Teacher Study Guide
The Ugly Duckling
Table of Contents Information About Mid Columbia Ballet Performance Etiquette About the Performance (characters, setting and plot) Activity Bank Discussion, Writing and Movement tasks Lesson Plans Sample Lessons for K-­‐1; 2-­‐3; 4-­‐5 The Elements of Dance; chart Character Traits; activity sheet Connections to Common Core State Standards 2 2-­‐3 4-­‐5 6-­‐9 10-­‐12 13 14 15 Respect means caring and treating others with kindness. By showing respect for others, property, the environment, and yourself, you will in turn earn the respect that you deserve! Using this Guide This study guide is set up in 3 parts. • Information (pages 2-­‐6) • Activities (pages 7-­‐9) • Grade Specific Lesson plans (10-­‐12) To support ideas presented in the performance, either use the lesson plan specified for your grade or build your own from the activity bank provided. Each lesson as written is approximately 30 minutes and is build with a learning target and “I can” statement. You may reproduce any materials in this guide to distribute as necessary, for education purposes only. Mid Columbia Ballet also offers other educational programs for K-­‐5 classrooms including: • The Science of Dance, a 50 minute lecture demonstration for one to three classrooms that introduces ballet through the lens of time, force and energy. (April-­‐June; $75/event) • Nutcracker school shows, a one hour field trip to Richland High School Auditorium. Students get to watch scenes from the Nutcracker performed as well as see inside the world of production (sets, lighting and props). (December; $5/student) For information about scheduling these events or The Ugly Duckling please contact [email protected] or call 509.946.5417 About Mid Columbia Ballet Mid Columbia Ballet (MCB) consists of young dancers between 10 and 18 years in age who are committed to the art of ballet. MCB’s repertoire includes classical, neoclassical and modern works by choreographers from the United States. MCB’s Artistic Director is Debra Pearse Rogo, and The Ugly Duckling was choreographed by Ashley Walton. www.midcolumbiaballet.org 2 Mid Columbia Ballet created The Ugly Duckling to help teach children about the effects of bullying and the importance of respecting all kinds of people, no matter how different they seem to be from us. Vocabulary Bank Classical Ballet The most formal of ballet styles it adheres strictly to traditional ballet techniques with variations relating to origin (Russian, French, Italian) and is known for graceful, flowing and precise movements. Classical ballets often follow clear story lines. Neoclassical Ballet Uses traditional ballet vocabulary but is less formal than classical ballet often with more extreme tempos, more abstract themes (less narrative) and more simplistic and bold visuals. Modern Ballet Influenced by both ballet and modern dance forms it uses the principles of classical ballet but has greater variations in shapes and movement of the body. Often this includes movements on or near the floor and while in classical ballet the objective is to always appear “weightless” in modern ballet the objective is often the opposite, to appear “grounded” or “weighted”. Repertoire The list of all the pieces of choreography that a company has performed Choreographer The person who creates a dance. Artistic Director The person who selects the works to be performed, the choreographers and who hires the dancers in a company. They are responsible for the overall vision of the theater, ballet, or opera company. www.midcolumbiaballet.org 3 Performance Etiquette •
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Go to the bathroom before the performance. No food or drinks during the performance as well as no video, cameras or other recording. •
Practice active listening with your body during the show. Sit up tall, focus your eyes on the performers, focus your ears on the music or sounds, keep your voice silent, and notice the feelings and thoughts that enter your mind. •
Always feel free to applaud when you see something you like. Dancers love to hear that the audience is paying attention and enjoying the show! •
Notice cues that show is about to begin so you can get quiet and settled. Those cues may be that the lights dim or darken, that someone walks into the space for an introduction. •
