Study Guide for Quizzical Quests

Each presentation of multicultural folktale production "Quizzical Quests" includes two stories.

• The Golden Pitcher: a Mongolian fable about how appearances can be deceiving

• Simple Ivan: from Russia is one of the classic "noodlehead" stories found in many cultures

• Luck and Money "La Suerte y El Dinero": is a tale from New Mexico

• The Fourth Question: a Chinese legend about generosity and sacrifice

The stories are each 20-25 minutes long and highlight the theme of going on a mission and seeking a solution to a problem.

If you have a preference for a particular story please discuss it with your assembly coordinator or email us (please include name of school and show date). We are happy to honor requests whenever possible.

Preparing for the Show

• Ask students to listen carefully so that afterwards they can answer simple, factual, non-subjective questions such as who, what, where, or when. What are the parts of a story? (characters, setting, problem solution, beginning, middle, end)
• Have the students read Act!vated folktales online (feel free to print them out) and/or use the computer to listen to stories told by the Act!vated Storytellers. (A new audio folktale is put online every Thursday and includes tidbits about stops on the national tour.)
• Be sure your students are familiar with American Sign Language (ASL). They should know what it is, who uses it and why. If you or any of your students knows any ASL share a few signs with the class.
• Define and discuss what a folktale is. A folktale is a story passed down from generation to generation. How does a folktale differ from a fairytale, legend or myth? What is the same about all of these genres?

Pre-order Audio Tapes and CDs and books for your class and save shipping. See the performers on the day of the show to purchase.

Guest Stars

Up to 12 students may attend a half-hour pre-show workshop to learn rolls and perform in the show. See the Teacher's Page for more info.

• The students you select to participate will practice and apply skills and strategies for effective communication by learning to face the audience and adapting vocal volume.
• They will also develop listening skills while learning about cues and following directions.

During the Performance

• Throughout the performance students will be applying listening and observation skills to recall and interpret information.
• As a member of the audience they will respond to the speaker with encouraging nonverbal communication (e.g., sitting still and watching the speaker).
• They will develop an understanding of story sequence.
• They will see that literature represents different cultures and traditions.
• They will learn new vocabulary and possibly some foreign words.
• They will observe American Sign Language and non-verbal communication.

Before OR After the Show

These activities can be used to prepare students for the show or as post-show follow-up.

• Have the students check out folktales from the school library to read in class. Ask them to look for books with 398 on the spine (assuming your library uses the Dewey Decimal System). Explain how to find the spine of the book to younger students by telling them to open their arms wide and pretend to be a book. Then act out a book opening and closing by opening and closing their arms. Next ask them where their spine is and point out it is in the same place on a book.
• Learn some sign language using books, videos or Internet. Adopt a few ASL signs to use in the classroom.
• Have the students share folktales with the class.

After the Show

Develop conversation skills, use oral language skills and apply listening and observation skills by:

• Having the students retell the important events in the stories with correct sequence of events.
• Asking questions (who, what, where, why, when, how) about the show and the stories.
• Soliciting feedback and asking them to expand upon what they say by making personal connections.
• Discussing the setting, characters, problems, solutions and events in the stories.
• Comparing and contrasting the two stories. What is the common theme in both stories? What are the similarities and differences between characters, settings and important events?
• Continue the classroom discussion while the students draw pictures of a scene from the show.
• Holding a class discussion about ASL. See if anyone remembers any signs from the show.
• Asking the guest star(s) from your class to share what they learned during the pre-show workshop with the class by teaching them the part they learned.

Develop reading and writing skills by:

• Using a graphic organizer to state the main idea of one of the stories and list important details. Do one together with the class, then have each student do one for the other story.
• Brainstorm a list of things the students thought about the show and write the list on the board. Then ask the students to write a letter to the actors. They may use ideas from the list the class created or come up with their own. The performers are typically on campus for at least forty-five minutes after each show striking the set and loading out. So it may be possible to hand-deliver any letters or cards. They may also be mailed.
• To give purpose to the students' writing and experience with electronic media, students may send an email to the actors telling them what they thought about the show or asking a question. (Return email addresses are optional when using our online form.) Please ask them to be specific and go beyond "I liked it" .
• Have each student choose a character and write a paragraph explaining how they are like that character.

Incorporate the Fine Arts:

• Children act out stories before they learn to read. Ask younger students to act out a folktale as you read it to the class.

The Stories

The Golden Pitcher:

A Mongolian fable about how appearances can be deceiving (Read the online version)

Synopsis: An emperor, fearful of old age, banishes all old people (that is, people with gray hair) from his empire. A terrible storm tears through his kingdom and after the storm, he realizes that he has lost his most prized possession: a golden pitcher. It takes a young girl, listening to her gray-haired grandfather, to recover the pitcher when the wise (young) men fail. In return, in gratitude, the emperor repeals his decree.

Themes:

Appearances can be deceiving. It is folly to toss aside something just because it is unattractive; even the ugliest things contain truth, a beauty which is far more lasting. (Is John Keats, a British poet, right when he says, "Beauty is truth, truth beauty"?)

Or: It took courage for the girl to act out her grandpa's plan. Courage, coupled with wisdom, makes a winning combination.

Vocabulary:

(NOTE: During the story, we deliberately make grammatical errors, giving the audience a chance to be involved with the story as they correct them; and in order to emphasize that things are not always what they appear or what one would expect.)

• Decree: An order, from an authority figure, like a king, or an emperor.
• Wisdom: the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. (Do you know anyone who is wise?)

Geography:

Look at a map and try to find Mongolia. Mongolia used to be a huge kingdom that went all the way down to the Great Wall of China. Can you find where the Great Wall is? How big was the kingdom? How many gray-haired people do you think were forced to leave?

