Ramona Quimby the Big Ideas

Teacher Resource Guide

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Inside this guide: Before the Play About: The Show, Author and Playwrights ...... 2 Activity: Map Your Milestones ...... 9 What important firsts or milestones does Ramona Quimby The Big Ideas ...... 3 experience during the series? How is this different or similar Common Core Connections ...... 3 to what your students experience? Create a class timeline for students to reflect on the milestones and firsts they’ve cele- Questions for Discussion and brated during their school year. Quick Classroom Connections ...... 4 Online Resources ...... 10 Activity: Portland Maps ...... 5 Ramona websites, information about Beverly Cleary, Portland Use the included map of Ramona’s neighborhood in NE neighborhoods and more. Portland to work with students on mapping skills, geographi- Reading List ...... 11 cal knowledge, math skills, and knowledge of their own Provided by Multnomah County Library SchoolCorps. neighborhoods.

Activity: Introductions and Monologues ...... 8 Using Beezus’ opening monologue to the play as an example, students write introductions to their own lives – homes, schools, neighborhoods – directed towards an imagined audience.

Teacher Info & Important Dates Friday, March 20, 2015: Full balance due, last day to Based on the book series Ramona Quimby by Beverly reduce seats Cleary, adapted by Len Jenkin. Directed by Betsy Richard. Friday, May 8, 2015, 7 p.m.: Teacher preview Teacher Resource Guide by Allison Davis. Length: 60 minutes Location: Newmark Theatre About

The Play available to her to be quite boring and uninteresting. As an adult, she made it her life’s work to create interesting and Ramona Quimby lives on Klickitat Street with her older sister, wonderful books for young readers about people just like Beezus (Beatrice), her mother and father, and their elderly them. Cleary’s books appear regularly on lists of recom- cat. Ramona is eight years old and starting third grade as this mended reading compiled by both students and librarians. story opens. Although the Quimbys lead everyday lives, the problems that each member of the family faces are instantly Mrs. Cleary received Newbery Honors in 1978 and 1982 for recognizable and relatable to an audience. The adults in the Ramona and Her Father and Ramona Quimby, Age 8, as well family are worried about money, especially after Ramona’s as the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. In 1984, father loses his job. Ramona finds that everything in her life she was the United States author nominee for the Hans is changing. In this play, which incorporates scenes from mul- Christian Andersen Award, and in 2003, she was awarded tiple books in the Ramona Quimby series, Ramona deals the National Medal of Art from the National Endowment for with unfairness, change, and growing up. Her imagination the Arts. The Library of Congress named her a ‘Living leads her into wonderfully funny situations, especially when Legend’ in 2000 in honor of her invaluable contributions to she tries to solve the family’s problems herself. children’s literature in 2000. Her books appear in more than twenty countries and have been translated in over fourteen Note: The play Ramona Quimby is adapted from multiple different languages. Ramona books. Although Ramona is many different ages in Beverly Cleary’s novels, the play follows her during her year Klickitat Street is in Northeast Portland, so children and adults alike in third grade, drawing on many different incidents from the in the city feel a special connection to Ramona and her neighbor- books below. hood. There is a sculpture garden in Grant Park dedicated to Cleary’s characters, Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins. • Beezus and Ramona • Ramona the Pest The Playwright • Ramona and Her Father Len Jenkin is a playwright, screenwriter and director. His plays include Dark Ride, Pilgrims of the Night, My Uncle Sam, • Ramona the Brave Careless Love, Limbo Tales, Poor Folk’s Pleasure, Like I Say • Ramona and Her Mother and The Dream Express and his adaptations of Ramona Quimby and The Invisible Man. His films include Blame It on • Ramona Quimby, Age 8 the Night, Welcome to Oblivion, Nickel Dreams and American Notes. His works have been produced throughout the United • Ramona Forever States as well as in England, Germany and Japan. Jenkin also writes for television and the print media. His novel, New Jerusalem, was published by Sun and Moon Press, and his The Author children’s book, The Secret Life of Billie’s Uncle Myron was Beverly Cleary was born in McMinnville, Oregon, and until published by Henry Holt & Co. He has been the recipient of she was old enough to attend school, lived on a farm in many honors and awards including three Obie Awards for Yamhill. Her family later moved to Portland, where Cleary directing and playwriting, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a nomi- lived in the same neighborhood where she later set her nation for an Emmy Award, and four National Endowment for Ramona Quimby books. In her early grade school years, the Arts Fellowships. He is currently a professor in the Dramatic young Beverly struggled with reading and found the stories Writing Program, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.

