ThatThat Chicken

PlayPlay

TEACHER STUDY GUIDEGRADES K-2 ASSEMBLY

On tour

BY STEPHANIE FIGER

(formerly merry-go-round youth theatre)

Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre has rebranded to:

Over the past decade, our organization has seen significant programmatic expansion in our education division, increased attendance in our

professional musical theatre division, sophistication of our products and deliverables and bold implementation of new innovative engagement

and enrichment programs. Our steady growth has resulted in an organizational transformation. As such, it became evident that our many programs and outreach efforts were not being represented cohesively by our existing brand. Our existing brand names (The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival and Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre) housed within the parent company title, Merry Go Round Playhouse, Inc., were confusing, fractured and creating great challenges to all facets of our identity. As

such, it was clear that a rebranding effort was critical.

Fall of 2019, after eighteen months of intense strategic planning, we officially re-branded as The Rev Theatre Company. THE REV is short

for many words but for us, not one in particular. It is not a symbol or an acronym. THE REV references our creation and infusion of energy into Auburn and the Finger Lakes region; THE REV references the original

carousel that once revolved in our flagship venue, and THE REV stands for our reverence for our 60-year legacy and our incredible community.

While we have changed our overall brand name, all of our programs have remained the same. We still provide the same professional arts

education through the Sequential Dramatics Program to your school.

Thank you for being our partner in education.

It’s a bustling, busy day! Zeke and Uncle Fudd are in hot pursuit of a runaway chicken, all while there are cows to milk and crops to be harvested. Fortunately

for the new farmhands (your students!), a friendly fellow named Verne is on hand to guide them along on their adventure through three different stories:

The Little Red HenThe Little Red Hen wants to bake some delicious, crusty bread—but the frisky pups and idle cats on the farm aren’t interested in helping her. Luckily, the students are there to help grow the wheat, grind it into grain, make the dough and pop it into the oven! A lesson about the life cycles of plants is wrapped into this classic story about fairness, the value of hard work, and perseverance.

Say “Hola!” to Medio PollitoMedio Pollito. (That’s “Little Half Chick” in Spanish). He’s kind of a big deal. Born with one eye, one leg and half his feathers, he’s become a huge celebrity in the yard. He is tired of his humble surroundings, and sets out to find the Royal Palace of Madrid. Along the way he meets Mr. Water, who is tangled in a bundle of weeds; Mr. Fire, who is in danger of being extinguished; and Ms. Wind, who is caught up in a tree. Medio Pollito passes them by. He is simply in too big a hurry to lend a hand. When he lands himself in the royal cooking pot, he is forced to reconsider his choice to ignore the needs of others. This whimsical folktale about the origin of the first weathervane highlights respect, responsibility, caring, and citizenship.

Chicken LittleChicken Little is kind, intelligent, and eager to learn about the world around him—three great things to be! But sometimes he’s a little too trusting. When the duplicitous Foxy Loxy convinces him and his friends that the sky is falling, they’ll have to use their wits before they become her dinner! A narrow escape (with help from the students) teaches them the importance of thinking for themselves and carefully considering who is trustworthy.

Learn SpanishLearn SpanishHola: “Hello!”

Me llamo: “My name is...”Muy caliente: Very hot

Señorita Viento: Ms. WindSeñor Agua: Mr. WaterSeñor Fuego: Mr. Fire

Down on the FarmDown on the FarmHarvest: to gather a crop

Ripe: mature enough to be harvested and eatenShelter: protection from bad weather or danger

Trekking: going on a long journey, usually on footDrake: a male duck

Gaggle: a group of geese

Character TraitsCharacter TraitsRebellious: refusing to obey

the rules

Perseverance: working hard to achieve a goal, even if it is difficult

or takes a long time

Today, your students will see three folk tales. A folk tale is a story that comes from a certain world culture, and teaches a lesson or a moral. “The Little Red Hen” is a Russian folk tale. “Medio Pollito” is a Spanish story. The earliest versions of “Chicken Little” (also known as “Henny Penny”) appear to have come from Denmark.

Before they were printed in books, folk tales were passed down by word-of-mouth over many generations. Because of this, many different versions of each story exist. In one telling of Medio Pollito, the half-chick may be courteous and kind; in others (such as our play), he may behave poorly before finally learning his lesson. We recommend finding a few different versions of each story to share with your students before they see That Chicken Play.

Pillars of Good Character in this PerformancePillars of Good Character in this Performance

CitizenshipCitizenship

CaringCaring

FairnessFairness

ResponsibilityResponsibility

RespectRespect

TrustworthinessTrustworthinessFoxy Loxy lies, tricks, and cheats to

get what she wants. The students will demonstrate trustworthiness through

standing by Chicken Little and his friends in their time of need.

Before his journey, Medio Pollito is not very respectful; he disobeys his mother and

thinks only of himself. After his visit to the palace, he learns the importance of

The Golden Rule.

