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The Jefferson Performing Arts Society Presents

A Study Companion

Jefferson Performing Arts Society 1118 Clearview Parkway Metairie, Louisiana 70001 Phone: 504 885 2000 Fax: 504 885 3437

Table of Contents

Teacher’s Notes…………………………………………………………3

Notes on Louisiana Content Standards and Benchmarks………….…4

History: ………………………………………..…….6

Lesson Plan: Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character………….24

Lesson Plan: English as a Second Language: The Parade's History.32

Content Standards and Benchmarks: English Language Arts…….....35

Lesson Plans: Theatre and Film……………………………………………36

Content Standards and Benchmarks: English Language Arts…….....47

Content Standards and Benchmarks: Theatre Arts………………….....48

Teacher Notes

Good day and welcome.

Miracle On 34th Street has become a holiday classic. JPAS brings this classic to the stage just in time for the holiday season!

When Kris Kringle, a kind hearted old gentleman, who happens to be the real , takes on the job of Macy's Santa Claus, it takes the faith of a child to convince the grown-ups to believe in Santa Claus and the spirit of once again. This play is adapted by Patricia Di Benedetto Snyder, Will Severin and John Vreeke from the novel written by .

This Study Companion includes both Content Standards and Benchmark lists from Louisiana’s State Department of Education and lesson plans based on Miracle On 34th Street. This companion begins with a history and overview of Miracle On 34th Street that is followed by cross-disciplinary lesson plans. Much of this material comes from the Internet and all sources are listed following each section.

A full script of the 1947 version of the film can be found at: http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/m/miracle-on-34th-street-script.html

http://www.bartertheatre.com/teachers_students/educational_tools.php

Enjoy!

Karel Sloane-Boekbinder, JPAS Director of Cultural Crossroads & Stage Without A Theatre

Louisiana Educational Content Standards and Benchmarks

In the interest of brevity, Content Standards and Benchmarks will be listed for grades 5-8 only. Most Content Standards and Benchmark coding for each subject is similar, and can be adapted for every grade level. As an example, English Language Arts Content Standard Three, “Students communicate using standard English grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and handwriting, has corresponding Benchmarks across grade levels. The code is written ELA (English Language Arts,) 3 (Content Standard 3,) and E1 (grades 1-4.) The same Benchmark applies to all grade levels. Coding can be converted as follows:

ELA-3-E1 Writing legibly, allowing margins and correct spacing between letters in a word and words in a sentence Grades 1-4

ELA-3-M1 Writing fluidly and legibly in cursive or printed form Grades 5-8

ELA-3-H1 Writing fluidly and legibly in cursive or printed form Grades 9-12

As another example:

Mathematics Content Standard NUMBER AND NUMBER RELATIONS, “ In problem- solving investigations, students demonstrate an understanding of the real number system and communicate the relationships within that system using a variety of techniques and tools,” has corresponding Benchmarks across grade levels. The code is written N (Number and Number Relations,) 1 (Benchmark 1,) and E (grades 1-4.) The same Benchmark applies to all grade levels. Coding can be converted as follows:

N-1-E Constructing number meaning and demonstrating that a number can be expressed in many different forms (e.g., standard notation, number words, number lines, geometrical representation, fractions, and decimals); Grades 1-4

N-1-M Demonstrating that a rational number can be expressed in many forms, and selecting an appropriate form for a given situation (e.g., fractions, decimals, and percents); Grades 5-8

N-1-H Demonstrating an understanding of the real number system; Grades 9-12

All Louisiana Content Standards and Benchmarks were retrieved from: http://www.doe.state.la.us/lde/curriculum/home.html

History

'Miracle on 34th Street' turns 50

ANN ARBOR—He was born in , died in , served in the Coast Guard, graduated from the University of Michigan, wrote a number of Broadway plays, served as president of the Screen Writers Guild, was general chairman of the program, and yet few would remember his name. But his Christmas classic "Miracle on 34th Street" is remembered by anyone who "believes."

Valentine Davies' 1947 novel "Miracle on 34th Street" became a movie the same year, earning the author an Academy Award for the Best Original Story. The film itself was nominated for the top picture. , who played Kriss Kringle, won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and received one of the gold statues for his screenplay of Davies' story. Though not an award winner for this effort, child actor won the hearts of viewers as Susan Walker, the little girl whose doubt in the existence of Santa Claus is transformed by her association with Gwenn's Kriss Kringle.

"'Miracle on 34th Street' stands beside 'It's a Wonderful Life' as one of the two most enduring of America's holiday movies," says Frank Beaver, professor of film and video studies at U-M. "As with Frank Capra's 'It's a Wonderful Life,' 'Miracle on 34th Street' draws its continuing appeal by reaffirming ideas of faith in a modern, often-cynical world. Both also find strong sentimental appeal in the reassurance of children for whom the Christmas holiday season means so much. Davies and Seaton in 'Miracle on 34th Street' explore, philosophically, the always timely seasonal issues of faith and trust as the basis of real-life miracles."

Though a 1994 remake of the story is available, most critics found it an affront to the original. "Most good things are best left alone, and 'Miracle on 34th Street' is surely one of them," wrote critic Joan Ellis who felt the war- weary world of 1947 was ready to be charmed. A colorized version of the original is also available on video.

From his days at U-M where he worked on the student newspaper, theMichigan Daily, and performed in a 1925 campus opera which he co- wrote, Davies moved on to the Yale Drama School and then Hollywood where after "Miracle on 34th Street," he wrote the baseball story turned into a movie, "It Happens Every Spring," wrote the screenplay for James Michener's "Bridges at Toko-Ri," was nominated for an Oscar for best story and screenplay for "The Glenn Miller Story" and wrote and directed "The Benny Goodman Story." Writing talents continue to follow the path from U-M to Hollywood with such U-M grads as Dudley Nichols who wrote the script of Paramount's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and the original and screenplay of "This Land is Mine." In 1935 Nichols won an Academy Award for his script of "The Informer." He also wrote "Stagecoach," considered one of the best Westerns ever made. Frank Gilbreth and his sister wrote "Cheaper by the Dozen" which became a hit movie with and Myrna Loy. 's works became famous on Broadway and in film adaptations. John Briley received an Oscar for his screenplay of "Gandhi."

William Brashler, a onetime police reporter and author of "The Don," also wrote "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings," which became a major motion picture. And Chris Van Allsburg, artist, author, and two-time Caldecott Award winner, adapted his book "" into the hit 1995 movie.

Todd Langen went from writing TV scripts to scripts for the first two "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" films and Josh Greenfeld wrote the screenplay for "Harry and Tonto" for which won an Oscar as best actor. David and Leslie Newman, a husband and wife screen-writing team, list in their credits Superman I, II, and III, while Kurt Luedtke a former journalist and executive editor of the Detroit Free Press wrote "Absence of Malice" which was nominated for an Oscar and the film adaptation of "Out of Africa" which won both an Oscar and a British Academy Award for best adaptation. James Burnstein wrote the screenplay for "Renaissance Man," starring Danny DeVito, and Lawrence Kasdan wrote and co-wrote such hits as "The Empire Strikes Back," "Return of the Jedi" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark." He wrote and directed "Body Heat," "The Big Chill" and "French Kiss."

