Dear Teachers,

The staff at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center welcomes you to the Kaleidoscope Series for Youth. We appreciate your selection of the Gallagher Bluedorn for your students’ cultural experience. The staff will make every effort to ensure your visit to our facility is educational, engaging, and enjoyable.

The materials about each individual performance in the Study Guide are designed by educators to help plan for your field trip. This information usually includes a synopsis of the production, pre- and post-show activities for the classroom, and bibliographies. Please feel free to print and copy the information that is appropriate to your classroom lesson plan. In addition, students and parents are encouraged to investigate the study guide materials together.

Along with study guide information, this packet will also provide you with valuable information about the performance experience and logistics of your trip, including information about the Gallagher Bluedorn, directions for travel, parking, and attendance information.

Thank you for your interest in the Kaleidoscope Series for Youth, and we look forward to having you visit our classroom — the Great Hall of the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, where inspiration becomes a reality!

Amy Hunzelman,Director of Education and Special Programs

AMY HUNZELMAN | amy.hunzelman@uni.edu | (319) 273-3682MOLLY HACKENMILLER | molly.hackenmiller@uni.edu | (319) 273-3682

Field Trip Information For Teachers

Time of ArrivalWe suggest you arrive approximately 20–30 minutes prior to curtain time.

Parking and UnloadingSchool buses arriving at the Gallagher Bluedorn will approach via University Avenue. Enter campus from the east at the traffic light onto Campus Street. The Gallagher Bluedorn drive-up lane is directly on your left. Please line up behind any buses waiting to unload students. Unload students quickly and move them onto the sidewalk. Gallagher Bluedorn staff will direct traffic and assist in the unloading.

When empty, school buses will move to the parking lot located on the north side of the Gallagher Bluedorn, unless ushers indicate otherwise. Once parked, buses cannot leave the lot until after the performance. If your bus needs to leave during the show, they should return no later than 10 minutes before the end of the performance and park in the drive in front of the Gallagher Bluedorn. If your students are staying on campus for lunch or a tour and will not be getting on the bus immediately after the show, please notify parking staff so it is parked appropriately.

Home Schools/Private PatronsWhen you arrive, please proceed to the B lot south of University Avenue. Parking is free and no parking voucher is needed. A limited number of parking spaces for those with handicap designations or special needs are available in the lot north of the Gallagher Bluedorn. Please plan accordingly and arrive early.

TicketsYou will receive a voucher for your group order. Ushers will have lists of schools attending and seating assignments. Presentyour voucher to the ushers as you enter the Gallagher Bluedorn lobby.

SeatingThe ushers will direct groups to their seats. Our seating policy is to seat students and teachers together as indicated on the order form. Each busload of students receives an usher and may enter a different door but will be seated in the same area inthe auditorium.

Special SeatingPlease inform Molly Hackenmiller at (319) 273-3682 if you have a student with special seating needs (if not previously noted on your order form) so we can arrange appropriate seating. Please provide at least two weeks’ notice if possible. Due to the large number of students attending most shows, we may not be able to accommodate special seating if we do not have prior notice.

BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE...

• Food and drink are not permitted in the Great Hall. • Cameras and recording devices are not allowed. • You may talk before and after the performance begins, but please do not talk during.

• Turn off all cell phones, pagers, an other electronic devices. • Clap and cheer when appropriate. • Most importantly, enjoy the show!

Field Trip Information For Teachers

ChaperonesPlease see the section below on guidelines for Kaleidoscope chaperones.

DurationThe performance will last approximately one hour unless otherwise noted on the website, confirmation letter, and voucher. If your students are staying on campus for lunch or a tour and will not be getting on the bus immediately after the show, please notify parking staff so it is parked appropriately.

LoadingAt the conclusion of the performance, stay seated and wait until your assigned bus number is called by the Gallagher Bluedorn employee onstage. Please wait patiently as groups are dismissed to their buses. A Gallagher Bluedorn volunteer will escort your group to your bus safely. Home schooled students and chaperones may exit at the conclusion of the performance through the east exit.

EvaluationTeacher surveys will be conducted online. The contact name on your group order will receive a link via email after the performance. Please share this with other teachers on the field trip. We appreciate your feedback for future Kaleidoscope performances!

