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Academic Activity Workbook For Grades 4 5 Presented By

Table of Contents Introduction 3 Goals 4 History of The Nutcracker 5 History Facts For Children 6 Read the Story 7 9 Discussion Context Clues 10 Worksheet Context Clues 11 12 Character Descriptions 13 14 The Six Pillars of Good Character 15 Discussion The Six Pillars of Good Character 16 Worksheet The Six Pillars of Good Character 17 Worksheets and Discussions Worksheet The Land of the Sweets Identification Activity 18 Answer Sheet The Land of the Sweets Identification Activity 19 Worksheet What Character are You 20 Worksheet Freytag s Pyramid 21 23 Answer Sheet Freytag s Pyramid 24 Worksheet Crossword Puzzle 25 Answer Sheet Crossword Puzzle 26 Worksheet Word Search 27 Answer Sheet Word Search 28 Worksheet Math Word Problems 29 30 Answer Sheet Math Word Problems 31 Worksheet Symmetry in Snowflakes 32 Worksheet Settings and Weather 33 35 Additional Activity Build a Diorama 36 2

Introduction About Ballet Theatre Company Ballet Theatre Company is a 501 c 3 not for profit performing arts organization Since its founding in 1999 BTC has continued to train aspiring professional dancers stage live action entertainment and enrich the community through its youth outreach program Mission Ballet Theatre Company enriches the greater Hartford area by offering professional caliber dance productions dance education for ages 3 to adult and dance related workshops free of charge to children who otherwise would not have the opportunity through BTC s Community Youth Outreach Program Overview and Purpose The purpose of Ballet Theatre Company s Behind the Curtain Bundle Academic Activity Book for grades 4 5 is to collaborate imagination and art with essential school skills through fun activities After reading The Nutcracker Storybook children will be able to color write draw create practice math skills and more as they explore each worksheet The main goals of this program are to encourage a deeper appreciation for the arts and to develop creativity confidence and skills that will help in academic settings The Behind the Curtain Bundle is also a great way to provide children with a fun educational experience in the classroom or from the comfort of their homes Audience This activity workbook was created for grades 4 5 It includes a variety of worksheets that practice academic skills appropriate for this grade level and encourage the further development of a creative mind Some children may need help reading the initial pages of this activity book Materials Needed This activity workbook contains worksheets discussions and more for children in grades 4 5 Children will also need a pencil pen crayons colored pencils or markers to complete the workbook If children wish to do the additional activity at the end of the workbook they will also need a box styrofoam playdough clay popsicle sticks or other three dimensional materials Contact Program Creators Stephanie Dattellas Artistic and Managing Director stephanie dancebtc org Kyleigh Olivier Outreach Administrator kyleigh olivier dancebtc org 3

Goals Of The Program 1 Encourage a blossoming appreciation for the arts 2 Practice essential academic skills in the following subject areas Reading Comprehension Mathematics Writing History Science 3 Develop creativity and confidence in artistic abilities 4 Increase children s interest in academic subjects through fun activities related to The Nutcracker Storybook 5 Develop greater confidence in abilities and school skills 6 Encourage self expression through art 7 Provide children with educational entertainment that can be done from the comfort of their homes or classroom 4

History of The Nutcracker The original plot of The Nutcracker was based on a combination of two stories E T A Hoffmann s Nutcracker and Mouse King and Alexandre Dumas The Tale of the Nutcracker Nearly every ballet company has performed its own version of The Nutcracker since its premier following a similar storyline to the original but adding in its own stylizations to make it unique For example Ballet Theatre Company s The Nutcracker includes a Noah Webster dancing doll in the party scene to commemorate this important historical figure from Hartford Connecticut The Nutcracker was first performed in 1892 at the Mariinsky Theater in Russia The original music score was composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky who also composed Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty Marius Petipa was the initial choreographer of the ballet but he became ill before completing his work Luckily Lev Ivanov the ballet master at the Mariinsky Ballet was able to step in and complete the choreography Surprisingly The Nutcracker was not very popular when it first premiered It wasn t until ballet companies like the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and the San Francisco Ballet began performing The Nutcracker in the United States in the 1940s that it started to become a favorite holiday staple When famous dancer and choreographer George Balanchine created his own version of The Nutcracker for the New York City Ballet in 1954 it was an instant sensation throughout the United States Maria Tallchief and Erik Bruhn perform the Sugar Plum Fairy pas de deux in Balanchine s The Nutcracker 5

