Distance Learning/Videoconferencing
at the
®
Billy Goats Gruff
& Other Stuff
Distance Learning
Study Guide
PreK – 2nd Grade
Visual Communication
Equipment provided by:
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National Curriculum Standards for LIVE Videoconference Performance
*visit www.educationworld.com for a full list of national standards
Did You Know?
Puppetry is a unique art form that encompasses music, visual arts, and performing arts!
Language Arts
Classic fairy tales are performed through an arts medium. Students communicate and engage
with the presenter throughout the performance.
NL-ENG.K-12.9 MULTICULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
NL-ENG.K-12.11 PARTICIPATING IN SOCIETY
NL-ENG.K-12.12 APPLYING LANGUAGE SKILLS
Fine Arts/Music
David Stephens performs his banjo to original music through a call-and-response song at the
beginning of this performance.
NA-M.K-4.6 LISTENING TO, ANALYZING, AND DESCRIBING MUSIC
NA-M.K-4.8 UNDERSTANDING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MUSIC, THE OTHER ARTS, AND
DISCIPLINES OUTSIDE THE ARTS
NA-M.K-4.9 UNDERSTANDING MUSIC IN RELATION TO HISTORY AND CULTURE
Fine Arts/Theatre
David Stephens performs various stories with audience interaction throughout the
performance.
NA-T.K-4.2 ACTING BY ASSUMING ROLES AND INTERACTING IN IMPROVISATIONS
NA-T.K-4.7 ANALYZING AND EXPLAINING PERSONAL PREFERENCES AND CONSTRUCTING
MEANINGS FROM CLASSROOM DRAMATIZATIONS AND FROM THEATRE, FILM, TELEVISION,
AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA PRODUCTIONS
NA-T.K-4.8 UNDERSTANDING CONTEXT BY RECOGNIZING THE ROLE OF THEATRE, FILE,
TELEVISION, AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA IN DAILY LIFE
Fine Arts/Visual Arts
David Stephens is also a puppet builder. He created puppets and props used during the
performances.
NA-VA.K-4.1 UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING MEDIA, TECHNIQUES, AND PROCESSES
NA-VA.K-4.6 MAKING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN VISUAL ARTS AND OTHER DISCIPLINES
Technology
Students and teachers are actively participating with interactive media technology during the
live videoconference.
NT.K-12.1 BASIC OPERATIONS AND CONCEPTS
NT.K-12.2 SOCIAL, ETHICAL AND HUMAN ISSUES
NT.K-12.3 TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
NT.K-12.4 TECHNOLOGY COMMUNICATION TOOLS
NT.K-12.5 TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH TOOLS
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Synopsis
Billy Goats Gruff & Other Stuff is a lively collection of short pieces adapted for the puppet stage and performed by David
Stephens (All Hands Productions). “Little Red Riding Hood” was already a well-known folktale when French writer Charles
Perrault published it in Tales of Mother Goose in 1697. Like the Brothers Grimm or Joel Chandler Harris, Perrault did
not invent the stories he published, but recorded his versions of them for posterity. China, Germany, Austria and Italy all
have stories similar to “Little Red Riding Hood.” “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” is an old folktale from Norway, a country
famous for its troll legends. “The One Little Pig and the Three Wishes” is a variation on “The Three Little Pigs,” a popular
story found in English, African and Italian folklore (although the Italian version is about geese, not pigs).
Style of Puppetry
The tales that make up Billy Goats Gruff & Other Stuff are performed with hand puppets and rod puppets. Hand puppets
are operated by a puppeteer’s hand inside the puppet’s head. By opening and closing his hand, a puppeteer can make
her/his puppet’s mouth open and close while providing a voice for the puppet. This is called lip synch. Rod puppets are
puppets built on sticks, or rods, that the puppeteer holds above his or her head. David performs the puppets from behind
a playboard. The audience sees the puppets performing in the lighted playing area while David is hidden down below.
About the Artist
David Stephens (creator & puppeteer) is the founder of All Hands Productions. He first became interested in the art
of puppetry as a child while watching Jim Henson’s The Muppet Show. Over the last fifteen years, Stephens has performed
original shows in schools, libraries, festivals and at the Center. He has also built puppets for a variety of clients and taught
workshops on puppet building and manipulation. He obtained his MA in Puppet Arts from the University of Connecticut
in 2001. From design and construction to puppet performance, his work has been seen in live shows and on television.
It is his goal to bring quality entertainment to families and to promote the art of puppetry. Stephens relocated to New
York City to pursue a career in television puppetry. He performed on PBS’ “SeeMore’s Playhouse” and also performed
in Season 39 of “Sesame Street.”
