TOURING SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 2015
BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE’S ARTS AND EDUCATION PROGRAM STUDY GUIDE 206-428-6266 www.book-it.org
HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDE
LITERACY OBJECTIVES
Book-It Repertory Theatre’s Arts and Education Program closely aligns its performances and learning materials with research-based reading instruction. The purpose of this study guide is to engage students in the “Book-It Style®,” literacy objectives and hands-on activities that support the comprehension of The Secret Garden.
ACTIVATING PRIOR KNOWLEDGE MAKING SELF-TO-TEXT CONNECTIONS VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE REFLECTING & EVALUATING
FIRST: READ THE BOOK As part of Book-It’s touring package, your school has received a copy of the story that serves as a permanent resource for your library.
SECOND: SELECT ACTIVITIES
THEMES & CONCEPTS FRIENDSHIP, SECRETS,
Select one or all of the activities and adjust them to fit your students and classroom needs. MYSTERY AND MAGIC, COMING OF AGE, Some activities are designed for teachers to FAMILY DYNAMICS, TRANSFORMATION, lead students through an interactive process; THE ENVIRONMENT directions and support materials are included for successful facilitation. Others are handouts for independent student work or to be used for whole-class instruction.
THIRD: KEEP READING! Standards for the study guide and Performance: Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts*: R.CCR.1, R.CCR.2, R.CCR.3. R.CCR.4, R.CCR.6, RI.CCR.5, L.CCR.4 Washington EARLs in Theatre: 1.1, 1.4, 3.1, 4.3 *Exact standards depend upon grade level, reading the text, and instructional shifts to meet the standard
STUDY GUIDE COMPILED, WRITTEN AND TRANSLATED BY ANNIE DIMARTINO, Director of Education KATIE McKELLAR, Tour Manager RACHAEL LeVALLEY, Touring Teaching Artist 2
Important Note on the Book-It Style ® The use of narrative, particularly third person narrative, is a hallmark and founding principle of Book-It Repertory Theatre productions since the company’s inception in 1987. Book-It’s approach to narrative text on stage is known throughout theatre communities regionally and nationally as the “Book-It Style®.” Book-It adaptations provide an experience of the book unlike any other adapted work. By preserving the author’s original language, Book-It adaptations capture the essence of the novel’s original intent and tone, while celebrating the author’s unique voice. Actors in a Book-It Style production perform narrative lines in character with objectives and intentions as they would with any line of dialogue in a standard play. Narrative lines are delivered with motivation to other characters, as opposed to a detached delivery straight out to the audience as a narrator.
(At curtain, Mary onstage, taking dolls out of case. Mr. and Mrs. Lennox enter, discover Mary) MR. & MRS LENNOX Marry Lennox! was as the most disagreeable-looking child ever seen. MARY La niña de apariencia más desagradable que jamás había visto MR. & MRS. LENNOX Y era verdad.
MR. LENNOX Her father held a position in India under the English Government MARY (acting as dad with doll) Gobierno Inglés. MR. LENNOX And had always been busy MARY (with dad doll) Muy ocupado. (with mom doll) Su madre
MRS. LENNOX Su cabello era fino y amarillo,
MRS. LENNOX Her mother was a great beauty
MR. LENNOX Y su rostro también
MARY Poseia una gran belleza.