History Facts for Children The Nutcracker is based on stories by E T A Hoffmann and Alexandre Dumas The Nutcracker was first performed in Russia in 1892 Famous ballet composer Tchaikovsky created the music for the ballet Two choreographers created the dance movements for The Nutcracker Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov The Nutcracker was not very popular when it was first performed but once it came to the United States it became a holiday favorite Famous dancer and choreographer George Balanchine created his own version of The Nutcracker for the New York City Ballet in 1954 Ballet companies still perform The Nutcracker today usually using some of the original music and choreography but adding their own flare to make it unique George Balanchine leads rehearsal for The Nutcracker to prepare the dancers for a television version of the ballet 6

Read the Story The Nutcracker ACT 1 Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaums On Christmas Eve families travel to the Stahlbaums house for a holiday party The house is beautifully decorated for Christmas and Clara and her brother Fritz are eager to greet their guests The Stahlbaums friends and their families enjoy a happy celebration full of dancing and mingling that is only ever so often interrupted by Cousin Phineas causing mischief among the guests Clara s Godfather Drosselmeyer a jolly toymaker arrives at the party bringing magic tricks and wonders He presents two life size dancing dolls dressed as West Hartford s historic figure Noah Webster and accompanying him a Blue Back Speller Ballerina Doll to entertain the guests He then presents gifts to all the children at the party surprising Clara and Fritz with two beautiful wooden Nutcracker dolls of their very own Clara and Fritz s friends enjoy using the Nutcrackers to crack nuts and share a treat until Cousin Phineas breaks Clara s newly beloved gift Drosselmeyer fixes the broken wooden doll and Clara Fritz and their friends enjoy dancing with their new toys Clara s grandfather an eager dancer takes the spotlight with his frantic but loving wife as they share a holiday jig The party guests leave saying goodnight to the Stahlbaums and Mr and Mrs Stahlbaum send Clara and Fritz off to bed The Clock Strikes Midnight Drosselmeyer appears casting his magic touch to the Nutcracker doll that had been left under the Christmas tree Clara remembering where her beloved doll was left returns to the party room and falls asleep beneath the light of the Christmas tree with her doll in her arms She then begins to dream In Clara s dream two angels enter the room and sprinkle their magic dust on the Christmas tree Twelve mice appear and tease Clara in hopes to steal her Nutcracker Fritz enters finding Clara very upset and Clara frantically explains the strange happenings that have taken place Fritz agrees to help Clara search for a reasoning behind these strange phenomenons Just then Drosselmeyer appears and the Christmas tree begins to grow to twice its size Drosselmeyer tells Clara that there will be a battle and helps prepare them by transforming their nightgowns into battle ready outfits 7

Battle Scene The Nutcracker now life size to Clara and Fritz enters with his wooden toy soldiers to fight off the Mouse King and his mice minions The battle ends with the Mouse King defeated and Clara s Nutcracker doll badly wounded Clara unconsolable is surprised when Drosselmeyer enters and fixes her Nutcracker doll once again This time however Drosselmeyer transforms the Nutcracker into a handsome Cavalier Clara s Cavalier thanks her for her help in the battle and invites her to accompany him on a journey Clara accepts his offer and bids farewell to her brother Fritz She is then guided by the Cavalier into the Land of the Snow Land of Snow Clara and her Cavalier are greeted by the Snow King and Queen and their dancing snowflakes in a winter wonderland The Snow King and Queen then send Clara and the Cavalier to the wonderful Land of the Sweets ACT 2 Land of the Sweets Clara and the Cavalier are led by angels who direct them to a dreamy land of gumdrops candy canes and sweets The two are welcomed into the Land of the Sweets by the friendly Dew Drop Fairy who asks about their travels to her kingdom The Cavalier tells the Dew Drop Fairy about his daring battle with the Mouse King and how Clara s belief and a little magic brought him back to life The Dew Drop impressed with both of their courageous efforts rewards Clara and the Cavalier with several ethnic dances and gifts Chinese dancers present them with the gift of tea Arabian dancers offer them delicious coffee Spanish dancers present a gift of chocolate and dance with flair Mirliton dancers bring their flutes and play beautiful music Russian dancers impress Clara with their high energy and tricks and Mother Ginger and her Gingerbread Cookies dance for Clara and the Cavalier while trying to avoid the hungry foxes The Dew Drop Fairy then calls her flowers and flower petals to offer a beautiful waltz in the Land of the Sweets 8

