Long Ago & Far Away (Season III). Discussion and Activity Guide
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 351 706 CS 213 610 AUTHOR Hepler, Susan TITLE Long Ago & Far Away (Season III). Discussion and Activity Guide. INSTITUTION WGBH-TV, Boston, Mass. PUB DATE 91 NOTE 33p. AVAILABLE FROMWGBH, Educational Print and Outreach, 125 Western Ave., Boston, MA 02134 ($3 per copy; quantity price is negotiable). PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Use Teaching Guides (For Teacher) (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Class Activities; Drama; Elementary Education; Lesson Plans; *Literature Appreciation; Public Television; *Television Viewing IDENTIFIERS *Long Ago and Far Away (Television Series) ABSTRACT This discussion and activity guide is intended to accompany the third season (1991-92) of "Long Ago & Far Away," a dramatic series on public television which combines animation, live action, and puppetry to invite children ages 5 to 9 into the magical land of storytelling. The guide seeks to help teachers, librarians, or parents to lead childrer to respond to each film's content in a variety of ways that make "Long Ago & Far Away" a door into the world of literature. The guide first presents an introduction about the series, about television in the classroom, about using the guide, and a lesson on the art cf animation. The guide next presents 22 lesson plans for particular "Long Ago & Far Away" episodes, each lesson plan containing a short section about the story, suggested activities before viewing, discussion questions and activities which encourage children to think about what they have seen, and a bibliography. Ordering information concludes the guide.(SR) ********************************************************************** * Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** r via AIMOIr1MMORRNli - - AM. A Discussion and Activity Guide I& AI 1 A_ _1_ SEASON III U.S. DEPARTMENT Of EDUCATION 'PERMISSION TO REPRODUCETHIS Office of Educational Research and improvement MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTEDBY EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER IERICI 'Thisdocument nas Peen reproduced as received from the parson of organization origInalmg C Hal°, changes nave teen made to improve fePrOduCtion Quaid), Points of new or opinion% staled in this dOCu- man( do not necessarily represent ofhval TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES OERI position or policy INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). MEW-WM'IMMEM fiLiaiiiiWWW2ga wwwwww- Imam ammr.mnsa...1......1...avva This Discussion and Activity Guide From the Producer Contents was developed to accompany the Welcome to Season III of Long About the Series 1 third season premiering on public Ago & Far Away. Thanks to your Television in the Classroom television in October 1991. enthusiastic response to our Using This Guide 2 second season, we are back, ready The Art of Animation 3 Long Ago & Far Away is produced The Fool of the World and by WGBH and presented in part- to present more imaginative children's programming. the Flying Ship(Parts I, III nership with International Reading The Emperor's New Clothes 6 Association; Library of Congress, For those of vou who arc new Uncle Elephant 7 Center for the Book; and the to the series, I invite you to join your colleagues in using Long Ago Lucinda's Tale 8 Association for Library Service to Merlin and the Dragons 9 Children, a division of the Ameri- i Far Away to introduce young children to the wonders of Pegasus 10 can Library Association. literature, language, and the Hungarian Folktalcs 11 Funding for the series was pro- imagination. Abel's Island 12 vided by The Stride Rite Chari- And to those of you returning The Man Who Planted Trees 13 table Foundation on behalf of the to the series, let me thank you for Bill and Bunny 14 Stride Rite Children's Group. your support and encouragement. Beauty and the Beast 15 We enjoyed hearing from you Noah's Ark 16 throughout the year. Your stories Ralo 17 ,..tride? Rite of how the series fit into Your Circus Dreams 18 More Hungarian Folktalcs 19 Funding was also provided by The reading curricula, combined with your requests for "more shows!" The Boy in the Oak Tree 20 Corporation for Public Broadcast- helped us launch this third season. Oh, Mr. Toad! (Parts I, II) 21 ing, the National Endowment for Bill the Minder the Humanities, the Arthur We've also used your suggestions of books and stories both to select The Pied Piper of Hamelin 23 Vining Davis Foundations, the The Reluctant Dragon 24 National Endowment for the Arts, titles for the current season and to suggest future programs to our Frog and Toad 25 The George Gund Foundation, favorite animators. The Wind in the Willows 26 H. John Heinz HI Charitable Ordering Information 27 Trust, and WGBH Educational I hope you enjoy the new season as much as we do. I look Foundation. forward to hearing from you. Sandy Cohen Producer Long Ago c.;"' Far Away Copyright (01991 Off-Air Taping Rights by WGBH Educational Foundation All programs in