeys that Pinocchio is now on. All of a sudden, a large whale
appears and swallows Geppetto and his rowboat whole. Inside
the whale, Geppetto appears soaking wet and covered in seaweed. The whale’s tongue moves and he spots Pinocchio! He
pushes it aside, pulls out Pinocchio, cleans him and realizes he
is no longer part donkey. They are excited to see each other
again and forgive all misunderstandings. After much thought,
Pinocchio comes up with an idea to get them out – tickle the
4
About the Composer Lyricist
Taken directly from: http://www.stephenschwartz.com/bio/
Stephen Schwartz
Stephen Schwartz was born in New York City on March 6, 1948. He
studied piano and composition at the Juilliard School of Music while in
high school and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 1968 with
a B.F.A. in Drama. Upon coming back to live in New York City, he went to
work as a producer for RCA Records, but shortly thereafter began to work
in the Broadway theatre. His first major credit was the title song for the
play BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE; the song was eventually used in the movie
version, as well.
In 1971, he wrote the music and new lyrics for GODSPELL, for which he
won several awards, including two Grammys. This was followed by the
English texts in collaboration with Leonard Bernstein for Bernstein’s MASS, which opened the Kennedy Center
for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The following year, he wrote the music and lyrics for PIPPIN, and
two years later, THE MAGIC SHOW. At one point, GODSPELL, PIPPIN and THE MAGIC SHOW were all running
on Broadway simultaneously.
He next wrote the music and lyrics for THE BAKER’S WIFE, followed by a musical version of Studs Terkel’s
WORKING, to which he contributed four songs that he also adapted and directed, winning the Drama Desk
Award as Best Director. He also co-directed the television production, which was presented as part of the
PBS American Playhouse series. Next came songs for a one-act musical for children, CAPTAIN LOUIE, and a
children’s book, The Perfect Peach. He then wrote music for three of the songs in the Off-Broadway revue,
PERSONALS, lyrics to Charles Strouse’s music for RAGS, and music and lyrics for CHILDREN OF EDEN.
He then began working in film, collaborating with composer Alan Menken on the scores for the Disney animated features Pocohontas, for which he received two Academy Awards and another Grammy, and The Hunchback
of Notre Dame. He also provided songs for DreamWorks’ first animated feature, The Prince of Egypt, for which
he won another Academy Award for the song When You Believe. He most recently collaborated with Alan
Menken on the songs for Disney’s Enchanted.
Mr. Schwartz provided music and lyrics for the original television musical, Geppetto, seen on The Wonderful
World of Disney and recently adapted for the stage as MY SON PINOCCHIO. He has released two CDs on which
he sings new songs, entitled Reluctant Pilgrim and Uncharted Territory.
Mr. Schwartz’s most recent musical, WICKED, opened in the fall of 2003 and is currently running on Broadway
and in several other productions around the United States and the world. In 2008, WICKED reached its 1900th
performance on Broadway, making Mr. Schwartz the only songwriter in Broadway history ever to have three
shows run more than 1900 performances. His first opera, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, premiered at Opera
Santa Barbara in the fall of 2009.
Mr. Schwartz has recently been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and inducted into the Theatre
Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. A book about his career, Defying Gravity, has recently been
released by Applause Books. Under the auspices of the ASCAP Foundation, he runs musical theatre workshops
in New York and Los Angeles and serves on the ASCAP board; he is also currently President of the Dramatists’
Guild. For further information, please visit http://www.stephenschwartz.com.
5
About the Playwright
Taken directly from: http://www.yourwaytoflorence.com/db/pinocchio/pinocchio.htm
Carlo Collodi
Carlo Collodi is the pen-name of Carlo Lorenzini (1826-90). Collodi is the name of the little
village in Tuscany where his mother was born. He was born in Florence, the son of a cook
and a servant, and spent his childhood as much in the rough and tumble of the streets of his
native Florence as in the classroom. No doubt this stood him in good stead in his two periods
as a soldier - once in 1848 when Tuscany rose in revolt against its Habsburg rulers, and again
in the war between Italy and Austria in1859.
Collodi started his writing career as a newspaperman: he wrote for other papers, and also
started his own satirical paper Il Lampione (The Lanter) - but the government closed it down.
Later he became a government official himself, working as a civil servant for the education
department and trying to push through much-needed educational reforms.
In the 1850s, he began to have a variety of both fiction and non-fiction books published. Once, he translated some
French fairytales so well that he was asked whether he would like to write some of his own. The result was his first major
success, Giannettino, which is a kind of educational fairlytale. He now devoted himself to writing for children ”because
adults are too hard to please!”
In 1881, he sent to a friend, who edited a newspaper in Rome, a short episode in the life of a wooden puppet, wondering whether the editor would be interested in publishing this “bit of foolishness” in his children’s section. The editor did,
and the children loved it. The adventures of Pinocchio were serialized in the paper in 1881-82, and then published in 1883
with huge success. The first English-language version was just as successful on its publication in 1892. The 1940 Walt
Disney cartoon has ensured that the character of Pinocchio remains familiar; but the book is far richer in the details of
the adventures of the naughty puppet in search of boyhood.
Recommended Reading
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Mary Poppins by Dr. P. L. Travers
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through
the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
6
Insight into the Conception of the Musical My Son Pinocchio
with Composer /Lyricist and Playwright David Stern
Taken directly from: http://www.theater13.com/reviews.htm
T
he men [Stephen Schwartz and David Stern] sat down before
the rehearsal to talk about the project.