Retrieved From: http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=1815

Plot Synopsis by Hal Erickson

Edmund Gwenn plays Kris Kringle, a bearded old gent who is the living image of Santa Claus. Serving as a last-minute replacement for the drunken Santa who was to have led Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Kringle is offered a job as a Macy's toy-department Santa. Supervisor Maureen O'Hara soon begins having second thoughts about hiring Kris: it's bad enough that he is laboring under the delusion that he's the genuine Saint Nick; but when he begins advising customers to shop elsewhere for toys that they can't find at Macy's, he's gone too far! Amazingly, Mr. Macy (Harry Antrim) considers Kris' shopping tips to be an excellent customer-service "gimmick," and insists that the old fellow keep his job. A resident of a retirement home, Kris agrees to take a room with lawyer during the Christmas season. It happens that Payne is sweet on O'Hara, and Kris subliminally hopes he can bring the two together. Kris is also desirous of winning over the divorced O'Hara's little daughter Natalie Wood, who in her few years on earth has lost a lot of the Christmas spirit. Complications ensue when Porter Hall, Macy's nasty in-house psychologist, arranges to have Kris locked up in Bellevue as a lunatic. Payne represents Kris at his sanity hearing, rocking the New York judicial system to its foundations by endeavoring to prove in court that Kris is, indeed, the real Santa Claus! We won't tell you how he does it: suffice to say that there's a joyous ending for Payne and O'Hara, as well as a wonderful faith-affirming denouement for little Natalie Wood. 72-year-old Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for his portrayal of the "jolly old elf" Kringle; the rest of the cast is populated by such never-fail pros as (as the beleaguered sanity-hearing judge), (as a crafty political boss), and an unbilled and . Based on the novel by Valentine Davies, Miracle on 34th Street was remade twice: once for TV in 1973, and a second time for a 1994 theatrical release, with as Kris Kringle.

DVD Releases

Similar Movies

The Christmas That Almost Wasn't (1966, Rossano Brazzi)

Ernest Saves Christmas (1988, John Cherry)

It's a Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra)

Prancer (1989, John Hancock)

A Christmas Story (1983, Bob Clark)

The Fisher King (1991, Terry Gilliam)

The Santa Clause (1994, John Pasquin, Bill Elvin)

Fly Away Home (1996, )

Starry Night (1999, Paul Davids) Happy Accidents (2000, Brad Anderson)

Movies with the Same Personnel

The Country Girl (1954, George Seaton)

The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947, George Seaton)

Going My Way (1944, Leo McCarey)

Forever and a Day (1943, René Clair, , , Victor Saville, Kent Smith, Robert Stevenson, Herbert Wilcox, Frank Lloyd)

Apartment for Peggy (1948, George Seaton)

Chicken Every Sunday (1948, George Seaton)

The Counterfeit Traitor (1962, George Seaton)

That Wonderful Urge (1948, Robert Sinclair)

Other Related Movies

has been remade as: Miracle on 34th Street (1973, Fielder Cook)

Miracle on 34th Street (1994, Les Mayfield)

The Hour of Stars: Miracle on 34th Street (1955, Robert Stevenson, Edmond F. Bernoudy)

Retrieved From: http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=A32831

Plot synopsis

Image Retrieved From: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm665491712/tt0110527

Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is indignant to find that the person assigned to play Santa in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (Percy Helton) is intoxicated. When he complains to the event's director, Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara), she persuades Kris to replace him. He does such a fine job that he is hired to be the Santa for Macy's flagship store on 34th Street at Herald Square. 76. ... This article is about the R. H. Macy & Co. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

Ignoring instructions to steer parents to goods that Macy's wants to sell, Kris tells one woman shopper (Thelma Ritter) to go to another store, Schoenfeld's, for a fire engine for her son. She is so impressed, she tells Julian Shellhammer (Philip Tonge), head of the toy department, that she will become a loyal Macy's customer. Kris later informs another mother that Macy's archrival, Gimbels, has better skates for her daughter. Gimbels was a major American department store corporation from 1887 through the late 20th century. ...

Fred Gailey (John Payne), an attorney and neighbor of Doris, is babysitting her nine-year-old daughter Susan (Natalie Wood) and takes her to see Kris. When Doris finds out, she lectures Fred about filling Susan's mind with fantasy. Meanwhile, Susan witnesses Kris talking and singing with a Dutch World War II orphan girl in her native tongue and begins to wonder if perhaps Kris is real. (In the 1994 remake, Kris communicates with a deaf girl via sign language.) When Doris asks Kris to tell Susan the truth, Kris surprises her by insisting that he really is Santa Claus. Two sign language Intepreters working as a team for a school. ...

Fearing what he might do next, Doris decides to fire him. However, Kris has generated so much good publicity and customer goodwill for Macy's that a delighted R.H. Macy (Harry Antrim) promises Doris and Shellhammer generous bonuses, making it awkward to discharge the old man. To overcome Doris's misgivings, Shellhammer proposes a compromise: sending Kris to Granville Sawyer (Porter Hall) to get a "psychological evaluation". Kris easily passes the test, but antagonizes Sawyer by questioning Sawyer's own psychological health. Porter Hall (September 19, 1888 - October 6, 1953) was a film actor known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and many times, due to a weak chin and shifty eyes, playing movie villians. ...

The store expands on the marketing concept. Anxious to avoid looking greedy by comparison, Gimbels implements the same referral policy throughout its entire chain, forcing Macy's and other stores to respond in kind. Eventually, Kris accomplishes a miracle: Mr. Macy shakes hands with Mr. Gimbel (Herbert H. Heyes), a feat thought impossible.

Doctor Pierce (James Seay), the doctor at Kris's nursing home, assures Doris and Shellhammer that Kris' apparent delusion is harmless and disagrees with the vindictive Sawyer, who argues that Kris should be placed in a mental hospital. Meanwhile, Fred offers to let Kris stay with him so he can be closer to his workplace. Kris makes a deal with Fred - he will work on Susan's cynicism while Fred does the same with the disillusioned Doris, still bitter over her failed marriage. James Seay (1914-1992) was an American character actor who often played minor supporting roles as government officials of one kind or another. ... Rest home for seniors in ÄŒeský TěšÃn, Czech Republic SNF redirects here. ... A psychiatric hospital (also called a mental hospital or asylum) is a hospital specializing in the treatment of persons with mental illness. ...

Then Kris learns that Sawyer has convinced a young, impressionable employee, Alfred (Alvin Greenman), that he is mentally ill simply because he is generous and kind hearted (Alfred plays Santa Claus at his neighborhood YMCA). Kris confronts Sawyer and, in a fit of anger, raps him on the head with his cane. Doris and Shellhammer arrive at that point and only see the aftermath; Sawyer exaggerates his injury in order to have Kris confined to Bellevue mental hospital. Tricked into cooperating and believing Doris to be part of the deception, a discouraged Kris deliberately fails his mental examination and is recommended for permanent commitment. Not to be confused with YWCA. This article is about the association. ... Bellevue Hospital is a famous hospital located in New York City, New York, . ...

