ENRICHMENT GUIDE

Please be sure to share this guide with all teachers who are taking their students to see this production. Photocopy or download additional copies from

WWW.Firststage.org

S c h o ol DateS :

october 6 – october 17, 2008

For aDDit ional materialS, v iS it F irStStage.org

Adapted by James E. Grote and George Howe

Based on the book by Doreen CroninIllustarted by Betsy Lewin

Media Sponsor:

Dear Teachers and Parents,

First there were cows that type, and now we have ducks that write! Come join us for a barnyard bash like no other, as the animals on Farmer Brown’s farm decide to get into a little mischief and have a lot of fun while Farmer Brown is away! GIGGLE, GIGGLE QUACK is a story about wit and tomfoolery—and more importantly, the joy of doing things for others, and having silly fun with our friends! Doreen Cronin’s beloved picture book comes to life on stage through a musical production that is sure to have children of all ages rolling in their seats.

Enclosed in this enrichment guide is a range of materials and activities intended to help you discover connections within the play through the curricula. It is our hope that you will use the experience of attending the theater and seeing GIGGLE, GIGGLE QUACK with your students as a teaching tool. As educators and parents, you know best the needs and abilities of your students. Use this guide to best serve your children—pick and choose, or adapt, any of these sugges-tions for discussions or activities. We encourage you to take advantage or the enclosed student worksheets—please feel free to photocopy the sheets for your students, or the entire guide for the benefit of other teachers.

Enjoy the show!

Julia NewbyEducation Director(414) 267-2971jnewby@firststage.org

Setting the Stagepreparing for the play

Synopsis . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5Pre-Show Questions . . . . . . 5About the Author . . . . . . . . . 6About the Illustrator . . . . . . . 6About the Playwright . . . . . . 7About the Composer . . . . . . 7Suggested Reading . . . . . . . 6Classroom Discussion Starter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

For TeachersCurriculum connectionsbefore or after the play

MathPizza Topping Preferences . 12-13

aRtMake a Duck. . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

LaNGUaGE aRtSThen What Happened . . . . . . 10Farm Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Silly Riddles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

SCIENCEPen Pals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9All About Ducks . . . . . . . . . . . 11Burst with the Bubbles. . . . . . 14

Curtain Call

Post-Show Discussion Questions . . . . . . 18Who Said It! . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Answers

Who Said It! . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

First stage Policies

• The use of recording equipment and cameras is strictly forbidden in the theater. • Food, drink, candy and gum are not permitted in the theater. • Any portable radios brought to the theater by students will be kept by the House Manager during the performance and returned to the group leader at the conclusion of the play. • There is no smoking in the theater, by order of the Fire Marshal.• Should a student become ill, suffer an injury or have another problem, please escort him or her to the theater lobby and ask an usher to notify the House Manager immediately. • In the unlikely event of a general emergency, the theater lights will go on and someone will come on stage to inform the audience of the problem. Remain in your seats, visually locate the nearest exit and wait for First Stage ushers to guide your group from the theater.

Seating for people with disabilities: If you have special seating needs for any student(s) and did not indicate your need when you ordered your tickets, please call our School Group Coordinator at (414) 267-2962. Our knowledge of your needs will enable us to serve you better upon your group’s arrival at the theater.

INSIDE THE GUIDE a Note to teachers and Parents

The play starts off where Farmer Brown left us in “Click Clack Moo.” He is stressed about his animals causing trouble, cows that type and hens on strike. Knowing this, Pig says, “Farmer Brown needs a vaca-tion.” Farmer Brown is frantically look-ing for Duck, the leader of all of the animal hijinks, for he is worried that he is causing trouble again. Meanwhile, Duck is sneaking behind Farmer Brown, carefully placing a “Kick Me” sign on Farmer Brown’s back, unnoticeable to Farmer Brown. Pig, who introduces himself as our storyteller, is empathic to Farmer Brown’s plight. He says that running a farm is hard enough but when you add in a trouble-making duck, cows that type and hens that won’t lay eggs, it is under-standable that Farmer Brown needs some time away. Pig tells the audience that this is the story of the time that Farmer Brown went on vacation and his brother, Brother Bob, took care of the farm. The animals help Farmer Brown as he sings the song, “I Gotta Get Away.”