2 Language Arts: Reading: Literature: Integration of Knowledge The Big Ideas and Ideas

Anchor 7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in • Adults can sometimes let you down. diverse media and formats, including visually and quan- • Being a grown-up can be hard. Being a kid who’s titatively, as well as in words. trying to become grown up is even harder. 4 .RL .7 • Families who love each other still have conflicts. Anchor 9: Analyze how two or more texts address simi- • Sometimes our emotions can seem overwhelming lar themes or topics in order to build knowledge and too big. or to compare the approaches the authors take.

• Everyday life can be hard and filled with worry but it 3 .RL .9 also can be filled with family, love, and community. Writing Text Types and Purposes Common Core Connections Anchor 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well- Ramona Quimby is recommended for grades 1-4 and aligns to chosen details and well-structured event sequences. the following Common Core Language Arts standards. 1.W.3—4.W.3 Language Arts: Reading: Literature: Key Ideas and Details Anchor 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropri- Anchor 2: Determine central ideas or ate to task, purpose, and audience. themes of a text and analyze their Language development; summarize the key sup- Arts 1 W. 4. – 4 W. 4. porting details and ideas.

1 .RL .2—4 .RL .2

Anchor 3: Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

1 .RL .3—4 .RL .3

Language Arts: Reading: Literature: Craft and Structure

Anchor 6: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

1 .RL .6—3 .RL .6

3 Questions for Discussion and Quick Classroom Connections

Discussion Questions 10. Aunt Bea is a glamorous woman who Beezus and Ramona admire very much. Do you have a special relative or other 1. If students are familiar with the Ramona books, they will adult that you admire? What makes them a special person? experience the play differently than students who are not familiar with the Quimby family. Students may note, when 11. There are many books about Ramona Quimby at various seeing the play, that Mrs. Griggs and ‘seemingly perfect ages, from age four all the way to fourth grade. The play Susan’ are part of Ramona’s first grade experiences in Ramona Ramona Quimby is based on a year in the life of the the Brave, and Mr. Quimby’s job loss occurs when she is in Quimby family. Do you think the play will be able to second grade in Ramona and Her Father. Howie’s Uncle contain all of the scenes from the Ramona books Hobart is a character from a later book, Ramona Forever. (remember, the play is only about an hour in length)? Make some predictions about which events from the book Before attending the play, discuss these differences with you think you will see on stage. students and compare and contrast a play with a series of novels. Discuss why they think the playwright chose events from different books and different years of Classroom Connections Ramona’s life and condensed them into a year. Language Arts: Characters, Plot, Adaptation: Discuss 2. Ramona experiences many firsts in the Ramona books – favorite episodes or chapters from one of the Ramona books. first days of school, her first lost tooth, her first ride on the First, list the characters in the scene, and then make a timeline school bus. What is a ‘first’ that you have experienced in of what happens in the beginning, middle, and end. In small your past? How did it make you feel? What is a ‘first’ that groups, write a short script based on those events, with lines is coming up in your future? for each of the characters in the scene.

3. How does Beezus feel about Ramona? List three adjectives Social Sciences: Cause and Effect: Ask students to think you think Beezus would use to describe her younger sister. about unemployment and its effects. Mr. Quimby loses his job during the play. What happens if several people lose 4. List some of the reasons that Ramona’s family is stressed. jobs at the same time? How might their community be What are some ways that they try to make things better? affected? For example: People would need to spend less money, so they would buy fewer things from stores. If a 5. What is an example of a conflict between Ramona and store’s sales drop, there might not be enough money to pay another character? If you could give Ramona advice to all of their workers, and more people might need to be laid solve that conflict, what would you tell her? off … creating more unemployment.