However, Fred persuades Kris not to give up while he works to secure his release. To that end, Fred gets a formal hearing before Judge Henry X. Harper (Gene Lockhart) of the New York Supreme Court. Warned by Mr. Macy to get the matter dropped, Sawyer pleads with Fred not to seek publicity. To Sawyer's dismay, Fred thanks him for the idea. As a result, Judge Harper is put in an awkward spot--even his own grandchildren are against him for "persecuting" Santa Claus. Gene (Eugene) Lockhart (July 18, 1891 – March 31, 1957) was a Canadian Academy Award- nominated character actor, singer, playwright and popular composer. ...

At the hearing, New York County District Attorney Thomas Mara (Jerome Cowan) gets Kris to assert that he is in fact Santa Claus and rests his case, believing he has prima facie proved his point. Fred stuns the court by arguing that Kris is not insane because he actually is Santa Claus--and he will prove it. Mara requests the Judge to rule legally that Santa Claus does not exist. Judge Harper is warned privately in chambers by his political adviser Charlie Halloran (William Frawley) that doing so would be politically disastrous for his upcoming reelection bid. The judge takes the safe route by hearing evidence before ruling. Fred calls R.H. Macy as a witness and Mara pointedly asks if he really believes Kris to be Santa Claus. Realizes that denying Kris could ruin his Christmas sales season, Macy starts to give an equivocal answer ("Well, he gives every indication..."), but when Mara asks him directly, "Do you or do you not believe this man to be Santa Claus?", Macy remembers the expressions on the faces of small children upon seeing Kris, and firmly states, "I do!" After he leaves the stand, Macy tells Sawyer he is fired. Fred then calls Mara's own young son to the stand. Mara Jr. testifies that his father had told him that Santa was real and that "My daddy would never tell a lie!" Outmaneuvered (and made a complete fool of), Mara concedes the existence of Santa Claus. Mara then tries again. He demands that Fred prove that Kris is "the one and only" Santa Claus, on the basis of some competent authority. Cowan in The Maltese Falcon Jerome Cowan (October 6, 1897 - January 24, 1972) appeared in over 100 films but is probably best remembered for his role as the doomed private eye partner of Sam Spade, Miles Archer, in The Maltese Falcon. ... Look up prima facie in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) began in and as a screen actor, with well over a hundred films to his credit, but gained greater fame as Fred Mertz on . ...

Fred quits his job at a prestigious New York law firm and has a falling out with Doris, who has no faith in his ability to win the case and calls Fred's resignation an "idealistic binge" over some "lovely intangibles." He replies that one day she may discover that those lovely intangibles are the only worthwhile things in life.

While Fred searches frantically, Susan, by now firmly believing in Kris, writes him a letter to cheer him up, which Doris signs also. A mail sorter (Jack Albertson) sees it and realizes that the post office could clear out the many letters to Santa taking up space in their dead letter office by delivering them to Kris at the courthouse. Kris receives Susan's letter and is uplifted by this breakthrough. Just then Fred learns that over 50,000 pieces of mail have been delivered to Kris. Fred presents Judge Harper with three letters addressed simply to "Santa Claus" and notes that they have been delivered to Kris at the courthouse. Fred nonchalantly admits he "has further exhibits" and, when Judge Harper demands he "put them here on my desk", he is practically buried beneath bags and bags of letters. Fred then argues that the United States Post Office, a branch of the federal government, accepts Kris' claim as the one and only Santa Claus. This conveniently lets Judge Harper rule in favor of Kris. Afterwards, Doris invites Kris to dinner, but he reminds her that "it's Christmas Eve!" Jonathan George Jack Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981) was an Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award-winning American actor (dating back to Vaudeville), comedian, dancer, singer, and musician, and he performed on stage, radio, movies, and television. ... The United States Postal Service started a dead letter office in 1825 to deal with undeliverable mail. ... A USPS Truck at Night A U.S. Post Office sign The United States Postal Service (USPS) is the United States government organization responsible for providing postal service in the United States and is generally referred to as the post office. ...

On Christmas morning, Susan is disillusioned because Kris was unable to get her what she told him she wanted most, a house in the suburbs. As they are about to leave, Kris gives Fred and Doris a route home, supposedly to avoid traffic. Along the way, Susan is overjoyed to see the house of her dreams with a For Sale sign in the front yard. (The house exactly matches the drawing she had shown Kris earlier.) Fred learns that Doris had encouraged Susan to have faith, and suggests they get married and purchase the house. He then boasts that he must be a great lawyer, since he managed to do the seemingly impossible in winning the case. However, when he notices a cane leaning against the fireplace that looks exactly like the one Kris carried, he remarks, "Maybe I didn't do such a wonderful thing after all!"

Cast Maureen O'Hara as Doris Walker. O'Hara was initially reluctant to take the role, as she had returned to Ireland before being called back to America for the film. However, she immediately changed her mind after reading the script.[citation needed] John Payne as Frederick M. Gailey Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle Natalie Wood as Susan Porter Hall as Granville Sawyer William Frawley as Charlie Halloran Jerome Cowan as District Attorney Thomas Mara Philip Tonge as Julian Shellhammer Alvin Greenman as Alfred Gene Lockhart as The Hon. Henry X. Harper Harry Antrim as R. H. Macy Herbert H. Heyes as Mr. Gimbel James Seay as Dr. Pierce, a geriatrics physician at the Brooks Memorial Home for the Aged Thelma Ritter as a harried shopper Percy Helton as the drunken Santa Claus stand-in in the parade Ann Staunton as Mrs. Mara Bobby Hyatt as Thomas Mara, Jr. Jack Albertson and Guy Thomajan as two United States Post Office Department employees

Maureen OHara Maureen OHara (born Maureen FitzSimons) on August 17, 1920 is an Irish film actress. ... There have been several well-known people named John Payne, including: John Payne (actor) John Payne (poet). ... Edmund Gwenn (September 26, 1877–September 6, 1959) was a British theatre and film actor. ... Natalie Wood (July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was a three time Academy Award nominated American film actress. ... Porter Hall (September 19, 1888 - October 6, 1953) was a film actor known for appearing in a number of films in the 1930s and 1940s many times, due to a weak chin and shifty eyes, playing movie villians. ... William Clement Frawley (February 26, 1887 – March 3, 1966) began in vaudeville and as a screen actor, with well over a hundred films to his credit, but gained greater fame as Fred Mertz on I Love Lucy. ... Gene (Eugene) Lockhart (July 18, 1891 – March 31, 1957) was a Canadian Academy Award-nominated character actor, singer, playwright and popular composer. ... James Seay (1914-1992) was an American character actor who often played minor supporting roles as government officials of one kind or another. ... Ṝ Thelma Ritter (February 14, 1902 – February 5, 1969) was a six time Academy Award-nominated American character actress of the 1940s, and . ... 76. ... Jonathan George Jack Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981) was an Academy Award, Emmy Award and Tony Award-winning American actor (dating back to Vaudeville), comedian, dancer, singer, and musician, and he performed on stage, radio, movies, and television. ... The Post Office Department was the former name of the United States Postal Service when it was a Cabinet department. ... Production

Despite the fact that the film is set during the Christmas season, studio head Darryl F. Zanuck insisted that it be released in May, arguing that more people went to the movies during the summer. So the studio began scrambling to promote it while keeping the fact that it was a Christmas movie a secret. Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902–December 22, 1979) was a producer, writer, actor and director who played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of its longest survivors (the length of his career being rivalled only by that of Adolph Zukor). ...