As soon as Duck finds out of Farmer Brown’s departure, he calls a meeting in the barn. This is great for all the animals except for Hen who is very troubled by her “abandonment issues.” Pig does her best to explain to Hen that Farmer Brown will get someone to watch the farm, like a babysitter, and they will not be alone. Cow is having fun taunting Hen as she explains her fears of a mean or scary babysitter -“What if it’s the boogey monster?” Cow sneaks up behind and scares Hen, Pig calls for concentration amongst the animals. Duck suggests they sneak over to the farmhouse to find out more.

In a phone call from Farmer Brown to Brother Bob (played by the same actor), Farmer Brown asks his brother to watch the farm while he is on vacation to Tahiti. Brother Bob is apprehen-sive, saying that he knows nothing about taking care of animals; after all he’s an accountant in the city. Farmer Brown assures him he will have no problems, for he will write notes for every-

thing Brother Bob needs to know for running the farm. Brother Bob agrees, saying that “a change might do me good.” With that, Farmer Brown hangs up and the animals rejoice, except for Hen who is still worried. As Farmer Brown exits, he drops a pencil and all of the animals look at it curiously, except for Duck, who knows what it has the power to do. Duck lavishly sings a song about the “Golden pencil” and all of the possibilities - like writing messages. Brother Bob arrives and everyone offers a “Bon voyage!” to Farmer Brown. Farmer Brown exits with a demand, “Keep working!” Offstage

we hear Farmer Brown tell Brother Bob that his notes are on the fridge and to keep an eye on Duck, because he makes trouble. Brother Bob assures him that he has everything under control. The animals examine their babysitter saying that he looks just like Farmer Brown - maybe they’re twins? Meanwhile, Hen has fainted from all of the excitement and Cow tells her to stop being such a “drama chick.” Their ribbing goes back and forth until Pig puts a stop to it.

Duck and Cow work to grab Farmer Brown’s note off of the fridge. As they are reading the note, which instructs Brother Bob to NOT eat the chocolate cake and not to fall asleep with his feet on the table, Brother Bob helps himself to a piece of the cake and falls asleep snoring at the table. Hen is worried about these sneaky shenanigans and asks the animals to put back the note. Cow, in typical fashion, calls Hen a chicken and mimics her worrying. Meanwhile, Duck gets an idea, takes his golden pencil and begins to write a new note. With the plan in place the animals follow Duck into the kitchen. Cow knocks over a plate and Brother Bob wakes up confused about ani-mals in the kitchen. The animals try to look innocent as they pass the note back and forth. Brother Bob asks the animals if they want anything. Convincingly, the animals quack, moo, and bawk, themselves into getting a piece of the chocolate cake. As they exit, Duck sticks the note on the fridge waiting

Setting the Stage: Synopsis

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for Brother Bob’s eyes. The animals leave giggling as he reads the note. Brother Bob plans to relax with a DVD as he reads the new note which tells him to eat all the cake (and give some to the animals!), put his feet on the table and fall asleep.

The animals sneak in to view the next note and make the appropriate changes. The animals decide that instead of work-ing, they should be able to play all day on Mondays. Pig wor-ries that the note might sound suspicious; Duck declares that Brother Bob is gullible. Hen grabs the note, fearful they will get into trouble. Cow tries to calm Hen’s fears with a song as he steals the note back. Brother Bob enters as the animals scram. He reads the new note confused about the play day, as farm animals are supposed to work, but believes that Farmer Brown “know’s what he’s talking about.” The play day begins as Pig tells the audience that they got a beach ball, volleyball net, the croquet set, a Frisbee, a jump rope, and even a hula hoop. Brother Bob joins in the fun as there are no good DVDs. With a full day of play, the animals are exhausted and get ready for bed. Brother Bob finds a note on the barn, much to the alarm of the animals - they think they might be caught. The note instructs Brother Bob as to the different electric blanket setting each animal prefer. Brother Bob has a moment of confusion as he notices the different handwriting. He chalks it up to Farmer Brown being in a hurry.

Even though he is puzzled by the blankets, he does as he’s told and the animals, much relieved, settle in for the night.

