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PRINT, POEMS AND PANTS

Teachers’ Activity Pack Here are a number of suggestions

for classroom activities to follow the production of Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch’s Theatre in Education

January – February 2010

Noddir gan: Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru, Cyngor Sir Ceredigion, Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin.

Elusen Gofrestredig 702506 Cwmni Cyfyngedig drwy Warant yng Nghymru 2375424

Rhif TAW/VAT No.549 6488 83

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INTRODUCTION

This production by Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch is a dramatic performance to encourage

children - especially boys – aged 9/11 years to read the books on which this production

is based.

Selecting which books to present dramatically has been a challenge. Cwmni Theatr

Arad Goch had to satisfy the pupils’ various reading levels, taking into account the

competent, the unwilling, the less confident and the enthusiastic reader; finding different

kinds of stories – historical, folk, contemporary, serious and amusing, with the emphasis

on boys but whilst also respecting the expectations of the girls in the audience.

The books chosen are:

LIVING WITH VAMPIRES – Michael Strong

MR GUM AND THE GOBLINS – Andy Stanton

KICK-OFF – Dan Freedman

COWS IN ACTION – Steve Cole

C’MON CYMRU – Jenny Sullivan

THE KILLER UNDERPANTS by Michael Lawrence

Our aim is to offer the pupils a taster which, we hope, will want them to know more about

the books and to read and enjoy them for themselves. Apart from encouraging children

to read the books used in the performance we hope that you will also want to reinforce

the performance in various ways. The following pages offer you a few ready-made

class-room activities as a starting point for your discussions and activities based on the

books – and we’re sure that you will have many more ideas too.

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Dear teachers,

The company is always very glad to receive the comments of both teachers and pupils

on our work; please send them to us! Many children like to contact us by e-mail with

their comments and ideas, and we answer every message. The company’s e-mail

address is post@aradgoch.org

In order to facilitate our work we kindly ask you to help us by remembering the following

points.

For reasons of insurance, a teacher must be present during the

performances/workshops held by the company in your school or when your

school visits another school or centre.

When the performances/ workshops are held in the school we will need a clear

space and a clean floor, and we would be grateful if you could move any furniture

or equipment before we arrive.

Please inform us if pupils with special needs are present at the show.

If you are uncertain about any arrangements, please phone us at the ARAD

GOCH office - telephone 01970 617 998.

Members of the company will be able to deal with any minor problems. However

if bigger problems or complex questions arise, please phone us at ARAD GOCH.

Any complaint should be addressed to the ARAD GOCH office and not to the

actors who are visiting you.

Detailed arrangements have been made with every school that has asked to be a

part of this project. Sometimes schools will come together to see a performance.

We ask you kindly not to make other arrangements or invite another school to

see the performance at your school, and not to change the arrangements without

consulting ARAD GOCH first.

We hope you enjoy our project, and that it assists you and your pupils in your work.

Jeremy Turner Artistic Director Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch.

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CWMNI THEATR ARAD GOCH STAFF

Adaptation of the books: Jeremy Turner, Angharad Lee, Ioan Gwyn

Directors: Jeremy Turner, Angharad Lee

Performers: Lowri Siôn

Ioan Gwyn

Marc Roberts

Tour Stage Manager: Rhydian Wyn

Members of Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch

Clerk: Ann Penny

Marketing Officer: Carys Sian Roberts

School Liaison Officer /Tour Organiser: Heledd Mair Evans

Technical Manager: Ian Humphreys

Actress/Teacher: Mari Rhian Owen

Administrative Manager Nia Wyn Evans

Artistic Director: Jeremy Turner

CWMNI THEATR ARAD GOCH Stryd y Baddon Aberystwyth SY23 2NN 01970 617 998 post@aradgoch.org

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My favourite bit was group task

1. You saw a performance, by Arad Goch theatre company, which used parts of 6 different books. They were:

LIVING WITH VAMPIRES – by Michael Strong

KICK-OFF – by Dan Freedman

MR GUM AND THE GOBLINS – by Andy Stanton

C’MON CYMRU – by Jenny Sullivan

THE KILLER UNDERPANTS by Michael Lawrence and

COWS IN ACTION – by Steve Cole ( the book of jokes told between the stories.

2. In small groups, discuss the whole performance.

Did you like it or not?

Why?

Then discuss your favourite bits. Why did you like them?

3. Here are some words and phrases to help you.

characters variety realistic natural exaggerated

style ordinary unusual over-the-top

simple effortless easy complicated

comedy serious imaginative

speed pace slow fast-moving

clear unclear confusing exciting obvious

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ART AND DESIGN

ACTIVITIES

Imagine that you are the person who is to design a new cover for one

of the books in the theatre performance.

Your design must include:

An interesting cover

Which will appeal to children aged 7 - 9 years or - 11 years

With a drawing or picture

And a particular or writing style (font) for any words

Try thinking of new ideas relevant to the story and the readers’

age

Design the cover

Then, ask 7 people for their opinion

Do they think the cover will help create an interest in the book?