The house shown at the end of the movie is located at 24 Derby Road in Port Washington, New York. It looks practically the same, except for the roof. The roofline has been altered by the addition of a window. The house can be viewed here. Port Washington is a hamlet and Census Designated Place in Nassau County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. ...

Inaccuracies There was no Mr. Macy by the time of the film. In 1896, R. H. Macy's was acquired by and his brother Nathan. However this might of just a title for him. In the book, Reel Justice, the authors point out that Judge Harper had an easy way of dismissing the case early without the political repercussions he feared. This was when the prosecutor rested his case immediately after Kris Kringle admitted in court simply that he believed he was Santa Claus. In doing so, Judge Harper could have ruled that prosecution had forfeited its opportunity to prove that Kringle was dangerous, the basic point of such hearings (his actual mental state itself being irrelevant), and ordered the subject immediately released. When demonstrating that he has taken several mental examinations in the past, Kris Kringle says that Daniel D. Tompkins was John Quincy Adams' Vice President, but Tompkins actually served under James Monroe. John C. Calhoun was Adams' Vice President.

Isidor Straus (February 6, 1845 – April 15, 1912)—also known as Isadore Strauss—, a German Jewish American, was co-owner of the Macys department store and served as a Member of Congress in the United States. ... Nathan Straus (1848–1931) was an American merchant and philanthropist. ... Daniel D. Tompkins (June 21, 1774 – June 11, 1825) was an entrepreneur, jurist, Congressman, Governor of New York, and the sixth Vice President of the United States. ... For other persons named James Monroe, see James Monroe (disambiguation). ... John Caldwell Calhoun (March 18, 1782 – March 31, 1850) was a leading United States Southern politician and political philosopher from South Carolina during the first half of the 19th century, at the center of the foreign policy and financial disputes of his age and best known as a spokesman for... Remakes

There are four remakes of the movie, as well as a Broadway musical:

1955 version

A 1955 television movie starring as Kris Kringle and as Susan Walker. Titled The Miracle on 34th Street instead of just Miracle on 34th Street. Originally aired as an episode of TV's The 20th Century Fox Hour. “Telefilm― redirects here. ... The 20th Century Fox Hour was an hour-long dramatic anthology television series broadcast in the United States by CBS from 1955 to 1957. ...

1959 version

A 1959 television movie starring as Kris Kringle; also featured was . This version of the popular Valentine Davies story was broadcast live and in color on NBC the day after Thanksgiving in 1959 and seemed to have disappeared completely. NBC made a of the program, probably for broadcasting opening night on the West Coast. The copy was in a large collection of donated by NBC to the and recently unearthed by Richard Finegan, who reported his quest and experiences in the December 2005 issue of Classic Images. “Telefilm― redirects here. ... Ed Wynn (November 9, 1886 - June 19, 1966) was a popular United States entertainer, born Isaiah Edwin Leopold in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... Orson Bean, born Dallas Frederick Burroughs (July 22, 1928 in Burlington, Vermont), is an American film and stage actor. ... This article is about the television network. ... Construction of the Thomas Jefferson Building, from July 8, 1888 to May 15, 1894. ...

1963 Broadway musical

A 1963 Broadway musical version, entitled Here's Love, was written by . Heres Love is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson. ... Robert Meredith Willson (18 May 1902 – 15 June 1984) was an American composer and playwright, best known as the writer of The Music Man. ...

1973 version

A 1973 television movie starred , David Hartman, Roddy McDowall, , Suzanne Davidson, , and . It was adapted by Jeb Rosebrook from the George Seaton screenplay, and directed by Fielder Cook. Mrs. Walker's first name is changed to Karen in this version. “Telefilm― redirects here. ... Jane Alexander (born October 28, 1939), is an award-winning American actress, a former director of the National Endowment for the Arts, and an author. ... David Hartman (born May 19, 1935, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island) is a well-known American television personality, half brother to comedian/actor/director/telethon host Jerry Lewis, and is presently anchoring and hosting documentary programs on cable TVs History Channel and on PBS. Hartman is most known as the... Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (September 17, 1928 – October 3, 1998) was an English/American actor. ... Sebastian Cabot (July 6, 1918 – August 22, 1977) was a film and television actor, best remembered as a gently composed gentlemans gentleman in the 1960s situation comedy Family Affair, but his sonorous voice and understated style belied his frequent typecasting as an Englishman trying to make sense of America. ... James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio - July 3, 1989 In , ) was a radio, television, film actor, character actor, and voice actor. ... David Fitzgerald Doyle (December 1, 1929 - February 26, 1997), was an American actor, and brother of theatre actress Mary Doyle. ... Thomas Edward Bosley (born October 1, 1927) is an American actor. ...

1994 version

A 1994 feature film version featured Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, J.T. Walsh, Timothy Shea, James Remar, Jane Leeves, Simon Jones, and Mara Wilson. It was adapted by from the Seaton script, and directed by Les Mayfield. Due to Macy's refusal to give permission it was replaced by the fictitious "Cole's." Alvin Greenman (Alfred in the original version) was featured as the doorman. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... A reel of film, which predates digital cinematography. ... Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, CBE (born 29 August 1923) is an English actor, director, producer, and entrepreneur. ... Elizabeth Perkins Elizabeth Perkins (born November 18, 1960) is a well-known American movie, television and theater actress. ... Dylan McDermott (born Mark Anthony McDermott[1] on 26 October 1961) is an American actor, known for his role as lawyer and law firm head Bobby Donnell on the former TV legal drama The Practice. ... J.T. Walsh (September 28, 1943–February 27, 1998) was an American actor best known for his roles as quietly sinister white-collar sleazeballs (quote from Leonard Maltin) in numerous feature films. ... William James Remar (b. ... Jane Leeves (born April 18, 1961) is an English actress best known for her work as Daphne Moon on Frasier. ... Simon Jones as an upset Arthur Dent, watching his home being demolished in the first episode of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy BBC TV series. ... William Windom playing the role of Dr. Seth Hazlitt on the television series Murder, She Wrote William Windom, (born September 28, 1923, New York, New York), great-grandson of U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, of the same name, is an American actor, best known for his work on television... Mara Elizabeth Wilson (born July 24, 1987) is an award-winning American actress. ... For other people with this name, see John Hughes. ...

This remake had a more serious tone than the original and a large portion of the movie was rewritten, although the majority of the plot and characters remained intact. The characters of Alfred and Sawyer were removed entirely and Kris is instead manipulated to land himself in trouble due to a conspiracy between the drunken Santa fired at the beginning of the film and the agents of a rival store.

This version made much of the fact that the world in its current state is filled with greed and cruelty as demonstrated by how willing the people in the conspiracy were to lock up an innocent, benevolent man for their own selfish ends. This is contrasted with the number of people who support Kris, which includes an orderly at the hospital where he's placed and, apparently, the police officers who arrested him. There is a scene where Kris tells Dorey that he sees himself (Santa Claus) as a symbol of hope and compassion in a jaded modern world of selfishness.

