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SHOW STUDY GUIDE FOR:
Book by Noah Putterman
Music and Lyrics by David Christensen & Luke Holloway
Study guide prepared by: Jennie Lynn Godfrey, Noah Putterman, and the Casa Mañana Performing Arts Conservatory
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Table of Contents
Theatre Terminology...3
The Theatre ABCs...3
About Casa Mañana...4
FAQ...4
Show Synopsis...5
Pre-show Questions...6
Project 1: Compare and Contrast Holidays...7
Project 2: Holiday Scrapbooks...8
Project 3: A Different View...9
Project 4: Your Own Holiday...10
Project 5: Holidays Around the Globe...11
Project 6: Your Own Santa Clause...13
Project 7: Homophones...14
Project 8: Write A Letter...15
Project 9: Santa.com...16
Project 10: Act It Out...17
Contact Information...18
Resources...19
Theatre Terminology
Actor: The people who use their imaginations
to bring a character to life on stage.
Blackout: Before the beginning of a show, the
lights on stage and in the audience all go out.
Don’t worry, they will come back on very
quickly!
Box Office: Tickets are sold at the box
office.
Character: A person, animal or figure in a
story.
Choreographer: The person who creates and
teaches the dance moves to the actors.
Costumes: The clothing the actors wear on
stage.
Designer: The people who create the look and
sound of the show.
Director: The person with the vision for the
show. He oversees the entire production.
Music Director: The person who teaches the
music to the actors and helps them sound
great!
Prop: Something an actor carries or uses on
stage.
Set: The structures that create the physical
environment of the production.
Stage Crew: The people who help backstage.
The stage crew might move sets or help with
costumes.
Stage Manager: This is the supervisor of the
actors, designers, and stage crew. She helps
everyone stay organized and informed of the
many parts of the creative process!
The ABCs of Being a Great Audience Member
Applaud!
When the show finishes and the actors
come on stage to take their bows,
make sure to applaud for their hard
work. If you like something during the
show, it’s OK to give a short round of
applause, too.
Be respectful!
Everyone’s attention should be on the
actors on stage. To help with this,
make sure not to talk to the people
around you, kick the seat in front of
you, or stand up during the show.
Cooperate with the actors.
Sometimes, the actors need YOUR
help to tell the story. If they ask the
audience a question, go ahead and
answer! Also, feel free to laugh if
something is funny—the actors LOVE
honest laughter.
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About Casa Mañana
You are visiting Fort Worth’s oldest, most famous live theater! Casa
Mañana began bringing live Broadway musicals to the area in 1936, but
it looked a lot different from today. The original building was open-air,
had a revolving stage surrounded by a moat and fountains, and seated
4,000 guests!
This incredible building was unfortunately torn down, and the current
geodesic dome was built in 1958. Casa Mañana was one of the country’s
first theatres to produce theatre for young audiences through its
Children’s Playhouse. It was also a pioneer in the field of theatre
education and continues to be a well-respected theatre school.
Casa Mañana has brought in many famous performers and tours of
popular musical theatre productions. Today, the organization produces
its own shows, which means it uses its own creative team to create the
look and feel of a show.
The theater holds over 1,000 people and is a thrust stage, which means
that the audience can sit on three sides of the stage. At one time, the
stage was in the round, which meant that people could sit on all sides of
the stage to watch the show!
Frequently Asked Questions What do we do when we arrive?
Students will line up in the lobby near a
colorful sign with your group’s name on
it. Your field trip coordinator should
check in and pay any remaining
balances at the concessions stand. An
usher will escort you to assigned seating
starting about 30 minutes before the
show begins.
What do we do afterwards?
Make sure to get your bus driver’s
contact information! They will be waiting
for you outside in front of the building,
and busses will load in the order that
they are lined up.
Does Casa Mañana sell concessions
or merchandise?
Not during our school shows. Come to a
weekend performance to purchase
souvenirs!
Can we take pictures?
Pictures may be taken outside or in the
lobby, but not during the show!
Show Synopsis
It’s Christmas Eve, and Santa has an important
announcement—it’s his last Christmas! He’s handing
over the reins to someone else who will have to be
Santa for the next 1000 years...at least.
