WatchListenThink

Imagine

Welcome to Stage Page,a reproducable

performance guidepublished by the

Education Departmentof the Arts Center of

Cannon County,Woodbury, TN.

This Stage Page isdesigned to be usedbefore and afterexperiencing Arts

Center productions tomaximize learning and fun!

STAGEPAGE

For Teachers

EDUCATIONAL VALUE AND THEMESKindness and CompassionLoyaltySeasons of the YearFriends and FriendshipHelping Others

Frog and Toad are the best of friends. Even though they aredifferent in many ways, they still enjoy doing things together likeflying kites, baking cookies, going swimming and planting agarden. They spend a lot of time together and with their animalfriends. They have their ups and downs as friends but they alwaysremember that they care about each other very much.

In this issue of Stage Page, you will find activities meeting thefollowing teaching standards.

W1.1 W2.1 W3.1 W4.1 W5.1 W6.1W1.3 W2.3 W3.3 W4.3 W5.3 W6.3W1.8 W2.8 W3.8 W4.8 W5.8 W6.8SL1.1 SL2.1 SL3.1 SL4.1 SL5.1 SL6.1SL1.2 SL2.2 SL3.2 SL4.2 SL5.2 SL6.2L1.4 L2.4 L3.4 L4.4 L5.4 L6.4

WK.2WK.3SLK.1

Watch Listen

A Note To Teachers:AN EXPERIENCE IN THEATRE CAN BE A GATEWAY

into a greater understanding of who we are; it can enhance our understanding of life.You may come to A Year With Frog and Toad for a fun break in the routine as you goon a field trip. You may walk away having glimpsed a significant truth about the worldand how we live in it. It is important to take the time to process your experience bytalking and exploring the great excitement of the theatrical event itself. You can also usethe time spent in the theatre as a springboard into many areas of your curriculum.

The purpose of this material :To prepare your students to see A Year With Frog and Toad. Preparing studentsbefore the show is one way to ensure the educational value of your field trip as well ashelping your students recognize the themes of the show.

Activity Pages: Are for your use in class either before or after your trip to The ArtsCenter. These activities include diverse ideas and concepts that can be adapted to anyage. Please look over each of them to find more activities for your classroom.

Teacher Page: Is full of activities for teachers to use in class to assist the students tofurther understand ideas and concepts discussed in the production they attend.

Parent Page: To send home with each child to encourage discussion betweenparents and children.

Theatre Etiquette: To promote discussion in class about behavior in the theatre.

Advocacy: To encourage teachers and students to make their voice heard by reachingout to our legislators and letting them know how important their support is to the arts inTennessee.

Imagine

Seating:There is often limited time before the show starts to seat students. Asking them to sit as they are lined up ishelpful to us. Please ask chaperones to line up with the student they want to sit with and follow the line. Weseat students on a first come first served basis but do make allowances for very young students. Your groupmay not be able to all sit in the same section.

Please tell our staff if your students will need to use the restroom. If they need to go before the show starts,it’s best to be seated first and then let them up one row at a time. If they need to go before getting back onthe bus, please let us dismiss the other schools first and then let them go one row at a time. Your help with thiswill help keep the lobby clear for those wanting to go straight to their bus.

Theatre EtiquetteDiscuss the word “etiquette” in other situations children are familiar with (church, concerts, graduation cer-emonies, etc.) There are certain things that go on in the theatre that are fairly standard everywhere. A helpfulactivity may be to list some of the students’ ideas on the board and then go over the following with them. Inher book, Theatre Arts in the Classroom, Barbara T. Salisbury gives these suggestions:

1. Arrive promptly for the scheduled performance.2. Take care of all bathroom breaks and drinks of water before the play begins. The performance will

run approximately one hour and students should not leave their seats unless they have an emergency.3. Be considerate of others around you. While waiting for the performance to begin, talk quietly and

keep your hands, arms and feet to yourself.4. Just before the performance begins, usually the lights are dimmed and sometimes it is dark for a few

seconds. Show your knowledge of this theatrical technique by sitting quietly and calmly.5. Listening is important. If you talk during the performance, others may not be able to hear and you

will miss important parts of the story. Feel free to laugh and respond to the actors appropriately.6. Show respect for the actors by giving them your full attention during the performance. Show your

appreciation for their work by applauding at the end of the play and curtain call.7. When the performance is over wait patiently for your turn to exit.8. Most importantly, have fun, enjoy the performance and...

Watch Listen Think Imagine

Whether you’re newcomers or old friends a fewreminders to your students will make your field trip more enjoyable.

Preparing your students for their fieldtrip:

Teacher PageThe activities below will assist you in educating your class about frendship,

individuality, and acceptance. We hope that with your guidance through theseactivities students will come away with a greater appreciation for their friends and a

better understanding of the value of our differences. We hope these ideas are helpfulto you and enjoyable for both you and your students. Have fun!

My BFF

Discuss what it means to be agood friend. Make a chart of goodfriendship qualities and post these

in your classroom.

Chart Your Friendship Path

Divide a piece of paper in half lengthwise.On one side make a list for the topic

“I like a friend who...”On the other side make a list for the topic

“Things I do for my friends...”

It Works Both Ways

Write a story about one of yourfriends. What do you like aboutyour friend? What do you do

together? If you could do anythingin the world for your friend, what

would you do?