MARY She was thin and yellow because she had always been ill! (with doll) Su padre
MRS. LENNOX Who cared only to go to parties and amuse herself
Book-It adapters will often divide descriptive narrative amongst several characters. This arrangement and editing process is a result of purposeful exploration and development over the last 28 years of the company’s artistic history, and overseen by Founding Artistic Directors Jane Jones and Myra Platt. 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE STORY & CHARACTERS The Secret Garden: An Interview………………………………………………………………………………… 5 Introduction to the Characters in The Secret Garden………………………………………………….6 Story Synopsis………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..8 About the Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett ……………………………………………………………….9 About the setting: England and India in the early 1900s ……………………………………………11 CONTEXT (K-3 Activity) Reflect and Evaluate Worksheet ………………………………………………………….13 (K-3 Activity) My Story: Self-to-Text Connections …………………………………………………..14 (4-6 Activity) Understanding Plot ……………………………………………………………………………….15 (7-8 Activity) Cause and Effect Worksheet ………………………………………………………………..16 (7-8 Activity) A Bit of Earth: The Power of Nature …………………………………………………. 17 (4-6 & 7-8 Activity) Make Your Garden Grow: Building a Community ……………………….18 ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES (K-3 Activity) Vocabulary in Context, Found Poem …………………………………………………..20 (4-6 & 7-8 Activity) Spanish and English Word Search ……………………………………………….21 Book-It Book List for Additional Reading ………………………………………………………………… 22
INTRODUCTION TO BOOK-IT REPERTORY THEATRE’S ARTS & EDUCATION PROGRAM: Book-It’s Arts and Education Program is dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to read. We tour a diverse range of stories to schools, libraries, and community venues throughout Washington state, conduct long-term residencies in schools, offer teacher professional development for school staff, and present low-cost student matinées of our mainstage shows. What you will see and hear at a Book-It performance is literature spoken by the characters as if it were dialogue in a play—actors speak both the narration and the dialogue. Book-It takes the written word back to its roots—storytelling!
OUR MISSION To provide an interactive relationship between youth and literature through diverse theatrical productions and educational programs that promote the joy of reading, enhance student and teacher learning, and inspire the imagination.
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The start of a new theatrical season is always exciting, particularly when you are starting with a classic title being performed in two languages. Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Myra Platt, Book-It’s Co-Artistic Director, and Kelly Kitchens, the original adaptor and current director of The Secret Garden. Here’s what we talked about: The Secret Garden is a classic British novel, why did you choose this story to tell bilingually? MP: As artistic director, I was interested in bringing back The Secret Garden from our repertoire. It occurred to me that so much of what is considered classic children’s literature is centered around white European cultures. But the stories are universal. Book-It’s mission is to inspire audiences to read as well as make all literature accessible to all readers. It is an experiment for us, but we are really excited to try it. KK: Powerful stories are universal no matter their language of origin. I think of the rich stories of writers such as Lorca and Molière and how profoundly grateful I am that I have access to translations of and access to those stories in my native language. How will audiences who only speak one of the languages fluently be able to understand what is going on? MP: Our aim is that the theatrical staging and acting will be cohesive and engaging no matter what. KK: I was able to see performances when traveling in Mexico and Peru. Though I don't speak Spanish, the storytelling was so clear and physical that even though I wasn't able to understand the words I was more than able to follow the story. What are you most excited about with this project? MP: Trying something we’ve never done before. I love the fact that this story is being told bilingually. We are also interested in having students who speak only English experience what it is like to listen to another language and through live theater and storytelling make sense of it. KK: I am excited about working with the challenges of such a high-level of physical storytelling that doing this piece bilingually will demand: how to make bold, clear physical and vocal choices that fully communicate intention, action, and reaction without becoming overly broad or "indicated." What is a challenge of working on a piece that is being performed in two languages? KK: As an adaptor, the challenge is finding the balance of languages within the story and how those choices will work in the telling of the story. As a non-Spanish speaker, I am headed into the unknown on directing portions of the story in a language I do not speak; I am thrilled by the prospect of the learning curve ahead and am so excited to work with such excellent bilingual collaborators in our translator and within the cast. What take-away do you hope your audiences will have after seeing the show? MP: That reading and theater can inspire our ability to put ourselves into the shoes of characters from a different place and time and culture. That the words magic and mystery are all the more magical and mysterious when learning a new language. To begin the process of inclusion and equitability in a communal setting of watching a story come to life in two languages. KK: Many things separate us from living a connected and authentic life, whether that be from the habit of fear, the circumstance of neglect, or the cycle of grief; but when we take the risk to look within and reach out, there is a world of magic awaiting us.