DURING THE PERFORMANCE...A Few Reminders on Theatre Etiquette

Guidelines for Kaleidoscope ChaperonesAs a chaperone for a Kaleidoscope performance, you are an important factor in making the performance enjoyable for the entire audience. Here are some guidelines to help make the most of your Kaleidoscope experience.

• Before entering the hall, assist the teacher by keeping students in line and by reminding them that chewing gum, eating, and drinking are not allowed in the hall. Make sure to take notice of the bus number assigned to you by a Gallagher Bluedorn employee.• Be ready to let the ushers know what school you represent when you arrive. This information helps the ushers show you to your seats in an efficient manner. Please be patient if several people ask you the same question.• If you need assistance for any reason, ushers are wearing white shirts and black pants and will be wearing nametags.

• Sit amongst the students during the performance. Please ask students to remain in their seats and to refrain from talking during the show. We want all students to be able to hear and enjoy the show.• At the conclusion of the show, wait to exit until your assigned bus number is called by the Gallagher Bluedorn employee onstage once the show is over. Please wait patiently as groups are dismissed to their buses. When exiting the hall, please help the teacher keep your class together.

AFTER THE PERFORMANCE...

Teacher Resources

In the Classroom

For Teachers & Students

Grades 2 - 8

Huck and Tom and the Mighty

Mississippi and the Classroom Connections Study Guide are produced in support of the teaching of Virginia Stan-dards of Learning in English: 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, 3.3, 3.4, 3.6, 4.3, 4.5, 4.6, 5.4, 5.6, 5.7, 6.3, 6.5, 7.4, 7.6, 7.7, 8.4, 8.5, 8.6; History and Social Sciences: 2.5, 3.6, VS.1, USI.1, USI.2, USI.8, USII.1, USII.2, USII.3; and Science: 3.6, 6.5, 6.7, LS.10.

At the Library

A few by Mark Twain: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court

The Adventures of Tom SawyerThe Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Prince and the PauperLife on the MississippiAbout Mark Twain:Mark Twain and the Queens of the Missis-sippi, by Cheryl HarnessWho was Mark Twain?, by April Jones Prince

On the Web

The Mark Twain House and Mu-seum in Hartford, Connecticut,

has interactive activities just for kids, as well as teacher resources: www.marktwainhouse.org

Famous quotations from Mark Twain:www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Mark_

Twain

The Official Website of Mark Twain: www.cmgworldwide.com/historic/twain/

From PBS, a Mark Twain interactive scrapbook: www.pbs.org/marktwain/scrapbook/index.

html

ClassroomConnections

Huck and Tom and the Mighty Mississippi

Adaptation by Peter HowardMusic by Ron Barnett

Based on the classic books by Mark Twain

“Mark Twain grew up on the mighty Mississippi River, in the little town of Hannibal, Missouri. He played in the river, washed in the river, fished in

the river. He did many things in his long and exciting life: he was a printer, a soldier, a reporter, and a miner. But his favorite days were spent as the captain of a Mississippi steamboat, traveling up and down the river....” - from “Huck and Tom and the Mighty Mississippi”

About the Play:Huck and Tom and the Mighty Mississippi introduces the audience to the characters, setting, humor and humanity of Mark Twain’s most

famous novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Selected scenes from the novels form the ba-sis of our musical play and introduce us to some of the most legend-ary adventures and characters in all of American literature.

Join Huck, Tom, Jim, Becky Thatcher, Aunt Polly and all the resi-dents and rapscallions of Hannibal, Missouri as they explore the ma-jestic river that defined their lives, tested their souls, and carried

their spirit into the heart of America.

2 We Set the Stage for Learning™ Theatre IV, Richmond, VA

Huck and Tom: Comparing CharactersActing OutThe actors on stage are playing the char-acters in the play. They have to learn all they can about their character so that they can act out his or her personality. Below, help the actors learn about characters by creating a list of traits for:

Try This!Merriam-Webster’s website, www.wordcentral.com is the place to go for fun with words. Having trouble coming up with good adjectives to describe your charac-ters? Their Online Student Thesaurus can help. Build your own dictionary, play word games, fi nd rhyming words, and check out their word of the day!

Use the Venn Diagram to compare the two friends, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. In what ways are they alike? How are they different? Use the second Venn Diagram to compare yourself and one of your friends.

