Resource Guide

A WORLD PREMIERE!

FEB 28–MAR 24, 2017 Winningstad Theatre

About the Show The Author Can a hairless little squirrel change the human heart? After Kate DiCamillo lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully getting sucked up by a Ulysses 2000x™ vacuum cleaner, a writes two pages a day, five days a week. After moving squirrel is rescued by Flora Belle Buckman, a 10-year-old to Minnesota from Florida in her twenties, homesickness self-proclaimed cynic. She names him Ulysses and discovers and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-Dixie he has been reborn a superhero. Indeed, this once average —her first published novel, which became a runaway squirrel can suddenly understand Flora, fly, and even write bestseller and snapped up a Newbery honor. Her second poetry. Together they embark on an adventure full of quirky novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National characters and bursting with heart. Based on the bestselling Book Award Finalist. Since then, the master storyteller book by Kate DiCamillo (author of The Miraculous Journey has written for a wide range of ages, including the Mercy of Edward Tulane, The Tale of Despereaux, and Because of Watson series of early chapter books, co-authoring Winn-Dixie). the Bink and Gollie series, and a holiday picture book, Great Joy. Her novel Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Field Trip Information Adventures won the 2014 Newbery Medal and was «« Length: 75 minutes with no intermission a 2013 Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen as “Best Book of the Year” by Amazon, Publishers « « FREE Teacher Preview: February 24, 2017 Weekly, Kirkus reviews, and Common Sense Media. «« Dates: February 28–March 24, 2017 DiCamillo says about stories, “When we read together, «« Grades: 3rd–6th we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.” «« Location: Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland Big Ideas «« Sign Interpreted Performance: March 9 at 11:45am «« To understand someone’s behavior, you need to «« Questions? Learn more at www.octc.org/teachers understand what is going on in their life. Email: [email protected] Call: 503-228-9571 «« You can find friends in unlikely circumstances. «« Sometimes people act angry because they are FLORA & ULYSSES.© 2013 by Kate DiCamillo. Illustrations copyright © 2013 by Keith Campbell. hurt, scared, or lonely. Originally published by Candlewick Press. Used with the permission of Pippin Properties, Inc. « Book by John Glore. « Using your feelings will help you understand some situations better than only using your logic. «« You can grow new strengths from difficult, Like us! Follow us! even hurtful, events. OregonChildrensTheatre @OCTPortland «« Forming friendships with people who are www.octc.org different from you can make you stronger. Resource Guide A WORLD PREMIERE!

TEACHING FLora & Ulysses IN THE CLASSROOM

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS BEFORE THE PLAY Questions for Discussion «« If you were creating a superhero, what animal 1 Has anyone ever experienced a big change– would you choose? Create your own superhero something that changed what their daily life animal using Ulysses as a guide. You may want looked like, such as moving, getting a new to include: baby sister or brother, starting a new school? xx A superpower and its uses xx A special name «« What was hard about that change? What didn’t you like about it, or what was difficult to get used xx How that character hides his or to? How did that make you feel? her superhero self xx Friends «« What was good about that change? xx Enemies « « How did that make you feel? «« Flora doesn’t like William Spiver in the beginning, «« What new strengths did you get from that change? but they become friends by the end of the book. 2 What happens that helps them become friends? Can you think of people in your life that you didn’t Have you ever wished you had a superpower? 2 like at first but changed your mind about later? What would your superpower be? «« What does the phrase “Do not hope; instead, «« Could this superpower help you be a hero? How observe” mean in the story? How does it relate would you use this superpower for good? What to your life? positive things could you do in the world if you had this superpower? Who would you save? «« Ulysses’ powers help him survive in dangerous or difficult situations. What are some “powers” «« Is there a time when you were heroic? or qualities you have that help you survive when OR a time when someone was heroic for you? dealing with difficult circumstances? «« “Loneliness makes us do terrible things.” What happens when you feel lonely? How does it feel? What things, terrible or not, do you do when you are lonely? «« “Cynics are people who are afraid to believe.” Flora is a self-described cynic. What does it mean to be cynical? How is Flora cynical? What is it that Flora is afraid to believe? «« Is Flora really a cynic? How did she come to believe this about herself? «« What does it mean to have a “capacious heart?” Do you know someone who has a “capacious heart?” Activity Prompts «« Pick a character and write about the changes they experience during the story. Use examples from the book to demonstrate these changes. «« How do you make a friend? What things do you do to become friends? What actions do Flora and William Spiver take? Write a short paragraph about friendship using Flora and William Spiver as examples. Resource Guide A WORLD PREMIERE!

TEACHING FLora & Ulysses IN THE CLASSROOM

Language Arts: Retell the Story The book is told mostly from the points of view of Flora and sometimes Ulysses. Have students work in groups; assign each group a different scene from the story and each person a different character. Have them retell the story to the class from the point of view of that character.