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The Secret Garden Study Guide Book-It Repertory Theatre Arts and Education 2015-2016 Touring Series
THE CHARACTERS IN THE SECRET GARDEN
ACTOR 1: Mary Lennox - Mary Lennox is a ten-year-old girl who, after the death of her parents in India, is sent to live with her uncle in Yorkshire, England. Mary Lennox es una niña de diez años. Después de la muerte de sus padres en India, Mary es enviado a vivir con su tío en Yorkshire, Iglaterra. ACTOR 2: Dickon Sowerby - Older than Colin and Mary, Dickon has lived on Missel Moor his entire life, and has an intimate relationship with the land. Dickon Sowerby es más viejo que Colin y Mary. Dickon ha vivido en Missel Moor toda su vida, y tiene una relación íntima con la tierra. Martha Sowerby - Mary's friend and maidservant. Amiga y sirvienta de Mary. Archibald Craven - The master of Misselthwaite Manor, who suffers from a crooked spine and general ill health. He has been in a crushing depression ever since the death of his wife, ten years before the novel begins. El señor de Misselthwaite Manor, que sufre de una espina torcida y mala salud por lo general. Él ha estado en una depresión aplastante desde la muerte de su esposa, diez años antes de que la novela comenzara.
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ACTOR 3: Colin Craven - Colin Craven is Archibald Craven's ten-year-old son and heir. His mother died in childbirth when he was born, and his father could not bear to look at him because of his resemblance to her. It is feared that he will grow to be a hunchback like his father, and he has been treated as an invalid since his birth. Colin Craven tiene diez años y es hijo y heredero de Achibald Craven. Colin nació poco después de la muerte de su madre, y su padre no podía soportar verlo debido a su parecido con ella. Se teme que va a llegar a ser un jorobado como su padre, y lo han tratado como un inválido desde su nacimiento. Ben Weatherstaff - Ben Weatherstaff is an elderly gardener who is only permitted to stay at Misselthwaite because he was a favorite of the late Mistress Craven. Ben Weatherstaff es un Jardinero anciano que solo le permitían para quedarse en Misselthwaite porque era uno de los favoritos de la difunta señora Craven. Mrs. Medlock - The head of the servants at Misselthwaite Manor, Mrs. Medlock is distinguished by her careful obedience of all of Master Craven's odd rules. La jefe de los sirvientes en Misslethwaite Manor, la señora Medlock se distingue por su obediencia escrupulosa a todas las reglas extrañas del señor Craven.
Costume design renderings from Costume Designer Samantha Armitage.
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STORY SYNOPSIS
The Secret Garden follows a young girl,
Dickon helps Mary begin to care for the garden and Mary becomes a more well tempered and kind individual.
Mary Lennox, during the early 1900s. Mary and her parents live in India where Mary is raised by hired servants. Mary is not loved by anyone and is neglected by her parents; as a result, she is spoiled, rude, and sickly. When Mary is ten, her parents and servants all perish from the dreadful cholera and Mary’s life is changed forever. A group of soldiers find her alone in her room wondering where everyone has gone and she is sent to live with her reclusive uncle, Archibald Craven, at Misselthwaite Manor in Yorkshire, England.
