Puss in Boots - Language Resource

‘If you will follow my advice, your fortune is made.’ Puss from Puss in Boots
Puss in Boots is the story of an extraordinary cat who decides to change the fortune of his poor master armed
with just a bag and a new pair of boots. From chasing rabbits to challenging a powerful ogre, this cat’s
crafty ways soon earn his master the celebrated title of Marquis of Carabas, the admiration of the King and
the attentions of the beautiful Princess. For this hunter, trickster and fast talker, nothing is impossible!
Puss in Boots (El gato con botas), an opera for children, was written by Catalan composer Xavier
Montsalvatge and based on Charles Perrault’s much loved fairytale. Its light and charming music has been
described by critics as ‘a joy to hear’ and is the perfect choice for Victorian Opera’s highly successful
Education Program for schools. This specially created one hour show is designed to introduce children and
families to the magic of opera.
Puss in Boots
29 May – 1 June 2013
Fairfax Studio, Arts Centre Melbourne
Puss in Boots is presented in partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne.
Visit our interactive Wall online for facts, behind-the-scenes and resources and more!
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
Who is involved? The main characters in this story are:
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Cat – El gato
Marquis – El marqués
Princess – La princesa
Ogre – El orgo
King – El rey
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What am I saying? Write your answer in Spanish.
Figure 1: Victorian Opera Puss in Boots
© Ross Hall
a. He used to be a molinero (miller)
b. It is an animal
c. He is angry all the time
(el ) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
(el) ___ ___ ___ ___
(el) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Figure 2a – 2e: Aunt Friendly's Picture
Book © Joseph Kronheim
d. She is the only girl
e. He is the father of the princess
(la) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
(el) ___ ___ ___
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
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Ask yes/no questions to your teacher to guess the character. For example:
Does he/she have a tail? Is he a boy? Is he/she rich? Is he/she scary?
Figure 3 : Victorian Opera Puss in Boots Princess © Ross Hall
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Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
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Find the Spanish
words in the word
search. They can
be in any direction
– good luck!
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The name of the story is Puss in Boots, but boots are not the only thing this cat is wearing!
Have a look at the King too.
a. Una corona
b. Un sombrero
c. Unas botas
d. Una capa
e. Una zapatos
Figure 4: Aunt Friendly’s Picture Book © Jospeh Kronheim
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The Princess is looking her best in the next picture,
so is the Marquis.
La princesa lleva un
vestido.
El Marqués lleva una
chaqueta, unos pantalones
y unas botas.
f. Una chaqueta
g. Una vestido
h. Unos pantalones
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
Figure 5: The Marquis Of Carabas - His Picture Book
© Walter Crane
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Can you follow the examples
and describe the pictures?
a. El gato lleva …_________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
b. El ogro lleva …_________________________________________
________________________________________________________
c. La princesa lleva …_____________________________________
_______________________________________________________
d. El rey lleva …__________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Figure 6 - 9: Aunt Friendly's Picture Book © Joseph Kronheim
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
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Do you remember the colours? Colour in the pictures following the description.
a. Unas botas rojas
b. Unas botas azules
c. Unas botas verdes
d. Unas botas amarillas
Can you write the colours of these pieces of clothing?
a. Unas botas _________________
b. Un sombero _________________
c. Un vestido __________________
d. Una capa ____________________
e. Una espada _________________
f. Una chaqueta _________________
g. Unos pantalones _______________
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
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Let’s play! To move forward around the board you need to answer the following questions. Each
correct answer will take you closer to victory.
Answers are on the next page! If you get the answer right you can move along the board.
1. What was the inheritance that the young
miller got?
a. a cat
b. a castle
c. a palace
2. What did the cat ask for to his new owner?
a. drawing pencils
b. lots of mice
c. a pair of boots, a cape and a hat
3. Where does puss in boots go with his new
boots?
a. to find a cat girlfriend for himself
b. to hunt rabbits for the king.
c. to England, where it rains a lot.
4. What is the name that the cat uses to refer to the miller?
a. Marqués
b. Rey
c. Princesa
5. Where is the Marqués when the king finds him?
a. in the castle
b. in his mill
c. in the river
6. How does the Princesa know that the Marqués liked her?
a. because he winked at her first time they saw each other.
b. because the Gato read a poem to her.
c. The Marqués didn’t like the Princesa.
7. Which animals does the Ogro become during his meeting with Gato?
a. a rabbit
b. a fly
c. a lion, a bird and a mouse.
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
If your answer was a, move to 5, otherwise move to 3.
If your answer was c move to 10, otherwise move to 6.
If your answer was b, move to 14, otherwise move to 9.
If your answer was a, move to 18, otherwise move to 13.
If your answer is c, move to 23. If your answer is a, move to 16. If your answer is b, move to 22.
If your answer is c, move to 31. If your answer is a, move to 27. If your answer is b, move to 29.
If your answer is b, move to 25. If your answer is a, move to 19. If your answer is c, move to 24.
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Print out the full size game at the back of this Resource Pack!
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
With thanks to Isabel Arenales Aylagas.
For enquiries about our 2013 Education Program contact:
Melissa Harris, Education Manager
E: [email protected]
P: 03 9012 6652
Engage with us @ facebook.com/vopera
Join in the conversation @ twitter.com/victorianopera #victorianopera
See our snapshots @instagram/victorianopera
View our opera journey @ youtube.com/victorianoperapage
Discover our 2013 Education Season @ victorianopera.com.au/education
Read our behind-the-scenes blog @ victorianopera.com.au/blog
Victorian Opera Education Program is generously supported by the Victorian Opera Education Syndicate.