Clara s Transformation Grand Pas De Deux Clara s ultimate dream is granted by the Dew Drop who leads Clara to a magical box where she is transformed into the Sugar Plum Fairy Her Cavalier greets her and together they dance amongst the stars glistening all around them Before she leaves all those who dwell in the Land of the Sweets bid Clara goodbye and soon fade away Christmas Morning Clara awakens to Fritz in excitement that it is finally Christmas morning Clara drowsy and confused realizes that her journey was all but a dream She runs to her Nutcracker and gazes into its eyes remembering her incredible adventures that she will never forget 9

Discussion Context Clues Option 1 After reading the story of The Nutcracker go back and look through the underlined challenge words Select the words you would like to focus on or use all of them Then reread each sentence that includes a challenge word and ask the students to make an educated guess of what the word might mean based on context clues If no students have any ideas select a student to look up the word in the dictionary Remind the students that they may need to look for the root word if the challenge word is an adverb or in the past tense Option 2 Have the students grab a thesaurus Then have them go through each of the underlined challenge words and find a synonym that they understand Remind the students that they may need to look for the root word if the challenge word is an adverb or in the past tense A worksheet has been provided on the next page for the students to take note of their educated guesses and or selected synonyms 10

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Context Clues Use the space below to fill in your educated guesses for the meanings of these words or the synonyms you looked up in the thesaurus Then fill in your answers to the reading comprehension questions Mingling ____________________ Frantic ______________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Mischief _____________________ Jig _________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Jolly ________________________ Casting ______________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Accompanying ________________ Phenomenons _________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Eager _______________________ Minions _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ 11

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Context Clues Wounded ____________________ Ethnic ______________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Unconsolable _________________ Flair ________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Cavalier _____________________ Glistening ___________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Bids ________________________ Dwell _______________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Daring ______________________ Drowsy _____________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ Courageous __________________ Gazes ______________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ ____________________________ 12

Character Descriptions Read about the main characters in The Nutcracker Clara Clara is a young girl who goes on a magical journey with her Nutcracker through the Land of the Snow and the Land of the Sweets The Mouse King The Mouse King and his mice minions torment Clara and look to cause trouble until they are defeated by the Nutcracker Drosselmeyer Clara s godfather Drosselmeyer is the man behind all the magic in The Nutcracker The holiday party wouldn t be as fun without him The Nutcracker Clara s Nutcracker doll transforms into a lifesize Nutcracker to help protect her from the evil Mouse King Once the Mouse King is defeated the Nutcracker Doll becomes Clara s Nutcracker Prince and joins her on her journey through the Land of the Snow and the Land of the Sweets 13

Character Descriptions The Snow Queen and King The Dew Drop Fairy The Snow Queen and King rule the Land of the Snow They welcome Clara and her Nutcracker Prince into their kingdom and perform a lovely pas de deux amongst their dancing snowflakes The Dew Drop Fairy guides Clara and her Nutcracker Prince through the Land of the Sweets She too shares a dance with Clara and the Nutcracker waltzing with her petals and flowers Mother Ginger The Sugar Plum Fairy Mother Ginger and her gingerbread children are happy to share a sweet dance with Clara and her Nutcracker Prince They just have to be sure to watch out for hungry foxes Clara s ultimate wish is granted when she is transformed into the Sugar Plum Fairy and shares a beautiful pas de deux with her Cavalier 14

The Six Pillars of Good Character Below we will introduce the Six Pillars of Good Character Trust Caring Respect Responsibility Fairness and Citizenship Trust Someone you can count on to help Example in the Story 1 The Nutcracker could count on Clara to help him in the battle against the Mouse King especially when she presented him with a sword Caring Kindness or concern for others Example in the Story 1 Clara s friends and family are there to comfort her when Cousin Phineas breaks her beautiful Nutcracker doll Respect Someone you admire Example in the Story 1 Everyone in the Land of the Sweets admires Clara and the Nutcracker s bravery in fighting the Mouse King Responsibility Your duties or job Example in the Story 1 It is Mother Ginger s responsibility to look out after her gingerbreads to make sure that they don t get eaten by the fox Fairness No playing favorites Example in the Story 1 Drosselmeyer brings gifts for all of the children at the Stauhlbaum s holiday party Citizenship Showing trust respect responsibility fairness and caring every day Example in the Story 1 The Dew Drop Fairy looks over everyone in the Land of the Sweets and helps to maintain the positivity and balance in the land 15

