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Academic Activity Workbook For Grades K 1 Presented By

Table of Contents Introduction 3 Goals 4 History of The Nutcracker 5 History Facts For Children 6 Read the Story 7 9 Children s Summary 10 Character Descriptions 11 12 The Six Pillars of Good Character 13 Discussion The Six Pillars of Good Character 14 Worksheets and Discussions Worksheet The Land of the Sweets Identification Activity 15 Answer Sheet The Land of the Sweets Identification Activity 16 Worksheet Colors Emotions and Characters 17 18 Discussion Colors Emotions and Characters 19 Worksheet Plot Sequence 20 Answer Sheet Plot Sequence 21 Worksheet Spelling Practice 22 Worksheet Math Word Problems 23 24 Answer Sheet Math Word Problems 25 Worksheet Settings and Weather 26 28 Worksheet Symmetry in Snowflakes 29 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 K 1 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 K 1 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 K 1 Children will also need a pencil pen crayons colored pencils or markers to complete the workbook 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 on 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

Children s Summary The Nutcracker On Christmas Eve the Stahlbaum family hosts a big holiday party and invites all of their friends and family Clara and Fritz enjoy dancing around with their friends and their Godfather Drosselmeyer brings lots of magic and fun to the party Drosselmeyer presents two life size dancing dolls and gives Clara and Fritz the gift of two beautiful Nutcracker dolls Sadly Cousin Phineas breaks Clara s new gift but Drosselmeyer uses his magic to fix the Nutcracker doll and leaves it under the Christmas tree As everyone gets ready for bed Clara remembers her Nutcracker doll was left by the tree and heads downstairs to find it falling asleep with the doll in her arms When she awakens Drosselmeyer uses his magic to make the Christmas tree grow and turn her Nutcracker into a life size doll The Nutcracker is now ready to go into battle with his wooden soldiers and with a little help from Clara he is able to defeat the Mouse King and his minions When Clara sees the Nutcracker s battle wounds she begins to cry but luckily Drosselmeyer works his magic and transforms him into a handsome Cavalier Clara agrees to join her Nutcracker Cavalier on a journey starting out in the Land of the Snow where they are greeted by the Snow Queen and King and their dancing snowflakes From there the Dew Drop Fairy welcomes them into the Land of the Sweets 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 Clara s ultimate dream is granted when the Dew Drop Fairy 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 as the Land of the Sweets begins to fade away Suddenly Clara awakens to Fritz in excitement that it is finally Christmas morning Clara sleepy and confused realizes that her journey was just a dream She runs to her Nutcracker and gazes into its eyes remembering her incredible adventures that she will never forget 10

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 11

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 12

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 13

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 14

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 ________________________ 15

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 Answer ______Arabian Foxes are my least favorite animal I am known for being very sweet Who am I Answer _____Gingerbread Cookie______ Dancer________ 16

Name _______________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Colors Emotion and Character Page 1 Sometimes people connect colors to an emotion For example the color red can be related to anger or love there are many different answers you can choose In the chart below connect the listed color to an emotion and then connect this emotion to a character from The Nutcracker Fill in the sentence blanks with the character emotion and reason Then draw a picture of the character The first box has been completed for you as an example to follow Green Emotion ____jealousy______ __Cousin Phineas__ makes me think of ___jealousy____ because he took Clara s beautiful Nutcracker doll and broke it Red Emotion ________________ _______________________ makes me think of _______________________________ because ________________________________________ _______________________________________ 17

Name _______________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Colors Emotion and Character Page 2 Blue Emotion ________________ _______________________ makes me think of _______________________________ because ________________________________________ _______________________________________ Yellow Emotion ________________ _______________________ makes me think of _______________________________ because ________________________________________ _______________________________________ 18

Discussion Colors Emotion and Character Once the children have completed the Colors Emotions and Characters worksheet have them share what emotion and character they chose for each color 1 What emotion did you choose for insert color 2 What character did you think of once you picked the emotion Why 3 What similarities did you notice 4 What differences did you notice Remind the students that there is no right or wrong answer This will create the opportunity to discuss the diversity of opinions and how everyone s thoughts and feelings should be respected Not everyone sees things the same way and we need to remember this everyday so we can understand and appreciate our differences 19