The film also added a subtext concerning religious faith. This is demonstrated in the climax of this version, where Judge Harper rules in favor of Kris after Susan presents him with a Christmas card containing a one-dollar bill with the words "In God We Trust" circled and he declares that if the United States government can issue its currency bearing a declaration of trust in God on faith alone, then he can rule that Santa Claus exists in the man of Kris Kringle. The words "In God We Trust" were not added to U.S. currency until 1957, so they would not have been on the one-dollar bill when the original version was made. For other uses, see Faith (disambiguation). ... Some christmas cards A Christmas card is a greeting card that is decorated in a manner that celebrates Christmas. ... For the US one- dollar coin, see United States dollar coin. ... For other uses, see In God We Trust (disambiguation). ... This article describes the government of the United States. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

The film also contains an early appearance by Allison Janney (C. J. Cregg), latterly of the television series West Wing. In Miracle on 34th Street she reprises the role played by Thelma Ritter in the original version. Allison Brooks Janney (born November 19, 1959) is an Emmy-winning American actress, perhaps best known for her portrayal of C. J. Cregg on the American television series The West Wing and of Prudy on the 2007 film adaption of the musical Hairspray . ... “The West Wing― redirects here. ...

Retrieved from: http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Miracle-on-34th-Street

Image Retrieved From: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm648714496/tt0110527

The New York Times Review

By BOSLEY CROWTHER

Review Summary

Edmund Gwenn plays Kris Kringle, a bearded old gent who is the living image of Santa Claus. Serving as a last-minute replacement for the drunken Santa who was to have led Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, Kringle is offered a job as a Macy's toy-department Santa. Supervisor Maureen O'Hara soon begins having second thoughts about hiring Kris: it's bad enough that he is laboring under the delusion that he's the genuine Saint Nick; but when he begins advising customers to shop elsewhere for toys that they can't find at Macy's, he's gone too far! Amazingly, Mr. Macy (Harry Antrim) considers Kris' shopping tips to be an excellent customer- service "gimmick," and insists that the old fellow keep his job. A resident of a Manhattan retirement home, Kris agrees to take a room with lawyer John Payne during the Christmas season. It happens that Payne is sweet on O'Hara, and Kris subliminally hopes he can bring the two together. Kris is also desirous of winning over the divorced O'Hara's little daughter Natalie Wood, who in her few years on earth has lost a lot of the Christmas spirit. Complications ensue when Porter Hall, Macy's nasty in-house psychologist, arranges to have Kris locked up in Bellevue as a lunatic. Payne represents Kris at his sanity hearing, rocking the New York judicial system to its foundations by endeavoring to prove in court that Kris is, indeed, the real Santa Claus! We won't tell you how he does it: suffice to say that there's a joyous ending for Payne and O'Hara, as well as a wonderful faith-affirming denouement for little Natalie Wood. 72-year- old Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for his portrayal of the "jolly old elf" Kringle; the rest of the cast is populated by such never-fail pros as Gene Lockhart (as the beleaguered sanity-hearing judge), William Frawley (as a crafty political boss), and an unbilled Thelma Ritter and Jack Albertson. Based on the novel by Valentine Davies, Miracle on 34th Street was remade twice: once for TV in 1973, and a second time for a 1994 theatrical release, with Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Miracle On 34th Street BY / November 18, 1994 Little girls are more sophisticated than they used to be. When 6-year-old Susan Walker sees a drunken Santa Claus, for example, she takes it right in Cast & Credits stride: "Bombed? It's the pressure." Susan's mother is the PR director for Kriss Kringle: Richard Cole's, a big Manhattan department store, and so the kid knows the angles. Attenborough "This seems like a pretty pointless exercise," she sighs at one point, while Dorey Walker: Elizabeth Perkins climbing into Santa's lap. Bryan Bedford: Dylan McDermott Susan Walker: Mara Wilson But of course her disbelief in Santa Claus will not last long, because she finds herself in a retread of "Miracle on 34th Street," the 1947 classic about a department store Santa who may possibly be the genuine article. The Directed By Les Mayfield. Running movie has been remade by producer John Hughes and director Les Time: 114 Minutes. Rated PG. Mayfield, who follow the original fairly closely, but with a quieter, more elegiac tone. As in the earlier version, this "Miracle" begins with a charming old gentleman who is hired on sight and pressed into service after the department store's Santa gets drunk at the start of the annual New York Thanksgiving parade. The old man says his name is Kriss Kringle (Kriss is spelled with two s's in the new version, for no good reason). Played in 1947 by Edmund Gwenn (who won the Oscar), he's portrayed this time by Richard Attenborough, whose eyes twinkle and whose beard, he proves, cannot be pulled off.

Kringle is such a hit in the parade that he gets the full-time job as Cole's Santa, and inspires good publicity by telling children the truth even when it means sending them across the street for cheaper prices at the evil Shopper's Express store ("Today! Free gum guns!"). In a touching twist on the earlier film, where Santa was able to talk to a Dutch girl in her own language, this Kringle uses sign language with a deaf girl.

Meanwhile, little Susan (Mara Wilson) is beginning to wonder if there might perhaps be a Santa Claus after all. If there is, she knows what she wants: A father, a brother, and a house of their own.

Her own dad has not been seen for years, but Bryan (Dylan McDermott), a lawyer who lives next door, is in love with her mother, Dorey (Elizabeth Perkins). Dorey is a cynic, once-wounded and twice shy, who doesn't believe in Santa, or love.

The movie follows the 1947 version into a courtroom where, after some shady tricks by a rival department store, an attempt is made to have old Kriss Kringle declared insane because he really does believe he's Santa Claus. Bryan defends him, with results just as satisfying as in the original, and then there is the happy ending, even more satisfying, because when Bryan and Dorey get married, it is in the very same Chicago church where I got married, and so it was not possible to achieve critical objectivity.

There will never really be a movie to replace the 1947 "Miracle on 34th Street," nor a performance to replace Edmund Gwenn's, but this modern update is a sweet, gentle, good-hearted film that stays true to the spirit of the original and doesn't try to make everything slick and exploitative. You know it's a good movie when you walk out humming the songs, and this time, it was "Joy to the World."

Retrieved From: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19941118/REVIEWS/411180302/1023

Retrieved From: http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=ASIJguUDTSEC&dq=miracle+on+34th+street&printsec=frontc over&source=web&ots=QqJrSfzf8k&sig=XZ75ESCy4eao9LFD1PRElafYxag&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum =6&ct=result#PPP1,M1 Lesson Plans

Title/Topic: Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character

Author: Karel Sloane-Boekbinder, Director JPAS Cultural Crossroads/Stage Without A Theatre

Time Frame: 180 Minutes

Overview: Students explore the connection between writing and film making by reading a scene from the screen play of the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street. Students view the 1947 version of the film “Miracle on 34th Street.” Students further explore the connection between writing and film making by playing a quote matching game using quotes from the 1947 version of the film.