Taking care of the animals and watering the crops are some of Verne’s responsibilities

around the farm. The Little Red Hen knows that perseverance and responsibility will

help her finish baking her bread.

Spot and Kit did not do their fair share of the baking work, so they do not get to enjoy any of The Little Red Hen’s bread.

Medio Pollito learns that caring for others means considering their needs as well

as our own. Ms. Wind models caring by forgiving Medio Pollito, and convincing Mr.

Fire and Mr. Water to do the same.

Uncle Fudd, Zeke and Verne cooperate to make their farm community successful.Mama Hen tells Medio Pollito that good

citizens follow the rules and use their talents to help their neighbors.

Additional Resources Books:• Galdone, Paul. The Little Red Hen Big Book. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2006.• Gonzalez, Lucia M. Senor Cat’s Romance: and Other Favorite Stories from Latin America.• Kimmel, Eric A. and Docampo, Valeria. Medio Pollito/Half Chick: A Spanish Tale Marshall Cavendish Corp/Ccb, 2010.• Kellogg, Steven. Chicken Little, Retold & Illustrated. HarperCollins Publishers, 1987.

Websites:• For a “Bread in a Bag” recipe, visit: Facebook.com/yourhomebasedmom/videos/10154332933578453/• Make a weathervane! Visit: Wikihow.com/Make-a-Wind-Vane

Learning Objectives: That Chicken Play 60 minute performance Students: • Identify different responsibilities a farmer may have • Explain the sequencing of crops (planting, watering, growing and harvesting) • Pinpoint examples of character attributes, such as caring and fairness • Model positive character education concepts through participation in the performance • Differentiate between kind and unkind behaviors • Practice proper audience etiquette

NYS Learning Standards included with That Chicken Play NYS Learning Standards for the Arts:

• TH:Cr2.1.K, TH:Cr3.1.K, TH:Pr4.1.K, TH:Pr5.1.K, TH:Re7.1.K, TH:Re7.1.1, TH:Re7.1.2, TH:Cn11.1.K

NYS Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards

• KSL1, 1SL1, 2SL1

For more information on specific grade level standards, please visit our website at www.TheRevTheatre.com.

Pre-Performance ActivitiesPass it Down — Originally, folk tales were passed down by word-of-mouth, and details varied from storyteller to storyteller. Demonstrate this for your students by leading them through a game of telephone. Divide them into two lines, and explain that you will whisper the same phrase into each line leader’s ear. They will pass the phrase on, one person at a time, until ev-eryone in both lines has had a turn. The last person in each line will then announce the results. Are they different from each other? Are they differ-ent from the original phrase given by the teacher? How did each change along the way?Poster Child — Review the pillars of good character with your students: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Have them pinpoint times in their own lives when they modeled these traits, even if it was difficult to do. Next, have them design a poster featur-ing themselves as champions of good character. Encourage them to person-alize their design, using their hobbies or talents as inspiration. For example, a great math student might portray responsibility by diligently studying. An excellent basketball player might show respect by congratulating an oppos-ing player’s win. Be creative!

Post-Performance ActivitiesPlant the Seed! — Divide a packet of seeds among four cups of soil. Have your students choose one cup whose seeds will be watered, but not exposed to sunlight. Another will be exposed to sunlight, but not watered. One cup will not be exposed to sunlight or water, and one will be exposed to both. Ask your students to guess which cup’s seeds will grow the best. Why? Have them chart the results.Guess Who? — All three stories in our play have chickens in the starring role, but the supporting characters and plots are very different! Divide your students into groups and assign each group one story: The Little Red Hen, Medio Pollito, or Chicken Little. Then, tell them to pick 3 important plot points (one from the beginning, one from the middle, and one from the end). Challenge them to come up with frozen poses that will help the class guess which story they are presenting. Give them a few minutes to brainstorm, and then see what they come up with!

The Rev On TourLisa Chase, Director of Education

Erin Katzker, Educational Theatre Manager17 William St. • 2nd Floor • Auburn, New York 13021

Phone: (315) 255-1305 • Fax: (315) 252-3815 Email: revtour@therevtheatre.com

For more information on this production, including specific grade level standards and a downloadable Activity Page, please visit our website: www.TheRevTheatre.com

Accessing Digital ProgrammingFor the 2020-2021 school year, you will access our programming through

HOW TO LOG IN: Visit Livestream.BroadwayOnDemand.com/Rev-Education/ and click “Log in.” Your school’s unique username and password will be shared directly with The Rev’s contact person at your school. Every teacher in your district will use the same username and password. Once you’ve logged in, you will be able to click on and view the programming content you are looking for.

STUDENTS NEED TO ACCESS CONTENT FROM HOME?Feel free to share the username and passwords with your students if individual streaming from home is necessary.

QUESTIONS?Contact Erin, Educational Theatre Manager, at revtour@therevtheatre.com or 315-255-1305.