Huckleberry Finn Tom Sawyer

Huck and Tom

Me My Friend

My Friend and I

Huck

Tom

Jim

Becky

We Set the Stage for Learning™ Theatre IV, Richmond, VA 3

Today’s Tom and Huck: Dialect for a Different World

Defi nition:

dialect - spoken language that is different because of how it is pronounced and the type of vocabulary that is used.

Writing in DialectOne thing that made Mark Twain an important American writer was the fact that he wrote in dialect, or common, everyday language that people who lived along the Mississippi used during the time that his stories took place.

If you were going to write a story in the dialect you and your friends use, what words would you include?

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

What words would you spell differently to let your reader know how they are spoken?

______________________

______________________

______________________

On the WebTry a story of your own, complete with dialect, at www.kids-space.org/HPT/1a/11a.html.Create your own play on this site!

Check out the latest buzzwords at The American Dialect Society: www.americandialect.org.

Update the following phrases from the play so that they sound like a kid today, rather than a kid from the 19th century!

“You’re up a stump, ain’t you!” - Ben

________________________________________

“There’s no getting round it; you can work when you’re

a mind to, Tom. But it’s powerful seldom you’re a mind

to, I’m bound to say.” -Aunt Polly

________________________________________

“Afeared! Tain’t likely.” - Tom

________________________________________

“No, I won’t. ‘Deed and ‘deed and double ‘deed I

won’t.” - Becky

________________________________________

“A body can’t be too partic’lar how they talk ‘bout

these-here...people, Tom” - Huck

________________________________________

“I hauled out of there mighty quick.” - Huck

________________________________________

4 We Set the Stage for Learning™ Theatre IV, Richmond, VA

M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i: The Father of the Waters

Try It!

Choose some of the follow-ing supplies to make a “log raft” to sail the Mississippi:

toothpickspipe cleanersstring popsicle sticksstyrofoam

Use the following Mississippi River facts and the map to answer the questions at the bottom of the page.Length: River length is a difficult measurement to pin down. The river channel is constantly changing. For example, Itasca State Park staff say the Mississippi is 2,552 miles long. The US Geologic Survey says 2,300 miles, the US Environmental Protection Agency says it is 2,320 miles long, and the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area maintains its length at 2,350 miles.Width: At Lake Itasca, the river is between 20-30 feet wide, the narrowest stretch for its entire length. The Mississippi is more than four miles wide at Lake Onalaska, in Wisconsin. Depth: At its headwaters, the Mississippi is less than 3 feet deep. The river’s deepest section is between Governor Nicholls Wharf and Algiers Point in New Orleans where it is 200 feet deep.Watershed Area: The Mississippi River Basin or Watershed drains 41% of the continental United States. Thirty-one states and 2 Canadian provinces are included in the watershed. The total area drained by the watershed is between 1.2 - 1.8 million square miles.

Why do you think the term “river system” is used to describe the Mississippi? What other rivers are part of the Mississippi River system? Into what body of water does the river flow?

Read the information above about the river’s depth. Would it be useful to calculate the river’s average depth? Would that information help boaters? Swimmers? Why or why not?

Color the Mississippi River’s watershed green on this map. Why should everyone living in that area be aware of the river’s pollution, water quality, and the health of its fish and wildlife?* The map and facts above are courtesy of the US National Park Service: Mississippi National River

and Recreation Area. Go to www.nps.gov/archive/miss/features/factoids/ for more information.

Mark Twain (1835 - 1910) is considered by many to be the father of modern American literature. He endowed his characters and narratives with the natural speech patterns (dialect) of the common person, and wrote about topics that some considered ‘beneath’ serious literature of the time.

Mark Twain was a pen name for Samuel Langhorne Clemens.He wrote under other pen names too, such as Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, Josh, Grumbler, and even Muggins.

Born in Florida, Missouri on November 30, 1835, Clemens grew up in the Mississippi River town of Hannibal, Missouri, which later served as a model for many set-tings and characters for Twain’s writing. At age 11 (5th grade), Samuel Clemens quit school and began delivering papers and working as an errand boy for the Hannibal Gazette. By the time he was 17, his fi rst sketches were appearing in the

newspaper. During the late 1850’s, Clemens piloted steamboats on the Mississippi. He also served in the Confederate militia, traveled west, and worked as a silver miner and reporter in Nevada and California. In 1865 he published his fi rst important sketch in a New York periodical.

