ACROSS THE CURRICULUM

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ACROSS THE CURRICULUM The possibilities are numerous for using The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen and our new dance inspired musical adaptation of this classic fairy tale as a jumping off

2 ACROSS THE CURRICULUM The possibilities are numerous for using The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen and our new dance inspired musical adaptation of this classic fairy tale as a jumping off point for cross-curriculum and interdisciplinary study in your classroom. From units on adaptation or fractured fairy tales to steam punk inspired STEM lessons this classic story offers a platform for reaching any number of educational goals. This guide includes lesson ideas, activities and on-line resources for incorporating both the book and production into your classroom studies.

THE STORY SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL FAIRY TALE The original fairy tale, written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1843, tells the story of a Chinese Emperor who learns that there is a bird in

On the way, the courtiers hear a cow and frogs, and the girl has to tell them those are not the song of the nightingale. When asked, the nightingale agrees to appear at court.

When the Emperor is subsequently given a bejeweled mechanical bird he loses interest in the real nightingale, who escapes to the forest.

Death is so moved by the nightingale s song that he departs and the emperor recovers.

3 THE STORY SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL FAIRY TALE The original fairy tale, written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1843, tells the story of a Chinese Emperor who learns that there is a bird in his woods who sings so beautifully it is truly the treasure of the kingdom. When he orders the nightingale brought to him, a kitchen maid leads the court to where the bird is found. On the way, the courtiers hear a cow and frogs, and the girl has to tell them those are not the song of the nightingale. When asked, the nightingale agrees to appear at court. The Emperor is so delighted with the bird s song that he keeps the nightingale at court in its own golden cage. It is let out occasionally, but can only fly with ribbons attached to its legs. When the Emperor is subsequently given a bejeweled mechanical bird he loses interest in the real nightingale, who escapes to the forest. But when the mechanical bird eventually breaks down and the Emperor is taken deathly ill, the real nightingale returns to his side and sings for him. Death is so moved by the nightingale s song that he departs and the emperor recovers. From that day forward, the nightingale agrees to sing to the emperor of all the happenings in his empire so that he will be known as the wisest emperor ever to live. The nightingale cares about the emperor s heart, not his status, just as it cares about the lowliest fisherman, not just the nobles. The nightingales promise to the Emperor to sing of all those in his kingdom makes the Emperor wise because he knows the joys and sorrows of all his kingdom, not just those in the inner circle. SYNOPSIS OF STAGES THEATRE COMPANY S ADAPTATION Stages Theatre Company s adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen s fairy tale changes the setting and some of the characters of the original. It is not set in China, but in a more modern-era village run by Mayor King. Every year the Mayor holds a Festival of Progress to inspire the town to be prosperous and forward-thinking. Everyone in the town contributes an entry to the Festival. A young girl, an artist named Violet and the granddaughter of the town s watchmaker, escapes to the forest beyond the town every evening to listen to the song of the Nightingale and dance with her. When the rest of the town learns of the Nightingale, Violet s grandfather is inspired to create a mechanical bird for the Festival of Progress. Soon, everyone wants their own mechanical bird, but when the song is no longer inspiring as the original song bird due to over-production of the mechanical bird, the townspeople question the idea of progress. Then, when Mayor King becomes ill, it is his own memory of the Nightingale s song that facilitates his recovery. A balance between technological progress and natural beauty is found as the townspeople appreciate the singular beauty of the Nightingale s talents. THE PRODUCTION AND ITS HISTORY Stages Theatre Company s world premiere adaptation of The Nightingale is a danceinspired production that tells the story through both original music and dance. This new, original adaptation of this classic fairy tale was written by Jennifer Kirkeby and composed by

4 Shirley Mier. The same team that created our dance inspired production of Twelve Dancing Princesses and The Mitten. It continues our collaboration with Escalate Dance. Below are links to written, spoken and video sources of the original fairy tale that can be used for some of the activities in this classroom resource guide. Links to on-line written versions of The Nightingale: Links to Audio and Video versions of The Nightingale: Please also refer to the ADDITIONAL RESOURCE section at the end of this guide for links and resources to more curriculum ideas and lesson plans.