Be respectful of those around you as well as the performers and refrain from talking until the performance has completely ended, including question and answer sessions. About the Performance Mid Columbia Ballet’s The Ugly Duckling, is an interpretation of fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen. Plot: The story it is about a little bird born in a barnyard who looks very different from the other ducklings. This little bird is bullied and teased because the others in the barnyard think he is ugly and therefore doesn’t have anything to contribute to the barnyard. So Ugly Duckling runs away to the meadow where she matures into a beautiful swan and joins a flock of other swans. Our story is told through ballet dance, classical music and narration. There are 10 dancers and they each play an important character in the story. Characters: • Mother duck • Ducklings • Donkey • Barnyard Cats • Ugly Duckling • Swans www.midcolumbiaballet.org 4 Setting: Our story takes place between two locations, the barnyard and the meadow. There are four set pieces that help the audience determine where the characters are.  Barn  Fence  Pond  Egg When watching the performance, the barn and the fence will be on your right and represent the barnyard. The pond will be located on your left and represent the meadow. The egg will be a little bit left of the center of the stage until Ugly Duckling is hatched. Vocabulary used in narration Along with music, this performance has a recorded narration that sets up each of the scenes before they are danced. The narrator speaks in third person perspective while the dancers are acting in first person perspective. •
Adorable: “Two had already hatched adorable yellow ducklings” Dainty: “It is not yellow or dainty and its’ big feet make it fall over.” •
Declares: “The Donkey declares the new duckling too unusual to live in the barnyard.” •
Unusual: “The Donkey declares the new duckling too unusual to live in the barnyard.” •
Taunt “The mean old cats taunt and tease Ugly Duckling mercilessly.” •
Mercilessly “The mean old cats taunt and tease Ugly Duckling mercilessly.” •
Majestic: “A flock of majestic birds appear.” •
Throughout: “She stays in hiding throughout the winter, even with Mother duck comes.” •
Mocking: “She is so lonely and can’t take the mocking and teasing at the farm.” •
Arrive: “All the animals arrive in the meadow to see the new family of swans.” •
www.midcolumbiaballet.org 5 Activity Bank 1. Understanding and Acceptance of Differences 2. Sending Compliments 3. The Golden Rule 4. Central Message; The Moral of the Story 5. Identify character Traits 6. First vs. Third Person 7. Original Ending 1. Understanding and Acceptance of Differences Divide the class into pairs. Direct each pair of students to talk for a few moments and find out three things that are the same about the two of them and three things that are different. After all of the pairs have finished, reassemble the class to show their findings. As an extension, have the class brainstorm the similarities and differences between boys and girls, young and old people, people born in your country and people born elsewhere, physically challenged people and those you are not physically challenged, etc. 2. Sending Compliments Discuss when it’s appropriate to give a compliment such as when someone helps us or when someone achieves something. (“Thank you for helping me today. I really appreciate it” or “Congratulations. You did a great job”). Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Have students Send Compliments to each other. Instruct students to follow these rules for sending meaningful compliments: •
Stand or sit straight. •
Hold your head high. •
Look eye to eye. •
Say your compliment like you mean it. www.midcolumbiaballet.org 6 3. The Golden Rule Have a student share with the others in the class what the Golden Rule is: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Ask the students what they think the Golden Rule means. Discuss how the Golden Rule is used as a reminder to always show respect. Discuss how the Golden Rule relates to the story of The Ugly Duckling? What happens when the barnyard animals don’t follow this rule? 4. Central Message; The Moral of the Story Ugly Duckling gets very sad when people make fun of her for being different. The donkey brushes her off with disregard to her interest in friendship. The cats pretend to be her friend and then push and laugh at her. The chicks make mean faces and poke her. All the animals in the barnyard get together as a group not only to dislike her for being ugly, but also chase her and make her feel unwanted. •
What do you think the central message, or moral, of the story was? How can you apply this lesson to your own life? Describe at least three ways you can make somebody feel better if they are feeling sad or left out. (Large group discussion, pair share, or writing) 5. Identify Character Traits Each of the animals in The Ugly Duckling had their own unique movements and choreography. You may have even come to expect certain characaters to dance with certain parts of the music, and you may have seen them repeat movements more than once. This was intentional by the choreographer, so that the audience could gather information about the personalities of each character. •