Who will Santa choose? Henchy the Elf thinks he’s a
perfect fit for the role, but Santa chooses a surprised
dad, Nick, who is not sure he’s up for the job. But his
daughter, Bee, knows he can do it.
Henchy sets himself on a mission to show Santa that
Nick is not the right choice for the job, and he is thrilled
watching Nick struggle learning all of the skills it takes to
become “Jolly Ol’ St. Nick.” Henchy finally comes up
with a plan that might just be the one to usurp the new
Father Christmas.
Unfortunately, the brilliant plan backfires in a way that
puts every child’s Christmas in jeopardy! Will the folks in
the North Pole be able to rescue this ho-ho-holiday
disaster?
With fun dance numbers, a heartwarming story, and
plenty of Christmas cheer, this is sure to be a crowd
pleaser for kids of all ages.
This original script was written by Noah Putterman, and
its first appearance is at Casa Mañana, Fort Worth, TX
in November and December, 2016.
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Pre Show Questions
Ask students to make predictions about
the play they’re going to see based upon
what they know about Santa Claus and
Christmas.
Besides Santa, what other characters do you expect to see?
How do you imagine the scenery, costumes and props?
Do you think that there will be music? If so, how will it sound?
Actors do a lot of things to change themselves into their characters. Have
students brainstorm ways they think the characters will be portrayed by the
actors. Remind them to consider techniques such as movement, voice,
costume and makeup.
Some people do not celebrate Christmas. Ask your students to share if they
celebrate a winter holiday or to share if they do not celebrate holidays with
their families because of cultural or religious beliefs. If there are students
who do not celebrate Christmas, have someone share what they know
about Santa and Christmas. Other students may also share what they do for
their winter holiday.
Some characters in this story go through many big changes, both in their
physical appearance and in their attitude. Think about yourself and how you
have changed throughout the years. What are some ways you or your life
are similar to your life as a baby? A toddler? A preschooler?
What do you think you will see at the theatre? Why do you think that is an
important item to have at a theatre? Remember this is LIVE theatre, not a
movie!
Curriculum Connections:
ELA: Comparisons
Social Studies: Holidays
around the world
Objectives:
Students will learn basic
information on holidays
around the world. They
will compare and contrast
two holidays.
Materials:
Winter Holidays sheet
Compare Two Holidays
sheets for each child.
Project 1:
Compare and Contrast Holidays
1. Have students read aloud from the “Winter
Holidays” sheet from Scholastic, included in the
Resources Section of this guide. Or, watch
videos about different holidays on the PBS
Learning website, found here: http://
www.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/holidays/?
topic_id=1730
2. Then print out and share copies of Compare Two
Holidays. Ask students to choose two winter
holidays and compare important facts about
them. This printable asks students to answer the
following questions about each holiday:
3. Why do people celebrate this holiday?
4. When does this holiday take place?
5. Who celebrates this holiday?
6. Where is this holiday celebrated — in one
country or many countries?
7. How do people celebrate? Describe a popular
tradition.
8. What are some important symbols of this
holiday?
9. Share one more interesting fact about the
holiday.
10.When they've completed the printable, have
them share important differences and similarities
between their holidays with a partner.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/celebrate-winter-holidays-teachers-guide
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Project 2: Holiday Scrapbooks
Students have the opportunity to share with one another how they celebrate
the holidays or other important days in the lives of their families with this fun
activity!
1. Send a note home to parents asking them to send a few holiday pictures to
school with their child. Make sure to let them know that the pictures will
be cut up for a scrapbook, so suggest sending copies of favorite pictures.
2. Gather together stickers, fun colored paper cut outs, markers, washi tape,
and other decorative items.
3. Give each child a piece of cardstock that will become the back of their
scrapbook page. It doesn’t matter the size as long as everyone’s page size
is the same.
4. Students decorate their scrapbook pages and write notes about their
favorite holiday memories or who is in their pictures.
5. Bind all of the scrapbook pages together. You can make this as simple or
fancy as you would like—either use a hole-punch and some string to bind
them together, use a binder or find a cute scrapbook to fill with the pages!
6. This scrapbook is great to set out at open houses!
Curriculum Connections:
Art– Mixed media,
designing layouts, and
art as a means of
communication
Social Studies—
Comparing holidays,
learning about
differences among
people
Objectives:
Students will create a
class scrapbook
showing how they
celebrate their winter
holidays.