One night, Mary hears a distant cry and her curiosity gets the better of her again and she goes to investigate. She discovers her invalid cousin, Colin Craven, whom she had never met, howling in his closed up bedroom. Colin is very much like Mary had been when she lived in India; he is bedridden, selfish, and the servants are to obey his every wish. Mary tells him to stop crying and that his illness is in his head. She insists that he can get better and decides that she will help him in his The manor is very large and old with recovery. Dickon and Mary begin caring hundreds of locked doors that no one is for Colin and he eventually comes out of allowed to enter. Mary is no longer doted his room and begins to help in the garden on by servants and must learn to as well. Colin also regains his health and entertain and care for herself. She learns the three children care for the garden. of a hidden, locked garden on the estate Master Craven rushes home after a trip that was once tended by the late Mrs. abroad and discovers that his son and Craven and has been locked since she niece have brought his wife’s overgrown passed away ten years ago. Mary is told garden back to life. that Mr. Archibald buried the key somewhere on the moor and told no one to enter the gardens again. Burning with curiosity, Mary begins exploring the moor in search of the key and slowly grows strong from the exercise of walking out of doors. Eventually, with the help of a robin, Mary finds the key and opens the garden. It is unkept and completely overgrown and Mary is thrilled with her discovery. While exploring the moor, Mary creates the first friendships of her life with Ben Weatherstaff (an old gardener), the robin, and a young local man, Dickon Sowerby. 8
4-6 Activity
ABOUT THE AUTHOR FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT
Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett was born in
Manchester, England on November 24, 1849, the middle of five children. Her father passed away when she was just 3 years old and when she was 15, her mother moved her family to Knoxville, Tennessee to be near her uncle’s family. To help her family make money, Frances began to write stories. Her first story was published in Godey’s Lady’s Book in 1868. Soon, she was also published in Scribner’s Monthly, Peterson’s Ladies’ Magazine, and Harper’s Bazaar and she had earned enough money to move her family into a better home in Knoxville. In 1873, after a year-long visit to England, Frances married her childhood neighbor, Swan Burnett. Their first son, Lionel, was born the following year. Their second son, Vivien, was born not long after. At this point, Frances was supporting her family completely through her writing. Her first book, The Lass o’ Lowries, was published in 1877 to good reviews. In 1879, after meeting fellow writer Louisa May Alcott and children’s magazine editor Mary Mapes Dodge, Frances began to write children’s fiction. Over the next five years, several of her short stories were published in Mary Mapes Dodge’s magazine. It was here that she first published a serialization of her novel Little Lord Fauntleroy in 1884. The book received good reviews and became a best-seller in both the United States and England. It was translated into 12 languages and distributed worldwide. By 1887, Frances and her sons returned to England to live in London for a time. There, Frances continued to write, publishing novels as well as stage adaptations of her stories. One book, Sara Crewe or What Happened at Miss Minchin’s, was the beginnings of the book we now know as A Little Princess. 9
4-6 Activity
Sadly, in 1890, her oldest son, Lionel, died from Tuberculosis. The loss of her son deeply affected Frances, causing her to turn away from her traditional Protestant faith and investigate Christian Science and Spiritualism. This shift in faith had effects not only on Frances’ personal life but on her writing as well. The Secret Garden has strong Christian Science influences. In 1898, Frances divorced Swan Burnett and moved permanently to a house in England called Great Maytham Hall. This house’s large gardens became an inspiration for The Secret Garden. In 1900, she married Stephen Townsend, but the marriage was troubled and they divorced just two years later. After an illness and recovery in America, Frances returned to Maytham Hall in 1904. It was here that she had the idea for The Secret Garden. A Little Princess, which was published in 1905, features characters similar to those in The Secret Garden, young English girls who grew up in India and move to England upon the untimely death of their parents. Frances returned to the United States in 1907 and settled on Long Island, New York, where she would live for the remainder of her life. The Secret Garden was published in 1911. While it was well received by the public, The Secret Garden was not nearly as popular as other books Frances had published in her lifetime. It wasn’t for another quarter of a century that The Secret Garden would achieve the popularity it has today. Frances Hodgson Burnett died on died on October 29, 1924 at the age of 74.
RIGHT IN THE TEXT QUESTIONS: 1. Why did Frances Hodgson Burnett move from Manchester, England to Knoxville Tennessee? 2. What event inspired Frances to begin writing children’s fiction? 3. Sara Crew or What Happened at Miss Michin’s was the beginning of what popular book? 4. What inspired The Secret Garden? 5. What two Frances Hodgson Burnett books feature similar character?