The animals awake in the morning talking about the close call they had the night before. Cow and Hen get into their normal bickering with Pig playing peacemaker. After all, they need to get to the note writing. They all read the new note about feed-ing the animals. They are all up in arms about eating “leftovers” again and they begin to dream about the food they really want, tacos, spaghetti, moo goo gai pan. As Duck starts to write the new note, Hen states that it’s unfair that he gets to write them all. Temporary chaos erupts amongst the animals because they all want to write them. Duck suggests they take turns and decide to pull straws to see who goes first. Hen wins and decides that since they all want something different to eat, she will request pizza (not the frozen kind - it’s nasty). When Brother Bob enters the animals direct him to the barn where the note is. “Tuesday night is pizza night,” the note says. Although peculiar, Brother Bob orders pizza for each animal making sure they each have their requested topping. Hen gets her anchovy pizza and is fulfilled. The scene ends with Brother Bob declaring, “Running a farm isn’t hard at all!”

Pig wins the right to write the next note. She suddenly real-izes that they forgot to retrieve Farmer Brown’s note off the fridge. As the animals arrive, and watch in terror as Brother Bob almost reads the note, folds the note and sticks it in his back pocket. Combining efforts they try to distract Brother Bob so that they can take back the note. Duck gets Brother Bob to help him with the hay bales. A physical battle occurs as he drops the hay bale, puts it one place, and moves to another, and so on. Finally they get the note. It says to give Pig a mud bath. Dissatisfied with the dirtiness of the mud, Pig requests a bubble bath and really good towels. As Brother Bob enters looking through his back pocket for the note, Pig hands him the note. “It must have fallen out when I was moving the hay bale,” he reasons. Reading the note he proclaims, that the farm is, “the most bizarre farm in the history of agriculture.” And with that, he takes Pig for her day of beauty. She sings and dances a bubble ballet as the animals and Brother Bob give her a day of beauty.

The phone rings and the animals worry that they will be busted. Farmer Brown tells his brother that he “hasn’t been this relaxed in years.” He questions Brother Bob if he’s taken care of all of his duties and Brother Bob says that it’s all taken care of. Before he hangs up, he offers another warning about Duck’s bad influence. Brother Bob’s soothes his worries as the animals also relax.

Setting the Stage: Synopsis

The next day was Thursday, Cow’s Day. Cow decides that he wants a movie night, since they’ve never gotten to see any of his DVDs before. As they discuss the choice of movies, From Hen to Eternity or The Sound of Moo-sic, the pencil breaks. Pig explains that they have to use the pencil sharpener on the kitchen table. Duck hurriedly tries to sharpen the pencil. Just then, Brother Bob enters and Duck shoves the note behind his back. As the animals hurry to the barnyard, Brother Bob enters and asks Duck what is under his wing. Brother Bob is on to them. He reads the note Duck has just written and they know their game is up. Hen starts to panic, explaining what they did and how they only wanted to have fun. Brother Bob agrees with her, he wanted to have fun also. The animals are shocked that Brother Bob can understand them. He says that just like babysitters and substitute teachers, farmers’ brothers are smarter than they may think. He figured out their game by the second or third note and Duck’s sharpening confirmed his suspicions. He assures the animals that he won’t tell Farmer Brown since he can be kind of a “stuffed shirt” and because he had a great time on the farm. Overjoyed the animals erupt into a song and dance forming a conga line. The phone is knocked off the hook. Surprisingly, Farmer Brown is on the other end. Duck answers saying, “Sorry, wrong number,” to which Farmer Brown yells, “That’s it, I’m coming home right now!” Duck hangs up and everyone scurries to clean the place up.

After all is cleaned up, Brother Bob begins to leave. The ani-mals are upset with his departure as they had such a great time while he was there. He tells the animals that he plans to visit again and the animals promise no more tricks. Before he leaves he asks Duck if he takes, “duck-tation” so that he can leave a note for him. Duck writes his final note explaining that he should take a vacation anytime and that he had a lot of fun. They hear the car driving up and Brother Bob exits. The animals put away the last of their things and cozy up in their blankets. Offstage we hear Farmer Brown grumbling, “If you’ve made a mess, you’re so grounded!” He is surprised to see the animals looking inno-cent under the blankets as he picks up the note. With relief, he says how much he enjoyed his vacation. The one thing that he really missed was his chocolate cake…the animals freeze in a panic as he opens the fridge.