Materials:
Pictures from child’s
home
Scrapbook pages
Scissors
Glue
Various paper or sticker
decorations
Scrapbook OR string
and 3-hole punch
Curriculum Connections:
Social Studies—personal interviews,
multiple perspectives, cultures around
the world, oral narratives
ELA—writing and recording personal
narratives, oral narratives, reporting/
journalism
Objectives:
Students will interview and report on an
individual’s experience of their winter
holiday.
Materials:
Paper and pen, or other recording
device.
Young students may benefit from having
a few “special guests” visit their
classroom rather than setting up their
own interviews.
Project 3: A Different View
What was it like to celebrate Hanukkah during
World War II? What is it like to fast during
Ramadan? Invite your students to participate in
an oral history project to get a unique first-hand
look at a holiday. They could interview
someone about how holidays were celebrated
in the past or about a holiday from another
religion or culture. They might interview a
relative, a neighbor, or someone from their
community, like a member of a place of
worship. Once they have chosen their topic
and set up the interview, they should develop a
set of questions. Encourage them to think
about all aspects of a holiday, from rituals and
symbols to favorite foods and songs. Share
these tips for their interview:
1. Write down your questions beforehand.
Make sure you know what you want to ask,
but don't be afraid to ask follow-up
questions during your interview.
2. Come prepared. Research basic
information about the holiday or time period
before the interview. After all, this is your
chance to hear about someone's personal
experiences so don't ask questions you can
find in book!
3. Listen carefully. Even if you use a tape
recorder, write down the most important
facts.
4. Say thank you! Always follow up with a
thank-you note. And it's nice to share your
interview with the person too.
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Project 4: Your Own Holiday
Holidays often begin as a way to remember and celebrate someone or
something important. Often the development of a holiday as a
recognized day in the year takes years to become established, but you
are going to get the chance to create your very own holiday!
1. Think of something important to you. It could be a person (Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day), a time of year (Winter Solstice), an event
(Easter), or even something seemingly everyday (National Donut
Day).
2. Declare this person or thing a holiday, and name your holiday!
3. What date in the calendar year is your holiday on?
4. What would people do to celebrate your holiday?
5. Why do you think that this holiday should be important to other
people?
6. Decorate a card that you would give to someone else on this holiday,
and make sure to create a personal note inside!
7. Share your holiday with your classmates, and give or send your card
to someone in your class!
Curriculum
Connections:
ELA—creative writing
Objectives:
Students will create
their own holiday and
design ways to
celebrate this holiday.
Materials:
Paper and pencil
Construction paper
Markers
Scissors
Glue
Curriculum Connections:
Social Studies—holidays around the
world
Objectives:
Students will learn about 5 different
countries and the winter holidays they
celebrate.
Mexico: Students will make piñatas
to burst during their reenactment
of the traditional Posadas party.
Sweden: Students will role-play
Santa Lucia Day while wearing self
made wreaths with candles.
Africa: Students will eat their
homemade Kinaras on self-made
woven placemats, which they made
out of traditional Kwanzaa colors.
Israel: Students will make and play
a game with their self-made
dreidels. Students will make
Latkes.
America: Students will decorate a
Christmas tree, make Christmas cards,
and go Christmas caroling.
Materials:
Mexico: Balloons, newspaper, glue,
candy
Sweden: sweet roll recipe, hot
chocolate, and materials to make a
wreath with candles
Africa: red, green, and black
construction paper, bread, cream
cheese, carrots and raisins
Israel: Dreidel pattern, potatoes and
grater to make Latkes.
American: Christmas tree, construction
paper for cards, Christmas songs for
caroling
Project 5: Holidays Around the Globe
Denise Todd from Hot Chalk Lesson Plans walks us through how
she teaches her young students about holidays around the globe
in this fun, interactive lesson series.
She writes:
I put on my “magic shoes” that I wear when we want to pretend. I
asked the students to get on the magic carpet and hold on
because we were going on a trip around the world to see how
other people celebrate Winter Holidays.
Our first stop was Mexico:
We read the book “Nine Days to Christmas” by Maria Hall. We
learned that in Mexico, they start celebrating nine days before
Christmas Day. This commemorates the journey of Mary and
Joseph to Bethlehem and their search for lodging. We discovered
one of their most colorful traditions is the Posadas party. It is
celebrated every night from December 16th to December 24th.
