Introduction

What’s Inside

Dear Educator, As you make plans for your students to attend an upcoming presentation of the Arts for Youth program at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, we invite you to prepare your students by using this guide to assure that from beginning to end; the experience is both memorable and educationally enriching. The material in this guide is for you the teacher, and will assist you in preparing your students before the day of the event, and extending the educational value to beyond the walls of the theatre. We provide activity and/or discussion ideas, and other resources that will help to prepare your students to better understand and enjoy what they are about to see, and to help them connect what they see on stage to their studies. We also encourage you to discuss important aspects of the artistic experience, including audience etiquette. We hope that your students find their imagination comes alive as lights shine, curtains open, and applause rings through Lancaster Performing Arts Center. As importantly, we hope that this Curriculum Guide helps you to bring the arts alive in your classroom! Thank you for helping us to make a difference in the lives of our Antelope Valley youth. Arts for Youth Program Lancaster Performing Arts Center, City of Lancaster

PRE-PERFORMANCE Overview of the California Content Standards for Public Schools………. 3 Theatre Etiquette………. 4 Be a Theatre Critic………. 5 About the Show………. 6 What’s Important to Know………. 7 STUDENT ACTIVITIES Teaching Lessons through Storytelling………. 8 Map the Story………. 9

Geography Lesson………. 11

POST-PERFORMANCE

Suggestions for Discussion………. 12

Other Resources………. 13

PRE-PERFORMANCE

Overview of the California Content Standards for Public Schools

Curriculum Connections

Visual and Performing Arts: Music, Dance, Theatre; History and Social Studies (Multicultural Studies); Music

History, Creativity, Math, English Language Arts (Literature) and Reading/Culture; Social/Emotional Learning;

Fine Arts

Applicable California Content Standards Samples

Our Arts for Youth program addresses and supports the content standards for the California Visual and

Performing Arts, History, Literature, and more for K-12 education.

Visual and Performing Arts, Music:

Grade 1: 3.1 Recognize and talk about music and celebrations of the cultures represented in the school

population.

Grade 2: 3.3 Describe music from various cultures.

Grade 6: 1.5 Analyze and compare the use of musical elements representing various genres and cultures,

emphasizing meter and rhythm; 2.5 Arrange simple pieces for voices or instruments, using traditional sources

of sound. 3.5 Classify by style and genre a number of exemplary musical works and explain the characteristics

that make each work exemplary; 4.2 Explain how various aesthetic qualities convey images, feeling, or

emotion; 5.1 Describe how knowledge of music connects to learning in other subject areas.

Grade 7:

Role of Music: 3.1 Compare music from various cultures as to some of the functions music serves and

the roles of musicians; 3.2 Identify and describe the development of music during medieval and early

modern times in various cultures (e.g., African, Chinese, European, Islamic, Japanese, South

American); Diversity of Music: 3.3 Identify and describe distinguishing characteristics of musical

genres and styles from a variety of cultures; 3.4 Perform music from diverse genres and cultures; 3.5

Identify instruments from a variety of cultures visually and aurally; 4.0 Students critically assess and

derive meaning from works of music and the performance of musicians in a cultural context according

to the elements of music, aesthetic qualities, and human responses.

History: Grade 7: 7.4, 5. Describe the importance of written and oral traditions in the transmission of

African history and culture.

Content standards adopted by the California State Board of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/

Theatre Etiquette

Arrive on time

Plan for possible delays in travel and parking. Arrive a minimum of 30 minutes prior to show time.

Students: Leave recording devices of any kind at home or in your backpack at school.

Video or audio recording and photography, including camera phones, are often prohibited by law and

may disrupt the performance. They are not permitted and are considered very rude to the others

around you.

Teachers: Turn off or silence all personal electronics.

Beeps, clicks, tones and buzzes and light pollution emanated by personal electronics such as watches,

pagers, Bluetooth devices, cell phones, etc. interrupt the performance and spoil the theatre

experience.

Observe the instructions of ushers

The ushers are present to offer assistance, ensure rules are observed and provide guidance in the case

of an emergency evacuation. Please show them consideration. You will be asked to exit to the left of

the theatre at the end of the performance.

