Learning Prompt 3 - Mr McGee and the Biting Flea In this learning prompt, we re going to look at lists and routines, using the story of Belinda the Cow to show children how breaking a routine is the key to beginning a story. As with all our production-based learning-prompts, we offer you these ideas to stimulate your thinking around how you can use Pamela Allen s books and our production to extend children s learning and development. In Pamela Allen s story of Belinda, life on the farm runs to routine. Old Tom tends to his garden, growing the vegetables, while Bessie, his wife, milks Belinda the cow every day.
One day Bessie goes up the city to visit their daughter and Tom is given the job of milking the cow. When Tom tries to milk Belinda, Tom ends up head first in the mud. Tom tries to bribe Belinda with a carrot but Belinda snatches the carrot and a chase takes place. Tom ends up out of breath and without any milk.
Finally, Tom has a wonderful idea. He dresses up to look like Bessie and this time Belinda readily delivers the milk Belinda likes to be milked at the same time each day by the same person. She likes her routine. When her routine is disturbed she gets upset and things happen differently... a story begins
STORY MAKING - BREAKING THE ROUTINE Routines help us keep our lives in order. Adventures often happen when routines are broken and things don t go according to plan. When you are sharing stories with children, point out where this happens so that they begin to see that all stories need this moment to get things going. This simple observation will help children in their own story making. To reveal how easy this is, get your children to help you set a routine scene by asking the questions who, what, when where... For example: about any situation or circumstance that may be familiar to them. where is it? (in a kitchen) who is there? (a mum and her child) what are they doing? (making porridge) when is it? (breakfast time)... Now what happens to break the routine? (a knock at the door... or a loud noise outside... or someone makes a wish... or the porridge turns blue... or they go off into the forest for a walk while the porridge cools off on the table... etc ) After the routine is broken; the story gets going as the people involved try to get things back to normal. Read the story of Belinda the Cow again and see how it follows this pattern.
Routines and Lists Old Tom s likes his routine and his routine is looking after his veggie garden. What does Tom grow in his garden? You can download the answer the song called Cucumbers and Carrots from our website: http://www.patchtheatre.org.au/mcgee-downloads.html Cucumber and Carrots Song Lyrics Cucumbers and Carrots Pumpkins and Parsley Beetroots and Beans And lots of other things. Make a list of all the other things that Tom could grow in his garden. This is a great way to extend children s knowledge of fresh foods. You could also organise a taste fest extending not only children s vocabulary but also their palette - new words, new tastes, new smells and new textures. Some examples follow: vegies like potatoes, celery, peas, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, asparagus, zucchini, onion, corn, garlic, leaks... fruits such as oranges, lemons, apples, pears, apricots, lychees, pineapple, peaches, plums, limes, grapefruit, grapes, kiwi fruit, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blue berries, quinces... herbs like basil, coriander, mint, rosemary, thyme, grains like wheat, bran, oats, rye, soybeans... nuts like walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pecan, macadamia, pine nuts. spices like capsicum, chilling, ginger, peppers, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, Using the tune to Tom s song, make up new verses using your lists. This will help children familiarise themselves with the vocab of lesser known vegies, fruits etc.
For example... Walnuts and peanuts Almonds and pecan Macadamia and Pinenuts Oats, barley and bran. Another... Tomatoes and celery Lettuce and onion Macadamia and Pinenuts Oats, barley and bran Children Deserve the Best We Can Give Them: In an era when children are bombarded with TV razzle-dazzle that so expertly trains them to be passive spectators and ravenous consumers of product tie-ins, we seek to provide performances that respect their right to quality arts and cultural experiences. Pamela Allen tells us that she loves Patch Theatre productions because they don t simply replicate her books; rather they create a new experience of her stories. This means children have the books as a reference point around which new thinking, learning and development is provoked. Patch believes that theatre for children should be elegant, sophisticated and refined in its simplicity. Patch has very high production values, never taking short cuts or doing things on the cheap in the belief that young audiences will accept anything. It can stand with the best of theatre for adults. Richard Flynn, Adelaide Theatre Guide