Simple Ivan:

One of the classic "noodlehead" stories found in many cultures, about a boy who follows the right advice at the wrong time, with hilarious results. This story is presented mostly in pantomime with musical accompaniment. (Read the online version)

Synopsis: A Russian cultural tale about a young boy who lives with his mother. Ivan is a foolish lad whose mother gives him good advice, but Ivan uses the good advice at the wrong place at the wrong time. Finally, his mother lets Ivan stay at home and read, where he learns not to act so foolishly again.

Theme: Wisdom comes from many different places, but is only wise if we use it in the right place at the right time.

Vocabulary:

• Ivan: Ivan means John, or Jack in English

Geography:

Find Russia on a map. Find some of the largest cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg). Where did Ivan and his mother live? Draw a map of Ivan's village. Don't forget to include where the farmers worked and the cemetery!

Writing Exercise

Ivan doesn't listen very well! He takes his mother's advice but doesn't know when to use it and gets himself into trouble. Have the students draw a picture of a time they did something silly that turned out all right in the end. Then, have them write a story about it (younger students can have their parents write the story as the student dictates it to them).

ASL vs Mime

The performers use pantomime to tell the story. Discuss the differences between pantomime (mime) and American Sign Language (ASL) with your class.

Luck and Money

"La Suerte y El Dinero": is a tale from New Mexico, dating back to the days when it was part of Mexico, and tracing its roots back to several Latin American cultures. A poor carpenter becomes a guinea pig to settle an argument between two rich men about which is more important – luck or money – but in the process he discovers that neither is as important as doing the right thing at the right time. Our presentation incorporates a recurring bit of playing "charades" with the audience.

Synopsis: Two men are having a debate about what is better: luck or money. They find a carpenter to get involved in their debate. One man gives him a bag of gold and the other gives him a lucky rabbit's foot. After many mishaps, the carpenter refuses to remain involved in their argument and he learns that work leads to greater happiness than either lots of money or luck.

Themes: The satisfaction of a job well done is more important than either luck or money; arguing is often counterproductive.

Vocabulary:

• La Suerte: Spanish for "luck." "Tengo la suerte" (pronounced: Tango (like the dance) la swear-te) means I am lucky.
• El Dinero: Spanish for money. In Mexico, the currency is a "peso." "Tengo cinco pesos" means I have five pesos. "Lo siento, no tengo dinero" means I'm sorry, I have no money - it's something you might need to say to a younger brother!

Geography/History:

Find New Mexico on a map. New Mexico, Arizona, and California used to belong to Mexico (fun activity: draw what this country would look like, by tracing the outline of the states)

Find Mexico on the map. Mexico was the home to two ancient empires: the Mayans and the Aztecs. In the 17th century, the Spanish arrived and conquered the country. Find the Yucatan Peninsula on the map. Try to find the ancient ruins of Chichen Itzu. Go to your local library and check out some books on the Mayans and Aztecs.

Book Suggestions:

• "Mayans and Aztecs: Exploring Ancient Civilizations" by Mary Tucker
• "The Boy Who Wouldn't Obey: A Mayan Legend" by Anne Rockwell
• "Hernan Cortes" (in the "Fact Finders" series") by Thomas Streissguth
• "The Angry Aztecs and Incredible Incas" by Terry Dean and Martin Brown

Cultural Arts:

When the Spanish arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs and the Spanish cultures mixed and began to create what we now know as present-day Mexican culture. One thing that came out of this mix are quesadillas (which means "little cheese thing"), which is an old Mayan or Tex-Mex (depends on whom you ask!) dish involving corn, water, and goat cheese. Ask your parents' permission before you can make these quesadillas:

What you need:

• Tortillas (you can use flour ones from the store)
• Cheese (shredded cheese)
• Salsa
• (Guacamole is optional)

Heat a medium sized pan to medium heat. Butter one side of the tortilla and put in a warm pan. Add about a handful of cheese on top of the tortilla, but only on one side, either the left or the right. After the cheese has melted, you can add guacamole, if you want. Use a spatula to flip the side, which doesn't have cheese over onto the side that does. Then use the spatula to put the quesadilla on a plate to cool for a moment. Top with salsa and enjoy!

For a healthier option: use olive oil instead of butter. Pour directly into the pan (this will fry the tortilla and can lead to oil popping out, so have a parent prepare the oil for you)

The Fourth Question

Synopsis: This is a fable from China. A young man is sent out into the world to ask a sage a question: Why did he seem to be under a curse? Along the way, he encounters some people (and a dragon!) who want him to ask questions for them. A shoemaker wants to know why his daughter stopped talking; a dragon wants to know why he can't fly; and a farmer wants to know why his trees won't grow. The sage answers these questions, but the results aren't what the young man expected.

Theme: Helping other people often brings benefit to ourselves.

Vocabulary:

• Sage: A wise man. A sage is someone who has plenty of experience. Do you know anyone who might be called a sage?
• Enchanted: To be under a spell. Can you think of any other characters that were ever put under a spell?
• Fable: A particular type of short story, usually magical, that wants to teach a moral.

Related Reading:

• "Aesop's Fables"
• "The Song of Mulan"

Geography:

This story takes place in China. Locate China on the map. Find all the rivers in China. Which one do you think the dragon helped the boy cross? Use an encyclopedia to discover what the river is like, what kind of animals lived in it (a good example would be the Yangtze).

Conversation/Writing Prompts:

1. Why is it important that the boy gives up his question? Would you ever do something similar? (Write about it!)
2. For fun, re-write the story. If you were the young man (or girl), how would you respond to each of these situations?