Mr. Schwartz, who wrote the Broadway hits PIPPIN and Wicked and
the movies Pocahontas and Prince of Egypt, has always been fascinated by folklore and tales.
“I just think they’re good stories,” he said.“There’s a reason they’re
in our collective consciousness. I always liked taking a familiar event
and spinning it. The audience brings knowledge and expectations
and has them undermined and illuminated. It heightens the story.”
Mr. Stern came to Mr. Schwartz with the idea of doing something
about a father.
“It was David’s clever notion that we all have illusions about what it
takes to be a parent and then we find out what it takes,” he said.
“When Pinocchio runs away, we stay with the dad. During the course
of the show, we come to a much greater understanding of what
being a dad is.”
Mr. Stern’s interest in the role of the father stems from his own
experience.
“I had a complicated relationship with my father. He died when I was in my 20s. I wondered what the
responsibilities of a father were. My dad was a workaholic and I said, ‘that can’t be it.’ As we reversed the
Pinocchio story, we opened up the exploration. There are so many issues.”
Pre-Show Questions
1..M Y SON PINOCCHIO is based on the same story as the Disney movie, Pinocchio. What do you expect to be different in the play from the movie? What parts do you think will be challenging for our artists (actors, .
designers, costumers, set builders) to create? How do you think they will make the animated feature come
to life?
2.Geppetto dreams of having a son of his very own. What do you think he looks forward to doing with his son? What are some of your favorite things to do with your parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles?
3.This story is about choices and how they affect us and others. Can you think of a time that you made a choice that positively affected your life and others? What about a negative choice? If you had to make that choice again, what would you do differently?
4.Pinocchio can laugh and dance even though he is carved out of wood. Choose an inanimate object.
Tell about what would happen if it started laughing and dancing.
7
The History of the Fairy Tale
HISTORY CLASSROOM INFORMATION
Taken directly from: http://www.pinocchio.it/uk/parco.htm
Pinocchio’s Adventures
The story and playful spirits of Pinocchio boast over a hundred
years of life. This character, at once a child and a puppet, endowed
with the aura of fascination inherent in matter that has mysteriously
come alive, has proved an abiding companion of many decades
and has spanned geographic and cultural divides, migrating from
one form of expression to another without losing the specificity
that makes him recognizable and lovable in the eyes of children
and ex children alike throughout the world. His enduring power of
fascination is testified by the experience and cultural heritage built
up in over forty years by the National “Carlo Collodi” Foundation,
which was set up to promote knowledge of the work of Carlo
Lorenzini/Collodi.
July 7th, 1881 saw the publication of the first installment of
The Story of a Puppet by Carolo Collodi, which appeared in the
Children’s Magazine, one of the first Italian weeklies for children.
The story broke off abruptly several months later at Chapter XVI,
leaving Pinocchio dangling from a branch of the Great Oak, possibly
hanged and dying. But such was the outcry from the readers that the installments resumed on February 16th, 1882, under
the title Pinocchio’s Adventures, which took the story right up to its final ending, published in January 1883. Immediately
after the publication of the last installment, Pinocchio’s Adventures came out as a complete book, in February of that year.
By 1890, the year of Carlo Collodi’s death, it had reached the fifth edition.
From that moment on, the ever-increasing popularity of Pinocchio on what were at that time the main markets for children’s
books, and subsequently on the world-wide market as well, has made it an enduring classic. In 1891 it came out in Great
Britain, with illustrations by Mazzanti, and was given an enthusiastic write-up – by no means an insignificant accomplishment in the homeland of children’s books. Its first appearance in the USA dates from 1898, but it was not until 1904 that
the first United States edition genuinely translated and illustrated by Americans was published, thanks to the work of Walter
S. Cramp and Charles Copeland. Ever since then – since long before the huge international success of of Walt Disney’s
Pinocchio – the puppet’s adventures have represented one of America’s best-loved children’s stories, and also one that has
always been a landmark achievement for many illustrators.
Together, the American and British editions would subsequently contribute to popularizing Pinocchio even in countries
whose cultures differed strikingly from the Italian model, such as Iceland or numerous Asian countries. In 1905 the story was
published in Germany, as a result of the efforts of Otto Julius Bierbaum, who reworked the Adventures into a story called
Zapfelkerns Abenteuer (“Pine Nut’s Adventures”). Meanwhile, the first French edition had been published in 1902. Between
1911 and the Second World War, Collodi’s book was translated into all the European languages and a also number of the
languages of Asia, Africa and Oceania.
Pinocchio has been eagerly scooped up by all those who are involved in new means of communication, for not only does it
provide a creative stimulus, but the success of the character and his story also provide strong support for innovative forms
of expression with which the public needs to gain familiarity.
8
The History of the Fairy Tale
(Continued)
Thus after having inaugurated a new type of children’s
book (new mainly by virtue of the fascination it held
over its readers) Pinocchio was adopted by one of the
pioneers of cinema, Count Giulio Cesare Antamoro, who
screened it in 1911 in a hand-colored silent film lasting no less than 30 minutes. The main character was
played by the then celebrated entertainer Polydor, and
the filmstrip has recently been rediscovered in an almost
intact version, which has been lovingly restored. In 1932
Pinocchio became the protagonist of a film produced
in Japan using an experimental technique of animated
puppets (the film director was Noburo Ofuji), while in
Italy a number of experiments were carried out in the
1930s with full-length films using animated cartoons,
partly in color, all of which were based on the story of
the puppet Pinocchio. The 1940 Walt Disney version
also provided an opportunity to experiment with new
techniques of animated film. During the same period,
a number of versions featuring both animated cartoons
and puppets were produced in the Soviet Union, based
on Aleksej N. Tolstoj’s re-elaboration of Pinocchio, called
The Little Golden Key. Overall, 17 cinematic versions of
the story of Pinocchio have been produced, as well as
several citations (including the famed “Totò a colori”
(“Totò in colour”).