Discuss why/ why not

Make a list of the comments

Do you need to adjust your design?

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Word Hunt - a competition group tasg

This is a competition for teams of three or four people

Every member of the class can take part at the same time

Your teacher will decide how long the competition lasts: it could be a

minute, five minutes, an hour, a day, or even a week!

The Task:

List all the places where words of any kind can be seen.

The winning team is the team which has the most extensive list.

Here are a few to start you off – Good luck!

Inside a shoe

On food packets

A comic

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I want to make a film! Group task

Work in pairs

Following the performance choose one of the stories

which you think could be adapted into a good children’s

film.

List the reasons for your choice: Characters? Locations? Action? Suspense? Special Effects?

Imagine that you have a meeting with a very successful

film director (just a few minutes of their very busy

schedule!) to persuade them that this story would make

a wonderful blockbuster film.

With another member of your class create a dialogue

between yourself and the film director.

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2

3

4

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LIVING WITH VAMPIRES

In the performance by Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch you heard part of the

story of Living with Vampires.

Firstly, work in groups of 2 or 3. Discuss Kevin and his parents.

Discuss how well they get on with each other.

Now, on your own, imagine that you are Kevin Vladd in the

story

Write a letter to your friend to describe your parents and why

they are so different to others

Describe how they look and how they behave.

Give an account of their behaviour at the school disco.

In groups of four imagine Kevin’s family going shopping to the

supermarket.

How would Kevin feel? What would his parents want to buy?

Imagine that Miranda (the girl Kevin likes) arrives at the shop –

what would happen next?

Make sure that each character is given a chance to contribute

to the conversation. Do they all speak in the same manner?

Rehearse your scene, then show it to your class. Ask them their

opinion on what went well in your performance – and for any

ideas on how you could make it even better.

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2

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THE KILLER UNDERPANTS - Friends

In the performance by Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch you heard an extract

of the novel THE KILLER UNDERPANTS by Michael Lawrence.

Jiggy McCue’s problem was a very unusual one – a new pair of

underpants that would not allow themselves to be removed !

Fortunately, Jiggy had two very close and understanding friends who

were able to discuss his problem with him…

In small groups, of three or four people, discuss friendship.

What does it mean to be a good friend?

Help each other to think of words or phrases to describe good

friend?

Use these words and phrases to write a recipe to make the

perfect friend.

Collect the ideas of each group to create your class’s very own

Fantastic Recipe Book of Fabulous Friends

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THE KILLER UNDERPANTS - Friends

KICK-OFF

On a huge piece of paper, draw the outline of a person: you can do this by

putting one member of the group to lie down on the sheet of paper and

then drawing around him or her.

Use the words and phrases you’ve thought of to decorate the shape: fill

the shape with words. Use different colour pens or crayons for different

words. Which colours suit which words best?

In groups of two, three or four people create statues, or still pictures with

your bodies to show ideas about friendship. These can be like pictures in

a comic.

After creating the shape (and after remembering it) each person must

think of a word or a phrase which suits the picture and helps tell the story

of the people in the picture ( like talk bubbles in a comic).

Then you could add more words.

The picture could come alive.

Make up a short scene about people quarrelling and then becoming

friends again.

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GRAPHIC DESIGN TASK

In the performance by Cwmni Theatr Arad Goch you heard and saw

extracts from five different stories:

C’MON CYMRU

KICK-OFF LIVING WITH VAMPIRES

THE KILLER UNDERPANTS MR GUM AND THE GOBLINS

Choose one character from one of the stories.

Name of story …………………………………………………………..

Character’s name.………………………………………..…………..

List adjectives to describe the character

Adjectives

On a computer or on paper, use the adjectives to make a graphic

design. Here’s an example

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COWS IN ACTION - 1

During the performances you heard some hilarious jokes

from the book „Cows in Action‟.

With your classroom friends create a list of jokes about

a particular topic or theme.

Then design a comic strip to co-inside with your jokes.

You could make big comic pictures to put on the walls in

school.

Or you could ask your teachers for the comic strips to be

published in your school magazine / newsletter.

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COWS IN ACTION – 2. Group task

The cow-mandos in “Cows In Action” travel through

time in a converted cowshed, fighting evil cattle

from the future and keeping history on the right

track.

In groups of three imagine that you are two secret

agents and their commander aboard a special time-

travelling capsule.

The secret agents must report back on what they

have discovered on Planet Earth in 2099. The

commander questions you on what you have

discovered.

What information does the commander need to

know ?What changes can the agents report on

Earth since they last visited in 2009?

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C’MON CYMRU

This new book from Jenny Sullivan is full of poems and short stories

based on sport and games.

In small groups of four or five people choose a sport or game –

it could be your favourite sport or something you’ve seen on the

television.

Discuss this sport.

Why is it exciting?

Create a spider chart of words about the sport

Then write a short poem about the sport.

For example, here’s a spider chart of words about skiing:

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