Standard: Creative Expression

Visual Arts Benchmarks: Engaging in individual and group activities VA-CE-M5

Understand and visually express relationships among visual arts, VA-CE-M6 other arts, and disciplines outside the arts

Theatre Arts Benchmarks: Recognizing and responding to a variety of media experiences CA-4Th-M1

Understand and visually express relationships among theatre, other AP-2Th-M8 arts, and disciplines outside the arts

English Language Arts Benchmarks: Develop specific vocabulary (e.g., scientific, content-specific, ELA-1-M1 current events) for various purposes Follow procedures (e.g., read, question, write a response, form ELA-4-M2 groups) from detailed oral instructions

Draw conclusions and make inferences in print and non-print ELA-1-M3 responses about ideas and information in grade-appropriate texts, including: epics, consumer materials and public documents Interpret ideas and information in a variety of texts (e.g., scientific ELA-1-M4 reports, technical guidelines, business memos) and make connections to real-life situations and other texts Analyze grade-appropriate print and non-print texts using various ELA-7-M4 reasoning skills, including: identifying cause-effect relationships, raising questions, reasoning inductively and deductively, generating a theory or hypothesis, skimming/scanning, and distinguishing facts from opinions and probability

Foundation skills: Linking and Generating Knowledge

The effective use of cognitive processes to generate and link knowledge across the disciplines and in a variety of contexts. In [order] to engage in the principles of continual improvement, students must be able to transfer and elaborate on these processes. "Transfer" refers to the ability to apply a strategy or content knowledge effectively in a setting or context other than that in which it was originally learned. "Elaboration" refers to monitoring, adjusting, and expanding strategies into other contexts.

Definition retrieved from the Louisiana Department of Education web-site

Vocabulary: Motion pictures, screen plays, scenes, stage directions, dialogue, monologue

Materials and Equipment: The film Miracle on 34th Street, 1947 version Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character Script Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character Quote Sheet

Prior Knowledge Students understand film making is a form of visual art.

Sample Lesson Day 1 Prior to this lesson, photocopy and staple the Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character Script sheets (enough so that there will be one script per each student in the class.)

These script sheets come directly from the play. Please review the Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character Script sheets before photocopying them. There is language on page 8 of the script that may be considered objectionable, and, a word that may need to be adjusted (please refer to the Script sheets.)

Also photocopy the Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character Quote Sheets. On each quote sheet, there are nine sets of paired quotes. Each quote is paired with the character who speaks those lines; for this quote matching game, students will be working in pairs to match the quotes, so enough copies need to be made so that each pair of students will receive one set of the quotes; once the quote sheets have been copied, cut out the quotes and the names of the individual characters into rectangles, one rectangle for each so that there are 18 cut-out for each Match the Quote with the Character Quote Sheet. Paper clip together the rectangle cut-outs that have been made from each sheet in separate batches, one set of nine quotes per batch.

Begin the lesson by explaining students will now have the opportunity to learn a little bit about the connection between writing and film making. Review the vocabulary words: motion pictures, screen plays, scenes, stage directions, dialogue and monologue. To review, read each word aloud and ask students to respond; record correct responses where all students can view them, such as on a dry-erase board, flip chart or promethean board that is visible to the whole class. If students are unable to offer correct responses, read aloud the responses from the lesson plan and record the responses on a dry-erase board, flip chart or promethean board that is visible to the whole class. (10 minutes)

A simple definition of a motion picture is a film or movie. Films, or movies, are made from a series of single images; when the single images are put altogether and then put in motion, the images show a sequence of events, such as a person walking across a room, a sunset, or a car driving down a street. A simple definition of a screen play is the script a screenwriter creates for a film or T.V. show. A simple definition of a scene is one event in a screen play that has a beginning, middle and end and is acted out by actors either in a play, a film or a T.V. show. A simple definition of stage directions are the cues written in the scenes of a screen play that tell actors how to do things, such as when the actor should enter or exit during the scene, or where and when the actor should walk or sit during a scene. Stage directions can also be the written directions for how the lights or sounds should change in a scene. A dialogue is a conversation written for two or more actors; dialogue is the words the actors say to each other during the scene in a screen play. A monologue is written for one actor; monologues are speeches individual actors say to the audience.

Next, distribute a Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character Script to each student. Explain students are now going to read a single scene from the play Miracle On 34th Street. Explain this scene is dialogue between two characters and this scene also contains stage directions that tell the actors when and what to do. Have the class read the script aloud. This can be done by assigning students to play the characters and read the stage directions, or, by having each student take a turn by reading a sentence or two from the script. (10 minutes).

Now, based on what the students have just read, pose the following questions: What was Kris Kringle doing at the beginning of the scene? What do the stage directions tell Dr. Pierce to do at the beginning of the scene? What do the stage directions tell Kris Kringle to do after Dr. Pierce tells him he will have to leave Maplewood? What do the stage directions tell Dr. Pierce to do at the end of the scene? What do the stage directions tell Kris Kringle to do at the end of the scene? Record the students’ responses on dry-erase board, flip chart or promethean board, where they can be visible to the whole class. (5 minutes).

Begin viewing the 1947 version of the film Miracle on 34th Street. (20 minutes)

Day 2 Review the vocabulary words: motion pictures, screen plays, scenes, stage directions, dialogue and monologue. To review, read each word aloud and ask students to respond; record correct responses where all students can view them, such as on a dry- erase board, flip chart or promethean board that is visible to the whole class. (5 minutes)

Continue viewing the 1947 version of the film Miracle on 34th Street. (40 minutes)

Day 3 Review the vocabulary words: motion pictures, screen plays, scenes, stage directions, dialogue and monologue. To review, read each word aloud and ask students to respond; record correct responses where all students can view them, such as on a dry- erase board, flip chart or promethean board that is visible to the whole class. (5 minutes)

Finish viewing the 1947 version of the film Miracle on 34th Street. (22 minutes)

Explain students are now going to play a matching game using dialogue from the screen play. The goal will be to match the dialogue to the character who said it. Ask students to pick a partner and sit together. Pass out one paper-clipped batch of the pre- cut rectangles from the Match the Quote with the Character Quote Sheets to each pair of students.

Ask the student with the batch to remove the paper clip, shuffle the rectangles and then place them face down on the table in any order. Now ask the other student in the pair to flip over the quotes two at a time to try and match the quote with the character who said it. Time the class and see which pair of students can match all nine quotes the fastest. Repeat this exercise and ask the students to switch roles so other student in the pair has a chance to match all nine quotes. (18 minutes)

Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character Script

Miracle On 34th Street: Match the Quote with the Character Quote Sheet

“If you're really Santa Claus, you can get it for Susan Walker me. And if you can't you're only a nice man with a white beard.” “For the past fifty years or so I've been getting Kris Kringle more and more worried about Christmas. Seems we're all so busy trying to beat the other fellow in making things go faster, and look shinier and cost less.” “Since the United States government declares The Hon. Henry X. Harper this man to be Santa Claus, this court will not dispute it.” "Faith is believing in things when common Frederick M. Gailey sense tells you not to.”

"I believe. I believe. It's silly, but I believe." Susan Walker

“I have great respect for psychiatry and great Kris Kringle contempt for amateurs who go around practicing it.”

“If he passes the test, he can return to work at Julian Shellhammer once and if he doesn't, it's better if we find out.”

“But you can't possibly prove he's Santa Doris Walker Claus.”

“Someday, you're going to find out. that your Frederick M. Gailey way of facing this realistic world. just doesn't work. And when you do don't overlook those lovely intangibles. You'll discover they're the only things that are worthwhile.”