Puss in Boots is presented in partnership with Arts Centre Melbourne.
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
These activities give the students a better understanding of the story of Puss in Boots before they
watch it. These activities are designed to allow the students to be familiar with the characters and
pieces of clothing. Grammatically they will learn how to combine nouns and adjectives.
Summary of the story
This story starts when a poor miller dies and leaves his youngest child a cat. The cat promises the young
man that he can make him rich in a week. He only needs a pair of boots. The miller spends the last of his
savings to buy Puss his boots. The cat manages to win the favour of the king by hunting a couple of rabbits
for him and a love poem for the princess. Puss tells the king and his daughter that his master is a nobleman.
Then, by lying, he gets some new clothes for his master, and after that, a castle, that he takes from an ogre.
Puss makes the king believe that the castle is the Marquis’s castle and marries his daughter with the Marquis
of Barabbas.
Topic, themes and grammar
Characters
Introduce the characters of the story by comparing with Puss in Boots, the movie. Remind you students Puss is
not the only animal in this story. As an after viewing activity, you can brainstorm what are the other animals
and introduced their names in Spanish.
Clothes and colours
To introduce the clothing topic we use the characters and what they typically wear. We can compare different
fairy tales by looking at what their characters wear. The adjectives chosen to describe nouns, in this case
colours, must match in both number and gender with the nouns they describe. Adjectives, in the majority of
cases, are places immediately after the noun.
Definitive and indefinitive article
The difference between the definite and indefinite articles is the difference between talking about a specific
person or piece of clothing, or any at all. El gato will be always el, while the pieces of clothing he is wearing
can be un when is a random boot or las when they are his boots.
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
Activity
Answers & Tips
1. What am I saying?
a. He used to be a molinero (miller)
b. It is an animal
c. He is angry all the time
d. She is in the only girl
e. He is the father of the princess
a. marqués
b. gato
c. ogro
d. princesa
e. rey
2. Word Search & Guessing Game
GATO First row first box down
REY First row. Second box. Diagonal
MARQUÉS Upside down. First row. Third box down
OGRO Third row. Fifth box. Diagonal
PRINCESA Backwards. Last box in the second row
In order to become more familiar with these words
students can play Who is it? The teacher thinks of one of
the characters. Students must ask questions to guess who
the teacher is thinking about. When they know who it is,
students must ask ex. ¿Es el gato? (Is it the cat?) The
teacher will answer si (yes) or no. Students may have a go
when teacher considers appropriate.
3. Describe the pictures
a. El gato lleva
b. El ogro lleva
c. La princesa lleva
d. El rey lleva
a. El gato lleva un vestido
b. El ogro lleva un cinturón y unas botas
c. La princesa lleva un vestido
d. El rey lleva una corona
4. Colour-in
a. Red boots
b. Blue boots
c. Green boots
d. Yellow boots
5. Guess the colours
a. Unas botas moradas
b. Un sombrero verde
c. Un vestido rosa
d. Una capa roja
e. Una espada amarilla
f. Una chaqueta azul
g. Unos pantalones verdes y azules
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
Activity
Answers & Tips
6. What happened? Game
1. What was the inheritance that the young miller got?
2. What did the cat ask for to his new owner?
3. Where does puss in boots go with his new boots?
4. What is the name that the cat uses to refer to the miller?
5. Where is the Marqués when the king finds him?
6. How does the Princesa know that the Marqués liked her?
7. Which animals does the Ogro become during his
meeting with Gato?
a. Cat
c. A pair of boots, a cape and a hat
b. To hunt rabbits for the king
a. Marqués
c. In the river
b. Because the Gato had read a poem
for her
c. A lion, a bird and a mouse
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
1. Physical, personal and social learning, Discipline-based learning, Interdisciplinary learning
Physical, Personal
and social learning
Discipline-based learning
Interdisciplinary
Learning
Thinking processes
ICT
Design, creativity & technology
Communication
Sciences
Mathematics
Humanities
Language
(Spanish)
English
The arts
Civics and citizenship
Personal learning
Interpersonal development
Health and physical education
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Foundation
level
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Activity 1
Foundation level
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
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Activity 2
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Activity 3
Activity 4
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✪ With teacher’s help
Puss in Boots Education Resource - Language © Victorian Opera
Activity 5
Activity 6
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WHAT HAPPENED? GAME
SALIDA
1
2
3
4
¡Incorrecto!
THINK AGAIN
5
6
7
8
¡Correcto!
¡Muy bien!
9
¡Incorrecto!
THINK AGAIN
PUSS
BOOTS
10
¡Correcto!
¡Muy bien!
IN
THE MOST FAMOUS FAIRY TALE CAT
20
19
18
¡Incorrecto!
THINK AGAIN
¡Correcto!
¡Muy bien!
17
16
15
¡Incorrecto!
THINK AGAIN
14
13
¡Correcto!
¡Muy bien!
¡Incorrecto!
THINK AGAIN
28
29
12
11
30
31
21
22
23
24
25
¡Incorrecto!
THINK AGAIN
¡Correcto!
¡Muy bien!
¡Incorrecto!
THINK AGAIN
¡Correcto!
¡Muy bien!
26
27
¡Incorrecto!
THINK AGAIN
¡Incorrecto!
THINK AGAIN
LLEGADA
¡Correcto!