By Karen Zacarias

Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma

Adapted from the book by Gail Carson Levine

February 1 – May 22, 2019

This study guide is also available online at https://arvadacenter.org/education/study-guides

Greetings and Welcome to

Ella EnchantedThis study guide provides ideas for turning a day at the theatre into an interactive educational experience. It includes information about the plot, good audience behavior, important words to know about theatre and reproducible pages for helping students better understand the story. Ideas presented in this study guide provide excellent strategies for extending and developing vocabulary and comprehension in all content areas. We hope you find the activities transferable across your curriculum. In ad-dition, the guide provides information and classroom connections. This guide will help prepare students for the performance and then facilitate reflection afterwards.

Table of Contents

Cover ........................................ 1

Welcome .................................... 2

Audience 101 ............................. 3

Plot Summary-Musical .................. 4

Fractured Fairy Tales .................... 5

Online Resources ........................ 6

Vocabulary & Comprehension ...... 7-11

Discussion Questions ................... 12

Pre and Post Instructions ............... 13-14

Definition of Terms ....................... 15

Classroom Reproducibles ............. 16-22

Study Guide developed for the Education Division of the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities by Cyndi Branson and Becky Nelsen with acknowledgements and thanks to Pat Hagerty, and Thinking Maps®

Children’s Theater and the Arts Day program are sponsored in part by:

Audience 101As members of the audience, you play an important part in the success of a theatrical perfor-mance. Please help your students understand that the rules of attending a live theatre perfor-mance are different from watching television at home or a movie in a cinema. As it is a live performance, it cannot be stopped and restarted. Audience members should laugh, cheer, clap and really enjoy the performance, but there are a few rules that need to be followed. Please review the following theatre etiquette with your students prior to your visit:

• Food, drinks, candy and gum chewing are not permitted in the theatre.

• Do not talk, whisper, sing or hum during the performance unless

encouraged by the actors on stage.

• Keep feet on the floor, not on the seats.

• Performers appreciate enthusiastic applause, but not whistling or shouting.

• No photography or videotape recording of any kind.

• Please turn off all cell phones.

Theatre Words to KnowBackstage - the part of a theatre which is not seen by the audience, including the dressing rooms, wings and the green roomBlocking - the instructions that actors use to know exactly where they are supposed to be on stage at all timesBox Office - the place that sells tickets to a performanceCast - the people who perform in a showChoreographer - the person who creates dances and arranges movements for a musicalControl Booth - the place in a theatre from which all the sound and lights are controlledCrew - all the people who work together on a show except the castCue - signals that are given to both the actors, the crew, the musicians and any others working on a showDirector - the person who provides the vision of how a show should be presented, who works with the actors on their roles, develops the blocking, and is in charge of the rehearsalsGreen Room - a place for the performers to relax while waiting to go on stage (it is not always painted green!)Marking Out or Spike Mark - when the stage is marked with tape to show where furniture and props should be placed during the performanceProps - all the items used in a play to tell the story not including the scenery or costumes, the short forms of “Properties”Rehearsal - the period of practice before the beginning of a show in which the actors and director work on the development of the showSound Effects - the noises which are produced to accompany a scene in a show, usually pro-duced by a machine but can be produced by actors off stage.

Plot Summary of the Musical

“That fool of a fairy, Lucinda, did not intend to lay a curse on me. She meant to bestow a gift. When I cried inconsolably through my first day of life, my tears were her inspiration.” These are the first three sentences in the book, Ella Enchanted, and also the first three sentences spoken by Ella in the musical. Lucinda gives Ella’s mother the gift of obedience to her newborn daughter, Ella. As Lucinda touches Ella’s nose she says to little Ella, “Now stop crying, child.” And Ella stopped crying. Ella had to live with a curse imposed on her by a fairy, much like Sleeping Beauty. Ella’s mother protected her daughter from the negative consequences of this curse and made sure people did not take advantage of her because of it. Ella tries her hardest not to blindly obey all commands, but as hard as she tries, it is impossible. Some people who know about the curse treat Ella badly and make her do awful, embarrassing things. When Ella is fifteen years old, her mother gets Gnome flu and dies unexpectedly. From this point on, the story unmistakably unfolds like the story of Cinderella. Names are changed and circumstances are slightly different, but the story of the evil stepmother, her two nasty daughters and falling in love with a kind prince are the same. Ella sets out on a search for Lucinda to reverse the curse, and along the way finds herself. Ella is determined and brave and doesn’t settle for anything less than living a life that is her own.

