Study Guide. Written by Mary Tensing. Based on the Story by Charles Dickens. Touring December 1-23, Grades K-8

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1 Study Guide Written by Mary Tensing Based on the Story by Charles Dickens Touring December 1-23, 2013 Grades K-8 Call x20 for more information and to book your show! 1

2 Table of Contents Synopsis/p.3 Activity Ideas (K-6 th )/p.4 Worksheet (K-2 nd )/p.5 Worksheet (3 rd -5 th )/p.6 Worksheet (6 th -8 th )/p.7 Worksheet Keys/p.8 Survey/p.9 2

A Brief Synopsis Bah! Humbug! This timeless holiday classic by Charles Dickens has been adapted into a 5-actor touring children s show by playwright (and former TCT actress) Mary Tensing.

3 A Brief Synopsis Bah! Humbug! This timeless holiday classic by Charles Dickens has been adapted into a 5-actor touring children s show by playwright (and former TCT actress) Mary Tensing. Audiences encounter the greedy, abrasive Ebenezer Scrooge and his harrowing Christmas Eve adventure: The ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future will teach more than just Ebenezer a timeless lesson. With intriguing, creative staging set against a backdrop of Dickensian London, and a harmonic musical score inspired by some of the best Victorian carols, this unique production lasts 45 minutes and is a bestseller every time it tours. Drawing mostly from the original language, this is truly an example of one of our culture s finest stories coming to life from the page to the stage. HELLO TEACHERS! We at ArtReach hope you use the activities and worksheets in this study guide to enhance your students understanding and enjoyment of our show. Please be sure to encourage your students to participate in the questionand-answer segment at the end of every ArtReach play, so the actors can have a chance to encourage more projects and investigation. Thank you! 3

4 ACTIVITY IDEAS BY GRADE LEVEL DECORATE YOUR TREE (K-2 nd grade) Many families at Christmas in London would have decorated trees with unique lights, garlands, and ornaments. What if you were going to decorate your own tree? You can make your own Christmas tree in minutes! Materials Needed: - Construction Paper (green, various colors) - Glue - Drawing materials - Scissors 1) Cut your green construction paper into a triangle about 6 inches in diameter. 2) Take your other paper and draw some shapes to create decorations. Does your tree need lights? What about strings or bulbs? Are there triangles, circles or squares? Which are bigger or smaller? 3) Cut out the shapes, perhaps with an adult s help. 4) Take the pieces of decorations and attach them to the green triangle to make a tree with glue. Use as many as you can fit! 5) Glue your tree onto a white piece of paper. Now your tree is complete! STANDARDS MET Art, Geometry (Analyze, compare, create shapes) ENGLAND: THEN AND NOW (3 rd -5 th grade) A Christmas Carol takes place in another country, England, and at another time, the mid-1800s. There are many differences between how people lived then and now. But some things don t change even in 160 years. Materials Needed: - Paper/Pencil - Access to research materials (Books, Internet, etc.) 1) Make a timeline that stretches from 1800 to today. What are some important events in American and British history? When did they take place? Include 10 major events, including these two events: the War of 1812, and the publication of A Christmas Carol in ) Create a Venn Diagram of the years 1843 and In each year s circle, write something that was unique in that time period, but where the circles overlap, write something that both time periods have in common. Make another Venn Diagram of America and Britain. 3) Based on your timeline and your Venn Diagram, now make a list of some Pro s and Con s of living in mid- 1800s London. What would you have liked? What would you not have liked? Discuss with your classmates! STANDARDS MET History, Social Studies, Writing, English, Research, Critical thinking, Comparison of cultures over time AN AMERICAN CAROL (6 th -8 th grade) Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in A Christmas Carol, is a very grumpy but wealthy man. The people of London have come to expect him to continue being greedy and sour, but in a single night, Scrooge changes. This is a parable, because it teaches a moral lesson: Even the greedy can become generous. Charles Dickens, the writer, created this story based on the poverty he observed in his own time. Do we have parables in modern America? You can teach a moral lesson based on the current events of your time. Materials Needed: - Paper/Pencil 1) Read selections from A Christmas Carol and watch the ArtReach play. Who are the good people, and who are the bad? Do they stay that way, or do they all learn new things in the story? Why? 2) In small groups, invent your own characters and plot for An American Carol. Take turns presenting your original, local parables to the class! BONUS: You can even make it into a play! STANDARDS MET Literature, English, Creative writing, Public speaking, Local history, Geography, Social studies, Research 4

5 EBENEZER FOODS In A Christmas Carol, there are many foods that were popular in the 1800s. For example, Scrooge talks about boiled pudding, beef and gravy, and to celebrate the holiday the Cratchit Family enjoys a festive roasted turkey. Today, we have many different foods that we eat at the holidays, too. Maybe yours are different! On the left of this page is a list of some foods. Below is a picture of the New Food Pyramid, and the food categories it contains. Fill in the blanks under each category to make sure our holiday meal has all the major food groups. BONUS: Color each food category with the correct color from the New Food Pyramid! CARROTS BEANS BEEF CHERRIES RICE APPLES STRAWBERRIES CHICKEN BREAD ONIONS MILK WHEAT PEAS BUTTER CREAM For more info on the new USDA government dietary guidelines, be sure to visit VEGETABLES FRUITS GRAINS OILS DAIRY PROTEIN Standards Met: Science, Basic biology, Nature, Nutrition, History 5

SCROOGE THE GENEROUS GIVER? In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is a rich man who refuses to be generous to anyone, for any reason, especially around the holidays.

