The International Children’s Festival is an opportunity to introduce children to the arts and help them to discover the beauty and cultures of our world. Whichever performances you see or activities you participate in, we hope you leave the festival feeling uplifted and more connected to our community and our world.

This year, the performances in the international Children’s Festival come to us from Australia, Ireland and right here in the U.S.A. Learn more about these and other exciting cultures through the following websites:

Explore & More http://www.exploreandmore.org/world/default.htm

Kids.gov http://kids.usa.gov/social-studies/countries-and-cultures/index.shtml

KidsKonnect.comhttp://www.kidskonnect.com/subjectindex/26-places/countriesplaces/

Library of Congress Global Gateway http://international.loc.gov/intldl/intldlhome.html

National Geographic Kidshttp://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/places/

Time for Kidshttp://www.timeforkids.com/around-the-world

Children in Irelandhttp://www.tulane.edu/~rouxbee/kids06/ireland/_jwalsh/ireland.html

playhousesquare.org/eduresources

MAY 6-11, 2013

The 4th annual International Children’s Festival at PlayhouseSquare is made possible by the generosity of the following donors and sponsors:

The fourth annual International Children’s Festival at PlayhouseSquare is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.

The Ohio Arts Council helped fund the fourth annual International Children’s Festival at PlayhouseSquare with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans.

Kathy & Jim Pender and the Michael Pender

Memorial Fund

Billie Howland Steffee Family Fund

William N. Skirball Endowment Fund

The lessons and activities in this guide are designed to address the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (2010) which help ensure that all students are college and career ready in literacy no later than the end of high school. The College and Career Readiness (CCR) Standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language define general, cross-disciplinary literacy expectations that must be met for students to be prepared to enter college and workforce training programs ready to succeed.

21st century skills of creativity, critical thinking and collaboration are embedded in process of bringing the page to the stage. Seeing live theater encourages students to read, develop critical and creative thinking and to be curious about the world around them.

The following is a partial list of Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy, History/Social Studies, Science and Technical Subjects that align with the performances and activities found in the Teacher Resource Guide:

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading (K-5)Key Ideas and Details2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.Craft and Structure6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.Integration of Knowledge and Ideas7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies (Grades 6–12)The standards below begin at grade 6; standards for K–5 reading in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects are integrated into the K–5 Reading standards. The CCR anchor standards and high school standards in literacy work in tandem to define college and career readiness expectations – the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity.

Grades 6-8 STUDENTS:Key Ideas and Details2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.Integration of Knowledge and Ideas7. Integrate visual information with other information in print and digital texts.

playhousesquare.org/eduresources

playhousesquare.org/eduresources

ABOUT THE SHOW ITrout Fishing in America is the longstanding, four-time GRAMMY nominated musical partnership of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet. A willingness to at once make fun of our most annoying daily habits, then to touch our hearts with tender and passionate images of family life is what makes the connection between Trout Fishing in America and its audiences so compelling and poignant.

ABOUT THE ARTISTSKeith Grimwood’s professional musical experience began when, as a precocious teenage bass player, he began sitting in with jazz musicians who had socks older than him. Always the good student, he earned a degree in music from the University of Houston and then quickly landed a position with the Houston Symphony. By that time, Ezra Idlet had given up his spot on the bench of a local junior college basketball team to pursue a life of rock & roll. It was shortly thereafter that Idlet and Grimwood met as members of the Houston-based eclectic folk/rock band St. Elmo’s Fire, which became the perfect percolator for Trout Fishing in America. As St. Elmo’s dissolved in 1979, Trout Fishing in America was officially born. Idlet and Grimwood had become best of friends and musical partners.

Their infectious mix of folk/pop and family music is enriched by the diverse influences of reggae, Latin, blues, jazz and classical music. TFIA recordings have garnered three National Indie Awards and multiple Parents Choice Gold and American Library Awards as well as four Grammy nominations. TFIA has toured in more than forty states and several Canadian provinces.

Sharing knowledge and encouraging art is a mission of TFIA. In the past few years they have developed a variety of song writing workshops for teachers and students which illustrate how art and music come from the fabric of everyday life.

Trout Fishing in AmericaKeith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet www.troutmusic.comUSA

May 6Palace TheatreRecommended Grade Levels: Pre-K-6

“…the Lennon and McCartney of kids’ music.” – National Public Radio

playhousesquare.org/eduresources

Use this activity to encourage students to analyze the performance through the use of newspaper format.

Here’s How: Students are to act as news reporters, asking questions to gather information for a story. These questions may be referred to as the 5 Ws:

• What happened?• Who was there?• Why did it happen?• When did it happen?• Where did it happen?

Here is a printable form that can be used for pre-writing: Five Ws Chart.

Next, provide each student with a newspaper template, either printed or electronic. Encourage them to complete the document with information from the performance. Older students can be encouraged to “publish” their work for classmates.

This PDF file contains five basic newspaper templates: SparkleBox Templates.

These templates are compatible with Microsoft Word:Newspaper Template 1Newspaper Template 2Newspaper Template 3

ACTIVITIES Curtains Up on WritingEXTRA, EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT!Grades 2-5

ODE TO MY FAVORITE CHARACTERGrades 3-5

Encourage students to write an “Ode” to their favorite character by creating a List Poem. After discussing simile (comparing two unlike things using like or as, e.g. pretty as a picture), have students brainstorm a list of their own and organize phrases into a final poem. Have them illustrate their poems or decorate the margins and display the finished poems throughout the classroom or hallway.