THEATRE ARTS ACTIVITY PREDICTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS (GRADES K-6) BEFORE THE PLAY: Read The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen. With student input, establish the expectations for the upcoming play.

AFTER THE PLAY: Revisit the expectations to see how many were realized. Discuss the similarities and differences from the book to the play, in terms of plot, characters, and action.

ACTIVITY COMPARE AND CONTRAST (GRADES 3-6) Stages Theatre Company s production is a dance-inspired original musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen s fairy tale.

5 THEATRE ARTS ACTIVITY PREDICTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS (GRADES K-6) BEFORE THE PLAY: Read The Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen. With student input, establish the expectations for the upcoming play. What actions or events might be seen on stage? What characters might the play include from the book? Students may draw or write about what they anticipate seeing. AFTER THE PLAY: Revisit the expectations to see how many were realized. Discuss the similarities and differences from the book to the play, in terms of plot, characters, and action. Were the characters as portrayed on the stage faithful to the characters in the book? How or why? How would you describe the main message of the play? How was it similar or different from the book? ACTIVITY COMPARE AND CONTRAST (GRADES 3-6) Stages Theatre Company s production is a dance-inspired original musical adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen s fairy tale. After seeing the play, it is a good opportunity to discuss the elements of adaptation with your students. Discuss the definition of adaptation the rewriting of a work written in a different genre or medium than it was originally written and analyzing how the playwright/lyricist/composer achieved this with the version of The Nightingale that the students saw. Why do you think the playwright/lyricist and composer made the decisions they did in order to turn the story into a dramatic musical adaptation? What elements of dance helped tell the story? How were they used? How did it change the telling? What other theatrical elements were used (setting/costumes/sound/music) to help tell the story? Students could then create a comparison chart or a Venn diagram to show the similarities and differences of the fairy tale to the musical adaptation. Below is a lesson plan on comparing and contrasting the original folktale with an adaptation.

COMPARE AND CONTRAST (CONTINUED) Learning outcomes Students will: Recognize differences and commonality in two very different forms of information and be able to articulate those differences.

Discuss what makes a fairy tale and what the students will be doing - listening and looking for things that are alike and different in the story s written form compared to the production they see.

Read and/or watch The Nightingale from any of the resources listed at the beginning of this guide or from your library. 3.

6 COMPARE AND CONTRAST (CONTINUED) Learning outcomes Students will: Recognize differences and commonality in two very different forms of information and be able to articulate those differences. Become more aware of necessary changes from one media to another. Enjoy interesting traditional stories in whatever form they are presented. Increase viewing and listening skills. Activities 1. Discuss what makes a fairy tale and what the students will be doing - listening and looking for things that are alike and different in the story s written form compared to the production they see. Also, think about why some written material may be changed for the dramatic stage version. 2. Read and/or watch The Nightingale from any of the resources listed at the beginning of this guide or from your library. 3. See the Stages Theatre Company s musical adaptation of the Hans Christen Andersen tale. 4. On the board make two columns Alike and Different. Have students list what they saw and heard. A Venndiagram structure could be used as well. 5. Discuss why the musical adaptation changed the story so it could be told on stage and through use of dance and music. WRITING EXTENSIONS ADAPTATION CREATE YOUR OWN SCRIPT Once students have analyzed and discussed the differences between the written version of the fairy tale and the stage adaptation they experienced, the learning can be extended to include students creating their own version to the story that can be acted out. Using the elements of adaptation that were explored in the above activity, have students create their own adaptation of the original tale. SEQUEL CREATE YOUR OWN SEQUEL Once the show concludes, the story is not necessarily over! What happens to the characters after the play ends? Individually, or in small groups, or as an entire class, write and/or perform the next part of the ongoing story. What might happen after the Mayor recovers? What might the next Festival of Progress look like? How might Violet re-tell this story when she is older? What about one of the other characters?

ACTIVITY LANGUAGE ARTS THE FATHER OF THE MODERN FAIRY TALE (Grades 2-5) Fairy tales are fanciful stories intended to entertain children and have existed since ancient times.