Part 1 o Standing next to your desk, do a movement that you saw each of the characters do. How does the movement that you chose describe the personality of the character? www.midcolumbiaballet.org 7 •
Part 2 o Use Action (what) and Dynamics (how) words from the Elements of Dance chart to write a sentence describing each of the characters. (You may also choose to use the Activity Sheet provided on pg 7.) •
Examples o The donkey pranced strongly o The cats slinked behind Ugly Duckling. o The chicks made fast, fluttering actions when jumping away from the egg. o Mother duck made smooth swimming motions around the stage. o Ugly Duckling wobbled and moved in uneven rhythm. o The swans spin smoothly. 6. First vs. Third person Lead a discussion about the differences between first and third person and how those two perspectives were used in the performance. In The Ugly Duckling, the dancers represented first person narrative, even though they didn’t speak, they told the story from their own perspective. The way the dancers told the story without words was through specific movements that described the personalities and feelings of the character (see Activity #5, above). Third person narrative was also a part of the performance, from the Narrator of the story (recorded) who introduced each new scene. The narrator described traits of each of the characters, interactions between them, and scenery changes, but as an “outsider” looking in. 7. Original ending: In groups of 3-­‐5 re-­‐write your own ending to the Ugly Duckling. In your ending, instead of The Ugly Duckling turning into a swan, he or she will turn into a bird of your choosing (or creation). Use creative adjectives to describe how the special movements of this group of www.midcolumbiaballet.org 8 birds, their environment, as well as the way they interact. (examples: penguins, emus, sparrows, crows, eagles, or invent and describe a new species) In your group, come up with 4 or 5 movements that make these birds special. Put all these movements together as a movement phrase. While one person in your group reads aloud your new ending, the others in your group can show the new dance. www.midcolumbiaballet.org 9 Sample Lesson Grades K-­1 Objective: • Use elements from The Ugly Duckling to connect to classroom learning, including identifying characters, setting and major events in a story. Assessment: • I can list all the characters, the setting, and the major events. Materials Needed: • Student journal or paper, and writing/coloring utensils • Small personal space for each student to move near desk, behind chair, or in center of room. Before the Show (10min) • Read Performance Etiquette (page 3) with students. In a guided discussion compare and contrast: o A dance performance to a sporting event, movie, or play • Practice what a body “actively listening” looks like. Eyes (watching), ears (listening), voice (quite), mind (open). Encourage students to practice active listening so they can answer questions about the performance after it is over. After the Show (40 min) • Major Events: Discussion and Pair Activity (10min) o Ask students what the major events of the story were and how they noticed Ugly Duckling felt when the other animals teased her. Have a discussion about why it is important to be respectful to all people, no matter how different they may seem from us. o Either in pairs or in a group setting, do Sending Compliments (Activity #2) • Characters: Dance (10min) o Cue students to find a small personal space and do Part 1 of the activity Identify Character Traits (Activity #5). • Setting: Draw (20 min) o On a paper that is divided in half, have the students draw each of the two settings that are in The Ugly Duckling. Encourage students to imagine their paper is the stage and to envision the side of the stage that each of the settings was located. www.midcolumbiaballet.org 10 Sample Lesson Grades 2-­3 Objective: • Be able to determine the central theme of the story and describe key details from The Ugly Duckling that relate to the moral. Assessment: • I can explain the moral of The Ugly Duckling. • I can describe characters in The Ugly Duckling and explain how their actions contributed to the stories events Materials Needed: • Student journal or paper, and writing/coloring utensils • Small personal space for each student to move near desk, behind chair, or in center of room. • Print