Among the most recent film ventures, one may note two that feature character actors: an English production directed by
Steve Barron, released in late 1996, and a project still in progress directed by Francis Ford Coppola. Furthermore, a survey of
the present scene reveals intense utilization of Pinocchio in the guise of protagonist and “booster” for multimedia products
that are being launched into circulation. These cover the entire range from a simple reproduction of the story of Pinocchio
on floppy disk to complex multilingual creations with graphic animation options or hypertext hot spots allowing the reader/
viewer to jump from one storyline to another, according to preferences.
The possibility of choosing among various languages not only favors sale of the product on the global market but also fulfils
an important educational function: for it enables children, who are reassured by a degree of familiarity with the story and
find it entertaining to approach it in a new form, to make their first steps towards contact with a second language much
more easily. Examples of these innovative creations include the CD-TV of Giunti Multimedia, containing the story in six different European languages, and video games based on the original illustrations drawn by Leonardo Mattioli for an edition of
Pinocchio’s Adventures. Published by Vallecchi in 1955, the original illustrated edition was commissioned by the Committee
for the Monument to Pinocchio, which was later to become the Carlo Collodi National Foundation.
9
Disney’s Pinocchio
HISTORY CLASSROOM INFORMATION
Taken directly from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinocchio_(1940_film)
Pi nocchio is a 1940 American animated film produced by
Walt Disney and based on the story The Adventures of
Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. The second film in the Walt
Disney Animated Classics, it was made after the success of
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was released
to theaters by RKO Radio Pictures on February 7, 1940.
The plot of the film involves a wooden puppet named
Pinocchio (voice of Dickie Jones) being brought to life by a
blue fairy (Evelyn Venable), who tells him he can become a
real boy if he proves himself “brave, truthful, and unselfish”. Thus begin the puppet’s adventures to become a
real boy, which involve many encounters with a host of
unsavory characters.
Pinocchio won two Academy Awards, one for Best Original Score and one for Best Original Song for
the song When You Wish Upon a Star.
The plan for the original film was considerably different from what was released. Numerous
characters and plot points, many of which came from the original novel, were used in early drafts.
Producer Walt Disney was displeased with the work that was being done and called a halt to
the project midway into production so that the concept could be rethought and the characters
redesigned.
Originally, Pinocchio was to be depicted as a Charlie McCarthy-esque wise guy, equally as
rambunctious and sarcastic as the puppet in the original novel. He looked exactly like a real wooden
puppet with, among other things, a long pointed nose, a peaked cap, and bare wooden hands.
But Walt found that no one could really sympathize with such a character and so the designers had
to redesign the puppet as much as possible. Eventually, they revised the puppet to make him look
more like a real boy, with, among other things, a button nose, a child’s Tyrolean hat, and standard cartoon character four-fingered (or three and a thumb) hands with Mickey Mouse-type gloves
on them. The only parts of him that still looked more or less like a puppet were his arms and legs.
In this film, he is still led astray by deceiving characters, but gradually learns bit by bit, and even
exhibits his good heart when he is offered to go to Pleasure Island by saying he needs to go home
two times, before Honest John and Gideon pick him up themselves and carry him away.
10
When You Wish Upon a Star
LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Adapted from: http://www.suite101.com/content/teaching-children-to-write-poetry-a203845
“Starlight, Star bright,
First star I see tonight,
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Get the wish I wish tonight.”
These words represent a time-tested rhyme that can stir young people’s imaginations!
Turn out the lights in your classroom. If a class planetarium projector or a handheld one is available,
light up the room with constellations. Likewise, try using colored lights strung to represent planets, galaxies, stars, and nebulae. Add appropriate music to this experience, and choose instrumental
tracks with a wide range of sounds and shifts in pace and tone. It is important to alter the classroom
in some way to underscore the specialness of this experience.
Activity:
1.Share with students the “Starlight, Star Bright” rhyme, and have them say it along with you if they are familiar
with the words.
2.Hold a class discussion about stars and their wish-fulfilling abilities. Ask students if they have ever wished on a star before, and if any students are willing, have them share something they’ve wished for. Why do you think people wish on stars? What is so special about stars that we wish on them?
3.Place students into pairs and give the pairs 1-2 minutes to discuss the following prompts:
a.Tonight, when I see the first star, I am going to wish for________________ for myself, and I am going to wish for__________________________ for my family, and I am going to wish for _________________________ for my
class at school.
4.Gather students back together and allow a few students to share their wishful wishes with the class. Finally, ask students: If you were granted one of your wishes from a star, how do you think that wish would be bestowed to you? Would it come down magically, or would you find the wish waiting for you? How do wishes work?
5.Present students with the When You Wish Upon A Star… Poem Worksheet. Have students create their own poem based on their wishes. After creating their poem, have students decorate their poem to represent their wishing star and the wishes they wished for. Hang these poems throughout the classroom for students to look at, and
encourage them to try wishing on a star tonight!
11
When You Wish Upon a Star...
STUDENT POEM WORKSHEET
Tonight I wish upon a star.
The first star I see is (adjectives)
_______________________________,
___________________________________,
___________________________________, and
___________________________________.
I wish for______________________________,
________________________________, and
__________________________________________.
(one wish for you, one for your family, and one for your class)
When my wish is granted to me I will
______________________________________
_________________________.
12
Star C lock
SCIENCE CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Taken directly from: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgo/familyfun/Make_a_Star_Clock.html, by Dennis Schatz and Paul Allan, Dennis Schatz is
Vice President for Education at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington. Paul Allan is the coauthor, with Schatz, of Astro Adventures.