Fractured Fairy TalesElla Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is a “fractured fairy tale” combining elements from Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. A fractured fairy tale brings together two or more common fairy tales and changes certain elements.

These changes can include: •Point of view •Plot, obstacles, characters, setting, or perspective •Good vs evil characters •Modernization of language, theme, and/or ending

Prior to your trip to the Arvada Center to see the musical Ella Enchanted, we suggest you read and discuss fractured fairy tales with your students.

Other Fractured Fairytales:

1. Honestly, Red Riding Hood was Rotten! by Trisha Shaskan (Ages 4 and up) 2. Trust Me, Hansel and Gretel Are Sweet!: The Story of Hansel and Gretel as Told by the Witch by Nancy Loewen (Ages 4 and up) 3. Seriously, Cinderella is SO Annoying! by Trisha Shaskan (Ages 4 and up) 4. Prince Cinders by Babette Cole (Ages 4 and up) 5. Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot by Margaret McNamara (Ages 4 and up) 6. Get Some Rest, Sleeping Beauty! by Steve Smallman (Ages 4 and up) (Check out his series of books: Fairytales Gone Wrong) 7. Rump: The (Fairly) True Tale of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff (Ages 8 and up) 8. The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (Ages 8 and up) 9. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (Ages 8 and up)

And, there are many, many more! Just do a Google/Amazon search or ask your school librarian.

Online ResourcesThere are several pins on Pinterest for activities related to Ella Enchanted as well as fractured fairy tales.Below are some links you may find useful:

Grades PreK-2https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/fractured-fairy-tales-lesson-plan/

https://thekindergartenconnection.com/fractured-fairy-tales/

https://happybrownhouse.com/fairy-tale-activities/

https://www.readbrightly.com/11-fractured-fairy-tales-young-readers/

Grades 3-5https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/ella-enchant-ed-extension-activities/

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plans/teaching-content/ella-enchant-ed-lesson-plan/

https://www.edhelper.com/books/Ella_Enchanted.htm

https://www.brighthubeducation.com/lesson-plans-grades-3-5/63445-introducing-a-fractured-fairy-tales-unit-into-your-reading-classroom/

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/once-upon-time-rethought-853.html?tab=4

https://prezi.com/jn4iomgu1ca6/fractured-fairytales/

Excellent classroom lessons as well as pre & post classroom activities are provided at the websites above. Check them out for additional opportunities that will help your students’ theatre experience be more meaningful and memorable.

Vocabulary used in the PerformanceAs you prepare students for understanding the vocabulary in this production, the following

is suggested prior to attending the musical:

1) Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine is a lengthy chapter book written for students in grades 3 and up. Reading it prior to attending the performance will provide a great introduction to the vocabulary used in the musical, as well as the main characters.

2) Reading aloud the story of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty to younger students, grades preschool-2nd may be a better option. Use the included activities to introduce younger students to the Ella Enchanted characters and the vocabulary found in the musical. Medieval references and fairy tale language are used throughout this musical.

3) Use realia, photos, videos, internet resources, and/or examples to help students gain understanding of these words and phrases which will be used during the musical.