6. Why does Ramona get called a pest? How does this make As a class, discuss more outcomes and create a flow chart to her feel? show these results, and how unemployment can become a 7. What does your family mean to you? Does anyone in your cycle. Individually, have students reflect on possible solutions family ever annoy you? If you get into an argument with and ideas, and draft one or two of these solutions. a family member, what do you do to resolve it? Go Further: Ask students, or groups of students, to 8. What do you like or dislike about school? Why? interview someone in the mayor’s office, the governor’s office, members of your city council, or business lead- 9. Ramona questions why life isn’t fair. Do you think life is ers to ask what is being done to help deal with the fair? Why or why not? problem of unemployment in your city.

4 Activity: Portland Maps

Overview Materials Use the included map of Ramona’s neighborhood in NE Print the following sheets included in this guide: Portland to work with students on mapping skills, geograph- • NE Portland map (page 7) ical knowledge, math skills, and knowledge of their own neighborhoods. Students read a map and understand a Rulers (class set or enough for groups to share) scale to calculate distances in Ramona’s neighborhood. Pencil and paper Grade Level 2-5 Activity Instructions 1. Prep: Print class set of NE Portland maps. Write mapping Standards problems below on the board where students can see Mathematics: Measurement and Data them. Students can complete the problems either in groups or on their own. F. Measure and estimate lengths in standard units (2.MD). 2. Prompt: Explain to students that the map they have is a map of Ramona Quimby’s neighborhood in NE Portland. 2 MD. .1 Marked on the map are Ramona’s house, her school, the local library, and the movie theater. Ask students to find 2 MD. 3 . the compass – North has been labeled already. Before G. Relate addition and subtraction to length (2.MD). starting their mapping problems, ask students to label the other three cardinal directions. 2 .MD .5 3. Mapping Problems G. Convert like measurement units within a given measurement system (5.MD) Note: Problems gradually increase in difficulty. Younger students can just complete the first few, while older 5 MD. .1 students can complete the whole set. Prompt students to use either decimals or fractions. Social Sciences: Geography 1. Find the scale on the map. How many miles are equal 2 7,. 2 10. to one inch? How many inches are in a mile, according 3 .7 to this scale?

Vocabulary and Concepts 2. Find Ramona’s house on the map. How many blocks Map Cardinal directions does she have to walk to school every morning? Scale Distance 3. In what direction does Ramona walk to school every Compass morning?

Length 4. Using your ruler, calculate approximately how far 45-60 minutes Ramona’s walk is from school to home.

5 Activity: Portland Maps cont.

5. The Cleary family decides to go to a movie on Friday Extensions night. How far is it from their home to the Hollywood A. Beverly Cleary set the Ramona books in a real part of Theater? Use your ruler to approximate the differ- Northeast Portland. Recall some of the landmarks that stu- ence. Do you think they should walk there or drive, dents remember from reading the Ramona books—for and why? example, Klickitat Street. Compare a map of Ramona’s 6. Beezus is going to take Ramona to the library and neighborhood (http://www.beverlycleary.com/characters. then to Grant Park after school. How far will they have aspx#Ramona) with the NE Portland map in this guide. What to walk: is the same? What streets or landmarks have been left out?

a. from school to the library B. Using the Beverly Cleary walking tour map from Multnomah County Library https://multcolib.org/blog/20140324/take- b. from the library to the park walking-tour-beverly-clearys-neighborhood) as an example, to create your very own walking tour. Include your house, c. from the park to home your school, landmarks in your neighborhood where exciting d. How far will they have walked total? things have happened. Or create a large classroom map of the neighborhood around your school.

C. At home, take a 10-block walk from where you live with an adult in your family. Draw a map of where you walked, label- ing streets, landmarks or points of interest you saw.