this series mar he recorded 125 Western Avenue and shown tbr educational use within seven Boston, Massachusetts 02134 days directly after broadcast. To rent or pur (6171492-2777 chase videocassettes of available programs, please see the distributor list on page 27. .3 idt.a..aaansk&IIMIII1111.141:111 Long Ago &Far Away About the Series viewers to foreign lands, introduc- experiences that will involve nce upon a time, young ing them to new people and children in the wealth of beauty children discovered the experiences along the way. The and meaning that children's world of fantasy through series reflects the diversity of other literature has to offer. In addition, the magic of hearing times and places with films set in the guide seeks to help teachers, 0stories told or read aloud. The Russia, Hungary, Great Britain, or librarians, parents, or anyone who stories full of dragons and New York in 1919 at the height of works with children to lead them to giants, quests and brave acts, the Harlem Renaissance. The series respond to each film's content, exotic settings, and good conquer- also reflects a diversity of cultures, both literary and visual, in a variety ing evil kindled their imagina- customs, languages, texts, themes, of ways, making Long Ago Far tions and encouraged them to gain music, and production styles, intro- Away a door into the world of new insights into the world and ducing the audience to a broad literature. themselves. range of ideas and experiences. Now television has become our These are award-winning films, Television in the nation's primary storyteller, but many of which have never been the stories it tells to young chil- seen in this country. Many of the Classroom dren often lack the splendor and programs are based on hooks, such eleision is a far-reach- substance of the books and tales as Uncle Elephant by Arnold Lobel, ing, influential, and children might read. Commercial The Reluctant Dragon by Kenneth entertaining medium. Its children's programs are at time Grahame, N1ordicai Gerstein's T_potential for educating frenetic, product-oriented, heavy- version of Beauty and the Beast. and young children in the humanities, handed, and violent. Peter Spier's Noah's Ark. Other however, has largely been unreal- Long Ago C...."- Far Away, a stories contain patterns found ized. Yet educators have seen the dramatic series that offers an throughout children's literature, value of such public television attractive alternative to traditional such as "the quest" and "helpful programming as The WonderWorks commercial fare, invites children companions,- or themes of "strong Family Movie, Reading Rainbow, ages five to nine into the magical friendships" and "personal growth and Long Ago & Par Away in land of storytelling. It presents through brave acts." motivating children to read the highly entertaining dramatic This Discussion and Activity books that these programs feature. programs from around the world, Guide seeks to make these chil- Tong Ago 6-~ Far Away focuses programs that tell important dren's hook connections concrete on timeless stories, dramatizing or stories in a captivating visual style. so that parents, teachers, and animating them to appeal to an Unlike most children's television, librarians can follow the viewing audience of five- to nine-year-olds these programs take the time to of Long Ago Far Away with and their families. The dramatiza- build wonder and delight, captur p ing the magic of such lasting stories as The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Beauty and the Beast, and Merlin and the Dragons. The third season of Long Ago c.:'- Far Away presents 25 half- hours of dramatic and animated programs. Many of the stories arc based on folktales or classic works while others are original screen- plays. Animation, live action, and puppetry ofkr children a beautiful and sophisticated visual experience. Long Ago C:- Far Away leads 4 !INAUSIMICAISIGNIIIINMENIP1151a4MN3111141 ALI oiliiriimonitniario! tions are faithful to the spirit and story and feature ways to involve and discussed. Activities include art, intent of their literary sources. children in the ideas of the programdrama, and construction, and Thus, Mordicai Gerstein's magical before they see it. When the pro- nearly all ask for some kind of hand-painted illustrations, brought gram is a dramatization of a book, writing. These writing ideas spring to life for "Beauty and the Beast," it is suggested in several cases that naturally from what children have reflect that tale's French origins; teachers read aloud part of the hookdone, and many assume that during the animated puppetry of "The to bring children into the story as the writing process children may Fool of the World and the Flying partly knowledgeable viewers. collaborate with others and also Ship" is true to the Russian folktale Children who have some expecta- with the educator. The activity in on which it is based; elegant folk tions or predictions about the pro- each lesson asks readers to talk to patterns decorate "Hungarian gram's content understand better one another.