Study Guide. Written by Christopher Stewart

Transcription

1 Study Guide Written by Christopher Stewart Inspired by the works The Once and Future King, by T. H. White, and Le Morte d Arthur, by Sir Thomas Malory Touring September 22 November 11, 2012 Grades K-5 Call x21 for more information and to book your show!

2 Table of Contents Synopsis/p.3 Activity Ideas (K-5 th )/p.4 Worksheet (K-1 st )/p.5 Worksheet (2 nd -3 rd )/p.6 Worksheet (4 th -5 th )/p.7 Worksheet Keys/p.8 Survey/p.9 2

3 THE SWORD IN THE STONE: A Brief Synopsis The Sword in the Stone, adapted for ArtReach by Christopher Stewart, is based on the legends of King Arthur. Specifically, ArtReach s production draws from two sources, the novel The Once and Future King, by T. H. White (1958), and Le Morte d Arthur, a much older version by Sir Thomas Malory (1485). King Arthur is said to have been a great leader in battle and a good man with the help of his faithful and mysterious wizard, Merlin. We do not know whether there ever really was a King Arthur. But we have many stories about him, including his quest for Camelot, his marriage to Guinevere, his creation of the Knights of the Round Table and his troubles later with some of those knights, like Sir Lancelot and Sir Gawain, and Arthur s son Mordred. Have you ever heard of some of those characters? Even if the stories do not present true history, they do tell basic truths about how humans deal with love, betrayal, wonder, and doubt. The Sword in the Stone tells how Arthur (nicknamed Wart ) first met Merlin, and how Arthur became king of England. Many versions of the story have become popular in film, television, and the theatre. ArtReach proudly presents our newest version, which focuses on themes of bullying, learning, kindness, and peace. The Wart is responsible for getting his half-brother, Kai, ready for the Great Tourney. Sir Ector and another Knight ridicule the Wart for thinking he will grow up to be anything greater than a squire, a knight s assistant. Then, the Wart has to go into the Forest Savage. Merlin, a brilliant old wizard, meets the Wart and offers to be his teacher. But the lessons are not the kind the Wart was expecting no! Merlin casts spells that turn the boy into a fish, an ant, and even a bird. But the time for the Great Tourney is upon the kingdom, and the Wart needs to find Kai s sword. Where will he find it? He searches, frantic and then he comes upon a great sword stuck in an ancient stone As it turns out, only the pure in heart can pull the sword from the stone; and only the person who can do that, will become the next ruler of England! Can it be the Wart? Is it possible for someone who is bullied and made fun of to become a leader and example for us all? The Sword in the Stone shows us that true strength comes from within, and that we can learn from the world around us. What sorts of great things do you want to accomplish? Who are your role models, and what do they teach you? How can you learn even when you aren t in school? HELLO TEACHERS! We at ArtReach hope you use the activities and worksheets in this study guide to enhance your students understanding and enjoyment of our show. Please be sure to encourage your students to participate in the questionand-answer segment at the end of every ArtReach play, so the actors can have a chance to encourage more projects and investigation. Thank you! It s a great day when you see a play! 3

4 ACTIVITY IDEAS BY GRADE LEVEL CROWN YOURSELF (K-1 st grade) When the Sword is pulled from the Stone, there is a new ruler in England! If you were the new king or queen of a country, what would you like your crown to look like? Would it have flowers in it? Gem stones? Would it be made of gold or silver or iron? Make your own crown and wear it while you watch The Sword in the Stone! Materials Needed: - Paper, letter-sized - Colored pencils, crayons, markers, etc. - Any glitter, jewels, faux flowers, or other craft materials - Glue and Tape 1) Cut your paper lengthwise to make two strips. One strip is the front of the crown. The other will be the back. 2) Draw a beautiful design on the two strips. Be as creative as you can be! Draw leaves, flowers, gem stones, stripes, and anything else you can create. 3) Add glitter, yarn, flowers, jewels, using glue. Let it dry. 4) Take the two strips and take the ends together to create a crown sized perfectly for your head. Now, King or Queen, you can attend the royal performance in style! STANDARDS MET Art, Geometry (Analyze, compare, create shapes) MENTORS LIKE MERLIN (2 nd -3 rd grade) As Arthur s tutor, the magical Merlin shows Arthur different truths about the world and Arthur himself. Merlin is a role model, or mentor, to Arthur. We all need mentors in our lives, because they help us to be better people. Materials Needed: - Paper/Pencil - Computer 1) Discuss in groups or as a class different kinds of role models, and what they teach us. Are all role models teaching good things? Are all mentors only found in schools? Can a role model be younger than you? 2) On your own, write a short paragraph identifying one person in your life who is a role model. Describe three things that you learned from that person. 3) Write a second paragraph identifying someone who may view you as a role model or mentor. This can be a younger sibling, or even a friend. Describe what it feels like to have someone else look up to you. 4) Share your paragraphs with the class. Be sure to appreciate your role models wherever you find them! STANDARDS MET Creative/Personal writing, Literature, Responsibility, Technology MIDDLE AGES MATTER (4 th -5 th grade) In the Middle Ages, most people believed there were only Four Elements: Air, Fire, Water, Earth. (In The Sword in the Stone, Merlin actually references the Four Elements, when he recites, Wind blow, water fall / Earth shake and fire burn! ) Today, we know there are hundreds of elements and three states of matter: Solid, Liquid, and Gas. We also see two kinds of scientific changes: Physical and Chemical. Scientific knowledge begins with good observation skills, and Merlin teaches Arthur to observe the changes in Nature. Materials Needed: - Paper/Pencil 1) Go outside, or think about the outside world. Observe the changes that happen around you every day. What kinds of things do you usually ignore? What changes in color, movement or sound do most people never notice? 2) Write down three chemical changes and three physical changes that you observed. You can even type them if that is easier. Bring these observations to school the next day, and compare/contrast these changes with your classmates! 3) With the class, make a list or graph showing each observed change. What chemical changes were most observed? Physical? 4) Now think about cause and effect. You have observed many effects in nature, but what caused each one? Does technology affect any of the changes you observed? How? STANDARDS MET Science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Nature of matter, Nature of energy, Doing scientific inquiry, Technology 4