Abdegi, Ayorthaian, Gnomic, Elfian, and Ogresse – languages Ella is learning to speak

Awkward – to act without grace or physical coordination; shy or uncomfortable around others

Banisters – wooden hand rails along a stair case used for support when going up and down stairs

Bestow – to give

Centaur – in Greek mythology, a creature with the head, arms, and torso of a man joined to the body of a horse at its neck

Command – to take charge

Condolences – words of comfort and support for the family when someone dies

Curse – an evil spell put on a person that makes bad things happen to them which are out of their control

Elf – in fairy tales and folklore, a small lively imaginary being that resembles a human and is often a troublemaker with magic powers

Embroidery – craft of using needlework to make colorful, decorative designs on cloth

Enchanted – to cast a spell on somebody or something

Etiquette – acting polite and according to rules

Vocabulary (continued)

Fairy – an imaginary supernatural being with magic powers; can be kind or evil

Finishing School – a private school for older girls where they learn manners along with school subjects

Frell – the Kingdom where Ella and her family live

Funeral – a gathering of family and friends when someone dies

Fretful – easily upset, irritated, or agitated

Gnome – in fairy tales and folklore, an imaginary being usually a small man with a long white beard who guards treasure

Inconsolably – when someone is so upset that no one or nothing can give them comfort

Inspiration – someone or something that gives you a sudden brilliant idea

Manor – a huge castle and home; a beautiful mansion on lots of land

Menagerie – diverse, unusual collection of people, animals or things

Mourners – people who are sad because someone has died

Obedient – unquestioning compliance; doing what someone asks without question

Ogre – A giant monster looking troll; Shrek is an ogre

Peculiar – unusual, unique, strange, and/or different

Prick – to make a small hole in the surface of your skin, usually with a needle

Rebel – to refuse to do something

Resist – refusing to accept or comply; to oppose and stand firm against someone or something

Spirited – brave and determined; strong-willed and feisty

Strain – to try very hard with great mental or physical effort to do something

Unpredictable – not sure, behaving in ways that surprise people

Frayer Model

Use any of the vocabulary words in a Frayer model as modeled below:

Have groups of students complete a Frayer model (template included in the Class-room Reproducibles section), for different vocabulary words and let students teach each other about their word.

(Template included in Classroom Reproducibles Section)

Picture

Examples

Shrek

Definition (in your own words)

A mean, ugly monster

Non-Examples

Cinderella

Prince Charming

Ogre

Vocabulary Sentence Frame

Prior to seeing the play, or in conjunction with reading Ella Enchanted or another frac-tured fairy tale, insert a vocabulary word into the first blank in this sentence frame and have students work together to complete the frame and draw a picture as modeled below.

A menagerie is a place that (is/has/does)

wild animals for people to look at.

(Template included in Classroom Reproducibles Section)

Somebody Wanted, But, So

Use the template below to help students understand the story and how the characters solved problems (conflict resolution).

Somebody: Ella

wanted to be in control of her own actions

but lots of people gave her orders that she was

required to obey.

so she worked very hard to be in control of her

own actions and the spell was broken.

(Template included in Classroom Reproducibles Section)

Discussion Questions to Get at the Heart of the StoryElla Enchanted is about power, family, believing in oneself, friendship, selfishness, obedience, willpower and the eternal struggle between good and evil.

To help your students more fully appreciate these themes, you may want to use these suggested questions before, during, and after reading Ella Enchanted and/or other fractured fairy tales aloud and seeing the musical. Encourage children to ask their own questions during classroom discussions or while sharing with a partner. Ask children for evidence from the story/musical to support their answers.

Retelling – Literal o Who are the main characters of the story? o How are the main characters alike and different? o What is the setting of the story?

Predictive o Stop at various places in the book. Ask: ‘What do you think will happen next?” o Stop at various places in the book: Ask: “What do you think the character will do next? Would you have done things the same way? Why or why not?” o As you read Cinderella and/or Sleeping Beauty, ask: “How do you think the musical will be the same or different from Cinderella/Sleeping Beauty?” o What challenges do you think the characters might face? o What information from the classic stories will help you make predictions about what will happen in the musical?

Main Idea o What does the author want you to learn from reading this story? o Character development is an essential element of a high-quality story. How do the characters grow and learn as the stories unfold? o What clues does the title provide? o What happens at the beginning, middle, and end of the story?