Be respectful

While entering and exiting the building, put your hands in your pockets or behind your back (please

use hand rails while inside the theatre). Talk very quietly. Once seated: Do not talk. Keep your feet on

the ground. Put your hands in your lap or fold your arms.

Abstain from eating or drinking inside the theatre

Crackling wrappers and containers and food messes in the auditorium are unwelcome. Food, candy,

gum and drinks should never be brought inside the theatre.

Avoid talking, waving and shouting during the performance

Laughing and applauding are encouraged at appropriate times. Shouting to actors/friends is

disrespectful to others. Save personal conversation for after the show. If you must talk, please whisper

very quietly.

Do not exit the auditorium during the performance except in the case of emergency

If you must leave, please wait for an appropriate break in the performance. Teachers, please arrive

early enough to escort students to the restroom prior to the start of the show.

Do not get onto the stage or place items on the edge of the stage

To ensure the safety and security of performers and audiences, this behavior is strictly prohibited

unless expressly permitted by a performer or staff member.

Dispose of garbage in proper receptacles

Help preserve a pleasant environment by depositing all debris in appropriate receptacles.

Extend common courtesy and respect to your fellow audience members

Civility creates a comfortable and welcoming theatre experience for all.

Bring very small children only to age-appropriate performances

Small children easily become restless at programs intended for older children, and may cause

distractions.

Be a Theatre Critic

During the performance watch for:

Facial expressions and actions

Use of Stage and Space

Lighting, Music and Sound effects

Vivid stories and word pictures

Interaction with audience and each other

Voice Dynamics: projection, volume, speed, rhythms and differing styles in speech

Play Your Part

You have an important role to play; it wouldn’t be a performance without you! Your part is to

pretend the stories are real. Part of this includes accepting certain theatre ways, or conventions:

1. Performers tell the story with words (dialogue), actions (blocking), movement and

sometimes songs.

2. Performance Poets tell stories and depict their feelings through rhymes or rhythmic verse.

3. Performers may speak to the audience.

4. Performers may play several different characters (doubling) by changing their voice, costume

or posture.

How to play your part:

A performance is different from television or a movie. The actors are right in front of you and can

see your reactions, feel your attention, and hear your laughter and applause. Watch and listen

carefully to understand the poems, verses and stories. The stories and ideas are told by the

performers and come to life through your imagination.

When you watch T.V., you may leave the room or talk. At a sporting event, you might cheer and

shout and discuss what you’re seeing. Your role as a member of the audience in a play means you

must watch and listen carefully because:

You need to concentrate on what the actors are saying.

The actors are affected by your behavior; because they share the room with you. Talking and

moving around can make it difficult for them to concentrate on their roles.

Extra noises and movement can distract other audience members.

About the Show

Based on the book by John Steptoe; Adapted for stage by Karen Abbott

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, An African Tale is a beautiful Caldecott Award winning African folktale that has

been compared to the familiar story of Cinderella (it is said that there have been over 900 versions of the

Cinderella story found in the world). When a great African king desires a wife, only the most worthy and

beautiful maidens in the land are invited to meet him. Mufaro’s pride and joy, his two daughters of very

different dispositions, travel across a river and half a day’s journey to go before the king. With traditional

chanting and African song, goodness, generosity, and love are celebrated.

This production is by Dallas Children’s Theater (“DCT”). DCT is committed to the integration of creative arts

into the teaching strategies of academic core curriculum and educating through the arts. Techniques utilized

by DCT artists/teachers are based upon the approach developed in Making Sense with Five Senses, by Paul

Baker, Ph.D.

DCT consists of twenty-five full time staff members and more than 200 actors, designers, theater artists and

educators. Each production is selected and designed, with youth and family audiences in mind, from

materials which reflect the diversity of our world community, fostering multicultural understanding,

confronting topical issues, and celebrating the human spirit. They encompass a combination of classic and

contemporary literature, mythology, folk tales, storybooks and fantasies.

The Dallas Children’s Theater, named by Time Magazine as one of the top five nationally touring children's

theater companies in the nation, travels coast to coast with professional large-scale productions designed to

promote education. Since its opening in 1984, this award-winning theater has existed to produce literary

classics and original scripts, and to create challenging, inspiring and entertaining theater, which

communicates vital messages to our youth and promotes an early appreciation for literature and the

performing arts.