Discussion The Six Pillars of Good Character After sharing the Six Pillars of Good Character with the students ask them the following questions to further investigate these character traits 1 Did you see any other examples of the Pillars of Good Character throughout the plot of The Nutcracker 2 Can you think of any person or situation in your life that represents one of the Six Pillars of Good Character Remind the students that not everyone will feel the same about these people and that it is okay to have different views 16

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet The Six Pillars of Good Character Choose a character from The Nutcracker that represents one of the Six Pillars of Good Character After choosing this character either draw a picture of the character or write two to three sentences to explain why this character represents the chosen Pillar of Good Character Then choose a person in your life who represents one of the pillars and repeat the same process for them Character _________ Pillar of Good Character _______________ Person ___________ Pillar of Good Character _______________ 17

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet The Land of the Sweets Identification Activity Read the descriptions below and guess which of the performers from the Land of the Sweets it describes best A list of the performers is provided below Dew Drop Fairy Gingerbread Cookie Spanish Dancer Arabian Dancer Mirliton Dancer Mother Ginger Russian Dancer Chinese Dancer You will find me with a fan in my hand I always dance with flair and chocolate is my favorite treat Who am I Answer ________________________ Nothing makes me happier than a cup of hot tea on a cold day I am quite proud of my beautiful clothing Who am I I love my sweet children I don t know what I d do if one of those evil foxes ate one of them Who am I Answer ________________________ Spring is my favorite season I love to waltz around in the flowers Who am I Answer ________________________ Answer ________________________ My friends say that I am a wonderful musician I spend most of the day with my flute in my hand sharing joyous music with those around me Who am I Kicks cartwheels rolls and flips I can do them all I am well known for my high energy Who am I Answer ________________________ Answer ________________________ You will be quite impressed by my flexibility and acrobatic skills Coffee is my favorite drink Who am I Foxes are my least favorite animal I am known for being very sweet Who am I Answer ________________________ Answer ________________________ 18

Answer Sheet The Land of the Sweets Identification Activity Read the descriptions below and guess which of the performers from the Land of the Sweets it describes best You will find me with a fan in my hand I always dance with flair and chocolate is my favorite treat Who am I Answer ______Spanish Dancer_______ Nothing makes me happier than a cup of hot tea on a cold day I am quite proud of my beautiful clothing Who am I I love my sweet children I don t know what I d do if one of those evil foxes ate one of them Who am I Answer ______Mother Ginger_______ Spring is my favorite season I love to waltz around in the flowers Who am I Answer ______Dew Drop Fairy_______ Answer ______Chinese Dancer_______ My friends say that I am a wonderful musician I spend most of the day with my flute in my hand sharing joyous music with those around me Who am I Kicks cartwheels rolls and flips I can do them all I am well known for my high energy Who am I Answer ______Russian Dancer_______ Answer ______Mirliton Dancer_______ You will be quite impressed by my flexibility and acrobatic skills Coffee is my favorite drink Who am I Foxes are my least favorite animal I am known for being very sweet Who am I Answer _____Gingerbread Cookie______ Answer ______Arabian Dancer________ 19

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet What Character are You Now that you ve gotten to know the characters in The Nutcracker it s time to make some connections to the people in your life On the lines below identify which character you feel like you relate to the most For example someone may choose Drosselmeyer because they bring the fun to the group or a Mirliton dancer because they are good at playing musical instruments Then choose two other people in your life that you know well and identify which character they relate to the most Write 3 5 sentences explaining why you made these choices and including examples of behavior that relate to the characters in The Nutcracker 1 Your Character ______________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 2 Person 1 _______________ Character ____________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 3 Person 2 ______________ Character ____________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 20

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Freytag s Pyramid Plot Development Freytag s Pyramid is a method of structuring a story by mapping the progression of conflict from inception to resolution The template below shows the basic elements of Freytag s Pyramid Read about each of these elements below and then relate them to The Nutcracker storyline on the next page Exposition The storyteller sets the scene and the characters backgrounds Rising Action The story builds There is often a complication which means the problem the characters are trying to solve gets more complex Climax The turning point of the story either a moment of peak tension or conflict or a moment of major character development Falling Action The story shifts to action that happens as a result of the climax which can also contain a reversal when the characters show how they are changed by events of the climax Resolution Any conflicts or problems in the story are solved and all the loose ends of the story are tied In many fairy tales this is where the happy ending comes into play 21