«« Grade Level: 3rd–6th «« Length: 30–45 minutes depending on class size «« Standards: xx CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters. xx CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.6 Compare and contrast the point of view from which different stories are narrated, including the difference between first-and third-person narrations. xx CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

Materials: «« Flora & Ulysses book Resource Guide A WORLD PREMIERE!

TEACHING FLora & Ulysses IN THE CLASSROOM

Language Arts: Retell the story The book is told through both text and comic forms. This activity explores the two different forms.

1. Have students write a short, one-page narrative entitled “Getting to School this Morning.” What happened today as you were getting ready to come to school? Anything exciting? Unusual? What is part of your morning routine? Tell the story about getting ready to come to school today. Try to make it as interesting as possible—it can be a true story or fiction! 2. After writing the one page story, have them tell the same story in a series of comic frames. Use the storyboard page (link below) with nine frames to tell the story in images. It doesn’t matter if you are a good artist or if your pictures are stick figures. The important thing is to think about what is the most important image to tell the story. 3. Have students share just their illustrations with a partner. Have the partner try to tell the story they see in the drawing. Remember, some people are better at drawing—it doesn’t matter how good of an artist anyone is, treat their story and drawings with respect!

Afterwards, have the class discuss the following questions: xx Which was easier for you, the writing or the drawing? xx Are certain things easier to express in one form or the other? What can images do that writing cannot? What can writing do that images cannot? xx How did you decide what to draw in each frame? What was hard about deciding what to draw? xx Was it hard to decide what to write about? How did you choose what to write and what to leave out?

«« Grade Level: 3rd–6th «« Length: 30–45 minutes depending on class size «« Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

Materials: «« Paper «« Writing Utensils «« Comic Strip. See next page for sample. Comic Strip Storyboard

Resource Guide A WORLD PREMIERE!

TEACHING FLora & Ulysses IN THE CLASSROOM

Living Comic Book Students will use their bodies to make frozen pictures to illustrate a moment from the story.

1. Choose a moment from the story that the class will illustrate. 2. Have the class brainstorm the order of events and write them in order on the board. It’s okay if they don’t remember exactly what happened—you can decide to make up your own details or order of events as necessary. 3. Working in groups (or as one whole class), have «« Grade Level: 3rd–6th the students create a series of frozen images «« Length: 30–45 minutes depending on class size telling the story of the event. Invite students to think about not only the main characters, but «« Standards: bystanders and setting (students can portray xx CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1. paintings, tables, a box of donuts, etc). Engage effectively in a range of 4. Have them share the frozen pictures like collaborative discussions (one-on-one, a slideshow. in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. Suggested scenes to illustrate: x «« Ulysses gets sucked into the vacuum x CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2. (Flora, Mrs. Tickham, Ulysses, the vacuum). Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information «« Ulysses jumping out of the box at the presented in diverse media and formats, Do-Nut shop (Dad, Ulysses, Flora, the waitress, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. customers). xx CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.4. «« Ulysses types poetry at Mrs. Tickham’s Report on a topic or text or present an (Flora, Ulysses, William Spiver, Mrs. Tickham). opinion, sequencing ideas logically and «« Reuniting at Dr. Meescham’s apartment at the using appropriate facts and relevant, end (Flora, Ulysses, Dad, Mom, Mrs. Tickham, descriptive details to support main ideas Dr. Meescham). or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. Feel free to use any other scenes your students remember! Materials: Reflection question: «« Scenes from Flora & Ulysses «« Whiteboard or Paper «« Did you learn anything about this scene «« Writing Utensil that you didn’t know before? Resource Guide A WORLD PREMIERE!

Online Resources «« Teachers’ Guide by Candlewick Press www.floraandulysses.com/media/fu_teachersguide.pdf «« Kate DiCamillo Official Website www.katedicamillo.com «« Kate DiCamillo on writing www.bit.ly/1vKj3v5 «« Kate DiCamillo Interview (under 1 minute) www.bit.ly/2h32rlm «« Kate DiCamillo on writing, reading, and community www.wapo.st/2h32JIY «« Bibliostar TV’s interview with Kate DiCamillo www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQymCUPGl0Q «« NY Times’ Review of Flora & Ulysses novel www.nyti.ms/2hAKB9K

Reflection: After the Play «« List two or three things you liked about the play. «« If you were directing your own version of the play, what would you do differently? «« Encourage your class to come up with one question they had about the play. Send your class question to [email protected] and we will reply. Questions can be for actors, the director, a designer, etc.

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Letters can also be emailed to: [email protected].

Oregon Children’s Theatre receives support from the Oregon Arts Comission, a state agency funded by the state of Oregon and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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