In the early 19th-century, a pair of German brothers Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm became the first internationally famous fairy tale authors when they wrote and published Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel,

7 ACTIVITY LANGUAGE ARTS THE FATHER OF THE MODERN FAIRY TALE (Grades 2-5) Fairy tales are fanciful stories intended to entertain children and have existed since ancient times. For centuries in many cultures, stories involving supernatural forces and faraway places were passed down orally from older generations to younger ones. In the early 19th-century, a pair of German brothers Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm became the first internationally famous fairy tale authors when they wrote and published Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and a number of other classic tales. Hans Christian Andersen, however, is considered the father of the modern fairy tale. Though he wrote several decades after the Brothers Grimm achieved fame, Andersen s tales revolutionized children s literature during his lifetime. Here are some of the main points that made his tales unique: The Here and Now Before Andersen, fairy tales almost always took place once upon a time and focused on princesses, kings and other members of royalty. Anderson, however, set his stories in the present day, and his main characters came from regular walks of a life. The Nightingale is a bit more unique of his tales in this way as there is an Emperor in the story. However, in Stages adaptation, it was quite simple to replace the Emperor with the Mayor of a village. A Real Story Telling Experience In his stories, Andersen always used a narrator who would address readers directly. This let readers feel a special connection to the story, as though Andersen were in the room telling the story to them. The Not-So-Happy Ending Though The Nightingale ends pleasantly, as does several of Andersen s other tales, many of his fairy tales conclude with feelings of sorrow. In The Little Mermaid (not the Disney version) for example, the beautiful mermaid has her heart broken and transforms into sea foam. And The Little Fir Tree tells the story of a tree who hopes to be decorated for Christmas but ends up being thrown into a fire.

Objects and Animals Andersen often gave simple objects human characteristics. Flowers, the sun and toy soldiers all come alive and play important roles in Andersen s stories.

8 Where s the Moral? Most children s stories in Andersen s time conveyed a simple, clear-cut moral. But his fairy tales broke that mold completely. Andersen explored relationships between characters and touched complex themes, like love and loneliness. As a result, the stories appealed to readers of all ages. Objects and Animals Andersen often gave simple objects human characteristics. Flowers, the sun and toy soldiers all come alive and play important roles in Andersen s stories. In this way, Andersen shows the magic and beauty of the everyday world. Talking animals also make their way onto the page. For example, The Ugly Duckling is filled with animal characters, and in The Snow Queen, Gerda is guided on her journey by sparrows, crows and a reindeer. OPEN FOR DISCUSSION Discuss these five elements of Hans Christian Andersen s modern style fairy tales. Have students think about movies or other stories that are aimed at younger audiences where one or more of these five elements are used. For example, animals are main characters in The Lion King or the book and movie, Charlotte s Web. Also, everyday objects come alive in Beauty and the Beast. Create a list of stories and/or movies that fit one or more of these five elements of an Andersen style modern fairy tale. CREATE YOUR OWN MODERN FAIRY TALE In this exercise, students will write their own Andersen style fairy tale set in the modern world. After analyzing the five elements of an Andersen style fairy tale, have students create their own stories (either alone or in groups of two or three.) Use the framework below to give the story a basic structure, with a setting, a starting point and a conclusion: FOR EXAMPLE: 1. The fairy tale takes place in a supermarket 2. The story is be told by a narrator 3. The story starts when two friends get separated 4. Objects (apples, grocery carts, loaves of bread, etc.) come to life as characters in the story. 5. The story concludes when the two friends reunite.

ACTIVITY The Princess and the Pea The Ugly Duckling The Emperor s New Clothes COMPARING AND CONTRASTING HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FAIRY TALES (Grades 2-5) Have students read and become familiar with

A Venn diagram or comparison chart may be used to enhance this understanding. Links to texts of popular Hans Christian Andersen Tales: http://hca.gilead.org.il/princess.html http://hca.gilead.org.il/ugly_duc.

html Draw students attention to elements such as: Magic; Heroes; Hard or mean characters; Kind or innocent characters Good actions and bad actions; and Everyday objects or animals that come to life

Ask your students to think about other fairy tales or those of Hans Christian Andersen explored above. Discuss how the tales might change if they were told from a different point of view.

$readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plan/once-upon-time-rethought-853.html http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/student-interactives/fractured-fairy-tales- 30062.$

9 ACTIVITY The Princess and the Pea The Ugly Duckling The Emperor s New Clothes COMPARING AND CONTRASTING HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FAIRY TALES (Grades 2-5) Have students read and become familiar with three of Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales. Have the students become familiar with the tales. Lead them in a discussion to see how the tales are similar and how they are different from one another. A Venn diagram or comparison chart may be used to enhance this understanding. Links to texts of popular Hans Christian Andersen Tales: Draw students attention to elements such as: Magic; Heroes; Hard or mean characters; Kind or innocent characters Good actions and bad actions; and Everyday objects or animals that come to life EXTENSION: FRACTURED FAIRY TALES (Grades 2-5) There are so many different ways to tell the same story, most of which rests on point of view or who is telling the story. Ask your students to think about other fairy tales or those of Hans Christian Andersen explored above. Discuss how the tales might change if they were told from a different point of view. For example, how would The Princess and the Pea change if told from the perspective of the person who had to change the sheets every day? Or how would Cinderella's stepsisters tell her famous story? How would Snow White's stepmother explain what happened to her? Have children write their own versions of famous fairy tales with a twist. LINKS FOR TEACHING FRACTURED FAIRYTALES: html CHANGING CHARACTERS For another twist on Fractured Fairy Tales have students play with the characters in the tales. Put your students into small groups and have them work together to prepare new oral versions of the Andersen tales that they have read, but this time change the characters involved in the story. Create different characters but with the same type of relationships and story circumstances.

ACTIVITY INTERVIEW ME: GETTING TO KNOW HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (Grades 1-5) One-On-One Interviews Divide students into groups of two.

Then, after a five-minute interview the students will switch roles and conduct the interview a second time with the new roles. The interviewer will ask Hans questions about his life.

The student playing Hans should also feel free to expand on the basic biographical information and talk about emotions and thoughts Hans Christian Andersen might have possessed.

10 ACTIVITY INTERVIEW ME: GETTING TO KNOW HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN (Grades 1-5) One-On-One Interviews Divide students into groups of two. In each group, one student will play the role of an interviewer and the second student will play Hans Christian Andersen. Then, after a five-minute interview the students will switch roles and conduct the interview a second time with the new roles. The interviewer will ask Hans questions about his life. The student playing Hans should use the biography available in this guide and/or the links below to form the basis of his/her answers. The student playing Hans should also feel free to expand on the basic biographical information and talk about emotions and thoughts Hans Christian Andersen might have possessed. LINKS TO BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: There is also a biography of Hans Christian Andersen on the Stages Website - HANS ON TV After the one-on-one interviews, select two students to conduct a mock-tv interview in front of the class. One student will play Hans and the other will play a TV talk show host. The host should introduce Hans to the class, saying a few brief words about his life. The host and Hans should then have a short improvised conversation about the writer s work and achievements. After several minutes, the host can invite questions from the audience (the rest of the class). Let the students have fun and bring out aspects of Han s character.

FURTHER CLASSROOM LEARNING EXTENSIONS ACTIVITY WHAT IS PROGRESS? MECHANICAL VS REAL (Grades 1-6) The mechanical nightingale was a sort of robot.

Discuss whether there are times when an artificial version of something is not as good as a real one.

The real bird said that she would rather stay in the forest, so the arrival of the artificial bird gave her the chance to return to her home.