In 1870, Clemens married Olivia Langdon, settled in Hartford, CT, and published his fi rst novel. Twain’s popular children’s book, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was published in 1876. The sequel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, was published (and misunderstood and banned) in 1885. Later, critics recognized this novel as Twain’s masterpiece.

The Clemens family had four children. One only lived for two years, and two of the other three died before they reached the age of 30. These tragedies, the death of his wife, and fi nancial bankruptcy caused Twain to become pessimistic and cynical, even as he found inspiration and a sense of joy in his happy youthful memories of his days on the Mississippi. Clemens died on April 21, 1910. Twain’s importance as a writer lies not only in the power of his ideas, but in the universality of his characters and the accessibility of his works to readers of all ages.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think an author would use a pen name? If you were to choose a pen name, what would it be? 2. Clemens lived from 1835 - 1910, a time of both strife and growth for our nation. Technologies that we take for granted were unheard of in that time. In what ways do you think his stories about childhood in America might have been different if it were written in the 21st century?

3. Using the information above, create a timeline of important events in Samuel Clemens’ life. Add boxes if you need to.

Vocabulary

dialect: a spoken language that is different because of how it is pronounced and the type of vocabulary that is used

pen name: a name an author uses that is not his/her real name

publish: to print, make public, and distribute a book

sketch: a short, written com-edy piece

bankruptcy: in a state of be-ing unable to pay one’s debts

“[Samuel Langhorne Clemens, three-quarter length por-trait, seated, facing slightly right, holding pipe].” Created

[between 1900 and 1910], c1941. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

Discovering Mark Twain

Challenge

Think About It: If Twain’s stories were rewritten today, how would the characters change or stay the same? Are there still people around like Huck or Tom?

We Set the Stage for Learning™ Theatre IV, Richmond, VA 5

114 West Broad St.Richmond, VA 232201.800.235.8687

www.TheatreIV.org

Theatre IV Presents...Huck and Tom and the Mighty Missis-sippi, adaptation by Peter Howard.Music by Ron Barnett.Based on the classic books by Mark Twain.

Theatre IV...Bruce C. MillerArtistic DirectorPhil WhitewayManaging Director

Classroom Connections Study Guide Written byHeather Widener, MATWidener Consulting LLC

This Classroom Connec-tions Study Guide and the text contained herein are the property of Theatre IV. Photocopying of the study guide is permitted. Any other use of the con-tents must be accompa-nied by the phrase, “Text used with permission from Theatre IV - Richmond, VA.”© Theatre IV, 2007.

6 We Set the Stage for Learning™ Theatre IV, Richmond, VA

1. Mark Twain’s name was not even Mark! His real name was Samuel Clemens. Samuel grew up along the Mississippi River, and even piloted steamboats. Mark Twain is a navigational term meaning 12 feet of safe water.

2. Mark Twain was considered by many to be the father of American lit-erature. He used many happy boyhood memories from his life along the Mississippi to write his wonderful stories of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.

3. The famous American writer Ernest Hemingway said, “All modern

American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain called Huckle-

berry Finn.”

4. At age 11 (5th grade), Samuel Clemens quit school and began deliver-ing papers and working as an errand boy for the Hannibal Gazette.

5. The Mississippi is the largest river system in North America, and the third longest in the world. It stretches more than 2,000 miles from Min-nesota all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

6. The word “Mississippi” is derived from two Indian words, misi sipi, meaning “great water” or “father of the waters.”

7. In the mid-1800’s, the steamboat dominated commerce in the central United States. Travel by steamboat increased quickly. For example, in 1814 New Orleans had fewer than 20 steamboat arrivals; by 1834 that fi gure had reached 1,200.

8. Clemens held many jobs in his lifetime: printer, writer, satirist, lecturer, soldier, Mississippi steamboat pilot, and silver miner

9. The Mississippi River is home to such imporant cities as Minneapolis - St. Paul, Minnesota; St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; and Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana.

10. Mark Twain once said, “Humor is the great thing, the saving thing.

The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and

a sunny spirit takes their place.”

10 Fascinating Facts: Huck and Tom and the Mighty

Mississippi