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Bibliography
•
Denslow, Sharon Phillips. Big Wolf and Little Wolf. Greenwillow Books, 2000.
•
Ekstrand, Florence. Norwegian Trolls and Other Tales. Welcome Press, 1990.
•
Galdone, Paul. The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Clarion Books, 1973.
•
Galdone, Paul. The Three Little Pigs. Clarion Books, 1984.
•
Gorbachev, Valeri. Chicken Chickens. North-South Books, 2001.
•
Helmer, Marilyn. Three Tales of Three: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, the Three Billy Goats Gruff and
the Three Little Pigs. Kids Can Press, 2000.
•
Lobel, Arnold. Fables. Harper Collins, 1980.
•
McCloskey, Robert. Blueberries for Sal. Viking Books, 1948.
•
Priceman, Marjorie. Little Red Riding Hood (pop-up book). Simon & Schuster, 2001.
•
Roll-Hansen, Joan. A Time for Trolls: Fairy Tales from Norway. NOR-Media A/S, 1962.
•
Trivizas, Eugene. The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig. Aladdin Library, 1997.
•
Young, Ed. Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China. Penguin Putnam Books, 1989.
•
Youngquist, Cathrene Valente. The Three Billygoats Gruff and Mean Calypso Joe. Atheneum Books for
Young Readers, 2002.
Internet Resources
http://www.sofn.com/
The Sons of Norway Web site is dedicated to preserving and promoting Norwegian heritage and culture.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0122e.html
Read the text of the Three Billy Goats Gruff from Norway and two other similar stories from Poland and
Germany.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0124.html
Read different variations on The Three Little Pigs from Italy, England and the USA.
http://www.f ln.vcu.edu/grimm/redridinghood.html
Read the text of Little Red Riding Hood in English or German.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type0333.html
Read different versions of Little Red Riding Hood from France, Italy, Austria and Germany.
http://www.allhandsproductions.com/
Visit All Hands Productions’ Web site.
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/norway034.html
Read another Norwegian folktale, East of the Sun, West of the Moon, online.
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Learning Activities
Pre-K & K: Cooking with Goat’s Milk
GA Bright from the Start Pre-K Program Standards covered: Language Development LD3a,b,c; Science SD3a; Creative
Arts CD1b; Social & Emotional Development SE2a, SE4d. GA Performance Standards (GPS) covered: Grade K, English
Language Arts, ELAKLSV1f, ELAKR5a, ELAKLSV1g; Science, SKCS4b.
Objective: Students will name different products that come from goats and assist in making fudge or ice cream from goat’s milk.
Materials: (See recipes below)
Procedure:
1. Ask students if they can name products that come from goats (milk, cheese, meat, Cashmere) and how people use these
products. In which countries are goats important resources? Why are they important resources?
2. Lead students in a cooking activity using one of the recipes below.
Assessment: Ask students to draw a picture of products people might get from goats.
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Learning Activities
1st and 2nd Grade: Billy Goats Gruff Mental Math Game
GA Performance Standards (GPS) covered: Grade 1, Mathematics, M1P1a,b,c,d; Grade 2, Mathematics, M2N2a,b,c,d,e.
Objective: Students will practice mentally addition and subtraction by playing a math game.
Materials: Goat Puppet Template Sheet (below), cardstock, large craft sticks (tongue depressors), cardboard boxes, poster
board, scissors, glue or glue sticks, crayons or markers.
Procedure:
1. Photocopy the Goat Puppet Template onto cardstock, one per student. Have each student cut out a goat puppet and
mount it on a craft stick. They may decorate their puppets with crayons or markers.
2. Construct a bridge in your classroom from empty cardboard boxes and poster board. Make sure bridge is large enough
for a student to sit under, or find a suitable playground slide or apparatus and play the game outdoors.
3. Choose one child to be the “Troll” while the rest of the students are “goats.”
4. Give the Troll a list of addition and subtraction questions that he or she will ask each goat in turn. If desired, questions
can become increasingly difficult as game progresses.
5. When a student answers correctly, she or he can take his puppet safely across the bridge to the other side. If a student
answers incorrectly, she or he is out of the game and the Troll gets to take the puppet and keep it under the bridge.
6. Continue playing back and forth over the bridge until only one goat remains.
7. Award a prize to the winner, redistribute goat puppets, choose a new Troll and play again!
Assessment:
Monitor students’ responses, noting which students might benefit from remediation.