Curtains Up on the Author

JOHN STEPTOE was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1950. He began working on his first picture book, Stevie,

when he was just 16 years old, and had it published in Life magazine by the time he was 18. Mr. Steptoe

studied art at the High School of Art and Design in Manhattan and was a student in the HARYOU-ACT Art

Program. In his 20 year career, John Steptoe illustrated 15 more picture books, ten of which he also wrote.

His books have won numerous awards, including the Coretta Scott King Award for Illustration, the Caldecott

Honor, and the Milner Award voted by Atlanta children for their favorite author. While all of Mr. Steptoe’s

books deal with aspects of the African-American experience, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters was

acknowledged as a breakthrough for bringing together African history and culture. The research he

conducted in writing the book awakened Steptoe’s pride in his own African ancestry, and he hoped his work

would encourage children to feel pride in their own heritage. John Steptoe died in 1989 after a long illness.

For more information about John Steptoe, including some of his personal letters and drawings, visit: The de

Grummond Children’s Literature Collection on the University of Southern Mississippi Libraries’ web site.

www.usm.edu

What’s Important to Know?

Folktales

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is an African folktale. Folktales are stories that are heard and remembered.

They are passed from one generation to another by word of mouth and are similar all around the world. That

is one of the defining characteristics of folktales.

Folktales are also often used to teach a moral or lesson to children, told by their parents to teach them how

to behave. Many times these tales are altered from generation to generation or from culture to culture.

Though the culture may differ somewhat, the message remains the same.

There are several types of folktales: myths, legends, fairy tales, and marchens. These terms refer to stories

that are highly imaginative and everyone knows they are fictional. They are not believed by the person telling

the story or by those listening.

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is an example of a marchen. Its characteristics include a magical land or fantasy

setting, and involve an “underdog” who, with the help of magic, obtains a birthright or marriage partner.

Generally this underdog character is asked to complete impossible tasks, but through the help of magic,

things end up as “happily ever after.”

Story Summary

Mufaro of Zimbabwe has two lovely daughters. Manyara is cruel and self-

centered, while Nyasha is sweet and kind. The king sends notice to Mufaro that

the girls should come before him so that he might choose one of them for a

wife. Manyara sneaks out of the village early so that she might be the first to

appear before the king, ignoring a child's plea for food and an old woman's

stern advice along the way. The next day, Nyasha goes with the wedding party

as planned, giving food along the way to the hungry boy. Upon arriving at the

king's chambers, Manyara runs out, crying that there is a monster in the room

who said that he was very displeased with her. Bravely, Nyasha enters the room

and sees her friend, a small snake that helped her from time to time in her

garden. He transforms before her eyes and says he knows of her kindness and

is pleased with her, and Nyasha becomes the queen.

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters was inspired by an earlier folktale from

a book by G.M. Theal. The illustrations were inspired by the ruins and

the flora and fauna of an ancient city in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe

occupies part of the great plateau of southern Africa. English is the

official language of Zimbabwe, but the most commonly spoken Bantu

languages are Shona and Sindabele. The names of the characters are

from the Shona language and mean the following: Mufaro (moo-FAR-

oh) means - "happy man"; Nyasha (ne-AH-sha) means "mercy";

Manyara (mahn-YAR-ah) means "ashamed"; Nyoka (nee-YO-kah)

means "snake".

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Teaching Lessons through Storytelling

Consider these and other fairy tales, folktales, or marchens, and discuss the lesson or moral that is

being taught through them:

Pinocchio - telling lies is wrong

The Tortoise and the Hare - never give up, no matter what the odds

The Ugly Duckling - it’s wrong to judge people from their looks

Then discuss:

What lesson do you think Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is trying to teach? (people who demean

others do not win in the end, you reap what you sow, pretty is as pretty does, beauty is in the eye of

the beholder….students may find other lessons, too.)

Consider the following quotations:

“Is she as kind as she is fair? For beauty lives with kindness.” - William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen

of Verona

“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes real happiness. It is not obtained through self-

gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” - Helen Keller

“It is futile to judge a kind deed by its motives. Kindness can become its own motive. We are made

to be kind.” - Eric Hoffer

Ask students to choose one of the quotes and allow them to write a response considering:

Would Manyara really have been happy to be queen? Why or why not?