Setting the Stage: Synopsis

1. Farmer Brown takes a vacation from the farm. Have you ever gone on a vacation? Where did you go? What kinds of things did you see and do?

2. GIGGLE, GIGGLE QUACK is set on a farm. Have you been to a farm? What sorts of animals live on a farm? What are the sounds these animals make?

3. The animals would rather eat pizza than their usual corn. If you had a choice, what would you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

4. The animal characters are played by adult actors. How do you think they will use their bodies to pretend they are a duck, a cow, a hen, and a pig?

Pre-Show Questions

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Suggested Reading

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About the Author

About the Illustrator

Taken directly from: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/HarperChildrens/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=21225

Doreen CroninDoreen Cronin is the New York Times bestselling author of Diary of a Worm, Diary of a Spider; as well as Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type, a Caldecott Honor Book; and Giggle, Giggle, Quack. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and their daughters.

Taken directly from: http://www.betsylewin.com/

Betsy LewinBetsy Lewin grew up in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. She always loved to draw and can’t remember want-ing to be anything but an artist. After graduating from Pratt Institute where she studied illustration, Betsy designed greeting cards. Then she began to write and illustrate stories for children’s magazines, and then expanded to illustrating children’s picture books. Betsy’s art is usually humorous, drawn in pen or brush with watercolor washes, as in Click, Clack, Moo; Cows That Type, but she also paints in a naturalistic style as in Chubbo’s Pool.

Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type (Caldecott Honor Book) by Doreen CroninDuck for President by Doreen CroninClick, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure by Doreen CroninDiary of a Worm by Doreen CroninDiary of a Spider by Doreen CroninDooby Dooby Moo by Doreen CroninDiary of a Fly by Doreen CroninHow I Became a Pirate by Melinda LongWhat Do You Do with a Tail Like This? (Caldecott Honor Book) by Robin PageDon’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo WillemsDon’t Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo WillemsKnuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale by Mo Willems

Taken directly from: http://www.lifelinetheatre.com/about/artistic_ensemble.shtml

James E. GroteJim has been a member of the artistic ensemble of Lifeline Theater in Chicago, Illinois since 1999. Jim became a playwright for Lifeline in 2000 with his adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ THE SILVER CHAIR, which was named the best family show of that year by the Chicago Tribune. Jim’s other adaptations for the KidSeries at Lifeline include CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE and GIGGLE, GIGGLE, QUACK (featuring music by George Howe), as well as DUCK FOR PRESIDENT, all based on the book series by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin. He has also adapted THE DIRTY COWBOY and DEEP IN THE JUNGLE for Lifeline’s KidSeries. Outside of Lifeline, Jim has appeared in EVERYMAN at Steppenwolf Theatre, THE SECRET OF THE OLD QUEEN at Stage Left Theatre, and has toured with the National Theatre for Children and HealthWorks Theatre. Jim has also served as one of Lifeline’s artists-in-residence at Kilmer Elementary School, and he authors Lifeline’s KidSeries study guides. Jim is a graduate of Northwestern University.

Taken directly from: http://www.lifelinetheatre.com/performances/07-08/lyle/cast_and_crew.shtml

George HoweGeorge is a Jeff Citation Winner (QUEEN LUCIA - Best New Musical 2006) and a multiple After Dark Award winning composer/lyricist/cabaret artist. He has written the songs for many of Chicago’s Lifeline Theatre’s KidSeries shows including BRAVE POTATOES; SOMEBODY LOVES YOU, MR. HATCH; CLICK CLACK MOO: COWS THAT TYPE and its sequel GIGGLE, GIGGLE QUACK. His latest musical, SLEEPING UGLY, which premiered at Griffin Theatre in 2006, won him a 2006 After Dark award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics.

About the Playwright

About the Composer and Lyricist

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Taken Directly from: http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/gen_act/barn/pals.html

Materials:Farm Animal Word Cards (included in this Guide)***** http://www.eduplace.com/rdg/gen_act/barn/graphics/cards.html

Activity:

1. Discuss with children the sounds that different farm animals make, inviting volunteers to make the sounds. You may want to review the sounds by singing Old MacDonald, and include the following animals: cow, dog, duck, hen, horse, pig, rooster, sheep.