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4-6 Activity
ABOUT THE SETTING, ENGLAND AND INDIA IN EARLY 1900s
The Secret Garden is set at the turn of the last century, an exciting period in history that saw Mt. Vesuvius erupt, Mohandas Gandhi’s first non-violence campaign, and the first Rose Bowl was played between the University of Michigan and Stanford University (Michigan won 49-0).
ENGLAND In Great Britain, the reign of Victoria had come to a close, and her son, Edward VII became King. The subway system (“tube”) was just starting, and children entered mines at age 12. Railways were being built in India and England, but even in the home Country, travel between the rail station and one’s destination was still over unpaved roads by carriage or wagon. Running larger houses in England, such as The Secret Garden’s Misselthwaite Manor, relied on servants. For example, housemaids were responsible for maintaining and cleaning up the coal fires that provided heat and carrying water to upstairs floors several times a day. That was in addition to emptying chamber pots, turning down beds, scrubbing floors, and other activities. Misselthwaite Manor is a fictional home in one of England’s largest and most northern counties, Yorkshire. The rural areas of Yorkshire were dotted with tiny villages, and outlying homes were often far apart, isolating their inhabitants. Because of the distances, servants lived in their employers’ homes, only leaving on their “day out” once or twice a month. One of the greenest areas in England, Yorkshire has huge regions of unspoiled land, predominantly moors or walled pastureland grazed by sheep or cattle. Moors are tracts of land with very acidic soil (frequently a peat bog) covered with vegetation, usually grasses and heather, a low-growing shrub that blooms a vivid purple in late summer. Moors are in high rainfall areas with virtually no tall vegetation where birds are common but reptiles are rare. Because many areas are very remote, the communities tend to be not only close-knit but relatively self-sustaining. 11
4-6 Activity
INDIA India, where Mary Lennox begins her journey after surviving a Cholera outbreak, was one of Britain’s largest colonies and its rule there, called The Raj, began in 1858. The Crown’s direct control extended into present day Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, and much of India. By 1906 the path to Indian self-rule had begun, including the founding of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885 and the Muslim League (fighting for the political rights of the Muslim minority) in 1906.The same year, the INC stopped asking for greater participation and demanded self-rule—a demand not fulfilled until the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947. From 1898 through 1923, there was a Cholera pandemic throughout Russia and the Ottoman Empire, as well as in India. It is estimated that 800,000 people in India died during this time. This would have been the pandemic that killed Mary’s parents and all of the servants in her childhood home.
RIGHT IN THE TEXT QUESTIONS: 1. List four responsibilities of housemaids who worked in larger houses in England in the early 1900s? 2. What is the definition of the word “moor”? 3. What was the most common form of travel between the rail station and one’s destination? 4. What was Britain’s largest colony and when did its rule there begin? 5. What happened between 1898 and 1923 to cause the death of an estimated 80,000 people in India? 12
K-3 Activity
REFLECT AND EVALUATE: ENTER THE GARDEN Put on a Character’s shoes and step inside… With a partner: 1. Pair-share your favorite part of the play. 2. Pair-share something you didn’t understand or still have a question about. 3. List all the characters you can remember. 4. Talk about which character is most like you and why.
Con una pareja: 1. Comparte tu parte favorita de la obra. 2. Comparte algo que no hayas entendio o que todavía tengas preguntas. 3. Haz una lista de todos los personajes que puedes recordar. 4. Habla de qué personaje es más parecido a ti y por qué.
If you were in the story… What character would you be? Now, write about or draw that character… At the beginning of the story...
At the end of the story...
This character has taught me...