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Now label each of the following events in The Nutcracker storyline with its appropriate section of Freytag s Pyramid exposition rising action climax falling action resolution Hint there are four events that should be labeled as rising action _______________ Clara and the Nutcracker meet the Snow Queen and King who welcome them to the Land of the Snow and share a lovely dance with their snowflakes ________________ The Nutcracker is wounded but Drosselmeyer saves him by turning him into a human Cavalier He invites Clara to join him on a journey _______________ Clara wakes up with her Nutcracker doll in her arms realizing her magical journey was a dream but one she will never forget _______________ The Stahlbaums host a holiday party filled with lively music dancing magic and even life size dolls Clara is introduced and she receives a Nutcracker doll as a present _______________ The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier share a lovely pas de deux under the stars _______________ Clara s ultimate wish is granted as she is transformed into the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy _______________ Clara falls asleep under the Christmas tree with her Nutcracker doll in her arms When she awakens she is surrounded by mice Luckily Drosselmeyer makes the Nutcracker doll life size and he defeats the Mouse King and his minions in an epic battle _______________ The Dew Drop Fairy welcomes Clara and the Nutcracker to the Land of the Sweets where they are presented with many gifts and ethnic dances 22

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Using your answers from the previous page fill in Freytag s Pyramid below with the appropriate events for exposition rising action climax falling action and resolution Turn your paper sideways before beginning 23

Answer Sheet Freytag s Pyramid ___Rising Action___ Clara and the Nutcracker meet the Snow Queen and King who welcome them to the Land of the Snow and share a lovely dance with their snowflakes ___Rising Action____ The Nutcracker is wounded but Drosselmeyer saves him by turning him into a human Cavalier He invites Clara to join him on a journey ___Resolution______ Clara wakes up with her Nutcracker doll in her arms realizing her magical journey was a dream but one she will never forget ___Exposition______ The Stahlbaums host a holiday party filled with lively music dancing magic and even life size dolls Clara is introduced and she receives a Nutcracker doll as a present ___Falling Action____ The Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier share a lovely pas de deux under the stars ___Climax_________ Clara s ultimate wish is granted as she is transformed into the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy ___Rising Action____ Clara falls asleep under the Christmas tree with her Nutcracker doll in her arms When she awakens she is surrounded by mice Luckily Drosselmeyer makes the Nutcracker doll life size and he defeats the Mouse King and his minions in an epic battle ___Rising Action____ The Dew Drop Fairy welcomes Clara and the Nutcracker to the Land of the Sweets where they are presented with many gifts and ethnic dances 24

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Crossword Puzzle Test your knowledge of the History of The Nutcracker by filling out the crossword puzzle below Some of the spelling is tricky so flip back to page 5 if you need help 25

Answer Sheet Crossword Puzzle 26

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Word Search Practice spelling challenge words from The Nutcracker Storybook by finding them in the word search below Once you complete the word search write one good sentence using as many of the spelling words as possible _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ ____________________________________________ 27

Answer Sheet Word Search 28

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Math World Problems Answer the following word problems in the space provided Be sure to show your work with numbers or pictures and use units in your answer ex 5 mice Don t forget to simplify 1 Drosselmeyer has many presents for the children at the Stahlbaum s holiday party He wraps of the presents on Saturday and of the presents on Sunday What fraction of the presents does Drosselmeyer wrap on the weekend 2 In the Land of the Snow there are 18 dancing snowflakes In the beginning of the snowflake waltz 5 18 of the snowflakes enter from stage right and 5 18 of the snowflakes enter from stage left What fraction of the dancing snowflakes enter from the sides of the stage at the beginning of the snowflake waltz 3 Clara and Fritz are decorating the Christmas tree The strand of lights has 30 bulbs on it 7 30 of the bulbs are yellow 4 15 of the bulbs are red 7 30 of the lights are green and 4 15 of the lights are blue What fraction of the bulbs are primary colors hint red yellow and blue are primary colors 29