Families seek shelter at their neighbors. They are told there is no
room for them because they are already full just like Mary and
Joseph. As they turn away, they are told to come in. then they
have a party.
We made piñatas. We used blown up balloons and covered them
with strips of newspaper dipped in a flour and water mixture. After
our piñatas were dry, we painted them and filled them with candy.
The students acted out the story by going to the other classrooms
to ask for lodging. I had asked the other teachers to say they did
not have room for us so we moved on to the next room. No one
had room for us. The aide waited for us in our room. When we
returned to our classroom, we asked the aide if there was room,
for us. She welcomed us in and already had things ready for our
Posadas party.
During the party, students burst their piñatas. We had a special
punch that was made from an old Mexican family recipe.
The next day, we were off to Sweden:
We started on our magic carpet by reading about Christmas in Sweden. We found that in Sweden, they celebrate Santa Lucia Day. Santa Lucia was a little girl that was a Christian. Christianity was against the law in Sweden at this time. When Santa Lucia’s mother became ill, she prayed for her mother. Her mother got better the government found out and had her condemned to death. Santa Lucia Day is celebrated in honor of this little girl’s faith. (continue to next page).
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Sweden celebrates Santa Lucia Day by having the oldest girl in each family dress in a white robe and wears a wreath of lighted candles and leaves. The girl wakes up her family and serves them sweet rolls and hot chocolate.
We made a wreath with candles and leaves on it. We made sweet rolls and hot chocolate. We wore our wreaths on our heads while serving each other sweet rolls and hot chocolate.
The next morning, we traveled to Africa:
We read “My First Kwanzaa” by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate. We found that African-American families in the United States celebrate Kwanzaa. They celebrate from December 26th until January 1st. for seven days; they celebrate African harvest culture and the joy of being a family.
Family members wear brightly colored clothes in honor of the occasion. They fly a red, green, and black flag. The family works together stringing beads of bright colors. There is a family reunion, and on the last day of Kwanzaa, they share gifts.
They have a kinara, which is a candleholder. It holds seven candles. Each day another candle is lit during the seven-day celebration. The candles represent cherished principles of the Kwanzaa celebration.
We made woven placemats out of the colors on the kinara (green, red, and black). Then we made a kinara using bread, cream cheese, carrots, and raisins. Students enjoyed eating their snack on their placemats.
The next day, we were on our way to Israel:
We were ready to learn about Hanukkah. We learned that Hanukkah is a Jewish holiday. Its roots came from Israel. Some people call Hanukkah “The Festival of Lights”. The title of our book was “Light the Light!” by Margaret Moorman.
We found the holiday is honored for eight days sometime between November and December. Each day for eight days, a candle is lit on a menorah. After lighting the menorah, the Jewish families play games and exchange gifts. Their children enjoy playing with a dreidel. One of their favorite snacks is called Latkes which is what we call potato cakes in America.
Students made a dreidel, which is a four-sided top that players take turns spinning and collecting bean seeds. The player that collects all the seeds is the winner. Students enjoyed making and playing the game. For our snack, we made Latkes.
The next morning, we made our way back to America:
We started our American traditions by decorating our Christmas tree. We then made Christmas cards and practiced songs for caroling. Students sewed their own elf hats that they wore to carol around school. After singing, we presented everyone with one of our homemade Christmas cards. We made gifts for our parents and wrapped them in homemade gift paper. We made gingerbread men cookies and shared gifts with the classroom.
Project 6: Your Own Santa Clause
In the musical, the elves learn Santa Claus Clause 46: “When such
time comes that Santa Claus has served no less than one thousand
years, he may choose to relinquish his position.”
And Punchy teaches us that a clause is term meaning “a particular
and separate article, stipulation, or proviso in a treaty, bill, or
contract.” That’s kind of like a fancy way of saying that a clause
is a small promise inside of a much bigger promise!
Imagine that you had to make a big promise, or a contract, to
become Santa Claus.
Make a list of 5-10 clauses, or smaller promises, someone would
have to make to be the very best Santa he could be.