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K-3 Activity
My Story: Self-to Text Connections Unlock the Garden of Friendship “She had begun to like the robin and Dickon. She was beginning to like Martha, too. That seemed a good many people to like when you were not used to liking.� Mary Lennox Sometimes friendships can be complicated. Mary never had a friend until she entered the garden. In each box, write about or draw your experience with friendship. A time when I felt alone...
A time when I made an unexpected friend...
A time when I was cruel or mean to someone...
A time when I was kind...
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4-6 Activity
UNDERSTANDING THE PLOT—SEQUENCING WORKSHEET DIRECTIONS: The Secret Garden is a story with a lot of layers. Many events happen in a short time. After reading the plot summary, underline the 4 most important events. Then number them 1-4 and assign them to a box. Draw a small picture of the event in the box and write a brief description of the event on the lines below the boxes.
INSTRUCCIONES: El Jardín Secreto es un cuento con un montón de capas. Muchos acontecimientos ocurren en un tiempo corto. Después de leer el resumen del argumento, subraya los 4 acontecimientos más importantes. Entonces numéralos 1-4 y asignarlos a una caja. Dibuja una pequeña imagen de acontecimiento en cada caja y escribe una breve descripción del acontecimiento en las líneas debajo de las cajas.
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7-8 Activity
CAUSE AND EFFECT WORKSHEET The characters in The Secret Garden experience many transitions throughout the book—Mary not only moves from India to England, but she also learns how to be independent; Colin discovers his own personal strength and health, etc. But none of these changes happen on their own. There are several events throughout the book that move the characters to change. Below, examine some of these events, what happens and how does it change the character. Make sure to include page numbers to cite your answers.
CAUSE
EFFECT
Mary befriends Colin and takes him outside to play and work in the garden
Colin’s health improves and he is able to walk again.
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7-8 Activity
A BIT OF EARTH: THE POWER OF NATURE England is a beautifully green country, known for its lush meadows and exquisitely colorful gardens. Its unique flora is varied, ranging from towering trees to dense bush, flowers, crops, fruit trees, vines and shrubs. There are at least 50 tree species that are native to England and well over 900 species of bryophytes (e.g. mosses). FORESTS: There are large forested areas throughout England, adding a distinctive beauty to the landscape. The main tree species that inhabit both these forests and other natural areas include: Oak, Beech, Pine, Birch, Elm, Ash, Crab Apple, Maple, Poplar, and Willow AGRICULTURE: A large proportion of the land comprises farming or agricultural areas. These are occupied by crops like: Wheat, Barley, Oats, Cherry orchards, Apple orchards, and Plum orchards FLOWERS: In the open expanses grow flowering heathers, gorse, shrubs, Snowdrops, Bluebells, Daffodils, Buttercups, and more. Roses are the national flower and one of the most profuse and well-loved flowers throughout England. DESIGN A FLOWER FOR YOUR SECRET GARDEN ACTIVITY: After reviewing the types of flowers and trees that are indigenous to Yorkshire and could have bloomed in Mary’s Secret Garden, review with your students the various ways in which flowers are pollinated. Next, have your students work in groups to design models of flowers that are pollinated in various ways. One flower could mimic an insect to attract other insects for pollination. One flower could rely on humans, another could be pollinated by the wind. Display the designs in the classroom with small captions describing the flower’s unique characteristics. OR Have your students research the different flowers that could have bloomed in Mary’s secret garden. Next, have them design their own secret garden using the flowers listed above. (They can create drawings, models or picture collages). In groups, they should research each flower or tree they have chosen, noting their specific characteristics.
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4-6 Activity
7-8 Activity
MAKE YOUR GARDEN GROW: BUILDING A COMMUNITY
The Secret Garden is a story about resilience, how human beings have within them the tools to overcome even the greatest of obstacles. Mary, newly orphaned and making her way “alone” in the world, discovers that in working in the garden, investing hard work and time, it is possible to overcome difficulties. No one expected the garden to flourish again just like no one expected Colin to recover or Archibald to be able to love again. The Secret Garden Venn Diagram Growing up in India, it is clear when she moves to Yorkshire that Mary has a very different background than the people she meets at Misselthwaite Manor. Using the Venn diagram on the next page, write some things you know about Mary’s cultural background in one circle and what you know about Colin’s cultural background in the other. Where do these overlap?