2. Next, tell children that they will play a listening game called Pen Pals.

3. Beforehand, cut out the word cards from the Farm Animal Word Cards sheet and distribute a card to each child. Tell children not to reveal the name of the animal on their cards. a. Assist any child who needs help reading the word on his or her card. (You may want to simply assign each child an animal by whispering the name of the animal in the child’s ear.) b. Be sure that there are at least two children assigned to the same animal…there can be more.

4. Then, choose spots in your classroom that can serve as make-believe “pens” for the different animals. Point out to children where the pens are. Now they are ready to play the game.

5. Explain that their goal is to go to their assigned pens, but first they must find their pen pals (other children with the same animal card). The catch is that they cannot use words to find their pen pals. Each child must make the noise of the animal on his or her card (or the animal you assigned them) to identify the other animals in their group.

6. Once all the “pen pals” are together, they can retreat to their pen. The game is over when all the animals are in their pens.

TEACHING OPTIONS

1. Play Pen Pals outside and turn it into a race. The first group of pen pals to get to the correct pen wins.

2. Tape-record children making the sounds of different farm animals (one animal at a time). Then play the tape and have children take turns naming the animal that goes with each sound.

Pen PalsScience/Movement Classroom Activ i ty

Giggle, giggle, quackGiggle, giggle, oinkGiggle, giggle, mooGiggle, giggle, cluck

Giggle fun!

–Barnyard Animals

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Pen PalsScience/Movemen Classroom Activ i ty

cow

duck

horse

rooster

dog

hen

pig

sheep9

Then What Happened?!?

Directions

Read through each event that happened in GIGGLE, GIGGLE QUaCK. Place numbers 2 – 7 to show the correct order of events. (the first one has been done for you.) Use the book to help you. Not all events are listed here.

_______________ Duck writes another note for Brother Bob telling him Pig should get a bubble bath on Wednesday instead of her usual mud bath! Pig wants a day at the spa!

_______________ Brother Bob catches Duck sharpening his pencil, but doesn’t say anything about it right away!

_______________ Duck writes a note for Brother Bob, telling him that Tuesday night is Pizza Night. Hen chooses anchovies for the topping.

_______________ Farmer Brown decides he needs to take a vacation. He is planning to go away for one whole week while his Brother Bob runs the farm.

_______________ Duck and the other animals think they are going to be in big trouble when Farmer Brown comes home. Luckily, Brother Bob never tells Farmer Brown about all the mischief Duck and the other animals made while he was away!

_______________ Duck finds the pencil Farmer Brown drops, and decides to use it to change the notes Farmer Brown left for Brother Bob.

_______________ On Thursday, Duck writes a note saying it is movie night. Cow picked Sound of Moo-sic for the movie tonight!

_______________ When Brother Bob arrives on the farm, Farmer Brown shows him the special notes with all the instructions for running the farm for the week. Then Farmer Brown told Brother Bob to watch Duck closely because he’s trouble!

Language Arts Student Worksheet

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All ABout Ducks!Taken directly from: http://kiddyhouse.com/Farm/ducks.html

What are ducks?Ducks are birds. They are also called “waterfowls” because they are normally found in places with water like ponds, streams and rivers. They are related to geese and swans. The duck is the smallest of them all. Ducks also have shorter necks and wings and a stout body. They can live from two to 12 years, depending on species.

Ducks have webbed feet, designed for swimming. Their webbed feet act like paddles for the ducks. A duck waddles instead of walk because of its webbed feet. Do you know that the duck’s feet cannot feel cold even if it swims in icy cold water? Well, the reason for this is because its feet has no nerves or blood vessels!!

Water-proof feathersAnother special thing that the duck has is its water-proof feathers. There is a spe-cial gland that produces oil near the duck’s tail which spreads and covers the outer coat of the duck’s feathers, making it water-proof. Beneath the water-proof coat are fluffy and soft feathers to keep the duck warm.

How does a duck clean itself?Ducks keep clean by preening themselves. They do this by putting their heads in funny positions and putting their beaks into their body. They preen themselves very often.

