Teacher Resource Guide 1 and Lesson Plan Activities Teacher resource guide written by Mera Kathryn Corlett Lesson plan activities created by Mera Cossey Corlett This resource guide includes information about the show and ideas for follow-up lessons to use in your classrooms. The activities were designed for 2nd-5th grade classes; however, feel free to adapt them as needed. Illustrations by Stephanie Gobby, www.stephaniegobby.com StoryTime Theatre was developed by Blue Apple’s Education Department in 2012 as a way of introducing This year’s Story Time Theatre focuses on the genre of students to story genre. In the spirit of the Blue Apple tall tales and two particular folk heroes; Paul Bunyan and founders, the Outreach Department creates a new, Annie Christmas. Tall tales are a uniquely American original play each year featuring a different genre of story genre. Unlike other story genres, tall tales’ main goal story and the culture from which it originated. A is to entertain. In her book American Tall Tales, Mary folktale from Appalachia was performed in 2012; Pope Osborne wrote, “The heroes and heroines of the 2013 focused on myths from four Native American tales were like the land itself - gigantic, extravagant, tribes; 2014 examined legends of Daniel Boone. Last restless, and flamboyant.” By using exaggerations in their year, the team used the fairytale of Rumpelstiltskin to storytelling, new settlers could laugh at the fierce land explore the German culture where the Brothers they were learning to survive in. Grimm collected the story. The name Paul Bunyan has almost become synonymous This year, we are tackling tall tales from the Ameri- with the tall tale genre, but the story of Annie Christmas can frontier. Please let us know of any projects might be new to many. She is not a tall tale commonly inspired by this module at P.O. Box 4261, Louisville, told in this region. Her stories originate from New KY 40204 or [email protected]. We delight Orleans and towns along the Mississippi River. While we in hearing about all class adventures! know that the stories about Paul Bunyan were complete fiction, it is believed that Annie Christmas is based on a Watch for this symbol throughout the resource real woman who worked on the docks. guide for activities that help meet Common Core We encourage you and your class to look into other and other standards in your classroom. stories about Paul Bunyan and Annie Christmas! We hope you have enjoyed this year’s performance of StoryTime Theatre: Skyhigh Tales. We request that you take a few moments to fill out a short survey to help us understand how we can continue to meet your classroom needs. Visit the link below: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5W939R5 2 Annie Smith began her work with Blue Apple Players in 2000 as a cast member of touring mu- sicals. Throughout her 15 plus years with the company, she has performed lead roles in more than ten musicals, including the 2015 tour of Johnny Appleseed. Annie is also a teaching artist for Outreach Programs. She has brought her prior administrative and marketing experience from Dinsmore & Shohl Attorneys and top hotels in the area to lead special events, marketing, and other administrative areas for Blue Apple. Annie is married to Corey Smith, a sound technician she met through Blue Apple more than 12 years ago. Tony Pike is an actor based out of Louisville, KY. Working on his third Blue Apple tour, Tony is a former student of Western Kentucky University's Theatre. He is a company member of Savage Rose Classical Theatre in Louisville where he has been seen as Petruchio in Taming of the Shrew, Mr. Martini in the Bald Soprano and Ferdinand in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. He has also been seen at the Cannes International Film festival, Short Film Corner staring in the Rivera/Sennet production of “Writing the Big One”. Felisha Lovett is a typical college graduate, still seeking to find herself. After graduating, she moved back to her hometown, Louisville, Kentucky, to volunteer at her middle school alma mater, starting her own extra-curricular course in creative writing, aiding preteens in how to express themselves through the written word. Currently, her efforts are in presenting her film work to the world through festivals, but in the meantime, she works part time at Hennes & Mauritz. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her mother and father, reading, and playing videogames. She feels honored to have been asked to return to the stage for this Walden Theatre/Blue Apple Players’ show. April Singer, a Louisville native, is a 2005 graduate of Hanover College, where she double majored in Theatre and Sociology. She has performed locally with many companies including The Bards Town Theatre, Looking for Lilith, The Alley Theatre and Theatre 502. She previously toured with Kentucky Shakespeare’s Education Department, performing in and around the Commonwealth. She also stars in the locally produced web series, Bagged and Bored. April is thrilled to be doing her first show with Walden Theatre/ Blue Apple Players. Mera Kathryn Corlett—Playwright/Director Mera Kathryn began her work at Blue Players as a member of the touring company in 2011. Currently, she serves as an Artistic Associate where her focus has primarily been on early childhood and elementary programming. This is the third script she has created for the coming; previous plays were Rumpelstiltskin and On the Trail of Daniel Boon. Mera Kathryn has played an active role in Blue Apple’s touring musical productions, drama residencies, and professional development for teachers. Prior to Blue Apple, she worked for Kentucky Shakespeare as a touring actor, workshop facilitator, and lead teacher for Camp Shakespeare. Upon graduating Cum Laude from Hanover College with degrees in theatre and theology, she received the Henry C. Long Citation for Scholarship and General Excellence, the most distinguished award a female graduate can receive. 3 A tall tale is a story with roots in the oral storytelling tradition that focuses on a main character who must solve a problem and uses humorous exaggerations. Have students listen to or read other tall tales. Suggestions are Pecos Bill, Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind, John Henry, Sal Fink. You may even want to incorporate folktales from other cultures that include tall tale characteristics such as Big Joe Mufferaw (Canada), Baron Munchausen (Germany), Finn MacCool and his wife Oonagh (Ireland), and Doña Flor (Latin American). Tell your students, “Now it is time for you to create your own tall tale.” Let them know that they are welcome to use the beginning of Lana T. Luper’s story (text below and on page 7) or they can choose to invent a new tall tale hero. Remind students to include the following four elements in tall tales as they write or draw their stories. The main character has a The character has a Details in the story are The characters use regular job, but is larger- problem or problems that exaggerated beyond belief. everyday language and are than-life or super-human in he or she solves in a funny This is called hyperbole. like common people in his or her abilities. way. behavior. Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy: RL.2: Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures; determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain through key details in the text; RL9: Compare and contrast stories in the same genre (eg. mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches to similar themes. Lana T. Luper describing when she built a 500 pound hot fudge sundae: ”It was early November. Colder than sweater weather, too warm for a parka. Super scoopin’ time, for sure!” ? There are often wild and wondrous occurrences going along with the birth and beginnings of tall tale heroes. Paul Bunyan was supposedly deliv- ered to his parents by five giant storks; his cry was so loud, it scared all the fish out of the water. John Henry as an infant reached for a steel hammer Recall: Gather Facts instead of a baby rattle. When he was a newborn, Pecos Bill wrestled with What was Mrs. Agnes Actual against bear cubs. Slue Foot Sue showed up riding on the back of a giant catfish! being told in schools? Ask students, “Are there any special stories you have heard about your Interpret: Find Meaning birth? Often families pass down stories like that. When babies are born, their weight, length and exact time of arrival. Tall tale characters grow and Why did she feel that way? change dramatically. Have you ever thought about how much you have Analyze: Take Things Apart grown? This exercise in measuring and math will give you a chance to What hyperboles appear in the sto- figure it out.” ries that Ms. Actual would consider First, your students will need the information about how long each was “not the truth”? at birth. It may be recorded on a document or a family member may Synthesize: Bring Things Together remember. If the information is not available, help students make their best guesses. (The average for a full-term newborn is 20 inches.)Next, have What are the main goal of these hy- students find out their present heights by using a yard stick or measuring perboles? tape. Then, show them they will just need to do simple math by subtracting Evaluate: Make Judgments their original length from their present height. Feel free to come up with more complex math questions having to do with measurement for more Why are tall tales important? Should advanced students.