Madurar en India, es evidente cuando Mary se muda a Yorkshire, que sus orígenes son muy diferentes a los de la gente que ella conoce en Misselthwaite Manor. Usando el diagrama de Venn en la siguiente página, escribe algunas cosas que sabes sobre los orígenes culturales de Mary en un círculo y los que sabes sobre de los orígenes culturales de Colin en el otro. ¿En dónde tienen puntos en común? Community Building Venn Diagram Get into pairs and share some things with your partner about your cultural background and fill in a Venn diagram that shows your two backgrounds. Where do they overlap? Where are you different? Afterward, write a paragraph reflecting on this exercise, did you learn anything surprising from your partner? Did you have a lot in common? What were some interesting differences you discovered?
En pareja, comparte algunas cosas sobre los orígenes culturales tuyo y rellena un diagrama de Venn que muestre sus dos orígenes. ¿En dónde tienen puntos en común? ¿En dónde tienen puntos diferentes? Después escribe un párrafo que refleje esta actividad. ¿Aprendiste algo sorprendente de tu pareja? ¿Tuvieron mucho en común? ¿Cuáles fueron algunas diferencias interesantes que has descubierto? EXTENSION: Turn these personal Venn diagrams into large posters and post them around the classroom. Have a “Student Museum Day” where students can walk around the room and discover things about their classmates. Have students make a list of three new things they learned and three things they had in common with other people in the class. Our C
arden Venn The Secret G
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unity Ve
nn
MARY
COLIN
My Name:
Partner’s Name:
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K-3 Activity
Vocabulary in Context FOUND POEM: What’s Your Secret Message? A “found poem” is a poem created with words and phrases from an existing story. You’ll create a five-line found poem with a secret message using words and phrases from The Secret Garden. STEP 1: Pick one of three themes from the story and circle it: FRIENDSHIP
SECRETS
MAGIC
STEP 2: Select words and phrases from these lists to create your own found poem about the theme you circled. Under each line there is a direction about what to write. Have fun. In a found poem, there are no wrong answers. WORDS Mysterious misterioso Garden jardín Smile sonrisa Lonely solitario Crying Llorando Whispering susurro Spoiled mimado Strong fuerte Courage coraje Hope esperanza Laughter risa Wandering Vagando
PHRASES Out of sight The child no one ever saw Make friends Secret garden I wish Rain or shine I never had a secret Laugh over nothing Like an angel Can I trust you? I found the key Locked up
Write the theme word you circled Write one phrase from the list Write three words from the list Write one phrase from the list Write one word from the list
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Fuera de vista El niño nunca nadie vio hacer amigos jardín secreto Deseo Lluvia o sol Nunca tuve un secreto Reír por nada Como un ángel Puedo confiar en ti? He encontrado la llave Encerrada
4-6 Activity
7-8 Activity
Vocabulary: Spanish and English Infused Word Search Name:
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FANTASMA LO CONTRARIO VISTA CORRIDOR MOOR CHOLERA
AMISTAD CORREDOR SHILLINGS REDBIRD YORKSHIRE ASHY
H
MISTERIOSO BLOQUEADO WRETCHED GARDEN INDIA AYAH
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MISERABLE CLAVE GHOST CONTRARY MISSELTHWAITE DISAGREEABLE
Y
If you liked The Secret Garden, you might also like: Kindergarten: Grandpa Green by Lane Smith: A child explores the ordinary life of his extraordinary great-grandfather, as expressed in his topiary garden. Scarlette Beane by Karen Wallace: When family members give five-year-old Scarlette a garden, she succeeds in growing gigantic vegetables and creating something wonderful. 