Where are ducks found?Ducks are found in wetlands, marshes, ponds, rivers, lakes and oceans. This is because ducks love the water. Some species of ducks migrate or travel long distances every year to breed. Usually they travel to warmer areas or where the water does not freeze so that they can rest and raise their young. The distance may be thousands of miles away. Ducks are found everywhere in the world except Antarctica, which is too cold for them.

How do they hunt for food? The duck’s mouth is called a “bill.” Normally, it is broad and flat and has rows of fine notches along the edge called “lamellae.” The lamellae helps the duck to grip its food so that it will not slip off. However, ducks bills come in different shapes and sizes. The shape of the bill and body features will determine how the duck hunt for its food.

Ducks, which have broad beaks, sift their food for insects, snails and seeds from the mud. These are called the shovelers.

Some ducks have long and narrow beaks. The narrow beaks are also covered will saw-like edges which help them to grab fish. Sea ducks usually have this kind of beak. Sea ducks are also divers.

Some ducks do not dive for food. Their beaks are broad and short. They are called dabbling ducks or dabblers. They eat plants, seeds, grasses and other small insects and animals that they find on or under the water. Usually they up-ends and stretch their heads into the water to reach their food. Dabblers usually have shiny colored patches on their wings. Dabbling ducks take off from the water in quick jumps.

For ducks with long necks, they dive their head down into the shallow water and pick up their food.

Importance of ducks to humansDucks like other animals are useful to human beings. They provide us with eggs and meat to eat. Some ducks provide us with feathers that are used for stuffing quilts and pillows.

Science Classroom Information

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Adapted from: http://eduplace.com/math/mathcentral/gradeK/koca1.html

I don’t want spaghetti, no cherries flambé,I want a meal that I can feel inside my belly all day.

Gimme pizza, pizza baby;Give me what I crave! –Hen

In this activity, children will color the correct number of boxes in a graph to show their choices and then show their understanding of the graph’s meaning through teacher-led class discussion.

Materials:

Pizza Topping Graph worksheet (included in this Guide)ScissorsCrayons2 paper bags (labeled “Yes” and “No”)

Activity:

1. Begin with a class discussion about the sorts of toppings they like to have on their pizza: pepperoni, sausage, ham and pineapple, plain cheese, mushrooms, etc.

2. Pass out the Pizza Topping Graph worksheet. Identify the four pizza toppings at the bottom of the page.

3. Have students color the toppings and then cut the cards out on the dotted line.

4. Once they have finished this first task, ask students to choose their favorite topping and place it in the paper bag located in the front of the classroom labeled “YES.” The other three topping choices should be placed in the bag labeled “NO.”

5. After students have finished placing their cards in the appropriate bags, take the “Yes” bag and draw out one picture at a time and identify it. Students are to color one square in their graphs. Continue until all the children’s choices have been identified and their graphs completed. Put the paper slips back in “Yes” bag.

6. Lead discussion and ask questions to help children interpret the graph. For example: “How do you think most of the class would feel if I chose _______?” (Substitute the least favorite pizza topping for the blank.) “Which topping choice would make most people happiest? How do you know?” “Which topping should we choose if we order pizza for a class pizza party?”

7. Encourage children to make up their own questions and/or point out observations.

TEACHING OPTIONS

8. You may wish to use the actual pieces in the “Yes” bag to construct a vertical graph by sticking each piece on the blackboard. Ask children to discuss similarities and differences between the two graphs.

Pizza Topping PreferncesMath Classroom Activ i ty

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Pizza Topping PreferncesMath Classroom Activ i ty

Favorite Toppings

pepperoni sausage cheese pineapple

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Burst with the BubblesScience Classroom Activ i ty

Taken directly from: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3746496&FullBreadCrumb=%3Ca+href%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.scholastic.com%2Fbrowse%2Fsearch%2F%3FNr%3DOR%28Resource_Type%3ALesson%2520Plan%2CResource_Type%3AInformal%2520Lesson%2520Article%2CResource_Type%3AUnit%2520Plan%29%26N%3D0%26Nty%3D1%26isBrowse%3DY%22+class%3D%22endecaAll%22%3EAll+Results%3C%2Fa%3E+%26gt%3B+PreK+-+K

Dip your tootsies in the tub And watch all your troublesBurst with the bubbles –Pig

Children will use the science skills of observation, experimentation, prediction, and evaluation, as well as creative-thinking, fine-motor, and language skills.