Activity: Introductions and Monologues

Overview Activity Instructions Share some of Beezus’ opening lines to the audience with your “Hi, my name is Beatrice Quimby and my job is to help you. classroom. Using her monologue as an example, have students Usually, at a play like this, or at the movies, we see people write introductions to their own lives – homes, schools, neigh- really different from us: princesses, or detectives, or presi- borhoods – directed towards an imagined audience. dents or even mermaids. Or people who lived a long time ago, or even in the future … So I thought, what about us? Grade Level People like you see in the street every day—or even like your own family. It might be pretty neat if we took a good look 1-4 closer to home. So my idea for this play, Ramona Quimby, is to take us all to my house. Come on, I’ll show you around.” Standards Language Arts: Writing: Text Types and Purposes 1. Prompt: The passage above is the opening to the play Ramona Quimby. Beatrice, or Beezus, is a narrator who Anchor 3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined speaks directly to the audience about what they are see- experiences or events using effective technique, well- ing on stage. Ask students to imagine that they are the chosen details and well-structured event sequences. narrator in a play about their own life – their home, their family and friends, their experiences at school. What 1 3—4.W . 3.W . would students show their audience? Language Arts: Speaking and Listening 2. Monologues: Ask students to write short monologues Anchor 4: Present information, findings and supporting – speeches given by a single character in a play – intro- evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reason- ducing an audience to their lives. Each monologue ing and the organization, development, and style are should contain a setting (for example, students’ home, appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. neighborhood, or school) and introduce characters (members of students’ families, their friends, or even 1 SL . .4—4 SL . .4 pets). After allowing time to write, invite students to share their monologues with each other. Vocabulary and Concepts Monologue Character Introduction Setting

Length 60 minutes plus sharing time

Materials Paper and pencil

8 Activity: Map Your Milestones

Overview Activity Instructions The Ramona Quimby books include many important firsts or 1. Prep: Prepare a long length of butcher paper milestones for Ramona. Because students will be attending the play at the end of the school year, and the play takes 2. Prompt: Ask students to recall milestones experienced place over the course of one year of Ramona’s life, use this as by Ramona in the Ramona Quimby books they have read a jumping off point to create a class timeline for students to – a first day of school, first trip on the school bus, first reflect on the milestones and firsts they’ve celebrated during lost tooth, etc. Ask students to make a short list of their their school year. own milestones that have occurred over this last school year and to note which month they occured in.

Grade Level 3. Timeline: Pass out small slips of colored construction 1-4 paper. Ask students to write and/or draw one milestone on each piece of paper, along with their name. Using Standards tape or a gluestick, have students attach their milestones to the class timeline in the month in which they occured. Language Arts: Reading: Literature: Key Ideas and Details Add in your own milestones – important class events, Anchor 3: Analyze how and why individuals, events or field trips, performances or showcases, etc. ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. Variation 1 .RL .3—4 .RL .3 If working with older students or if you have more time, ask Language Arts: Writing students to create their own school year timeline and add their milestones individually. Anchor 4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.

3 .W .4—4 .W .4

Length 45 minutes

Materials Long length of butcher paper

Markers

Small squares or slips of construction paper

9 Online resources Ramona Quimby resources About Beverly Cleary www beverlycleary. com. www nytimes. com/2011/04/10/books/review/profile-of-. Official website of all things Beverly Cleary. Includes online beverly-cleary html?pagewanted=all&_r=0]. games for kids, resources for educators and more. The New York Times Book Review profiles Beverly Cleary. dropeverythingandread com. www theatlantic. com/entertainment/archive/2011/07/. Official website of Drop Everything and Read (DEAR). DEAR is beverly-cleary-at-95-a-talk-with-the-author-who-created- officially celebrated on April 12, Beverly Cleary’s birthday, but ramona-quimby/241464/ the site provides digital resources and ideas for you to cele- The Atlantic interviews Beverly Cleary at age 95. brate DEAR at any time during the school year! www oregonlive. com/books/index. ssf/2012/06/the_writ. - www beverlycleary. com/docs/beverlyclearyteaching. - ing_roots_of_a_yamhill html. guide pdf. Oregonian article about Beverly Cleary. Includes insight about The World of Ramona – a digital teacher’s guide for Beverly her background as an Oregonian. Cleary’s Ramona books. www mentalfloss. com/. Ramona in Portland article/56708/12-charming-tidbits-about-beverly-cleary Mental Floss’ list of 12 interesting tidbits about the author, https://multcolib org/blog/20140324/. including some of her writing practices, thoughts on strug- take-walking-tour-beverly-clearys-neighborhood gling readers and children’s literature, and favorite pets. A self-guided tour with maps and information published by The Library Foundation. The walk begins at the Hollywood Library (4040 NE Tillamook) and continues through the neighborhoods of NE Portland, including a stop at the Beverly Cleary Sculpture Garden in Grant Park. This link includes a downloadable PDF map and landmarks description. alamedahistory org/2009/05/30/. the-geography-of-imagination Article about different landmarks in the city of Portland men- tioned in Beverly Cleary’s books.

