The Ugly Duckling STUDY GUIDE THE UGLY DUCKLING BASED ON THE S T O R Y B Y Fairy tales... HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN are types of folk tales. They BY RICHARD GIERSCH usually begin with “Once upon a time...” and end with “...happily ever after.” Also, fairy tales usually have events happening in threes, and involve magic. THE UGLY DUCKLING is a musical written by Richard Giersch, based on the story by Hans Christian Andersen. This program is presented in support of the Folk tales... teaching of the Virginia English Standards of Learning. are short, with a simple plot. They Activities provided support curriculum k-5. have characters representing a characteristic like good or bad and feature events that are AT THE LIBRARY: repeated, especially in threes. Hans Christian Andersen (1805- They are based in fantasy. 1875) was a Danish author best known for writing over 150 children’s stories. Check out the following fairy tales, also by Hans Christian Andersen: The Emperor’s New Clothes Thumbelina The Princess and the Pea YOU Have an Important Part to Play The Steadfast Tin Soldier How to Play Your Part The Fir Tree The Little Mermaid A play is different than television or a movie. The actors are right in front of The Nightingale you and can see your reactions, feel your attention, and hear your laughter Little Match Girl and applause. Watch and listen carefully to understand the story. The story is told by actors and comes to life through your imagination. Page 2 VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE Songs from The Ugly Duckling Plays that include songs are called musicals. In a It Doesn’t Matter musical, both the dialogue, or words spoken by the It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, characters, and the It only matters what you look like on the inside. songs are used to tell the story. Read the If you’re kind to your friends, song lyrics to the right. And you love everybody. Then complete the That’s better than havin’ a beautiful body, activities on the facing page. A pretty face comes second place... To a smile that’s big and wide. It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside, It only matters what you look like on the inside. Definitions Fill in the word that goes with the definition... Dialogue - lyrics - musicals For You Plays that include songs: _______________________ For you, I would do anything for you. It’s true. I would do anything for you. Words spoken by I’d climb the highest mountain, characters in a story: _______________________ Swim the deepest sea. If I thought that’s what it would take t Words of a song: o make you happy. _______________________ For me? You’d risk your life for me? It’s hard to believe you’re being so nice to me. I’ve never in my life met a braver one than you. I guess this is what they mean when Challenge Activity miracles come true. I’ve never in my life met a nicer one than you. In the play, there is a familiar song that the I guess this is what they mean when playwright has miracles come true. changed to fit The Ugly Duckling (a play about a duck). What is the song? Can you change another familiar song to make it “ducky?” VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE Page 3 SONGS ADD MEANING: The Ugly Duckling What message is the Why would Honker What two characters playwright trying to get “climb the highest sing “For You”? Why across in “It Doesn’t mountain, swim the did the playwright Matter”? deepest sea?” choose these two characters for this ______________________ ______________________ song? ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ _____ Which characters What’s better than How do you think these would agree with the “havin’ a beautiful songs affect the mood lyrics of “It Doesn’t body”? of the play? Matter”? and which ______________________ would disagree? ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ Agree Disagree ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ Do you agree? ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ ______________________ In what ways does “It In “It Doesn’t Matter,” Doesn’t Matter” tell the what comes in first THINK ABOUT IT story of The Ugly place? What comes in Songs are very similar Duckling? second place? to poems. Some songs ______________________ ______________________ even begin as poems. ______________________ ______________________ Find a poem and use ______________________ ______________________ musical instruments to ______________________ ______________________ make it into a song, or ______________________ ______________________ write down the words ______________________ ______________________ of a song and recite it like a poem! Page 4 VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE Definition WRITE YOUR OWN FAIRY TALE adapt: to change to fit a new use or situation Use the frame below to start writing your own fairy tale. Many times writers adapt stories to create new stories. The following are silly Once upon a time, adaptations of original fairy tales. Fill in the name of the original fairy tale next to each There was a ______________ adaptation. If you’re who lived in a _____________. stuck, head to the library and read the But there was a mean adaptation! ___________ who always ___________________. One The Horned Toad Prince day the _______________ The Runaway Tortilla decided to ______________. Kate and the Beanstalk There was a magic CinderElmo ___________ that Ali Baba and the Forty _________________! After Aliens that, _____________________. Then, the ________________ Challenge never ____________________ Activity ____________________. If you were Hans Christian Andersen, how And they lived happily ever would you feel about another author after. adapting your stories? Explain your ideas. The End You Can Do It At your local library, check out the fairy tales section. Read an original story and an adaptation! Then diagram what was the same, and what was different. Page 5 VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE THE RHYMING GAME Definition In the beginning of the play, the Baron introduces us to the story Rhyme: with a song. Sometimes, songwriters use rhyming words to make Two or more words a song catchy and easy to remember. Using crayons, color the that sharea rhyming words in the song the same color. common ending sound are said to Now this is a story that we all have heard, rhyme. For example, man, It’s about a sad and ugly bird. can, Stan, and pan He began as an egg and from the egg he came, all rhyme. A brave little duck…Honker was his name. He had two little brothers who treated him mean. Challenge They told him he was the ugliest duck they’d ever Activity seen. The Baron’s song They laughed and they joked…that was their little introduced the game, play. Write the Making fun of a duck…Honker was his name. words to a song that could be sung at the play’s ending. Be sure your song uses rhyming words and that it tells a little about how the play Place words from the word box to the right into the blanks in the poem so that it rhymes and makes sense. turned out! There once was a duck named _______________________________________. WORD BOX Little brothers drove him _______________________________________. cuddly They said he was Honker _______________________________________. Not cute and ugly _______________________________________. bonkers And that’s the story of poor _______________________________________. Page 4 VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE FINDING TRUE HAPPINESS: TRAITS THAT MATTER Definition character trait: In the play, Snaggle-Claw the cat says this about Melissa: A describing word “You see, she has now discovered the true meaning of (adjective) that tells about a person, place, happiness, and that is, that you cannot be truly happy or thing. until you make other people happy too.” physical trait: The following character traits could be used to describe A character trait that characters from the play. Some are physical traits, and others are describes appearance or looks. For example, personality traits. Underline the physical traits, and circle the the word short is a personality traits. Then, name a character who could best be physical trait. described by each trait next to the trait. personality trait: A character trait that ugly vain sad silky describes what a person (or animal) is like ambitious proud on the inside. For example, the word kind dapper hateful hairy is a personality trait. envious clean beautiful Hint: If you are unsure of the meanings of these words, use a dictionary to help! Take it one s tep further: Fairy tales are just one type of interesting story. Try to Easy Activity write a story of your own at www.kids- Draw a picture of yourself. Be sure that it shows some of your physical traits. space.org/HPT/1a/11a.htm Then, list three character traits that you possess. What trait do you like most l. about yourself? What trait do you like least about yourself? This site allows you to create your own play, Challenge Activity choose characters, and even assign dialogue. List three physical traits that you possess and three character traits that you possess. For each, use a Thesaurus to find an antonym, or opposite trait. Use these adjectives to begin a story starring you and someone not at all like you! VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE Page 6 Virginia Repertory Theatre 114 West Broad Street MORE TEACHER RESOURCES: Richmond, Virginia Additional Core Curriculum Activities 23220 History and Social Sciences Phone 804 783 1688 E-mail Gr.K-1- How were the characters in the play good or bad citizens? Explain. [email protected] Gr.2-3- Illustrate and describe the setting of the story. Was it urban, suburban, or rural?Gr.