5 MERLIN S ANIMAL FRIENDS Merlin transforms the Wart (Arthur) into different animals in The Sword in the Stone. In each adventure, the Wart learns about the world around him. Wart learns a little about what it s like to be a fish, an ant, and a bird. Each of these animals is different in several ways: some are bigger than others, some live in different kinds of environments, and some even make noises! Answer the questions below about different kinds of animal friends! 1) How is a bird different from an ant? 2) How is an ant different from a fish? 3) How is a fish different from a bird? 4) Imagine Merlin has given you a chance to be any animal for a day. Draw a picture of the animal you would choose! 5) What do you think you could learn as that animal? Standards Met: Nature, Science, Basic biology, Imagination, Creative writing 5

6 CASTLE GEOMETRY The Sword in the Stone takes place just outside of a castle. Structures in medieval England were often made of bricks or stones cut into various shapes. Look at the shapes below. Each represents a different section of a castle. In the blank below each image, identify what two- and three-dimensional object it most closely represents. The first one has been done for you. (Some answers may be used more than once.) BONUS: On the back, explain how you would design your own castle, using geometric shapes. What shapes do you think you would use the most? Draw a picture if it helps. Rectangle Standards Met: Math, Geometry (Three-dimensional objects, Spatial relationships) 6

7 THE LANGUAGE OF MAGIC Merlin is a wise wizard who has lived for a long time. In The Sword in the Stone, Arthur learns a Latin phrase from Merlin, Tempus fugit, which means, Time flies. Not many people know Latin anymore, but many English words are Latin cognates, meaning that they look and/or sound like Latin words. Sometimes, cognates will also have similar meanings across languages. In popular culture, Latin is often used as a magical language. For example, the spells used in the Harry Potter series are based on Latin words and sounds. In The Sword in the Stone, whenever Merlin transforms Arthur into an animal, the Latin species name is included in the spell. Look at the list of cognates below. See if you can identify the matching modern English words! 1) Activitas: 2) Dificilis: 3) Futuere: 4) Libertas: 5) Monstrum: 6) Natura: 7) Patientia: 8) Persona: 9) Schola: 10 ) Theatrum: Standards Met: English (Origins), Foreign language, Literature, History 7

8 WORKSHEET ANSWER KEYS MERLIN S ANIMAL FRIENDS 1) A bird flies and an ant crawls; birds have two wings and ants have six legs; etc. 2) An ant lives on land and a fish swims in water; fish have fins and ants have legs, etc. 3) Fish have scales and birds have feathers; fish s eyes cannot blink but birds eyes can; etc. 4) Open-ended response. 5) Open-ended response. CASTLE GEOMETRY First row, left to right: Rectangle, Cylinder, Rectangular prism Second row, left to right: Cone, Triangular prism, Triangle Third row, left to right: Rectangular prism, Cube/Hexahedron/Cuboid/Square prism, Cylinder THE LANGUAGE OF MAGIC 1) Activity 2) Difficult 3) Future 4) Liberty 5) Monster 6) Nature 7) Patient 8) Person 9) School 10) Theatre 8

9 STUDY GUIDE SURVEY We value your input! Please take a moment to let us know how we are doing. School Grade levels of your students Show title Did you use this study guide? Y N If yes, how much of it did you use? All A lot Half Only a little Please circle the appropriate response: 6 = strongly agree; 5 = agree; 4 = somewhat agree; 3 = somewhat disagree; 2 = disagree; 1 = strongly disagree; N/A = does not apply For me, this study guide enhanced the play N/A The lessons offered fit my curriculum N/A Overall, I found this study guide useful N/A Did you get the study guide from The Children s Theatre of Cicninnati s website? Y N Was there a specific lesson/activity that you really liked or did not like? Why? What would you like to see offered in future study guides? We appreciate any further comments. Please use the back if necessary. Your name (optional) Position/Title (optional) Please add me to your list so I can receive updates about ArtReach and The Children s Theatre of Cincinnati! PLEASE MAIL/FAX THIS SURVEY TO US AT ArtReach, 5020 Oaklawn Dr., Cicninnati, OH