Enrichment Guide for Grades Pre-K and up Written by Shaun Branigan and Jerome Schoolar
About the holiday traditions in the play Hanukkah: an eight-day Jewish holiday (also known as Chanukah and the Festival of Lights) that usually occurs between late November and late December. Traditions include lighting the menorah which holds 9 candles, exchanging gifts and enjoying treats cooked in oil like Latkes (potato pancakes).
About the performance Ernie and Ruby have finally finished building a display for the Big Holiday Show using symbols from different holidays they found in a box of props. It is the best display ever, until disaster strikes and there are only 30 minutes until people arrive! Will they have time to get the display back together? Watch closely as they race against the clock to get the Holidays started! Theatre TEKS 117.4, 117.7, 117.10, 117.13, 117.14, 117.15
About the characters in the play Ernie: The Repair Guy in charge of fixing things. He will entertain and dazzle you with song and dance as he works to complete the holiday display. Ruby: The Vice Executive Director of Inter-Divisional Human Resource Services. She doesn’t even know what that means. She has a big heart and tries to help Ernie in every way, which can sometimes be a problem!
Kwanzaa: a week-long celebration honoring African heritage and culture, from December 26-January 1 in the U.S. Each day observes one of the Nguzo Saba (En-goo’-zoe Sah’-ba), the seven guiding principles, like unity, creativity and faith. Traditionally, a Kinara (candle holder) with seven candles is used during the celebration. Christmas: an annual Christian holiday on December 25 celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Observed across the world in different ways, customs include gift-giving, singing Christmas carols, and decorating Christmas trees with ornaments and lights. In the United States, a fun symbol of the holiday is Santa Claus. He brings gifts to children on Christmas Eve with his sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. Some children leave milk and cookies for Santa to eat. In Holland, children put out wooden shoes to await the arrival of St. Nicholas, who comes by ship on December 6. After leaving the ship, St. Nicholas rides a white horse to children’s homes. The children fill their wooden shoes with straw for St. Nicholas’ horse. The horse eats the straw and St. Nicholas fills the shoes with treats for the children! Social Studies TEKS 113.1, 113.2, 113,3, 113.4
Theatre TEKS 117.4, 117.7, 117.10, 117.13, 117.14, 117.15
Watch & Listen Watch with your eyes, listen with your ears, and answer the questions after the show: According to Ernie, what is Rule Number 1? __________________________________________ How do you say “Merry Christmas” in Spanish? __________________________________________ What are Christmas trees called in Germany? __________________________________________ What was your favorite song from the show? __________________________________________ Theatre TEKS 117.4, 117.7, 117.10, 117.13, 117.14, 117.15 Reading/Sequencing TEKS 110.10, 110.11, 110.12, 110.13
Have a conversation If you could invent a new holiday, what would it be called? What kind of traditions would you make up to celebrate? What symbol would represent your new holiday?
Book Corner A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Hanukkah Lights by David Martin How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss My First Kwanzaa by Karen Katz Owl Moon by Jane Yolen The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg The Twelve Days of Christmas in Texas by Janie Bynum
Holiday Match-up: Draw a line to the symbol that represents each holiday Social Studies TEKS 113.1, 113.2, 113,3, 113.4
Halloween Thanksgiving Baloney Day Hanukkah Kwanzaa Christmas Which one of the days listed above is not a real holiday?___________________________________________________________________
Holiday Sing-Along In the play, Rosie mixes up the lyrics for Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. With your class or family, sing along with the lyrics below. You can even mix them up if you want to have some fun! There must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found, For when they placed it on his head, he began to dance around! Oh, Frosty, the Snowman, was alive as he could be; and the children say he could laugh and play, just the same as you and me.
Frosty the Snowman Frosty the Snowman, was a jolly happy soul, With a corn cob pipe and a button nose, and two eyes made of coal. Frosty the Snowman, is a fairytale, they say. He was made of snow, but the children know he came to life one day.
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen, Comet, and Cupid, and Donder and Blitzen But do you recall... The most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose and if you ever saw it you would even say it glows.
Thumpety thump, thump, thumpety thump, thump, look at Frosty go. Thumpety thump, thump, thumpety thump, thump, over the hills of snow. Frosty the Snowman, knew the sun was hot that day, so he said, “Let’s run, and we’ll have some fun now, before I melt away.” All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names They never let poor Rudolph play in any reindeer games. Then one foggy Christmas eve Santa came to say: “Rudolph with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?” Then all the reindeer loved him as they shouted out with glee, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you’ll go down in history!
Down to the village, with a broomstick in his hand, Running here and there, all around the square, sayin’, “Catch me if you can.” He led them down the streets of town, right to the traffic cop; and only paused a moment, when he heard him holler, “Stop!” For Frosty, the Snowman, had to hurry on his way, But he waved goodbye, sayin’“Don’t cry, I’ll be back again some day.” Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Color By Numbers
Make your own dreidel and learn to play The dreidel is one of the best known symbols of Hanukkah. A four-sided top with a Hebrew letter on each side, the dreidel is used to play a fun Hanukkah game of chance. The word dreidel comes from a Yiddish word meaning “to turn.” The letters on each side, Nun, Gimmel, Hey and Shin, stand for the Nes Gadol Haya Sham, which means “A great miracle happened there.” Rules of the Game: To play the game of dreidel, two to four players each get a handful of coins or chocolate money called gelt. The remainder of the “pot” or coins or chocolate is left in a pile. The youngest player spins the dreidel and depending on what letter the top lands on, he or she will: NUN - Lose a turn, the dreidel passes to the next player
1-Brown
2-Red
3-Green
HOLIDAY CAMPS
GIMMEL - Win all the coins HEY - Win half the coins
Winter Break Camps 9 a.m. - 4.p.m. • $225
SHIN (or PEH) - Lose all the coins
Hogwarts: Triwizard Tournament December 21 - 23 • K-Grade 5
The dreidel continues to be passed around the circle until one player has won everyone’s coins or gelt.
Print and make your own dreidel from the pattern at: holidays.net/chanukah/dreidel.html
We love to hear from you. Write a letter or draw a picture to describe your favorite part of the play and mail it to:
4-Yellow
r Dea
Axel B. Photography
Broadway Kids: Aladdin December 28 - 30 • K-Grade 5
zachtheatre.org/education 512- 476-0594 x236
The Holiday Heroes Team
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ZAC
Ernie......................................................................................................... Shaun Branigan Ruby............................................................................................................... Amber Quick Stage Manager........................................................................................... Jessica Borda Sound Board Operator .......................................................................... Kellie Baldwin Education Director...........................................................................................Nat Miller Performing Art School Manager............................................................... Chad Dike Education Associate ..................................................................................... Kate Shaw Pre-Professional Manager .................................................................. Jennifer Young
ZACH Theatre Attn: Education Department 1510 Toomey Road Austin, Texas 78704
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This project is funded and supported in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
1510 Toomey Road, Austin, Texas 78704 | 512-476-0594 x236 | zachtheatre.org | education@zachtheatre.org