10 Reading List

Non-Fiction More of Monkey & Robot by Peter Catalanotto. Presents four stories about best friends Monkey and Robot, who try out A Girl From Yamhill – A Memoir by Beverly Cleary. Follows the Halloween costumes, visit the beach, consider what to do with popular children’s author from her childhood years in Oregon a tire they find, and figure out if it is morning or night. through high school and into young adulthood. The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng. Follows a young Portland, Then & Now by Linda Dodds. Celebrating America’s Chinese American girl, as she navigates relationships with favorite cityscapes, this series combines historic interest and family, friends, and her fourth-grade classroom, and finds contemporary beauty. a true best friend Beverly Cleary by Michele Griskey. Biography of prolific chil- Bye-bye Baby Brother! by Sheena Dempsey. Tiring of a new- dren’s literature author Beverly Cleary born sibling who demands all her busy mother’s attention, Beverly Cleary by Cari Meister. Traces the childhood, educa- Ruby gets bored with endless solo activities and imagines cre- tion, and career of Beverly Cleary. ative ways to make her baby brother disappear.

Historic Photos of Portland by Donald R. Nelson. Bink & Gollie series by Kate DiCamillo. Two roller-skating best friends – one tiny, one tall – share three comical adventures The History & Development of Portland’s Irvington Neighborhood involving outrageously bright socks, an impromptu trek to the by Roy E. Roos. History of the NE neighborhood. Andes, and a most unlikely marvelous companion.

Larry Gets Lost in Portland by Skewes, John. In Larry the ador- Mallory vs. Max by Laurie B. Friedman. Eight-year-old Mallory able pooch’s latest adventure, he goes on vacation with Pete feels left out when her older brother, Max, gets a dog that and the family to Portland, Oregon. becomes the center of attention.

Portland Names and Neighborhoods – Their Historic Origins Awesome Dawson by Chris Gall. All his life, Dawson has been by Eugene E. Snyder. inventing things, repairing toys in unusual ways, and helping clean up his neighborhood by reusing discarded objects, but The Portland Bridge Book by Sharon Wood Wortman. A his- when his Vacu-Maniac malfunctions it is his friend Mooey tory of the bridges of the city. whose brainpower saves the day.

Fiction Emma Dilemma – Big Sister Poems by Kristine O’Connell Spenser Goes to Portland. A small dog and his mother explore George. Emma is Jess’s little sister … and her dilemma. How the history and geography of Portland, Oregon can one small girl be sweet, funny, imaginative, playful, and affectionate as well as a clinging vine, brat, tattletale, and nui- Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One by Judy sance-all at the same time? Blume. Revisits the sometimes challenging relationship between a six-year-old (The Pain) and his eight-year-old sister Sadie and Ratz by Sonya Hartnett. Hannah and her hands, (The Great One) named Sadie and Ratz, regularly get into trouble, especially when younger brother Baby Boy is around. What the No-Good Baby Is Good For by Elise Broach. Tired of all the trouble his no-good baby sister causes, John tells his Captain Awesome vs. Nacho Cheese Man by Stan Kirby. mother the baby has to go and she agrees, but as John packs When second-grader Eugene’s favorite comic book goes the baby’s suitcase, he realizes there are some things he likes missing, he blames his best friend Charlie even though he about his sister, too. has no evidence.