Sky Publishing, a New Track Media CompanyCopyright © 2010 New Track Media.
Long before the invention of clocks and watches, skywatchers knew that the motion of the stars marked the
passage of time during the night. As Earth turns on its axis, the stars appear to rise in the east and set in the
west, just as the Sun and Moon do. Looking up in the northern sky, however, the stars do not rise or set —
instead, they seem to slowly turn counterclockwise around Polaris, the North Star.
The Star Clock combines this nightly pinwheel motion around Polaris with the seasonal position of the two
familiar star patterns — the Big Dipper and the “W” of the constellation Cassiopeia — to find the time in a
simple and fun way.
Activity
1.Provide students with a copy of the included Star Clock worksheet. Have students cut out the two circles and then join .t hem together in the center, using a metal brad. ..
If desired, glue each circle to construction paper or thin cardboard to .a dd stiffness.
2.At home, once it’s dark, instruct students and their families to go outside and face north, holding the Star Clock so the current month is at the top of the outer circle. Now turn
the black disk until the small picture of the Big Dipper
matches the real Big Dipper’s position in the sky. The current time will appear in the cutout.
a.Note: If daylight-saving (summer) time is in effect, you’ll need to add one hour to the indicated time.
3.Students can also use their Star Clock to determine where the Dippers and Cassiopeia will be in the sky at a specific time, say, 9 p.m. Make sure the current month is at the top, and then turn the black disk so that the indicated time is
9 p.m.
4.Also, by turning both disks together (so that the time you’ve picked stays the same), students will be able to see how the Big Dipper appears in the sky at that time throughout the year. It’s highest in the sky, perched directly above Polaris, in early evening during May and June. But during November and December, the Dipper is down low and may
be too near the horizon (or below it) to be seen. So, instead, look for Cassiopeia’s W high up.
5.Remind students to be sure that they’re facing north when using the Star Clock. If students are unsure where north is, instruct them to simply note where the Sun sets and then turn to the right — now they’re looking north, more or less.
13
Star C lock
SCIENCE STUDENT WORKSHEET
Taken directly from: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/letsgo/familyfun/Make_a_Star_Clock.html, by Dennis Schatz and Paul Allan, Dennis Schatz is Vice
President for Education at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington. Paul Allan is the coauthor, with Schatz, of Astro Adventures. Sky Publishing, a
New Track Media CompanyCopyright © 2010 New Track Media.
Lie Detectors
CITIZENSHIP AND HUMANITIES CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Taken from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_4060000/newsid_4063400/4063461.stm, This lesson idea comes from James Brook
who is a PGCE Citizenship at Sheffield Hallam University.
Pinocchio – What’s happening to my nose??
Geppetto – You can always tell when a little boy lies, Pinocchio
Activity:
1.Ask students to write down a statement describing their house, which
is either true or false. E.g. We have two TVs at home.
2.Next, have a handful of students stand in front of the class and read out
their statements. The rest of the class must vote on whether they think the
statements are true or false. Record these votes, and after all the statements
have been shared, have the students tell whether their statement was true or
false, and compare the answer with the class vote.
3.Afterwards, ask students: How did you decide whether the students
making the statements in front of the class were telling the truth
or lying?
a.Prompt: Body langauge, tone of voice, eye movements, statement
doesn’t match prior knowledge.
b.M ake a class list of their suggestions.
4.Place students in groups of three, and have students in each group pick a word at random from a dictionary.
a.One member of the group must write down the definition in their own words.
b.T he other two group members must each devise an alternative definition for the word. Tip: Look up words that start .w ith the same prefix or end with the same suffix. Incorporate these meanings in your made-up definition. It ..
will make it sound more convincing.
5.Give groups about 10 minutes to complete this activity. Then, have each group present their definitions to the rest of the class, who will vote on the definition they think is the true one.
6.Afterwards, discuss with students how they made their choices, as to which definition they believed was true and which were false. Did they make a guess based purely on the definitions or did they look for clues in the students’ body language, tone of voice, eye movements etc?
7.Finally, have each group reveal the true definition.
8.Conclude this activity by brainstorming as a class all the excuses and rationalizations people give for lying, cheating, and stealing, and then have a discussion about them. How valid are they? What’s wrong with each of them?
9.Conduct a survey in your school or community asking questions like the following: Do you think people are honest enough? What are some examples of dishonesty you really dislike? What are some examples of honesty that you
especially appreciate? Compile the results into a report.
15
I’ve Got No Strings
Language Arts/Math Classroom Activity
ART CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Adapted from: http://bkids.typepad.com/bookhoucraftprojects/page/3/
Make a Marionette
Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
Old magazines
Cereal box or card stock
Scissors
Brass fasteners or rivets
One bamboo skewer to make holes
Popsicle or craft sticks
1.Bring in a number of old magazines and publications for
students to peruse and use for this activity. Have students
cut out different body parts from magazine images. Make sure .s tudents cut out different images of a head, ...
torso, arms .a nd legs, so that when put together, you have ..
an entire body represented.
a.Help students layout the different ways they can make their figure look – play around with scale –
mix up body .p arts and make it funny and wacky!
2.Layout the body pieces on the back of an opened cereal box or on card stock. Make sure there is lots of space .b etween the images, and then glue down the images.