English as a Second Language: The Parade's History

In the 1920s, many of the Macy's Department Store’s employees were first-generation immigrants. Proud of their new American heritage, they wanted to celebrate the American holiday with the type of festivals they embraced in their European cultures. Dressed in costumes, with floats and even a band, the employees marched down 145th Street to 34th Street. Horses pulled floats and many live animals were borrowed from the New York Zoo to be in the parade. To date, more than 300,000 Macy's employees have participated in the Parade since its inception in 1924.

Now, 81 years strong, and a mainstay of America’s Thanksgiving culture, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade provides ESL teachers and students a wonderful opportunity to share a truly American festivity, be it by attending a Thanksgiving parade in small town America, or just by turning on the television.

Macy’s official Parade site http://www.macys.com/campaign/parade/parade.jsp also contains a lively and informative music video ESL teachers may find useful for creating lesson plans based on the Parade’s history, behind the scenes info, frequently asked questions, and an event lineup for this year’s forthcoming parade on November 27.

ESL Cultural Perspective Topics for Classroom Discussion and Activities

Post parade viewing topics for inclusion in an ESL classroom discussion--and or a short essay assignment--may include . . .

 Is there a famous parade in your country?  What is it called?  When is it held?  What is in the parade?

Activities for younger students may include . . .

 Creating a small classroom parade, including decorated balloons, simple costumes and music  After having viewed the parade, students create a drawing of their favorite float

Also, the parade could be viewed live or shown via a video tape while the class shares a sampling of traditional Thanksgiving foods, as is the collaborative tradition of the Thanksgiving Day Luncheon of the McMaster Alumni Association and International Student Affairs http://oisa.mcmaster.ca/Events/Display/Display.cfm?categoryID=2 .

The Parade's Timeline Trivia The very history of the parade itself is rich with an evolution of American culture and history that can be used as a transition into several discussion topics and activities related to cultural topics unique to America.

1924 The inaugural parade was called the “Macy's Christmas Day Parade” although it took place on Thanksgiving Day.

1925 and 1926 Bears, lions and tigers were added to the live animals (including horse drawn floats, camels, goats, elephants, and donkeys) but they scared the children along the parade route and had to be removed.

1927 Macy's replaced the live animals in the Parade with its now signature giant helium balloons. The first balloons included Felix the Cat, The Dragon, The Elephant, and Toy Soldier.

1928 The first release of the giant balloons into the air at the end of the Parade. Equipped with a return address label.

1929 Macy's began offering prizes for the return of the giant balloons.

1931 Clarence Chamberlain, an aviator flying above New York City, catches the Pig Balloon in mid air in order to claim the $25 reward money. in 1933.

1933 The practice of releasing the balloons was discontinued.

1933 The only year Santa Claus has led the Parade, as opposed to ending it.

1933 The first year the Parade was recorded for newsreels and subsequently shown in theaters around the world.

1934 Disney joined in the festivities, introducing the first Mickey Mouse balloon into the parade

1939 Children’s comic book favorites, including Superman, are introduced, paving the way for pop culture icons to be incorporated into the parade.

1941 Macy's Day parade occurred just weeks before the start of World War II. It featured a prominent Uncle Sam helium parade balloon.

1942, 1943, and 1944 The Parade was canceled due to World War II. At the start of the war, Macy's donated the Balloons (that were made of rubber at the time) to the government’s rubber scrap heap in a ceremony held at New York’s City Hall.

1947 The holiday classic, Miracle on 34th Street, brought the Parade’s magic to theaters worldwide. 1948 NBC began telecasting the Parade nationwide, as spectators from coast-to-coast began referring to the Parade as the “Macy's Day Parade.”

1958 Due to a helium shortage in, the U.S. Government asked Macy's to go light on the use of the gas. Macy's decided to inflate the Balloons with air and hoist them on trucks with cranes for the journey down Broadway.

1969 The Macy's Parade Studio moved to its current home in Hoboken, New Jersey in the former Tootsie Roll Factory.

1975 The Dino the Dinosaur Balloon was inducted into the Museum of Natural History as an honorary member.

1977 The “Parade Lady” Jean McFaddin, took the helm of the Parade, which she led for the next 24 years.

In the 1980’s the smaller “novelty” balloons were introduced, including the Macy's stars and the 30 ft. triple-scoop ice cream cone. “Falloons” were also introduced at this time. A combination of float and cold air balloons.

1989 The Parade experienced its first snowstorm.

1990’s New Parade balloons were added from the Internet, video games, and contemporary cartoons. i.e. Sonic the Hedgehog, Jeeves and the .

2004 Macy's introduces The “Balloonicle,” a combination cold air balloon and self-propelled vehicle.

Over the years, the Parade has featured a number of celebrities: Harpo Marx, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Diana Ross, Sammy Davis, Jr., Stevie Wonder, , , NSYNC, Shania Twain, and Christina Aguilera, among others.

America's Parade for All Times

Whenever called upon by current events, from wars to the Kennedy assassination and 9/11, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has radiated happiness and served to promote Americanism.

Retrieved from: http://www.brighthub.com/education/languages/articles/11560.aspx

Louisiana Content Standards and Benchmarks for English Language Arts

Standard One: Students read, comprehend, and respond to a range of materials, using a variety of strategies for different purposes.

Focus: Reading as a Process • Responding to Text • Word Meaning • Word Identification • Understanding Textual Features • Connecting Reading to Prior Knowledge and Experiences

ELA-1-M1: Using knowledge of word meaning and developing basic and technical vocabulary using various strategies (e.g., context clues, idioms, affixes, etymology, multiple meaning words) (1, 4)

ELA-1-M2: Interpreting story elements (e.g., mood, tone, style) and literary devices (e.g., flashback, metaphor, foreshadowing, symbolism) within a selection (1, 4)

ELA-1-M3: Reading, comprehending, and responding to written, spoken, and visual texts in extended passages (1, 3, 4)

ELA-1-M4: Interpreting (e.g., paraphrasing, comparing, contrasting) texts with supportive explanations to generate connections to real-life situations and other texts (e.g., business, technical, scientific) (1, 2, 4, 5)

ELA-1-M5: Adjusting reading rate according to texts and purposes for reading (e.g., problem solving, evaluating, researching) (1, 2, 4, 5)

Standard Seven: Students apply reasoning and problem-solving skills to reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing.

Focus: Critical Thinking • Questioning • Prediction • Investigation • Comprehension • Analysis • Synthesis • Communication Understanding

ELA-7-M1 Using comprehension strategies (e.g., summarizing, recognizing literary devices, paraphrasing) to analyze oral, written, and visual texts

ELA-7-M2 Using reasoning skills (e.g., categorizing, prioritizing), life experiences, accumulated knowledge, and relevant available information resources to solve problems in oral, written, and visual texts

ELA-7-M3 Interpreting the effects of an author’s purpose (reason for writing) and viewpoint (perspective)

ELA-7-M4 Using inductive and deductive reasoning skills across oral, written, and visual texts

Image Retrieved From: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3295975424/tt0039628

It was at t he Thanksgiving Day parade and t he st art of t he Christ mas season when, senior citizen, Mr. Kriss Kringle found himself working as Santa Claus for the New York depart ment store owned by C.F. Cole. In America, Thanksgiving Day is an important festival. Use some information books to help you find out all you can about it. On which day is it celebrated? How did the custom begin? Which special foods are eaten?