1st Grade: Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin: Follow Will Allen's work to revolutionize the way kids think about food and where it comes from, by developing urban farms and establishing farmer's markets, in order to feed the world. The Curious Garden by Peter Brown: Liam discovers a hidden garden and with careful tending its color spreads throughout the gray city. 2nd Grade: A Packet of Seeds by Deborah Hopkinson: When a pioneer family moves west, the mother is so homesick that she will not even name the new baby. The Garden of Abdul Gasazi by Chris Van Allsburg: When the dog he is caring for runs away from Alan into the forbidden garden of a retired dog-hating magician, it seems a spell has been cast over the contrary dog. 3rd Grade: The Good Garden: How One Family Went From Hunger to Having Enough by Katie Smith Milway: After Maria Duartes' father leaves the farm to find work and she must plant next year's crop, her teacher instructs her on how to terrace the land and use compost to improve her garden so that her family can have enough food for the coming year. Lenny’s Space by Kate Banks: Nine-year-old Lenny gets in trouble and has no friends because he cannot control himself in school and his interests are not like those of his classmates, until he starts visiting Muriel, a counselor, and meets Van, a boy his age who has leukemia.
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4th Grade: Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman: One by one, a number of people of varying ages and backgrounds transform a trash-filled inner-city into a productive and beautiful garden, and in doing so, the gardeners are themselves transformed. Heidi by Joanna Spyri: A Swiss orphan is heartbroken when she must leave her beloved grandfather and their happy home in the mountains to go to school and to care for a wheelchair-bound girl in Frankfurt, Germany. 5th Grade: The Locked Garden by Gloria Whelan: After their mother dies in early 20th century Michigan of Typhoid fever, Verna and her sister move with their psychiatrist father and stern Aunt Maude to an asylum for the mentally ill where new treatments of mental illness are being proposed. Eggs by Jerry Spinelli: Mourning the loss of his mother, nine-year-old David forms an unlikely friendship with independent, quirky thirteen-year-old Primrose as the two help each other come to terms with what is missing in their lives. 6th Grade: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai: Through a series of poems, a young girl chronicles the life-changing year of 1975, when she, her mother, and her brothers leave Vietnam and resettle in Alabama. Cartwheeling in Thunderstorms by Katherine Rundell: Twelve-year-old Wilhelmina must find her way after she is plucked out of a wonderful life in Zimbabwe. Even a life on the untamed plains of Africa cannot prepare Wilhelmina for the wilds of an English boarding school. 7th Grade: The Romeo and Juliet Code by Phoebe Stone: During World War II, 11-year-old Felicity is sent from London to Bottlebay, Maine, to live with her grandmother, aunt, uncle, and a reclusive boy who helps her decode mysterious letters that contain the truth about her missing parents. Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan: Left an orphan after the influenza epidemic in British East Africa in 1918, 13-year-old Rachel is tricked into assuming a deceased neighbor's identity to travel to England, where her only dream is to return to Africa and rebuild her parents' mission hospital.
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8th Grade: Green Angel by Alice Hoffman: Haunted by grief and by her past after losing her family in a fire, 15-year-old Green retreats into her ruined garden as she struggles to survive emotionally and physically on her own. Crossing the Tracks by Barbara Stuber: In Missouri in 1926, 15-year-old Iris Baldwin discovers what family truly means when her father hires her out for the summer as a companion to a country doctor's invalid mother.
Sources: ABOUT THE AUTHOR http://www.theatreworks.org/media/upload/pdf/TheSecretGardenStudyGuide.pdf ABOUT THE SETTING www.flowofhistory.com/units/eme/18/FC123 http://www.theatreworks.org/media/upload/pdf/TheSecretGardenStudyGuide.pdf A BIT OF EARTH www.englandforever.org/plants.php ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES READING LIST COMPILED BY Sara Lachman, Youth Services Librarian, Olympia Timberland Library
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