3.Once the glue is dried, students should cut out the images. Have students put their images together to form a person .a nd punch holes through the body pieces with the skewer where all the joints will be.
4.Put brass fasteners in the holes joining all the different body parts together.
5.Finally, students can tape a popsicle stick on the back so that they can hold up the figure.
6.Put students into small groups and give them 10 minutes to create a puppet show, either using short pup
pet show .s cripts found online or in books, or by creating their own script based on well-known fairy tales ..
or nursery rhymes.
a.Students can create props and set pieces from the magazine images to add to their show.
7.Present these puppet shows by using a table top stage—place a table cloth over a long table (or a few desks put .t ogether) to conceal the puppeteers, and have the action take place right on the table!
16
For Every Action There is a Reaction: Consequences
CITIZENSHIP AND HUMANITIES CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Taken from: http://www.suite101.com/content/lesson-plan-taking-responsibility-a35594, by Susan Carney
Look, the kid’s a big disappointment. I don’t want him –
so take him back! – Geppetto
It’s common for people to try to avoid taking responsibility for their actions, especially when the
outcome is a negative one. Often we believe that if we project blame onto someone or something else,
this relieves us of the need to admit a mistake, as well as the need to solve the problem. But instead, making
excuses takes power away from us because it keeps us from owning problems and finding solutions.
Try this lesson plan to help your students focus on finding the power to make positive changes.
Activity
1.Discuss with students how we use “excuses” to try to deny responsibility for our actions and what is happening in our lives. Emphasize that we often try to project blame onto others, in an attempt to also deny our responsibility in fixing the situation.
2.On the board, write the following six examples of “excuses.” Ask students to generate ideas for how these can be re-
stated in a way that reflects taking responsibility for both the problem and the solution. Use the suggestions for
changes listed below as a guide.
• EXCUSE: It broke.
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: I broke it. How can I fix it?
• EXCUSE: I can’t find it
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: I haven’t found it yet. I need to look harder.
• EXCUSE: He started it.
.T AKING RESPONSIBILITY: I chose to get involved in something I should have stayed out of.
• EXCUSE: You made me do it.
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: I caved in to peer pressure, and I shouldn’t have.
• EXCUSE: She was doing it, so I did it, too.
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: I won’t do it.
• .E XCUSE: I can’t do it.
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: I choose not to do it.
I need help to do it.
3.Ask students to think of three “excuses” they have used recently and write
each one down. When all have finished, ask them to rewrite each one. Taking
responsibility for the problem and solution. Ask for volunteers to share
some of their statements and their rewrites with the class
4.Allow this activity to lead you into a discussion about how each
choice has consequences and how people are responsible for the
consequences of their choices.
5.Place students into small groups to complete the following
statements. Have students brainstorm the various
consequences that different responses might bring about.
•
•
•
•
•
When
When
When
When
When
I get angry at my friend, I…
I am picked on, I…
I can’t have my way, I…
I get in trouble, I…
my parents won’t listen to me, I…
6.As a group, process the following discussion questions: Why do
we use excuses? When you use a responsible statement, who is in
control? Is it easier to make excuses or responsible statements?
Why? How can accepting responsibility help improve your
schoolwork or your relationship with your friends?
17
An Italian Dictionary
FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Adapted from: http://www.rcenter.org/Drama/StudyGuide-Pinocchio.pdf
The author of the original story of Pinocchio, Carlo Collodi, lived in Italy. Try finding where Italy is located
on a world map. Listed below are some websites with additional information and pictures of Italy:
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/hh/goplaces/main/0,20344,726880,00.html;
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/it.html;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy;
http://www.pocanticohills.org/italy/italy.htm
In First Stage’s production of MY SON PINOCCHIO, the actors will use some Italian words just like Carlo Collodi
used when he first wrote the story of Pinocchio. Included are common Italian words and phrases. Choose one
Italian word or phrase a day and try incorporating it into your daily conversations!
Buon Giorno (B’WOHN JOHR-NOH) ~ Good day!
Signore, Signori (SEEN-YOHR-AY, SEEN-YOHR-EE)
~ Ladies and Gentlemen
Scusatemi (SKOO-ZAH-THE-MEE) ~ Pardon me
Se solo mi presento (SAY SOH-LO MEE PRAY-ZEN-TOH) ~ I present
Ragazzi (RAH-GAHT-TZEE) ~ Boys
Maestro (MY-STROH)
~ Master
Si (SEE) ~ Yes
Papa (PAH-PAH)
~ Father
Bambino (BAHM-BEE-NOH)
~ Child
Caro mio (KAH-ROH MEE-OH) ~ Dear one
Belissimo (BEHL-LEES-EE-MOH)
~ Beautiful
Arrivederci (AH-REE-VEH-DEHR-CHEE) ~ Goodbye
Mama mia! (MAH-MAH MEE-AH) ~ My mother! used as Good Heavens!
18
Whales
SCIENCE CLASSROOM INFORMATION
Taken directly from: ENCHANTED LEARNING, http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/, Copyright ©1998-2010
Whales are large, intelligent, aquatic mammals. They
are NOT fish. They are mammals that spend their entire
lives in the water. Whales breathe air through blowholes
and into lungs, unlike fish who breathe using gills. Whales
have sleek, streamlined bodies that move easily through
the water.
Like all mammals:
• Whales breathe air into lungs,
• Whales have hair (although they have a lot less than land mammals, and have almost none as adults),
•Whales are warm-blooded (they maintain a high body temperature),
•Whales have mammary glands with which they nourish their young,
•Whales have a four-chambered heart.