Inferential o Who do you know that would like this book/musical? o Which character in this book/musical is most like you/most different from you? In what ways?

Pre-Performance and Post-Performance Classroom InstructionHave students complete a Venn Diagram or a Double Bubble Map* (included in the Reproducibles section) to compare and contrast the following:

o Ella and Cinderella

o Ella and Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

o Classic story and fractured tale

o Kind Behavior and Unkind Behavior

o Respectful obedience vs commanded obedience

o This activity can be used to then prompt a discussion about how the two are different, in what ways they could be similar, and how contrasting the two helps us better understand our own behavior and/or if two things are more alike or more different.

Alphaboxes - for comprehension and vocabulary building - Using an enlarged version of the Alphaboxes template (included in the Classroom Reproducibles section) model adding words and pictures to the chart from the stories. For example, you might write “fairy” in the “F box” and draw a picture of a fairy and tell why the fairy Lucinda was important to the story. After modeling an example with one letter, generate several more examples as a large group. When you feel your students are ready to try it on their own, have them work individually, in pairs, or triads to complete their own Alphaboxes.

Have your students write a review of the performance and send it to the Arvada Center. Be sure they have read other reviews as mentor texts. You can find reviews online or in the newspaper. Check out reviews of Arvada Center productions at: http://arvadacenter.org/pages/in-the-news

A theme in Ella Enchanted is the friendship between Ella and Prince Charmont. As a class, brainstorm important attributes of a good friend. What makes a good friend? Make a list and use for the following activities: o Write a newspaper ad seeking a new friend o Make a wanted poster for a friend o Write a Friendship Cinquain* about a friend of yours o Write a commercial advertising for a good friend o Write a letter to your friend telling why he/she is a special friend o Draw a picture of a friend and write a sentence or two about why this friend is important to you o Write a story about one of your friends. What do you like about your friend? What do you do together? If you could do anything for your friend, what would you do? Share your story with your friend

Pre-Performance and Post-Performance Classroom Instruction (continued)Some of the characters in Ella Enchanted make Ella do things that are embarrassing and hurt-ful. How did it make her feel? Did anyone stick up for her? Have you ever had your feelings hurt because someone embarrassed you? Write about or discuss how it makes you feel when someone embarrassed you. Have you ever stuck up for a friend who was being made fun of? How did that make you feel?

Sir Peter, Dame Olga, Hattie and Olive think that having more money will make them happy. Does having certain things really make people happy and more important? Have a class or small group discussion about what REALLY makes us important and what makes us feel better about ourselves.

Ella is rejected for being different. She is bullied because she has to do whatever people tell her to do. Why are people bullied for being different? Discuss the value of all people despite their differences. You may want your class to create posters celebrating their differences.

What did Prince Charmont do that made him a good friend? Make a list of adjectives you would use to describe a good friend.

Ella has a curse on her that makes her always be obedient. What do you think it would be like if you had to live with that curse? How would your life change? How would you keep yourself safe? Is there anyone you would feel safe being obedient to all of the time?

*Definition of Instructional Terms*Double Bubble Map (Thinking Maps®) - you can use the template provided in the Classroom Reproducibles section but it’s actually better if students draw the map them-selves so they can add as many bubbles as they need instead of just filling in the ones that are provided.

Difference Similarity Difference

Difference Similarity Difference

Difference Similarity Difference

*Friendship Cinquain Line 1: Person’s name Line 2: 2 adjectives describing that person Line 3: 3 action words describing that person Line 4: 4 words about friendship Line 5: Nickname or noun

Classroom Reproducibles

Double Bubble Map

Picture

Examples

Definition (in your own words)

Non-Examples

Frayer Model

Original Fairy Tale Fractured Fairy Tale

Compare and Contrast

Both

A is a that ( is / has / does )

.

Somebody:

wanted

but

so

Somebody:

wanted

but

so

A a B b C c D d E e

F f G g H h I i J j

K k L l M m N n O o

P p Q q R r S s T t

U u V v W w X x Y y

Z z

Alphaboxes