Friendship Tales

A Year With Frog and Toad is based on the best-selling series of bookswritten and illustrated by Arnold Lobel and features two amphibious friends,

Frog, an enthusiast, and Toad, a worrywart and their flying, slithering, andslow-going companions. The story begins while Frog and Toad are

hibernating and continues as we follow them through all four seasons of theyear. They swim, rake leaves, bake cookies and ride sleds together. Some-

times they’re sad, sometimes angry, but they always rememeber that no matterwhere they are in life, they must remain true to their friends and themselves.

Before the show!

At heart, A Year With Frog and Toademphasizes that people, or amphibiansin this case, can become good friends,

no matter how different they are.

Frog and Toad are the best of friends, and they share many similarities. However, theyare also different from one another, and enjoy doing different activities. How are these

two friends alike, and how are they different?

Who is your best friend? How are you alike and how are you different?

About the Showactivity page 1

The Big Idea

Vocabulary PageFlattered: praised somewhat dishonestly.

Aghast: struck with fear or dread.

Appetite: a feeling of craving something.

Tedious: boring, dull, ho-hum, slow, tiresome.

Absolute: perfect or complete or pure.

Peril: a state of danger involving risk.

Timid: people who are fearful and cautious.

Ashamed: feeling guilt, embarrassment or remorse.

Mantle: the shelf that protects the wall above the fireplace.

(Before the Show)

I am flattered that you are putting your trust in me.

I’m assuming you’re aghast.

I don’t want to spoil my appetite.

Oh, what a tedious chore.

I was in absolute peril.

I was always timid.

I may have been ashamed of who I am.

Listen For These Lines

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The Author activity page 3

When Arnold Lobel was growing up inSchenectady, New York, he was out ofschool and sick through most of secondgrade. One of the ways he kept himselfoccupied was by drawing. Somewhathesitant about returning to school, he usedhis animal drawings as a way to makefriends with his classmates. It has been saidthat his sets of books about animal friends,such a Frog and Toad, were based onthese experiences. Lobel himself com-mented “Frog and Toad are really two aspects of myself.”

His health improved, and upon graduation from high school, he decided toimprove his artistic skills and attend school in Brooklyn where he met his future wifeAnita, also a talented illustrator. They settled in Brooklyn and had two childrenAdrianne and Adam.

Lobel’s books are warm, funny tales of love and friendship, most featruing animalsas the main characters. His book Frog and Toad was a Caldecott Honor book in1971.

Lobel called himself a daydreamer instead of an author or an artist. He would seethe pictures in his mind before he would think up the words to go with them. “Icannot think of any work that could be more agreeable and fun than makingbooks for children,” Lobel has said. He died in 1987 leaving a legacy of almost 100books that he had written or illustrated.

When a book is turned into a musical, you then need aplaywright and lyricist and a composer.

Robert & Willie RealRobert and Willie Real are borthers who frequently work together. Robert com-poses music, and Willie writes the book for their productions. Willie is the founder ofthe 52nd Street Project which brings together theatre professionals with children tocreate new works.

Arnold Lobel

activity page 4

Learn to Draw a Frog

activity page 5

Coloring Page

Your child will be attending a play at The Arts Center of Cannon County. The play,A Year With Frog and Toad, explores the ideas of friendship and acceptance. Discussthe play with your child and try these activities as yet another opportunity to learn from

this experience.

Parent Page

Down with BullingTurtle and the others made fun of Toad in his bathingsuit. Ask your child if they have ever had their feelings

hurt by someone that made fun of them. Discuss bullingand why it is so harmful.

Toad was very happy to receive Frog’s letter. Have your child write letters tosomeone in your family. You can also discuss various inventions that havemade it possible to send mail more quickly. Use the internet to send mes-

sages to someone in another country or in another state. Use your phone tolet your child send a text greeting to a friend.

Observe how plants grow on their own by soaking a lima bean in a papertowel placed in a sandwich bag. Observe the bean the same time everyday

and watch it sprout and grow.

Moments to Treasure...

Speak Up!

Taking a stand for what you believe is advocacy. One of the most exciting things youwill ever do is speak up to the people who need to listen on behalf of people who seldomget heard. Advocacy matters. It is where imagination takes its place in how the world isrun: we imagine how things SHOULD be and we speak up to MAKE IT SO.

Encourages you to speak up!

Here at The Arts Center, we depend on support from our TennesseeLegislators. Tennessee Arts Organizations, like The Arts Center, receivefunding that assists in the ability to offer school matinee performances. Inorder to continue receiving support The Arts Center, along with all Tennes-see Arts Organizations encourages the public to share their experiences. Ifyou enjoyed the show, we ask you to speak up and tell someone! Thankthem for their support of the arts in Tennessee. You can make a difference.

* Go to www.legislature.state.tn.us/* Click on House or Senate* Then click on members* Then choose your county* Send an email or write a letter

Be an Advocate.CommunicateSay What You Think

Tell Someone

The Arts Centerof Cannon County

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Did you enjoy the show?Let us know what parts of the show were your favorite. Write about or draw apicture of your favorite character or scene from the show.Mail to:The Arts Center of Cannon County1424 John Bragg Hwy, Woodbury, TN 37190