Examples of your clauses could be:
Santa will always remain loving and kind
Santa will eat at least one cookie each day
If a child is without a home, Santa will still find a
way to give the child gifts
Share your list with a few friends and ask each other:
Why was this clause important to you?
What would happen if this clause was not in the
Santa Claus agreement?
How would you know that Santa was keeping his
promise in this clause? What would he do to show
you that he is being successful?
Curriculum Connections:
ELA—creative writing
Objectives:
Students will create and
share the aspects they feel
would make a great Santa
Claus.
Materials:
Paper and pencil
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Curriculum Connections:
ELA—homophones, creative writing
Objectives:
Students will learn and identify
homophones.
Materials:
YouTube homophone video or similar
video about homophones
Paper and pencil
Project 7: Homophones
One funny moment in the play is when Punchy the Elf says, “There’s no Santa clause!” The other elves are shocked because they heard a word, clause, that is a homophone. If they had READ what he said and not HEARD it, they would have seen that Punchy was using the word “clause” and not the name “Claus.”
This activity helps students learn about homophones.
1. Without showing students the word in print,
say, “Can anyone tell me the meaning of the word won (or too)? What else do you need to
know before you can tell me the meaning of the word?” (You need to see the word written down
or hear it in a sentence.) “Why do you need more information in order to spell some words
correctly?” (Because some words sound the same but are spelled differently.)
2. Show your students a fun homophone song,
like this one from the Weatherford Institute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJUqJyX5NSA
3. Introduce the vocabulary word,
“homophone” by seeing if they can interpret what it means based on what they saw on the
video. Help them come to the understanding that homophones are words that sound the
same but they mean different things and have different spellings.
4. Create a list as a class of homophones and
write then on the board. A large list can be found in the resources section of this guide.
5. Now, students get the opportunity to make
their own tricky homophone sentences! Students write 1-3 sentences or jokes showing
how tricky homophones can be. A classic example is the joke, “Why was six afraid of
seven? Because seven ate (eight) nine!” The above video has lots of great examples as well.
6. Students get with a partner to share their
sentences or jokes, and then the class can share out their favorites.
Project 8: Write a Letter
Many children who celebrate Christmas write a letter
to Santa Claus detailing the gifts they hope to receive
for Christmas. Did you know that you can also write a
letter to your local Congressman, Mayor, Senator, and
even to the President of the United States to tell them
about an important change you want to see?
As an example, if you are concerned about the
environment in your city you can write a letter to the
mayor to bring her attention to the situation. You could
even offer a suggested solution!
Mail your letter to your recipient, making sure to
address the envelope properly if you are choosing to
send the letter through the US mail. Some government
officials can be contacted through email. Addresses
can be found online:
Senators:
http://www.senate.gov/senators/contact/
House of Representatives:
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
Mayors:
Do an internet search for your city’s website
Curriculum Connections:
ELA—Persuasive writing
Social Studies—US Senate,
House of Representatives,
democracy, government
officals.
Objectives:
The student will write a
letter to her government
official, addressing a
concern.
Materials:
Paper, pen, envelope,
stamp
OR
Access to a computer with
internet
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Project 9: Santa.com
Bee comes up with a great idea to help bring Santa’s operations
into the 21st century—she suggests building a website where
children can write their wish lists! In this activity, students
get the same chance to make a website that they think will be
helpful for others to use.
1. As a class, brainstorm several problems that they might
encounter on a regular basis. Let them think outside of the
box during brainstorming. They can list everything from “I
have to do my homework” to “I can’t tie my shoes” to “My
sister always uses my clothes.”
2. Vote on which problem sounds like an interesting one to
solve.
3. Now brainstorm possible solutions that they might try to
solve their problem. Guide their thinking to tangible things
that might be put on a website, such as a retail site where
their sister can buy the same shirt she is always stealing.
4. Following a writing project planning web (an example is
found in the resources section), create topic tabs
(subtopics from the main website idea) and the different
features you would like in each of the topic tabs. For our
clothing store idea, maybe you have a “Store” tab that
offers a section with a catalogue and a section where
sisters can post their wish lists.
5. Once your class has come up with an outline, you can see it
in action by using the website http://
kidswebsitecreator.com/ to build their websites online.
6. Share your site with parents and admin, and hopefully you
will get several hits to show kids how they can easily make
their ideas into reality!