GOAT PUPPET
TEMPLATE
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Additional
Learning Activities
*These activities are more advanced and
are applicable for older audiences.
3rd & 4th Grade: The Truth about Wolves
GA Performance Standards (GPS) covered: Grade 3, English Language Arts, ELA3R1a,b,c,d, ELA3R2a,b,c,d,e,f,
ELA3R3a,g,m,p,q. Grade 4, English Language Arts, ELA4R1a,f,g (For informational texts), ELA4R3a,b,f,h.
Objective: Students will read an online essay about wolves and
answer questions from the reading.
Materials: Computers with Internet access, printers (optional), list
of discussion questions from this study guide, dictionaries, pencils,
paper.
Procedure:
1. Wolves often play an antagonistic role in children’s fairy tales.
Begin the lesson by asking students to discuss what they
know about wolves.
2. Have students go to the Wolf Ranch Foundation
Web site: (www.wolveswolveswolves.org) and
click on “Myths and Lies.”
3. Print the article “Myths and Lies about Wolves” or read it
from the computer screen.
4. After students have read the article, they should complete
the student handout (page 8), using their dictionaries for
assistance. (Answers: 1) inhabitants 2) no 3) none 4) a series
of attacks in Paris 500 years ago 5) a combination of a wolf
and a domestic dog 6) living near or about the habitations of
humans; tame 7) both 8) used to being around people 9) yes 10) to refute the common misconceptions about wolves)
5. Discuss article with students. Were they surprised by the information presented in this essay? Was that the author’s
intent? What were the author’s assumptions about the reader? How could students check to make sure the information
on this Web site is really accurate?
Assessment: Collect student handouts and check for completion and accuracy.
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Name_____________________________________________
Date_____________________
Wolves, Wolves, Wolves
Directions: Go to http://www.wolveswolveswolves.org/ and click on “Myths and Lies.” Read the essay and
answer the following questions.
1. What does the word “denizens” mean? ____________________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
2. Do wolves hunt humans?_______________________________________________________
3. How many wild wolf attacks have ever been recorded in the USA, Canada or Mexico?
_ ________________________________________________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
4. From where do many myths about wolves probably stem?_______________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
5. What is a “wolf-hybrid”? _______________________________________________________ _ ________________________________________________________________________
6. What does “domestic” mean?____________________________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
7. Are wolves intelligent, fearful or both? _____________________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
8. In this essay, what does the word “habituated” mean?_ _________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
9. According to the author, are people safe in the woods with wolves around? __________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
10. Why do you think the author wrote this essay? _______________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
_ ________________________________________________________________________
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Learning Activities
5th & 6th Grade: Norwegian Folktales and Myths
GA Performance Standards (GPS) covered: Grade 5, English Language Arts, ELA5R1a,b,c,d, ELA5W1a,b,c,d,
ELA5W2a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i. Grade 6, English Language Arts, ELA6R1a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j, ELA6W1a,b,c,d, ELA6W2a,b,c,d,e,f.
Objective: Students will identify common characteristics of Norwegian folktales and create their own stories including
elements common to Norwegian folklore.
Materials: Sample Norwegian folktales like “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” and “East of the Sun, West of the Moon,”
computers with word processing software or paper and pencils.
Procedure:
1. Discuss with students the definition of a folktale:
folktale – an imaginative story passed from generation to generation expressed in fantastic or symbolic
terms. Folktales are based on human experience but feature supernatural or extraordinary elements.
2. Locate Norway on a world map. Read one or two sample folktales from Norway.
3. On the chalk board or chart paper, make a list of elements commonly found in Norwegian folklore:
• Stock characters include a king or queen, a princess or prince, three brothers or three trolls, giants, or talking
animals such as great white bears (as in “East of the Sun, West of the Moon”), wolves, foxes, chickens, cats, goats or
dragons.
• Many stories explain the origin of the feature of some animal (e.g. why bears have short tails).
• Use of repetition to emphasize what is important.
• Recurring use of the number “three” (trouble that is escalated each time until the third time around when it is
resolved).
• Use of supernatural items like cloaks of invisibility, enchanted swords, tablecloths that bring forth food when they
are laid, or a salt mill at the bottom of the ocean.
• A long journey.
• Good rewarded; evil punished.
• A happy ending.
4. Have students write their own folktales using the criteria listed
above. Make sure they have thought about literary elements
and techniques such as plot, setting, theme, characters,
characterization, conflict, figurative language and point of
view.
5. Edit and revise stories. Share stories with the class.
Assessment: Collect stories for Language Arts portfolios. Check
to see that details that were discussed in class are included in their
work.
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