11 Reading List cont.

Stink and the World’s Worst Super-Stinky Sneakers by Megan Clementine and the Family Meeting by Sara Pennypacker. McDonald. A class visit to the Gross-Me-Out exhibit at the Third-grader Clementine tries to adjust to the news that her science museum inspires Stink Moody to create a variety of perfect family of four is adding a new brother or sister. terrible smells to put on the sneakers he plans to enter in the World’s Worst Super-Stinky Sneaker contest. Fuera pesadillas! Un cuento para vencer el miedo a la oscuri- dad by Elisenda Roca. Juan, easy going and well-behaved Niño Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales. Lucha Libre cham- during the day, becomes a mass of fears at night as he imag- pion Niño has no trouble fending off monstrous opponents, ines all sorts of monsters in the dark that only his parents can but when his little sisters awaken from their naps, he is in for a dispel, until his grandmother comes up with a new idea. no-holds-barred wrestling match that will truly test his skills. Max and Zoe – The Lunchroom Fight by Shelley Swanson Three’s A Crowd! by Ray O’Ryan. Zack is thrilled when his best Sateren. After Max and Zoe quarrel over who will sit with Anna friend on Earth, Bert Jones, visits for the weekend. But when at the peanut-free table, they look for a solution that will make Zack introduces Bert to Drake, his best friend on Nebulon, everybody happy. trouble begins! Portland ABC by John Skewes. Larry and his friend Pete see Junie B., First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! by Barbara Portland from A (Art Museum) to Z (Portland Zoo), and every- Park. Junie B. Jones wishes that May would stop being such a thing in between. tattletale, but when she is stuck as May’s Secret Santa it becomes real trouble. Cookiebot! – A Harry and Horsie Adventure by Katie Van Camp. When Harry and his best friend Horsie build a robot that can reach the cookie jar for them, it goes out of control and wreaks havoc around the city.

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A Teacher Resource Guide

On The Way

It’s finally field trip day! How are you getting to the theater? Do you have a long trip by bus or car? Take a look at these SW Salmon activities which can be completed by you and your students Winningstad Theatre as you travel to downtown Portland. 1111 SW Broadway

SW Main

Exploring the City th Beverly Cleary wrote most of the Ramona books during the 1o 1960s and 1970s. Share this information with your students SW SW Madiso and ask them to imagine what Portland may have been like during those decades. n

Before you travel downtown, give students notebooks or SW Jefferso blank paper and ask them to record one landmark that they see on their car trip or bus ride to the theater. A landmark can n be a park, a distinctive building, a statue, a street or intersec- h tion, a fountain – any distinctive part of the city. If students SW Columbia rk know the landmark’s name, have them write it down. If they Pa don’t know the name, have them describe or draw it. SW Nint

SW When you get back to school, ask students what they saw on h SWSW Broadway Cla the field trip. Ask them to do some research (at the library, y h on the computer, or by asking a family member) about their SW 6t PORT landmark – what it is, how old it is, etc. Is it named after LA ND a famous person? Can you find a photo of it? Create STRESW Market SW 5t ETCA a Portland landmarks bulletin board or class book displaying R students’ discoveries. PORT LAND STRE SW ET Mill On and Off Stage: Who’s Who? CAR There are many more people involved in a play than just the actors on stage! As you get seated, ushers will give you playbills to share with students after the performance. Look at the list of cast and crew with students and share the Lost or running late? who’s who definitions on the next page. Call us at (503) 228-9571. Observe the people you saw working at the theater. What were they doing? What kinds of things did you notice at the theater – props, costumes, set pieces, lighting, sound effects, etc. Downtown Portland Scavenger Hunt Print copies of this downtown Portland scavenger hunt check- Compare the jobs of the cast (the actors on stage) with the list and complete it on your bus ride, or if you have some walk- jobs of the crew. ing time before or after your visit to Oregon Children’s Theatre. Your Opinion: Who do you think has the toughest job, and why? Students can work in pairs or individually. When you’re back at school, talk with students about what they saw. On The Way

On and Off Stage: Who’s Who?