Use your basic math skills to find the solutions, and be sure to check your work. (The pound is a unit of British currency, similar to the American dollar. The symbol is.

6 SCROOGE THE GENEROUS GIVER? In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is a rich man who refuses to be generous to anyone, for any reason, especially around the holidays. Instead, he spends his time counting his coins. But what if he decided to share his wealth with those in need? Read and solve the word problems below. Use your basic math skills to find the solutions, and be sure to check your work. (The pound is a unit of British currency, similar to the American dollar. The symbol is. BONUS: On the back, create your own word problem about the London Marketplace, and use division to find the solution! 1.) After having a change of heart, Scrooge decides to give money to three orphanages in London. To the first orphanage, Scrooge gives 45 pounds. To the second, he donates 73 pounds MORE than he donated to the first. And for the third, Scrooge s gift is twice the amount that he gave to the second orphanage. Use addition and multiplication to discover the SUM of Scrooge s total donations. 2.) Scrooge reads in the newspaper that one week ago, a tragic fire destroyed part of the new London Library. If the Library started with 3,200 bookshelves before the fire, and now only has seven-eighths as many shelves, how many shelves did the fire consume? BONUS: If each shelf costs an average of 20 pounds, how much should Scrooge donate if he wants to replace every shelf that was lost? 3.) In the mid-1850s, when A Christmas Carol takes place, there was an estimated total of 2.7 million (2,700,000) people living in London. Let s say Scrooge was going to give a total of 10 million pounds ( 10,000,000.00) to the city of London. If the money were divided equally among all Londoners, how much would each person receive? (Round to the nearest pound.) Standards Met: Math Skills (Ordering, Adding, Subtracting, Estimation, Fractions, Multiplication) 6

7 THE LONDON BULLY Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever seen bullying taking place and weren t sure what to do about it? Have you ever been the bully? Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in A Christmas Carol, is a grown-up bully. He makes life difficult for his family, acquaintances, and even strangers, by interrupting their holiday traditions, refusing to give generously, and muttering his catchphrase, Bah! Humbug! This worksheet is an opportunity for you to write about bullying from your point of view. We encourage you to talk with your teachers, parents and counselors, to discuss ways of stopping bullying in your school. What you write on this page could be the start. What is bullying? Use your own words and observations. Describe a time when you witnessed someone being bullied. What are three kinds of bullying that you see happening at your school? Watch ArtReach s production of A Christmas Carol. Do you think Ebenezer Scrooge is a bully to Bob Cratchit? Why or why not? Standards Met: English, Writing, Critical thinking, Social studies, Creative reflection/expression 7

8 WORKSHEET ANSWER KEYS EBENEZER FOODS VEGETABLES FRUITS GRAINS OILS DAIRY PROTEIN CARROTS CHERRIES RICE BUTTER MILK BEANS ONIONS APPLES BREAD CREAM CHICKEN PEAS STRAWBERRIES WHEAT BEEF SCROOGE THE GENEROUS GIVER? 1.) 45 + ( ) + 2(73+45) = = ) 3,200 shelves 7(3,200)/8 = 3,200 2,800 = 400 shelves consumed; BONUS: 20(400) = 8, ) 10 million / 2.7 million people = 3.70 per person 8

9 STUDY GUIDE SURVEY We value your input! Please take a moment to let us know how we are doing. School Grade levels of your students Show title How much of this study guide did you use? All A lot Half Only a little Please circle the appropriate response: 6 = strongly agree; 5 = agree; 4 = somewhat agree; 3 = somewhat disagree; 2 = disagree; 1 = strongly disagree; N/A = does not apply For me, this study guide enhanced the play N/A The lessons offered fit my curriculum N/A Overall, I found this study guide useful N/A Did you get the study guide from The Children s Theatre of Cicninnati s website? Y N Was there a specific lesson/activity that you really liked or did not like? Why? What would you like to see offered in future study guides? We appreciate any further comments. Please use the back if necessary. Your name (optional) Position/Title (optional) Please add me to your list so I can receive updates about ArtReach and The Children s Theatre of Cincinnati! PLEASE MAIL/FAX THIS SURVEY TO US AT ArtReach, 5020 Oaklawn Dr., Cicninnati, OH (fax) 9

A DICKENS TALE. No space of regret can make amends for one life s opportunity misused. -Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.

A DICKENS TALE. No space of regret can make amends for one life s opportunity misused. -Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. www.brightstartheatre.com A DICKENS TALE Based on A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens By Bright Star Touring Theatre ABOUT THE SHOW! ************************************************ Charles Dickens was