Materials • materials for making bubbles, such as straws, pipe cleaners, yarn, sieves, empty juice cans, and toilet paper tubes • plastic dishpan • measuring cups and spoons • solution ingredients: water, liquid detergent, sugar, glycerin, and (optional) food coloring • (optional) commercial bubble pipe and solution

Activity

1. Talk with students about bubble blowing. Try sparking children’s curiosity by blowing bubbles from a commercial bubble pipe. Notice the colors and sizes of the bubbles. Explain that outside, everyone will get a chance to experiment with blowing bubbles.

2. Gather a few children around a plastic dishpan and make the bubble-blowing solution. a. Use ¼ cup liquid detergent, ½ cup water, and 1 teaspoon sugar. (You can add a few drops of glycerin to strengthen the bubbles.)

3. Put out a variety of bubble-blowing objects for children to experiment with. Together, choose a can or tube to blow bubbles with and predict what size bubbles it will make.

4. Now choose a different size of can or tube, and make new predictions.

5. Give children time to try the bubble-blowing objects themselves. Help them notice that the ones with smaller holes make smaller bubbles and the ones with larger holes make larger bubbles.

MAKING BUBBLE BLOWERS: Here are a few types of bubble blowers children can construct.

1. Use a straw and make slits at one end. Bend the slits back and dip that end in the solution. Ask children to predict the size - and even the number - of bubbles they think this type of blower will make. a. Ask, “Do you think one bubble or many bubbles will come out?”

2. Use a paper cup and a straw to make a great pipe. Push the straw through the side of the cup near the bottom. With the cup upside down, place it in the solution. Remove it and blow through the straw (still keeping the cup upside down). a. You’ll find that this type of blower produces very large bubbles.

3. You can make paper cups, bowls, pie plates, and plastic containers into wonderful multi-bubble blowers. Help children poke holes in the bottoms of the containers and dip them in the solution. Explain that they can either blow on the holes or wave the containers in the air to create bubbles. a. Ask, “What do you think would happen if you made more holes in your cup?”

4. Now pass out the pipe cleaners and help children create wands to dip in the solution and wave through the air. Encourage them to change the shape of their wands. After your day of experimenting, talk about which blowers children thought worked the best.

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Farm SoundsPhonics Student Worksheet

Taken directly from: http://members.enchantedlearning.com/alphabet/circlestartingsound/farmanimals/

Circle the starting sound of the farm animals

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5. Using orange construction paper or oaktag, cut out an elongated oval with one end cut off -- this will be the duck’s bill. Fold the end of the beak over, making a small tab (this is where you will put the glue).

6. Glue the bill onto the circle (put the glue on the small tab that will be folded under the bill). Draw eyes above the bill (or glue on small googly eyes).

7. Staple the head to the paper plate (near the fold line, opposite the tail feathers).

8. Using orange construction paper or oaktag, cut out the duck’s feet - they should be connected by a short strip of paper. To draw each foot, start with an oval, then draw a zigzag on one end.

9. Fold the paper where the feet meet the strip of paper. 10. Staple each foot to the bottom of one side of the paper plate, right inside the fold line of the foot.

11. You now have a cute duckie that will stand up.

Taken directly from: http://members.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/animals/duck/

Materials: • Paper plate • Scissors • Glue • Stapler • A pencil • Yellow and orange construction paper or oak tag

• Crayons, paint or markers • Googly eyes (optional)

Activity:

1. Trace your hands on yellow construction paper, then cut the hands out. If you don’t have yellow construction paper, use stiff white paper, then paint it yellow (or use markers).

2. Fold a paper plate in half. Paint it yellow and let it dry.

3. Staple the hands near the fold on one end - these will be the tail feathers.

4. Using yellow construction paper or oaktag, cut out a circle (about 3 inches across or a little bigger) -- this will be the duck’s head.

Make a DuckArt Classroom Activ i ty

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Taken directly from: http://www.doreencronin.com/

Why didn’t Farmer Brown want to walk trough a crowd of ducks?

He wanted to avoid the quacks in the sidewalk.

Why do cows put their cash in savings?

They like to have mooney in the bank.

What do you call the story of “The Three Little Pigs”?