Actors: Play characters from a script on stage. Ushers: Welcome the audience members to the theater and help them find their seats. Composer: Writes original music to be used in a play. Wardrobe Mistress/Dresser: Maintains and laun- ders costumes during a production and assists the Costume Designer: Creates costumes for the dif- actors with changes before and during the show. ferent characters in the play. Director: Coordinates the artistic elements of the play, and directs and coaches the actors. Lighting Designer: Uses lights, shapes, and colors to design the lighting plot of a play. Playwright: Writes the script—the text of a play. Props Master: Finds, repurposes, and creates all of the props—objects used by actors on stage during a play. Scenic Artist: Paints set pieces to be used in a production. Ask your students if they can find examples of set pieces on stage that a scenic artist may have painted. Set Designer: Designs the sets and scenery for a performance. Sound Designer: Designs and chooses the sound effects (and sometimes the music) for a play. Stage Manager: Coordinates all the elements of a production, is a liaison between the director and the production team, and keeps everyone on task. During the play, he or she calls the cues of the show. Stagehands: Move sets and scenery, operate light and sound equipment during the performance, operate ropes backstage, and perform other techni- cal tasks before, during, and after a production. On The Way

Downtown Portland Scavenger Hunt

Name and date ______

A non-Oregon or Washington license plate Cyclist

The Portland sign Street performer

A statue or sculpture Pedicab (a bicycle that can carry passengers)

Star shapes Timbers jersey

Two bridges—do you know their names? A person wearing a hat that’s not a baseball cap

MAX or street car Water fountain

Pedestrian holding a cup of coffee Police officer

An umbrella Bonus Items! A food cart Mounted police

Skyscraper—can you count how many Window washers stories it has?

OHSU tram A person wearing a suit

Chess board Teacher Resource Guide

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After The play

Questions for the actors After the Play: Do any of your students have questions for the actors in What did you see? Ramona Quimby? Email questions to [email protected] or mail letters to the address below. Your class could be featured Download the After the Play worksheet on the next page in an upcoming OCT blog post in which these talented actors and print a class set. Soon after seeing the play, ask students reveal their answers! to complete the drawing and response portions of the sheet either in class or at home. For behind-the-scenes photos, video, and more, visit our blog at www.octc.org/blog. Write to Oregon Letters to Ramona Children’s Theatre We love hearing student feedback and responses to our Ramona Quimby is a girl with a lot of imagination and a lot shows! Please feel free to share any letters from students going on in her life! Ask students to recall one problem or with us: conflict that Ramona faced during the play. Have students write a friendly note to Ramona offering her advice on how Oregon Children’s Theatre to solve her problem or just to reassure her. 1939 NE Sandy Blvd. Portland, OR 97232

Letters can also be emailed to [email protected]. After The play

Did you know? When Oregon Children’s Theatre performed Ramona Quimby in 2004, artistic director Stan Foote wrote a letter to Beverly Cleary inviting her to attend the performance. Below is the response we received!

July 28, 2004

Dear Mr. Foote,

Another production of Ramona—I am so thrilled!

I wish I could attend, but these days I don’t travel very far from home. I won’t be any younger in 2005. Thank you for inviting me to come.

Thank you for the charming picture of Ramona climbing the Klickitat Street sign. I admire her skill. I never was able to climb a pole in Grant High School gym class.

I have enjoyed the Children’s Theatre productions of my books in the past, and I am sure yours will be a success, too.

Sincerely, Beverly Cleary After The play

What did you see? Name and date ______

What did you see on stage? Recall a scene you remember and draw it in the space above. Include scenery, characters, and props. After The play

What did you see? cont.

1. Describe what is happening in your drawing.

______

2. List two or three things you liked about the play.

______

3. If you were directing your own version of this play, what would you do differently?

______

4. Write one question you had about the play that you’d like to ask Oregon Children’s Theatre. Questions can be for actors, the director, a designer, etc.

______