Size
The biggest whale is the blue whale, which grows to be about 94 feet (29 m) long - the height of a 9-story building.
These enormous animals eat about 4 tons of tiny krill each day, obtained by filter feeding through baleen. Adult blue
whales have no predators except man.
The smallest whale is the dwarf sperm whale which as an adult is only 8.5 feet (2.6 m) long.
Toothed Whales (Odontoceti)
Toothed whales are predators that use their peg-like teeth to catch fish, squid, and marine mammals, swallowing them
whole. They have one blowhole and use echolocation to hunt. There are about 66 species of toothed whales..
Baleen Whales (Mysticeti)
Baleen whales are predators that sieve tiny crustaceans, small fish, and other tiny organisms from the water with baleen.
Baleen is a comb-like structure that filters the baleen whales’ food from the water. Baleen whales are larger than the
toothed whales and have 2 blowholes. There are 10 species of baleen whales.
Social Behavior
Whales have very strong social ties. The strongest social ties are between mother and calf. A social group of whales is
called a pod. Baleen whales travel alone or in small pods. The toothed whales travel in large, sometimes stable pods. The
toothed whales frequently hunt their prey in groups, migrate together, and share care of their young.
Whale Songs
Complex whale songs can be heard for miles under the water. The humpback’s song can last for 30 minutes. Baleen
whales sing low-frequency songs; toothed whales emit whistles and clicks that they use for echolocation. The songs are
thought to be used in attracting mates, to keep track of offspring, and for the toothed whales, to locate prey.
Endangered Whales
There are many species of whales that are in danger of going extinct. Most baleen whales (the huge whales targeted by
commercial whalers) are listed as endangered or protected species. Most other whale species are doing well and are not
endangered.
19
A Whale of a Tale
MATH CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Taken from: http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Mathematics/Measurement/MEA0211.html, by Tracey J. Bowen
Materials
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Four 110 foot pieces of rope, labeled appropriately
Four measuring tapes
Paper
Clip boards
Pencils
10 different colored felt tip pens, for teacher prep only
10 labeled whale picture cards (make four copies of each)
Teacher Set-Up
Prepare four copies (one for each group) of 10 labeled picture cards of
whales that show size proportion accurately. On the four pieces of rope,
map out the different whale sizes with different colors using felt tip pens:
Dwarf Sperm Whale – 9 feet
Beluga Whale – 15 feet
Pilot Whale – 20 feet
Killer Whale – 27 feet
Minke Whale – 30 feet
Gray Whale – 45 feet
Right Whale – 50 feet
Humpback Whale –52 feet
Sperm Whale – 60 feet
Blue Whale – 110 feet
Activity
1.Begin this lesson by holding a discussion with students about whales. Use the following questions to begin this
conversation: Can a whale be as big as our school? Do you think there are any whales that are as big as a school bus? How big do you think a Blue Whale is? Do you think it’s as big as a pool, football field, horse, or car? How big do you think a Humpback Whale is? Can you compare it to something that you’ve seen today?
2.Inform students that they will investigate how large whales really are. Divide the class into four groups. Each group will receive 10 whale cards. As a group the students should place these in order from what they believe to be largest .
to smallest.
3.Move students to a gym or other large space. Students will need to bring a pencil, clip board, and a piece of paper. Once at the destination, each group is given a 110 foot piece of rope, previously color-coded by the teacher. Two
students unroll the rope. Whenever they come to a colored marking they are to stop and measure it with their tape measurer, writing the color and measurement down on their piece of paper.
4.After fully extending the rope and recording the lengths, the groups must use their ordered whale cards to decide .
which whale fits each size. Once all the groups have finished, each group should share their outcomes with the class. Record these outcomes on the board, and after each group has gone, confirm the correct whale sizes with the class.
5.Afterwards, discuss with students: Were any of you surprised at the findings? Did you think whales were smaller or larger than what we found? Who can tell me know how big a Humpback Whale is? A Blue Whale? So, is it true that a whale can be as big as this school? If so, which one? Your school bus? If so, which one? A swimming pool? If so, .
which .o ne? A parent or friend’s car? If so, which one? A football field? If so, which one?
6.Conclude by having students write down the whale lengths on paper and then bar graph them. If software is available, findings can be converted onto a graphing chart using Excel and then converted into a PowerPoint slide.
20
Modern Day Fairy Tales
LANGUAGE ARTS CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Taken from: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/fairy-tales-from-life-42.html?tab=4#tabs
Activity
1. Since most students are familiar with fairy tales, begin by asking them to share the names of various fairy tales that they know. Remind them to think of books, television programs, and movies. As they share titles, list them on the board or on chart paper. Save the sheet for use later in the lesson.
2. Next, ask your students to brainstorm a list of
characteristics that describe these fairy tales. If desired, choose an item or two from the attached list of Common Elements of Fairy Tales to get things
started. Again, list the details on the board or on
chart paper.
a.As students make suggestions, encourage any additional information that they volunteer that provides examples. For instance, a student may offer both a characteristic and an example: “There’s usually a person like the stepmother in Snow White.” Note the examples on the board or chart paper as well.
3. Explain the writing project that students will complete:
students will choose an event from their own lives or lives of someone they know, and create a fairy tale based on the situation.
a.Refer back to the class’s brainstormed list of fairy tale titles or share the Common Fairy Tale Situations listed on the next page.
b.Emphasize that students will share their stories with the class, so they should choose a situation that they are willing to talk about in class with all their classmates.
4. If desired, review the general plot structure of one of the stories that the class is familiar with by mapping out the story’s structure.