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ 4 The Mouse King has an army of 16 mice When the Nutcracker and his army of soldiers appear 4 of the mice run away What fraction of the mouse army is left to fight in the battle 5 Mother Ginger has 12 dancing ginger breads Sadly the fox catches and eats 3 12 of the dancing ginger breads and 1 12 of the dancing ginger breads crumbles when Mother Ginger accidentally sits on him What fraction of Mother Ginger s dancing ginger breads are still alive 6 The Dew Drop Fairy has 20 dancing flowers When a strong wind comes 1 10 of the flowers are blown away Then a terrible storm hits and sadly destroys of the original 20 dancing flowers What fraction of the dancing flowers are left after the wind and storm hit 30

Answer Sheet Math World Problems 1 Drosselmeyer has many presents for the children at the Stahlbaum s holiday party He wraps of the presents on Saturday and of the presents on Sunday What fraction of the presents does Drosselmeyer wrap on the weekend Answer of the presents 2 In the Land of the Snow there are 18 dancing snowflakes In the beginning of the snowflake waltz 5 18 of the snowflakes enter from stage right and 5 18 of the snowflakes enter from stage left What fraction of the dancing snowflakes enter from the sides of the stage at the beginning of the snowflake waltz Answer 5 9 of the dancing snowflakes 3 Clara and Fritz are decorating the Christmas tree The strand of lights has 30 bulbs on it 7 30 of the bulbs are yellow 4 15 of the bulbs are red 7 30 of the lights are green and 4 15 of the lights are blue What fraction of the bulbs are primary colors hint red yellow and blue are primary colors Answer 23 30 bulbs 4 The Mouse King has an army of 16 mice When the Nutcracker and his army of soldiers appear 4 of the mice run away What fraction of the mouse army is left to fight in the battle Answer of the mouse army 5 Mother Ginger has 12 dancing ginger breads Sadly the fox catches and eats 3 12 of the dancing ginger breads and 1 12 of the dancing ginger breads crumbles when Mother Ginger accidentally sits on him What fraction of Mother Ginger s dancing ginger breads are still alive Answer of the dancing ginger breads 6 The Dew Drop Fairy has 20 dancing flowers When a strong wind comes 1 10 of the flowers are blown away Then a terrible storm hits and sadly destroys of the original 20 dancing flowers What fraction of the dancing flowers are left after the wind and storm hit Answer of the dancing flowers 31

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Symmetry in Snowflakes Did you know that snowflakes are symmetrical Snowflakes have six lines of symmetry Symmetrical Something is symmetrical when it is the same on both sides A shape has symmetry if a central dividing line a mirror line can be drawn on it to show that both sides of the shape are exactly the same Lines of Symmetry A line of symmetry is a line that splits a figure into two parts that match exactly In other words if you can fold a figure so that the two halves align perfectly then the fold line is called a line of symmetry The Snow Queen needs you to create a new snowflake for her In the space below design your own snowflake that is symmetrical with six lines of symmetry You may want to use a ruler to make sure that all of the lines and shapes are proportional Then use a dotted line to show the lines of symmetry 32

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Settings and Weather Page 1 Let s learn a bit about settings and habitats Setting the location and time frame in which the action of a story takes place Here are some of the settings in The Nutcracker the Stauhlbaum s home the Land of the Snow the Land of the Sweets Weather the conditions outside at a particular place and time sunshine clouds temperature and rain are some of the changing conditions that make up the weather In The Nutcracker it is snowy and cold at the Stauhlbaum s holiday party and in the Land of the Snow 1 In the space below write a short paragraph 3 5 sentences describing winter weather ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 2 What if The Nutcracker took place during the summer Write a short paragraph describing summer weather ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 33

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Settings and Weather Page 2 3 List some clothes you would wear in the winter ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 4 What might the characters wear for a costume if The Nutcracker took place during the summer Use complete sentences ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 34

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Settings and Weather Page 3 Habitat the natural home or environment of an animal plant or other organism Examples forest desert grassland ocean arctic tundra What habitat is normally snowy and cold like winter What habitat is normally hot and sunny like summer Identify these two habitats below and use the Venn Diagram below to compare and contrast them It s up to you if you would like to write out these similarities and differences or draw pictures to represent them Habitat __________________ Habitat __________________ 35

Name _____________________________________________ Date _____________ Additional Activity Build a Diorama Diorama a model representing a scene with three dimensional figures If you re feeling extra creative grab a box and build a diorama for a setting from The Nutcracker Choose your favorite scene and get to work Use the space below to start designing your diorama and list out the supplies you ll need Supplies ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ 36