Curriculum Connections:
Science—Problem solving,
computer science
Art—Website design
ELA—Brainstorming and
outlining
Objectives:
Students will identify and
address a common problem
and offer solutions for this
problem through a website.
Materials:
Writing project planning web
Computer with internet
access
Curriculum Connections:
ELA—Plot, Character
Theatre—Movement, tableau
Objectives:
To work as a group to recreate plot
points of Santa Claus
Materials:
None
Project 10: Act It Out
A tableau is when actors stand in
frozen, silent “pictures,” showing
different parts of a story, like the
kids in the photo above.
In a group of three to five, think of
an event in the plot of Santa Claus.
Each of you decide which character
you will be, and create a tableau of
that event. See if your classmates
can guess which event you are trying
to show! Remember – a tableau does
not move or make sounds!
Contact Us
Give us a call for more information
about theatre education classes,
camps, and programs.
Casa Mañana
3101 W Lancaster Ave
Fort Worth, TX 76107
(817)321-5040
education@casaMañana.org
Visit us on the web at
www.casaMañana.org/education
A Note from Casa Mañana’s Education Department Thank you so much for using this study guide and for choosing Casa
Mañana as your field trip destination! We strive to offer the best theatre for
young audiences and the best in theatre education, and we value your
input. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or suggestions you
may have.
If you have dramatic students you think might be a fit for the stage, Casa
offers many programs to nurture such talent! We offer a full range of
theatre performance classes for students ages 3-18, summer camps, and
an apprentice program for ages 14-19. Contact the education office for
more information.
Thank you for partnering with us to raise up the next generation of theatre
lovers!
Casa Mañana Performing Arts Conservatory
For Resources and TEKS, please see the following pages
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Name ______________________________ Date_______________________________
Compare 2 Holidays
Around the world, communities celebrate different holidays to honor their histories, beliefs and
cultures. Choose two holidays. Compare and contrast them in the chart below.
Why do people celebrate this
holiday?
When does this holiday take
place?
Who celebrates this holiday?
Where is this holiday cele-
brated? In one country or in
many?
How do people celebrate?
Describe a tradition.
What are some important
symbols of this holiday?
Share one more interesting
fact about this holiday.
Material provided by: Scholastic.com , Winter Holidays Activity
Holiday 1
_____________________________
Holiday 2
_____________________________
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Winter Holidays
Hanukkah For eight days each November or December, Jews light a special candleholder called a menorah. They do it to remember an ancient miracle in which one day's worth of oil burned for eight days in their temple. On Hanukkah, many Jews also eat special potato pancakes called latkes, sing songs, and spin a top called a dreidel to win chocolate coins, nuts, or raisins.
St. Lucia Day
To honor this third-century saint on December 13, many girls in Sweden dress up as "Lucia brides" in long white
gowns with red sashes, and a wreath of burning candles on their heads. They wake up their families by singing
songs and bringing them coffee and twisted saffron buns called "Lucia cats."
Christmas
People celebrate this Christian holiday by going to church, giving gifts, and sharing the day with their families. In
some parts of Europe, "star singers" go caroling — singing special Christmas songs — as they walk behind a
huge star on a pole.
Kwanzaa Kwanzaa, which means "First Fruits," is based on ancient African harvest festivals and celebrates ideals such as family life and unity. During this spiritual holiday, celebrated from December 26 to January 1, millions of African Americans dress in special clothes, decorate their homes with fruits and vegetables, and light a candleholder called a kinara.
New Year
In Ecuador, families dress a straw man in old clothes on December 31. The straw man represents the old year.
The family members make a will for the straw man that lists all of their faults. At midnight, they burn the straw
man, in hopes that their faults will disappear with him.
Chinese New Year
Many Chinese children dress in new clothes to celebrate Chinese New Year. People carry lanterns and join in a
huge parade led by a silk dragon, the Chinese symbol of strength. According to legend, the dragon hibernates
most of the year, so people throw firecrackers to keep the dragon awake.
Mardi Gras
The time of Lent is a solemn one of reflection for Christians, so the Tuesday before Lent begins is a time of
merry-making for many people around the world. In New Orleans, people wear costumes and attend huge pa-
rades for the festival of Mardi Gras. Brazil's Carnaval also features parades, costumes, and music. This day is
also known as Shrove Tuesday. In England, some towns have pancake contests in which women run a race
while flipping a pancake at least three times.