A pig-tale (pigtail, get it?)

SIlly RiddlesLanguage Arts Classroom Activ i ty

after reading through the book and seeing the play with your students ask them: What do you think Farmer Brown did when he got back from the farm?

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Class Room Discussion Starter

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WHo SaID IT?

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1. “Farmer Brown needs a vacation.”

2. “Meeting in the barn, everyone! Meeting in the barn!”

3. “What if it’s someone scary? Or someone mean? What if it’s someone who doesn’t like animals? Or what of it’s the boogey monster?”

4. “He’s going to Tahiti? Where’s that?

5. “And pencils are great for writing messages!”

6. “Don’t forget to keep an eye on Duck. He’s trouble!”

7. “Hey, you don’t have to call names, milk breath.”

8. “It’s alright Hen, Farmer Brown will come back. Cow, how many times do I have to tell you, stop playing on Hen’s i insecurities. She’ll develop a complex.”

9. “I agree. Sure, we take a coffee break every once in a while. But “goof off” is a little strong.”

10. “Farmer Brown says that today is your play day, so go outside and have a good day.”

11. “I’ll be ding-danged! There really are electric blankets in here!”

12. “Tacos! I want Tacos!”

13. “My straw is the longest! I win!”

14. “Hen, Farmer Brown always gives Pig a mud bath on Wednesdays.”

15. “I haven’t been this relaxed in years. But I’m a little worried about the animals, so I wanted to call and check in.”

16. “Just keep an eye on him. He’s a bad influence on the cows.”

17. “Duck, get out of the kitchen. The cake’s all gone. I told you that yesterday!”

18. “Yeah, you’re a lot more fun than Farmer Brown is.”

19. “And we won’t trick you next time.”

1. Farmer Brown trusted Brother Bob to take care of his farm. Do you think Brother Bob did a good job? What would you have done if you were Brother Bob?

2. In Farmer Brown’s instructions to his brother, he tells him not to eat the chocolate cake. Between Brother Bob and the animals, they eat the entire chocolate cake. Do you think it was a mean thing to do? What would you have done if you really wanted to eat the cake?

3. Pig wants to take a bubble bath. Why do you think she wants to take a bubble bath instead of a mud bath? Which one would you want if you were a pig?

4. Duck’s note says that Thursday night is movie night. If you were planning a movie night for all of your friends, what movies would you show and what snacks would you have?

5. Do you think Farmer Brown would be mad if he found out what really went on when he was gone? Why or why not?

Post-Show Questions

WHo SaID IT? aNSWErS

1. “Farmer Brown needs a vacation.” PIG

2. “Meeting in the barn, everyone! Meeting in the barn!” DUCK

3. “What if it’s someone scary? Or someone mean? What if it’s someone who doesn’t like animals? Or what of it’s the boogey monster?” HEN

4. “He’s going to Tahiti? Where’s that? HEN

5. “And pencils are great for writing messages!” DUCK

6. “Don’t forget to keep an eye on Duck. He’s trouble!” FARMER BROWN

7. “Hey, you don’t have to call names, milk breath.” HEN

8. “It’s alright Hen, Farmer Brown will come back. Cow, how many times do I have to tell you, stop playing on Hen’s insecurities. She’ll develop a complex.” PIG

9. “I agree. Sure, we take a coffee break every once in a while. But “goof off” is a little strong.” COW

10. “Farmer Brown says that today is your play day, so go outside and have a good day.” BROTHER BOB

11. “I’ll be ding-danged! There really are electric blankets in here!” BROTHER BOB

12. “Tacos! I want Tacos!” HEN

13. “My straw is the longest! I win!” HEN

14. “Hen, Farmer Brown always gives Pig a mud bath on Wednesdays.” COW

15. “I haven’t been this relaxed in years. But I’m a little worried about the animals, so I wanted to call and check in.” FARMER BROWN

16. “Just keep an eye on him. He’s a bad influence on the cows.” FARMER BROWN

17. “Duck, get out of the kitchen. The cake’s all gone. I told you that yesterday!” BROTHER BOB

18. “Yeah, you’re a lot more fun than Farmer Brown is.” COW

19. “And we won’t trick you next time.”

20. “There was one thing I really missed, though…Chocolate cake!” FARMER BROWN

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