Name _______________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Plot Sequence Let s test your memory Number the following events 1 7 based on the order in which they happened in The Nutcracker 1 being first 7 being last ____ The Snow Queen and King dance for Clara and the Nutcracker amongst their snowflakes ____ Clara wakes up on Christmas morning and realizes her adventure was just a dream but a very memorable one ____ When Clara falls asleep by the Christmas tree mice suddenly appear and try to steal her Nutcracker doll ____ The Dew Drop Fairy welcomes Clara and the Nutcracker to the Land of the Sweets ____ The Stahlbaums host a holiday party and invite all of their friends and family ____ The Mouse King and the Nutcracker battle ____ Clara is transformed into the Sugar Plum Fairy 20

Answer Sheet Plot Sequence Let s test your memory Number the following events 1 7 based on the order in which they happened in The Nutcracker 1 being first 7 being last __4__ The Snow Queen and King dance for Clara and the Nutcracker amongst their snowflakes __7__ Clara wakes up on Christmas morning and realizes her adventure was a dream but she will never forget it __2__ When Clara falls asleep by the Christmas tree mice suddenly appear and try to steal her Nutcracker doll __5__ The Dew Drop Fairy welcomes Clara and the Nutcracker to the Land of the Sweets __1__ The Stahlbaums host a holiday party and invite all of their friends and family __3__ The Mouse King and the Nutcracker battle __6__ Clara is transformed into the Sugar Plum Fairy 21

Name _______________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Spelling Practice Practice spelling challenge words from The Nutcracker in the lines below Then practice reading the words out loud Ask for help from a teacher or adult if you need help doll snow ______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ________________________ ________________________ tree sweet _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ________________________ ________________________ snow fairy _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ________________________ ________________________ dance party _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ________________________ ________________________ mouse ballet _______________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________ ________________________ ________________________ 22

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 1 The Mouse King brings 4 brave mice with him to battle the Nutcracker When the Mouse King starts losing the battle he calls for 4 more brave mice How many brave mice were at the battle 2 In the Land of the Snow 7 dancing snowflakes enter from stage right and 5 dancing snowflakes enter from stage left How many dancing snowflakes are on stage 3 Clara puts 3 ornaments on the tree Fritz adds 2 more and Cousin Phineas puts up 5 ornaments How many ornaments in total are on the tree 23

Name _______________________________________ Date _____________ 4 Drosselmeyer leaves 7 presents under the Christmas tree Cousin Phineas steals 2 of the presents How many presents are left under the tree 5 Mother Ginger has 12 dancing ginger breads Sadly the fox catches 3 of them and eats them How many ginger breads does Mother Ginger have left 6 Challenge The Dew Drop Fairy has 5 flowers She is quite happy when 3 more flowers bloom Then a rabbit eats 2 of the flowers How many flowers does the Dew Drop Fairy have left 24

Answer Sheet Math World Problems 1 The Mouse King brings 4 brave mice with him to battle the Nutcracker When the Mouse King starts losing the battle he calls for 4 more brave mice How many brave mice were at the battle Answer 8 brave mice 2 In the Land of the Snow 7 dancing snowflakes enter from stage right and 5 dancing snowflakes enter from stage left How many dancing snowflakes are on stage Answer 12 dancing snowflakes 3 Clara puts 3 ornaments on the tree Fritz adds 2 more and Cousin Phineas puts up 5 ornaments How many ornaments in total are on the tree Answer 10 ornaments 4 Drosselmeyer leaves 7 presents under the christmas tree Cousin Phineas steals 2 of the presents How many presents are left under the tree Answer 5 presents 5 Mother Ginger has 12 dancing ginger breads Sadly the fox catches 3 of them and eats them How many ginger breads does Mother Ginger have left Answer 9 dancing ginger breads 6 Challenge The Dew Drop Fairy has 5 flowers She is quite happy when 3 more flowers bloom Then a rabbit eats 2 of the flowers How many flowers does the Dew Drop Fairy have left Answer 6 flowers 25

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 list some descriptive words about winter weather ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 2 What if The Nutcracker took place during the summer List some words that describe the weather in the summer ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 26

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 ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ 27

Name _______________________________________ Date _____________ Worksheet Settings and Weather Page 3 5 Let s put your drawing skills to the test In the first box below draw your version of the Snow Queen or Snow King In the second box draw what you think a Sun Queen or Sun Queen would look like Keep in mind descriptive words for weather and how this might affect what your characters wear Discuss the differences between these two characters 28

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 or that has at least one line of symmetry Then use a dotted line to show the line of symmetry 29