Saint George and the Dragon. Study Guide. Paul Mesner Puppet 1006 E. Linwood Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64109

Transcription

1 Saint George and the Dragon Study Guide Paul Mesner Puppet 1006 E. Linwood Blvd. Kansas City, MO

2 A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PAUL MESNER Even when Paul Mesner was a small boy he was working toward creating his exceptional Paul Mesner Puppets, Inc. Mesner was accepted as a student to the prestigious International Institute of Puppetry in Charleville-Mezier, France, and has become a fixture in the national puppet theater. He has received many grants and awards, among them the UNIMA-USA Award for Excellence in Puppetry. This award was created by Jim Hensen to encourage Puppet Theater. Mesner s versions of Wiley and the Hairy Man and Sleeping Beauty were the honored pieces. Each year, Mesner performs a full season in Kansas City, often collaborating with other artists in various fields such as the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, THE Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, Kansas City Symphony and the Kansas City Chorale. His pieces, though often geared toward children, are loved by adults as well. He has the wonderful ability to retell tales in such hilarious, wild ways that children watch and learn with great enthusiasm. We are so glad that your students will be joining us for a performance. Below are important tips you should discuss with your class before they come to the theater. ETIQUETTE FOR THE THEATER Explain that the theater will become very dark for the performance and they will hear loud music and sound effects. You might darken the classroom to illustrate these changes. There cannot be any running in the theater. Please remind the children that they should be good listeners during the performance; the puppeteers need to concentrate to perform well. The children will have a chance to ask questions when the show is finished. Please have the children use the bathroom prior to the start of the show. Remind the children that the puppets, stage and scenery are all fragile and should never be touched. History of St. George Who was St George? St. George is the patron saint of England. His emblem, a red cross on a white background, is the flag of England, and part of the British flag. St George's emblem was adopted by Richard The Lion Heart and 2

3 brought to England in the 12th century. The king's soldiers wore it on their tunics to avoid confusion in battle. St George's Emblem The Flag of England A symbol of England Like England, every country in the UK has its own patron saint who in times of great peril is called upon to help save the country from its enemies. Who was the real St George and what did he do to become England's patron saint? St George was a brave Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of St George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious. Dragon-Slaying Patron Saint of England One of the best-known stories about Saint George is his fight with a dragon. But it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever actually visited England. Despite this, St George is known throughout the world as the dragonslaying patron saint of England. When is St George's Day? St. George's Day is on 23 April. It is England's national day. How does England celebrate St George's Day? By tradition, 23 April is the day for a red rose in the buttonhole, the national flower. However, unlike other countries, England does not celebrate it like Americans celebrate 4 July with fireworks. In fact, you are more likely to see big St Patrick parades in England celebrating Ireland's National Day, more than you would see any sign of St Georges Day being celebrated. This was certainly true in Manchester in 2003, when St George's Day was virtually ignored soon after the biggest St Patrick's Day Celebrations in the city's history. For most people in England St George's Day is just another ordinary day. 3

4 Vocabulary Poached eggs Earthquake Geologist Needlepoint Knight Princess Majesty Council Decreed Brains and Braun Tremors Alp alpha sprouts Building a Dragon Using the entire class make a dragon. Select volunteers to become each wing, each claw, the head, the body, and (with whoever is left) the long tail. Each person is to make his or her body part in the way that he or she wants. When the dragon is finished carefully practice moving about the room. It may take some time and concentration. When the dragon has mastered moving begin acting out the epic battle between the knight (the teacher) and dragon. There are four major confrontations, during which a different body part is affected. The whole thing is done in slow motion and carefully. The knight may choose a wing and injure it with an imaginary sword. That child then pretends to be an injured wing, the dragon flies in circles. The tail can swing around to stab the knight with its stings and can then be hacked off by the knight causing one or two children, who wriggle on the ground separate from the rest of the dragon. The knight can hack off the most alert front claw in the 4

5 same way. Finally the dragon opens its mouth and the knight can run through it. There is generally a noisy death. Dragon Word Scramble 1. ITLA 2. IEFR NATGRBEIH 3. GDORNA 4. SCELAT 5. RUTERAES 6. ITKHGN 7. GSWNI 8. LIAAMGC 9. FRPOLUWE 10. UEHG 11. ERAWT 12. TMHY 13. NGLDEE 14. DLAEMEIV 15. NPTESRE User-created with abctools for home and classroom use only. Graphics and format abcteach Dragons May not be sold/redistributed without permission 1.TAIL 2. FIRE BREATHING 3. DRAGON 4. CASTLE 5. TREASURE 6. KNIGHT 7. WINGS 8. MAGICAL 9. POWERFUL 10. HUGE 11. WATER 12. MYTH 13. LEGEND 14. MEDIEVAL 15. SERPENT 5

6 User-created with abctools for home and classroom use only. Graphics and format abcteach Dragons May not be sold/redistributed without permission Dragon Alliterations Dragon Word Search 6

7 7

8 8