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/holidays-sampler-around-world
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TEKS
Kindergarten
110.11 (4) (A) predict what might happen next in text based on the cover, title, and illustra-
tions;
110.11 (6) (A) identify elements of a story including setting, character, and key events;
110.11 (6) (B) discuss the big idea (theme) of a well-known folktale or fable and connect it
to personal experience;
110.11 (8) (B) describe characters in a story and the reasons for their actions.
110.11 (13) (E) share writing with others
110.11 (15) Writing/Expository and Procedural Texts. Students write expository and proce-
dural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for
specific purposes. Students are expected to dictate or write information for lists, cap-
tions, or invitations.
110.10 (B) (E) retell or act out important events in stories
111.2 (8) (A) collect, sort, and organize data into two or three categories;
113. 11 (A) identify similarities and differences among people such as kinship, laws, and re-
ligion
113.11 (B) identify similarities and differences among people such as music, clothing, and
food.
113.11 (12) (A) describe and explain the importance of family customs and traditions;
113.11 (12) (B) compare family customs and traditions
Grade 1
110.12 (9) (A) describe the plot (problem and solution) and retell a story's beginning, mid-
dle, and end with attention to the sequence of events
112.12 (9) (B) describe characters in a story and the reasons for their actions and feelings.
26
110.12 (19) (B) write short letters that put ideas in a chronological or logical sequence and
use appropriate conventions (e.g., date, salutation, closing)
110.12 (23) A) generate a list of topics of class-wide interest and formulate open-ended
questions about one or two of the topics
110.12 (23) (B) decide what sources of information might be relevant to answer these ques-
tions.
(113.12 A) describe the origins of customs, holidays, and celebrations of the community,
state, and nation such as San Jacinto Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day
113.12 (1) (B) compare the observance of holidays and celebrations, past and present.
113.12 (19) (A) use a problem-solving process to identify a problem, gather information, list
and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solu-
tion, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
113.12 (19) (B) use a decision-making process to identify a situation that requires a decision,
gather information, generate options, predict outcomes, take action to implement a decision,
and reflect on the effectiveness of that decision
117 (5) (A) discuss, practice, and display appropriate audience behavior
117 (5) (B) discuss dramatic activities; and
117 (5) (C) discuss the use of music, creative movement, and visual components in dramatic
play.
Grade 2
110.13 (6) (A) identify moral lessons as themes in well-known fables, legends, myths, or sto-
ries; and (B) compare different versions of the same story in traditional and contemporary
folktales with respect to their characters, settings, and plot.
110.13 (8) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make in-
ferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evi-
dence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to identify the ele-
ments of dialogue and use them in informal plays.
110.13 (24 ) (A) generate a list of topics of class-wide interest and formulate open-ended
27
questions about one or two of the topics
110.13 (24) (B) decide what sources of information might be relevant to answer these
questions.
113.13 (16) (A) identify the significance of various ethnic and/or cultural celebrations
113.13 (16) (B) compare ethnic and/or cultural celebrations
Grade 3
110.14 (7) Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Drama. Students understand, make
inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide
evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to explain
the elements of plot and character as presented through dialogue in scripts that are
read, viewed, written, or performed.
110.14 (19) Writing. Students write about their own experiences. Students are expected
to write about important personal experiences.
110.14 (25) (A) generate research topics from personal interests or by brainstorming
with others, narrow to one topic, and formulate open-ended questions about the major
research topic; and (B) generate a research plan for gathering relevant information (e.g.,
surveys, interviews, encyclopedias) about the major research question.
110.14 (31) Listening and Speaking/Teamwork. Students work productively with others in
teams. Students continue to apply earlier standards with greater complexity. Students
are expected to participate in teacher- and student-led discussions by posing and an-
swering questions with appropriate detail and by providing suggestions that build upon
the ideas of others.
113.14(13) (A) explain the significance of various ethnic and/or cultural celebrations in
the local community and other communities; and (B) compare ethnic and/or cultural cele-
brations in the local community with other communities.
117.112 (6) (A) exhibit audience etiquette during live and recorded performances;
117.112 (6) (E) describe a variety of compositions and formal or informal musical per-
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