Was Nyasha interested in being queen? What kind of a queen do you think she will make? Is

she happy being queen?

How do we judge beauty?

Is Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters really a story about beauty? Is it about the virtue of

kindness? Can the two be separated? Can a person be truly beautiful if unkind?

Map the Story

This can be done in two days. Have students illustrate cards one day and map the next.

Objectives:

1. After hearing Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, students will be able to create a story map.

2. Students will be able to identify that Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters takes place in Africa.

Materials Needed:

1. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe, Lothrop, Lee and Shepard books, New York,

1987(ISBN 0- 688- 04045-4)

2. 11x17 sheet of construction paper for each student

3. Glue, crayons, markers, scissors

4. Sheet of paper divided into 15 squares each square labeled with one of the following: Village,

City, Palace, Forest, Garden, Nyasha, Manyara, Mufaro, Myoka, Hungry Boy, Old Woman,

King, Messenger, Laughing Trees, Man with Head.

Procedures:

1. Introduce folktales and Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters by saying: "Folktales are stories that

are heard and remembered. They are passed from one generation to another by word of

mouth. Can you think of any folktales you have heard? Today we will read Mufaro's Beautiful

Daughters. It is an African folktale. See if it reminds you of a folktale you might know

(Cinderella). The illustrations in this book were inspired by the ruins and flowers of an

ancient city in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is in South Africa."

2. Show the students where Zimbabwe is on a map of Africa. See page 11.

3. Continue. "The names of the characters in this folktale are from the Shona language and

mean the following: Mufaro (moo-FAR-oh) means "happy man" Nyasha (ne-AH-sha) means

"mercy," Manyara (mahn-YAR-ah) means "ashamed," and Myoka (nee-YO-kah) means

"snake." Today we will be making a story map. "Who can tell me what they think a story

map is?" Wait for responses. "A story map helps us remember the story. It also helps us keep

track of the story in our heads. You will need to listen very closely to the story and try to

picture it in your head. We will be drawing some of the people in the story so pay attention

to the details. As we read the story, notice things in the pictures and words that help you

identify this folktale is from Africa. I will read the story the first time so we can enjoy it. We

will then work on our maps."

CONTINUED

On Page 10

Map the Story, continued

4. Read the story out loud to the class one time for enjoyment.

5. Discuss what clues they saw in the pictures and heard in the words that helped them realize

that this tale was from Africa. "How is it different from where we live? How is it the same?

What story does this remind you of?"

6. Pass out the divided and labeled paper. Discuss what goes in each square. Have students

draw a picture in each square. Have the students cut out the squares when finished.

7. Pass out plain construction paper. On one side of the paper have students write one clue

they found that helped them figure out this tale was from Africa. Have the students turn the

paper over. Read the first page aloud to the class. Have students describe places mentioned.

Have students draw the river on their paper. Discuss the placement of the river, village and

city. Have students glue the village, and city on the page.

8. Have students pull out the place cards (Village, City, Palace, Forest, Garden). Discuss the

placement of each and have students place them accordingly. Check for accuracy before

students glue them in place.

9. As you read the story, have the students follow along by placing or moving the character

cards along their map. (Option: Do a large map in front of the class as students do map at

their desks.)

10. After you have finished the story, have students pick their favorite event and glue the

characters on their maps to represent that part. Display maps on a bulletin board entitled,

"The African Cinderella Story."

Evaluation:

1. Students will have placed the following cards appropriately (in reference to each other):

African Village, City, Garden, Forest, and Palace.

2. Students will have an appropriate clue on the back of their story-map.

Geography Lesson

Then allow students to visit a website to find answers to the following question:

Where is Zimbabwe located on the continent of Africa?

Is it north or south of the equator?

What is the capital city of Zimbabwe? Describe the city.

What sort of climate does Zimbabwe have? Is it warmer or cooler? Wet or dry?

What are some neighboring countries?

What is the primary language? What other languages are spoken in Zimbabwe?

Name some animals found in Zimbabwe.

What sorts of products are produced? What sorts of agricultural products are important?