5. Explain the activities that students will complete during this session, as they begin work on their own
fairy tales:
a.Choose a situation from the list to use in their original fairy tales.
b.Decide on the lesson that the fairy tale will teach.
c.Sketch out the basic events of the plot for the fairy tale, including the conflict(s) and resolution.
d.Check the planned fairy tale against the list of common fairy tale elements. Revise plans if necessary to include any missing elements.
21
Modern Day Fairy Tales
(Continued)
6. As they work, encourage students to use the fairy tale books available in the classroom as models for their work. As possible, provide texts that will help students with any challenges that they face as they work on their drafts.
a.Encourage students to check the brainstormed lists of fairy tale elements. These class resources can provide answers to questions and inspiration for details in the fairy tales that students are writing.
7. Ask students to have a complete draft ready to share at the beginning of the next class session.
8. At the beginning of the next class, arrange students in pairs and pass out copies of the Fairy Tale Peer Review form.
9. Have students read and review their partner’s fairy tale and complete the Fairy Tale Peer Review form.
10.A s students work on their peer feedback, circulate among the groups providing feedback and support.
As in earlier sessions, provide fairy tale texts that will help students with any challenges that they face as they work on their drafts.
11.A llow students the rest of the class period to make changes and revisions to their fairy tales. Monitor
student progress, and help students move smoothly through the process.
12.A sk students to have a finished, revised copy of their fairy tales for the next class. Explain that students will read their stories out loud and the class will discuss the stories together.
Common Elements of Fairy Tales
• Do NOT need to include fairies.
• Set in the past—usually significantly long ago. May be presented as historical fact from the past.
• Include fantasy, supernatural or make-believe aspects.
• Typically incorporate clearly defined good characters and evil characters. • Involves magic elements, which may be magical people, animals, or objects.
• Magic may be postive or negative.
• May include objects, people, or events in threes.
• Focus the plot on a problem or conflict that needs to be solved.
• Often have happy endings, based on the resolution of the conflict or problem.
• Usually teach a lesson or demonstrate values important to the culture.
Common Fairy Tale Situations
• Being the new kid in school
• Having an adult in a family leave or a change in the family
• A new baby in the family
• Jealousy • Common Fears
• Dealing with bullies
• Problems to overcome
• Loss of something special to you
• Losing your best friend
• Having to move
• Best friend moving
22
Modern Day Fairy Tales
LANGUAGE ARTS STUDENT WORKSHEET
Taken from: http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/fairy-tales-from-life-42.html?tab=4#tabs
FAIRY TALE PEER REVIEW FORM
Writer’s Name: __________________________________________________
Peer Reviewer’s Name: ___________________________________________________________
Focus
What parts of the draft help you know that it’s a fairy tale? List the characteristics in the draft that are also
in the class list.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What details does the writer include?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Praise
What is good about the writing? What should not be changed? Why is it good?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question
As a reader, what do you not understand?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Polish
What specific suggestions for improvement can you make?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
23
Teaching Citizenship’s Five Themes
CITIZENSHIP AND HUMANITIES CLASSROOM ACTIVITY
Taken directly from: http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr008.shtml, by Weekly Reader
Little Pinocchio. Prove yourself brave, truthful and unselfish and
some day you will be a great boy. – Blue Fairy
T
he five themes of citizenship include honesty, compassion, respect, responsibility, and courage. Exploring those
themes, talking about them, and making connections
between those themes and your students’ lives are the keys
to developing a true understanding of the concepts.
Honesty is the basic theme of good citizenship. A per-
son must be honest with others, and with himself or herself, in order to be a good citizen.
Compassion is the emotion of caring for people and for other living things. Compassion gives a person an emotional bond with his or her world.
Respect is similar to compassion but different in some ways. An important aspect of respect is self-respect, whereas compassion is directed toward others. Respect is also directed toward inanimate things or ideas as well as toward people. For example, people should have respect for laws.
Responsibility is about action, and it includes much of what people think of as good citizenship. Out of honesty, compassion, and respect comes responsibility, which includes both private, personal and public responsibility. Individuals and groups have
responsibilities.
Courage enables people to do the right thing even when it’s unpopular, difficult, or dangerous. Human beings are capable of moving beyond mere goodness toward greatness.
The following activities may help students further refine their thinking about good behavior by exploring the
five themes of citizenship in realistic situations.
Sharing Stories (Use as a discussion starter)
One way of exploring the five themes is simply to ask students to tell about their experiences. You may wish to use the
following prompts:
•.T ell a story about a time you told the truth, even though that was a difficult thing to do.
•.T ell a story about a time you felt happy or sad for somebody or something.
•.T ell a story about someone you respect.
•.T ell a story about a time you took responsibility for something you had done or said.
•.T ell a story about being brave.
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Teaching Citizenship’s Five Themes
(Continued)
Respect Role-Playing Activity
Share the story below with students. Ask students the questions associated with the story and list their answers on the
board. Then, act this story out by casting the characters and first acting it out with the main character skipping in line.
After the main action of the scene takes place, freeze the scene and ask the other characters in the scene to share how
they feel about the main character skipping ahead. Then, replay the scene, but this time with the main character taking
her place at the end of the line. Freeze the scene again after the main action and ask the characters to share how they
feel about the main character now.
You’re at a school picnic and there’s a long line for buying cold drinks. You’re really thirsty. You see a friend of yours way ahead of you in line. Should you ask your friend if you can cut in line? How is the idea of respect for .
others connected to this situation? How do others in line feel when somebody cuts in line?
Responsibility---Whose Is It? Discussion Starter
Read the story below to students. Afterwards, hold a class discussion based on the story—what would you do, and why?