BEFORE YOU SEE THE FILM Find out all you can about t he legend of Sant a Claus. Who was t he original Sant a? Show on a map, the names by which he is known in other parts of the world. How do other countries' Santas differ from our own? Find as many pictures of him as you can. Make a display of the information and pictures for your classroom wall. Find some poems which have Father Christmas as their theme, for example Roger McGough's 'The Man Who Steals Dreams', 'The Night Before Christmas' by Clement C. Moore, 'Santa Go Home' by Ogden Nash, 'Has Father Christmas Forgotten Me?' by Michael Rosen and 'Kriss Kringle' by Thomas Bailey Aldrich Write these out and add them to your display. You may wish to write some poems of your own. Design and make some decorations which feature Santa Claus, they could be to hang on t he Christ mas t ree or made int o t able ornament s or you may just want t o make a model, it 's really up t o you.

WHEN YOU HAVE SEEN THE FILM

Remember how Kriss says, "If you can't accept anything in faith then you're doomed to a life dominated by doubt". How do you feel about this statement? Furthermore, in the film we are told that the world is held together by the things you can't see. As a class make a list of invisible things which could hold the world together; for example you may want to include in your list qualities like loyalty and love. Now creat e a graph to show which of these qualities your class feels are the most important.

Retrieved from: http://www.filmeducation.org/filmlib/Miracle.pdf Standards and Benchmarks: English Language Arts

* Please refer to pages 33 for a more detailed summary:

Standard: Students read, comprehend, and respond to a range of materials, using a variety of strategies for different purposes. Focus: Reading as a Process • Responding to Text • Word Meaning • Word Identification • Understanding Textual Features • Connecting Reading to Prior Knowledge and Experiences

Standard Two: Students write competently for a variety of purposes and audiences. Focus: Writing as a Flexible, Recursive Process • Awareness of Purpose and Audience • Variety of Approaches to Writing Frequent, Meaningful Practice • Connecting Writing to Prior Experiences

Standard Three: Students communicate using standard English grammar, usage, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and handwriting. Focus: Conventions of Language • Language Patterns • Revising Written Text • Editing/Proofreading • Applying Standard English in Real-World Contexts

Standard Four: Students demonstrate competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning and communicating. Focus: Communication Process • Interpersonal Skills

ELA-4-E1 Speaking intelligibly, using standard English pronunciation ELA-4-E2 Giving and following directions/procedures ELA-4-E3 Telling or retelling stories in sequence

Standard Seven: Students apply reasoning and problem-solving skills to reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing. Focus: Critical Thinking • Questioning • Prediction • Investigation • Comprehension • Analysis • Synthesis • Communication Understanding

Standards and Benchmarks: Theater Arts

CREATIVE EXPRESSION FOCUS Creative expression opens an avenue for the application of individual ideas, feelings, and expressions. The use of a variety of media and techniques provides an opportunity for the individual to develop, organize, and interpret knowledge for communication. The skills of analysis, problem solving, cooperative involvement, and disciplined behavior contribute to a successful school environment and prepare the individual to become a productive member of society. STANDARD Students develop creative expression through the application of knowledge, ideas, skills, and organizational abilities. BENCHMARKS K-4 In Grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes: CE-1Th-E1 exploring and identifying various emotions in interpersonal settings; (1, 4) CE-1Th-E2 interacting in group situations and demonstrating differentiation of roles through experimentation and role playing; (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) CE-1Th-E3 identifying and exhibiting physical and emotional dimensions of characterization through experimentation and role playing; (4) CE-1Th-E4 developing story lines for improvisation; (1, 2, 4)

AESTHETIC PERCEPTION FOCUS The study of aesthetics, or the philosophy of the arts, supplies the individual with a structure for analyzing, interpreting, and responding to the arts. An understanding of aesthetics empowers the individual to make informed personal interpretations of artistic expressions and to develop an awareness for the concepts and ideas of others. The individual questions concepts, weighs evidence and information, examines intuitive reactions, and develops personal conclusions about the values in works of art. STANDARD Students will develop aesthetic perception through the knowledge of art forms and respect for commonalities and differences. BENCHMARKS K-4 In Grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes: AP-2Th-E1 recognizing and discussing sensory experiences and the motivations for emotions; (2, 4) AP-2Th-E2 imitating and responding to ideas, feelings, behaviors, roles, and life experiences; (1, 3) AP-2Th-E3 exploring actions that express thoughts, feelings, and characters; (1, 4) AP-2Th-E4 imitating sounds, sound combinations, and nonverbal communication to express mood, feelings, and emotions; (1, 4) AP-2Th-E5 understanding the basics of interaction, listening, and responding while developing audience etiquette; (1, 5) AP-2Th-E6 exploring improvisation to express thoughts and feelings; (1) AP-2Th-E7 recording dialogue for developing skills in theatre arts; (1, 3) AP-2Th-E8 understanding relationships among theatre, other arts, and disciplines outside the arts. (1, 4)

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL PERCEPTION FOCUS Historical and cultural perception is the vehicle for understanding works of art in time and place. The arts survive through times of interruption and neglect; they outlive governments, creeds, and societies and even the civilizations that spawned them. The artist is a harbinger of change, a translator of social thought, an analyst of cultures, a poetic scientist, and a recorder of history. To understand creative output in the history of the arts is to understand history itself. STANDARD Students will develop historical and cultural perception by recognizing and understanding that the arts throughout history are a record of human experience with a past, present, and future. BENCHMARKS K-4 In Grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes: HP-3Th-E1 recognizing and discussing the differences in various cultures; (1) HP-3Th-E2 recognizing and identifying characters and their relationships through simple performances; (2) HP-3Th-E3 recognizing and identifying various feelings exhibited by characters through simple performances; (1, 2) HP-3Th-E4 exploring and demonstrating the language of theatre arts through role playing; (1) HP-3Th-E5 exploring elementary language used in theatrical characterization; (1, 2) HP-3Th-E6 recognizing and identifying universal themes reflected in various cultures. (2)

CRITICAL ANALYSIS FOCUS Critical analysis is the process of inquiry associated with an individual's knowledge of the arts. Communication about the arts in a structured way provides the individual with means to observe, describe, analyze, interpret, and make critical, reasoned judgments about the form and content of the arts. STANDARD Students will make informed judgments about the arts by developing critical analysis skills through study of and exposure to the arts. BENCHMARKS K-4 In Grades K-4, what students know and are able to do includes: CA-4Th-E1 recognizing and responding to a variety of media experiences; (1, 4) CA-4Th-E2 expressing personal feelings about scripts and performances; (1) CA-4Th-E3 identifying the differences between media representation, reality, and role playing; (1, 2) CA-4Th-E4 demonstrating appropriate behavior during a performance; (1, 5) CA-4Th-E5 recognizing, identifying, and using theatre arts as a medium for illustrating social issues; (1, 2) CA-4Th-E6 recognizing and identifying various elements of the theatrical process: stage, costumes, scenery, etc. (1, 2)