Finally, encourage students to work together in pairs to research and report on one of these topics relating to

Zimbabwe: • Geography • Language • Games • Wildlife • Art • Fashion

Ideas for reports might include:

Designing and producing an informational brochure describing what you’ve learned

Creating a travel poster for a trip to Zimbabwe

Pasting a collage with photos of fashions or art

Make a game, instrument, or mask and share it with your class

Try these sites for more information:

www.geographia.com/zimbabwe

http://www.afroam.org/children/discover/zimbabwe/zimbabwe.html

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters is set in the country of

Zimbabwe on the continent of Africa.

Allow students to spend time with a world map or globe

and locate the African continent and the country of

Zimbabwe. Use the following questions to encourage

students to infer:

What kind of climate do you think Zimbabwe has?

How would it compare to ours?

What sorts of landscape might you find?

What animals could be found in Zimbabwe?

POST-PERFORMANCE

Suggestions for Discussion

Attending a play is an entertainment experience unlike any other. Because a play is presented live, it provides

a unique opportunity to experience a story “as it happens.” Theater brings stories to life through

performances. Many people are involved in the process. Writers adapt the stories you read in order to bring

them off the page and onto the stage. Designers and technicians create lighting effects so that you can feel

the mood of a scene. Carpenters build scenery and make the “place” of the story become a real place, while

costumers and make-up designers can turn actors into the characters you meet in the stories. Directors help

actors bring the story to life and make it happen before your very eyes. All of these things make seeing a play

very different from television, videos, computer games, or CDs and tapes of stories.

Hold a class discussion when you return from the performance. Ask students the following questions, and

allow them to write or draw pictures of their experience at LPAC.

1. What was the first thing you noticed when you entered the theater? What did you notice first on the

stage?

2. What about the set? Draw or tell about things you remember. Did the set change during the play?

How was it moved or changed? Was there any space besides the stage where the action took place?

3. How did the lights set the mood of the play? How did they change throughout? What do you think

“house lights” are? How do they differ from stage lights? Did you notice different areas of lighting?

4. What did you think about the costumes? Do you think they fit the story? What things do you think

the costume designers had to consider before creating the costumes?

5. Was there music in the play? How did it add to the performance?

6. What about the actors? Do you think they were able to bring the characters to life? Did you feel

caught up in the story? What things do you think the actors had to work on in order to make you

believe they were the characters?

Draw a picture of what the audience might look like from the stage. Consider your work from the

viewpoint of the actors onstage. How might things look from where they stand?

Write a letter to a cast member telling what you liked about the character.

Write how you think it might feel to be one of the actors. Are the actors aware of the audience?

How might they feel about the reactions of the audience today? How would you feel before the

play began? What about after the show ends?

Study guide Created by: Lancaster Performing Arts Center with support from Dallas Children’s Theater

Suggested Reading More books by John Steptoe: Uptown, Train Ride, All Us Come Across the River, My Special Best Words, Jeffrey Bear Cleans Up His Act, Daddy Is a Monster…Sometimes, Marcia, All the Colors of the Race, Outside Inside Poems, The Story of Jumping Mouse, Creativity, Baby Says

More African stories: Who’s In Rabbit’s House and Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears - both books by Verna Aardema with Leo & Diane Dillon, illustrators; The Village of Round and Square Houses - Ann Grifalconi; Hot Hippo - Mwenye Hadithi, Adrienne Kennaway, illustrator

Other Resources: Contents of links on the internet change continuously. It is advisable that teachers review all links before introducing them to students.

Boston University’s African Studies Outreach Program offers wonderful resources and lesson plans for teachers of students from elementary through high school. http://www.bu.edu/africa/

Lists 52 virtues and contains strategies for teachers to promote goodness in character. http://virtuesproject.org/index.html

You’ll find an indexed resource for African personal names. www.namesite.com/index.php

Great reference for studying the country and culture of Zimbabwe. www.geographia.com/zimbabwe

Access this site for an interactive mankala board game. www.elf.org/mankala/Mankala.html

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/mufaro/mufarotg.html

http://www.gorp.com/gorp/location/africa/zimbabwe/zimbabwe.htm

http://holdenarts.org/mufaro_2012.html

http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-africa/katshe/index.html

http://pbskids.org/readingrainbow/parents_and_teachers/activity_055.html

http://www.valdosta.edu/~alhughes/global.html