You may choose to place students in listening pairs to talk about the story, and then bring their conversation back to
the large group.
You borrow a great book from your classroom. It’s a lot of fun to read. By accident, you spill chocolate milk on the book. It’s a mess. You take the book out of your book bag as soon as you get to your classroom.
The teacher is busy. You could just take the book back to the shelf and leave it there. What should you do? Why?
Be Kind: Rewind for Responsibility Class Writing Prompt
Lots of little things make up good behavior, such as rewinding rented movies, not littering, keeping quiet when people
need to concentrate, and returning library books on time. Make a list of small responsibilities. (That part of the activity might be done in small, cooperative groups.) Then try to think of a situation in which you fulfilled one of the small
responsibilities. Think of another situation in which you did not fulfill a small responsibility. Are the “little” things really
that important? Why or why not?
Post-Show Questions
1.In the beginning of the play, we find out that Geppetto wants to give back Pinocchio because he’s
“defective.” In the end, Geppetto finds true happiness in having Pinocchio as his real son. Have you ever had a rough time sticking with a commitment you made? Did you quit or stick through it? What happened in the end and how did it make you feel?
2.In the town of Idyllia, parents can create their own children to be what they want them to be. Do you think this is a good idea? Why or why not?
3.In Pleasure Island, the kids are in charge and get to do whatever they want to do. Why do you think it turns into such an awful place full of disrespect and chaos?
4.Geppetto tries to teach Pinocchio that lying is not a good choice. In the end, Pinocchio needs to lie in order to .s ave himself and his dad. Do you think it is okay to lie sometimes about certain things? Why or why not?
What are .t he consequences (outcomes) of telling lies?
5.The Blue Fairy sings the song “When You Wish Upon a Star.” How does this song represent what is happening in My Son Pinocchio? What does this song mean to you? What do you wish upon a star for?
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Who Said It?
1. You publicly besmirch my reputation and expect me to take it lying down? Not on my dime, mister.
2. How he embarrassed me? First day out and he’s already misbehaving. He had no respect for the town fathers, no respect for me…
3.
I want to be a train engineer! Choo! Choo! All aboard! Choo! Choo!
4.
Wow! I slept like a log!
5. Such anger. Such aggression. And we have just the tonic. Stromboli’s Amazing Marionette Holiday Extravaganza!
6. We really cleaned up, my little Pinocchio. And don’t you worry, there’s lots more where this came from. Just think…
.a thousand pieces of gold for every town in Italy!
7. I’m so glad the new puppet’s gone!
8. The Blue Fairy is a fraud! The Blue Fairy doesn’t know a wish from shinola!
9. Magnifico! A classic combination. One Christmas miracle coming right up.
10. I never said I wanted a perfect child.
11. Tell that to my dad. I mean he became a dog. And so did his father before him. We come from a long line of dogs.
12. Well then you’ll sort of understand this: if you let your children decide what they want to be, they might choose to be a …
13. Well, that was a wasted entrance.
14. I don’t want to hear excuses. You’re not very good at listening, are you?
15. I heard what you said about me! That I was a big disappointment! That you didn’t want me. Well, now I don’t
want you!
16. If only Geppetto had been nicer to me—perhaps I would’ve given him a hand with this little problem.
17. Wait! I’ve got it! We just need to tickle the back of his throat! Then he’ll sneeze us out!
18. See? The puppet is mine!
19. First, you wished for your heart to be full.
20. I’m real! I’m a real boy!
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Who Said It? Answers
1. You publicly besmirch my reputation and expect me to take it lying down? Not on my dime, mister. BLUE FAIRY
2. How he embarrassed me? First day out and he’s already misbehaving. He had no respect for the town fathers, no respect for me… GEPPETTO
3.
I want to be a train engineer! Choo! Choo! All aboard! Choo! Choo! PINOCCHIO
4.
Wow! I slept like a log! PINOCCHIO
5. Such anger. Such aggression. And we have just the tonic. Stromboli’s Amazing Marionette Holiday Extravaganza!
STROMBOLI
6. We really cleaned up, my little Pinocchio. And don’t you worry, there’s lots more where this came from. Just think…
.a thousand pieces of gold for every town in Italy! STROMBOLI
7. I’m so glad the new puppet’s gone! MARIONETTE ALA STROMBOLI
8. The Blue Fairy is a fraud! The Blue Fairy doesn’t know a wish from shinola! GEPPETTO
9. Magnifico! A classic combination. One Christmas miracle coming right up. BUONRAGAZZO
10. I never said I wanted a perfect child. GEPPETTO
11. Tell that to my dad. I mean he became a dog. And so did his father before him. We come from a long line of dogs.
PIG
12. Well then you’ll sort of understand this: if you let your children decide what they want to be, they might choose to be a … FOX MOTHER
13. Well, that was a wasted entrance. SUE THE FAIRY IN TRAINING
14. I don’t want to hear excuses. You’re not very good at listening, are you? NAUGHTY KID IN PLEASURE ISLAND
15. I heard what you said about me! That I was a big disappointment! That you didn’t want me. Well, now I don’t
want you! PINOCCHIO
16. If only Geppetto had been nicer to me—perhaps I would’ve given him a hand with this little problem. BLUE FAIRY
17. Wait! I’ve got it! We just need to tickle the back of his throat! Then he’ll sneeze us out! PINOCCHIO
18. See? The puppet is mine! STROMBOLI
19. First, you wished for your heart to be full. ARANCIA THE FAIRY IN TRAINING
20. I’m real! I’m a real boy! PINOCCHIO
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