Here is an example of a List Poem:

PINK Pink as cotton candy at the circus. Pink as a white kitten’s nose. Pink as my cheeks on a cold winter’s day. PINK

There are a host of characters from the International Children’s Festival that will make your students wax poetic!

• Penguin• Hippo• Anteater• Firefly• Polar Bear• Peggy O’Hegarty• Peter (a villain)• Hildegard (a mouse)• Alvin Sputnik• Grug

MATERIALS:A Five Ws Chart for each studentA copy of a newspaper template for each student Pencils or computers with word processing software

playhousesquare.org/eduresources

PULL A STORY OUT OF A HATGrades K-5

On small pieces of paper, write the names of the characters from the performance. Place the names in a hat or basket, and ask each student to pull out a name. Then ask students to write a story about the character they pulled out of the hat. You may also ask children to write a story about their favorite character from the performance. Students can then read or perform their stories in front of the class. The “audience” can guess whom they are portraying.

Story StartersThe previous activity can work well with story starters, too. Instead of writing characters’ names on slips of paper, write a variety of opening lines based on scenes or dialogue from the performance. For instance: “I would like to play musical chairs with penguins because. . .” or “I want 17 foxes in boxes by breakfast.” Ask your students to use the opening line they pick out of the basket or hat to start a story.

Create a Journey TogetherWrite a class story about a magical place that you can reach only in the world of the performance. What would it be like? Would it be a forest, beneath the sea, a magical city or a place in outer space? Who would live there? What would they look like? And what would happen to them? Once students have chosen a location, they can lead the teacher on a journey there (what would we need to bring, how would we travel there, etc.). The journey can then be performed in the space of the classroom as it is told (“Let’s all explore life beneath the sea together. . .”).

ANIMAL WALKSPre-K and K

Tell students they are going to move like animals. Ask them to think of an animal they would like to pretend to be. Ask students to walk around the room (in a rough circle). Students should stand on two feet instead of crawling on hands and knees. Help them explore and refine their body movements with a series of questions and use picture references if needed.

• If you are this animal, will you walk with light steps, heavy steps or somewhere in between?

• If you are this animal, will you move quickly or slowly?

• If you are this animal, will you move forward? Sideways? Hop? Jump?

• If you are this animal, will you stand tall or bend low?

• How can you use your arms to become this animal?

• How can you use your face to become this animal? This is primarily an acting activity; allow students to make their own choices. If they choose something that is inconsistent with the animal, make a statement like “most elephants walk with a heavy step, but Janie’s elephant walks with a light step.” Help students to notice all the different levels and speeds that their classmates are using to create animal walks. Have an animal parade! Be the parade announcer for your students. After the performance, ask students to describe the choices that the actors in the show made in portraying their animal characters.

THE ART OF MIMEGrades K-5

The standard definition of mime is the art of silent communication. Though these days, it is both silent and noisy. It can be presented in the form of a skit, sketch or act that utilizes mime. Used as a verb, to mime means to act out a story, an idea, or a feeling. When used to describe an imaginary object, it can be an adjective. In our English language today, we use the words mime and pantomime synonymously. When teaching your students about mime, you may use a child-friendly definition, “using your body to say something” or “non-verbal communication.” Guide students to understand that everyday gestures, as well as the body language of our feelings, are a good starting point for understanding the art form of mime.

Facilitate a classroom discussion about mime. If students are not familiar with the topic, provide them with a brief introduction. Use the following questions to begin a conversation:

1. Have you ever played charades? What are the rules?2. How can you say “hello” without making a sound?3. If someone refuses to talk, how do you know how he or

she feels? Everyday Body Language and Facial ExpressionsTalk about everyday gestures we use to communicate without words. Ask students to show some gestures they know for example: Come here; Stop; I don’t know. Have them brainstorm other gestures and occupations where workers use gestures (e.g., directing traffic). Discuss how we express different emotions using our faces and body language. Try the following game with your students:

1. Before you begin, write several “feeling” words on index cards (happy, sad, excited, angry, sleepy, etc.).

2. Have a student volunteer select a card without sharing the “feeling” word with the class.

3. As the volunteer mimes the emotion, students will guess the feeling. The student that gives the correct answer gets to pick the next card and the game continues.

Observe and Analyze Body Language1. Have students select an animal and pantomime the way it walks, moves and gestures. Have one student present while the others guess what it is. 2. Have students recall an everyday activity (brushing teeth, eating, playing baseball) and mime what they are doing without using props.3. Have students think of a specific object they know how to use (pencil, baseball bat, glass of water) and demonstrate the object without using a prop.4. Have pairs of students create a short mime sketch and perform it for the class. Have the other students describe what they saw.

playhousesquare.org/eduresources

playhousesquare.org/eduresources

CRITICAL RESPONSE QUESTIONSStudents develop their comprehension when they reflect upon what they wondered about, noticed and felt. Prompt students to respond with the following questions:

1. What was the performer’s(s’) purpose? Was the objective to inform you? Entertain you? Persuade you? Express feelings? How well did the performer(s) meet the objective?

2. Is there a character in the performance that you identify with? How are you like the character? How are you different?

3. Were there any parts of the performance that were confusing? Discuss why.

4. List three facts about the performance. Then list three opinions about it.

5. If you could ask the performers three questions, what would you ask?

6. Compare and contrast this performance to another live performance you have witnessed.

7. Think about the performance then complete this sentence in three different ways: I wonder. . .