out of The Elements of Dance chart for each student (pg 6) Before the Show (10 min) • Read Performance Etiquette • Do activity #3 The Golden Rule (discussion) After the Show (40 min) • Details in the story; Dance (15 min) o Do Part 2 of activity #5 Identify Character Traits either in pairs or as individuals after passing out The Elements of Dance chart. o If time permits have one student read their descriptive sentence while the other “dances” it. Keep a tally on the board (or as an additional listening exercise have students keep track on their own) • Moral; Discussion (25 min) o Do activity #4 Central Message; The Moral of the Story. Pair students for discussion, have students alternate pairs at least 3 times for 5 minutes each. At the end of the 15 minutes bring class together and as a group compare and contrast the discussion results. Did anyone hear anything that was surprising or that they had never thought of? www.midcolumbiaballet.org 11 Sample Lesson Grades 4-­5 Objective: • Compare and contrast the use of first and third narrative in The Ugly Duckling and use details from the story to re-­‐write an original ending. Assessment: • I can use both action and dynamic movement words to re-­‐write the ending of The Ugly Duckling in an original way from a third person perspective. Materials Needed: • Writing materials • Print out of The Elements of Dance chart for each student (pg 6) Before the Show 4-­‐5 (10 min) • Read Performance Etiquette with class • Read biography of Mid Columbia Ballet • Do activity #1 Understanding and Accepting Differences. After the Show (40 min) • Identifying perspective; Discussion (10 min) o Do activity #7 First vs Third person • Details in the story; Writing and Dance (30 min) o Do activity #7 Original Ending in groups of 3. www.midcolumbiaballet.org 12 The Elements of Dance Ballet is a very old art form, of which it’s movements take many years in a training school to learn and perform. But there are basic actions, shapes and dynamics that are common throughout all forms of dance. Knowing these fundamentals can help audiences critically view dance even if they do not have a technical understanding of it. Use the chart below to talk and write about what you saw in the dance performance. ACTIONS: What the body does DYNAMICS: How the body moves Sink Flop Run Slide Leap Skip Wiggle Spin Float Freeze Wobble Balance Flick Tremble Collapse Grow Melt Spring Explode Jump Gallop Hop Tiptoe Flutter Jab Extend Stamp Roll Kick Creep Reach Bend www.midcolumbiaballet.org Big Small High Low Forward Backward Up Down Right Left Over Under Near Far Fast Slow In place Traveling Curved Straight Shaky Sharp Angular Smooth Strong Soft Free Tight Even rhythm Uneven rhythm Symmetrical Asymmetrical 13 Identifying Character Traits: Use The Elements of Dance chart and choose one Action word (WHAT did the character do) and one “Dynamic” word (HOW was the action done) that you think best fits each character. There are many possible answers. Mother duck Ducklings Donkey Barnyard Cats Ugly Duckling (just hatched) Swans Action Dynamic www.midcolumbiaballet.org 14 Connections to Common Core Standards This study guide gives example writing, speaking, and listening activities that align with Common Core Standards in each grade K-­‐5. Grade CCSS.ELA-­LITERACY: Learning Target and I Can Statements: K RL.k.3 Identify characters, settings, “I can describe each of the characters in and major events in a story. Ugly Ducking. I can describe the two different settings.” 1 SL.1.4. “ Describe people, places, I can describe all the characters in Ugly things and events with relevant Duckling as well as the feelings of Ugly details expressing ideas and when she was bullied. feelings clearly. 2 CCRA. “ Recount or describe key ideas I can describe details about the main SL.2.2 or details from a text read events in the performance. aloud or information presented orally or through other media. 3 RL.3.2 “Recount stories…; Determine I can explain the moral of the story of the central message, lesson or Ugly Duckling and I can describe details moral and explain how it is from the performance that set up the conveyed through key details moral. in the text. 4 RL.4.6 Compare and contrast the I can describe how both first and third point of view from which person perspective were used to present different stories are narrated, The Ugly Duckling. including the difference between first-­‐and third-­‐person narrations. 5 W.5.3e Provide a conclusion that I can use both action and dynamic follows from the narrated movement words to re-­‐write the ending experiences or events of The Ugly Duckling in an original way. www.midcolumbiaballet.org 15