11 FURTHER CLASSROOM LEARNING EXTENSIONS ACTIVITY WHAT IS PROGRESS? MECHANICAL VS REAL (Grades 1-6) The mechanical nightingale was a sort of robot. In the story, the artificial bird sings only one song, while the real bird sang many, and a fisherman muses that the artificial bird s song is missing something. Discuss whether there are times when an artificial version of something is not as good as a real one. The Emperor likes the fact that the artificial bird can sing the same song over and over without getting tired, and also that the artificial bird was covered with jewels. The real bird said that she would rather stay in the forest, so the arrival of the artificial bird gave her the chance to return to her home. Discuss times when an artificial version of something might be better. In the Stages Theatre Company s adaptation of The Nightingale this idea of mechanical versus real is explored in many different ways and is at the core of the story. Each year the Mayor of the town holds a FESTIVAL OF PROGRESS, where townspeople invent a product that represents progress. After seeing the production, revisit the discussion above and the idea of progress with your students. This is also an opportunity to explore the pros and cons of electronics in our lives. In what ways does electronics make our lives easier? In what ways does it have negative effects on our lives? What would your students invent to enter the FESTIVAL OF PROGRESS? What are the pros and cons of their invention? How would they achieve a balance between the good and bad aspects of such an invention? CREATE A MECHANICAL BIRD (Grades 3-6) Have students design a mechanical bird (a robot bird?) by drawing or creating a model. Will the students choose to make their bird a golden, jeweled bird? This is, for the Emperor, an advantage to the artificial bird, and the students may agree. Ask students to decorate their birds and label the parts to show how they would work, if the bird were in fact mechanical. Of course, now it would be very easy to make an artificial singing bird. Just add a recordable sound chip to student models to get the full effect. LINKS to Lesson Plans on robots: (for preschoolers)

LINKS TO OTHER STEAM CONNECTED LESSONS Both the design and composition of Stages Theatre Company s adaptation of The Nightingale is inspired by a Steampunk aesthetic.

https://cdn.dick-blick.com/lessonplans/steampunkentomology/steampunk-entomology-steampunk-entomology.pdf - Steampunk entomology https://tpt.pbslearningmedia.

12 LINKS TO OTHER STEAM CONNECTED LESSONS Both the design and composition of Stages Theatre Company s adaptation of The Nightingale is inspired by a Steampunk aesthetic. It is as well addressing both the joy of technological advancements and the problems surrounding our technological world. Below are several links to STEAM lesson plans and the history of technology. - Steampunk entomology - Technological History Collaboration, technology and art. - Free STEAM lesson plans FURTHER RESOURCES OTHER LESSON PLAN IDEAS & RESOURCES: Hans Christian Andersen is a widely read and iconic writer of children s fairy tales. His stories, created almost two centuries ago are still with us today and are read all over the world. This fact makes lesson plans and ideas too numerous to list. Below are a few lesson ideas that are available for free. These are a sampling of what is available. MORE LESSON PLANS FOR THE NIGHTINGALE: - Specifically for use with The Nightingale - contains several different lesson plans using the story - Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales, not just The Nightingale MORE LESSON PLANS ON HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FAIRY TALES - Learning activities based on Hans Christian Anderson s work for Grades K Lesson plans based on the author s fairy tales.

MORE LESSON PLANS ON HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FAIRY TALES (CONTINUED) http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/calendar-activities/hans-christian-andersen-born- 20476.

13 MORE LESSON PLANS ON HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FAIRY TALES (CONTINUED) html - Information, links and lesson plans about the author. - Links to lesson plans about the author. - Links to resources and activities about Hans Christian Andersen and his stories. - On line resources including fact sheets, ThinkIts, and short lesson plans on Hans Christian Andersen and his fairy tales. - Links to teacher reviewed lesson plans on Hans Christian Andersen and his fairy tales. - Links to resources and lesson plans on Hans Christian Andersen and his stories. FURTHER READING A link to a chronological list of all of Hans Christian Andersen s work: Most of the fairy tales listed on this webpage also have a link to a free text of the story.

14 THE STANDARDS Here is a listing of Academic Standards that can be met by attending a performance at Stages Theatre Company and using this resource guide for pre and post-performance activities. THEATRE ARTS (K-3) THEATRE ARTS (4-5) THEATRE ARTS (6-8) LANGUAGE ARTS Reading and Literature (Comprehension/Literature) Speaking, Listening and Viewing Writing

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE BIG IDEAS. The Meaning of Progress Authentic Balance between nature and technology Original

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR EXPERIENCE BIG IDEAS The Meaning of Progress Authentic Balance between nature and technology Original BEFORE THE PLAY BECOME FAMILIAR WITH THE STORY SYNOPSIS OF ORIGINAL FAIRY TALE