Dear Educator,

Welcome to the Center for Puppetry Arts and Coad Canada Puppets’ production of There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet. Founded in 1978, the Center is a cherished cultural and educational resource in Atlanta. We value your patronage and are delighted that you have chosen us as a teaching resource. Your students are in for a big treat!

This study guide was designed to enhance student learning before and after your visit to the Center for Puppetry Arts. There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet is a delightful tale performed by a master puppeteer. This imaginative show is the perfect accompaniment to a thematic unit on dinosaurs, prehistoric life, geologic time, storytelling, puppetry or children’s literature.

All three areas of programming at the Center for Puppetry Arts (performance, puppet-making workshops and Museum) meet Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). To access the Georgia Performance Standards that have been correlated to each programming area according to grade level, click the links below:

To access a complete list of GA Performance Standards for all grades and subjects, please visit https://www.georgiastandards.org/Pages/default.aspx. Thank you for choosing the Center for Puppetry Arts for your study trip. We hope that your students’ experience here will live on in their memories for many years to come.

Sincerely,

The Center’s Education Department

There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet, P-K & K There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet, Grade 1There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet, Grade 2There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet, Grade 3There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet, Grade 4There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet, Grade 5There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet, Grade 6

A note from our Education Department

Center for Puppetry Arts® Study Guide

Feb 1 - 13, 2011Performances Tuesday - SundayCall 404.873.3391 to book your group ®

The Center for Puppetry Arts is supported in part by:

Center for Puppetry Arts is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization and is supported in part by contributions from corporations, foundations, government agencies, and individuals.

Major funding for the Center is provided by the Fulton County Board ofCommissioners under the guidance of the Fulton County Arts Council.

Major support is provided by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.

These programs are supported in part by the Georgia Council for the Arts through the appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly.

GCA is a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Center is a participant in the New Generations Program, funded by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre

Communications Group, the national organization for the American theatre.

The Center is a Member of TCG and Atlanta Performs.

The Center also serves as headquarters of UNIMA-USA, the American branch of Union Internationale de la Marionnette, the international puppetry organization.

© 2011 Center for Puppetry Arts®

IN YOUR LIFE. OFF YOUR MIND.

Phot

o by

Lum

an C

oad

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There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet is performed with hand puppets by a solo puppeteer. Hand puppets are figures that are brought to life when a puppeteer places his/her hand inside the puppet’s glove-like body. The puppeteer manipulates a hand puppet with his/her fingers and wrist so that the puppet characters become extensions of the puppeteer’s own hands.

Style of Puppetry

Luman Coad was born in Buhl, Idaho. He studied children’s theatre at San Francisco State University. As a college student, he was director of the puppet theatre at Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, CA, and won his first international puppetry award at the age of 23.

In 1966 he moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, and co-founded Coad Canada Puppets with his wife Arlyn Coad. An outstanding puppet mime artist, Luman’s work has been seen on such television shows as Stargate SG-1 and in feature films such as Being John Malkovich. He was the founding secretary of the Canadian Centre of l’Union Internationale de la Marionnette (UNIMA) and has served on numerous committees of the Puppeteers of America.

Luman’s company has performed throughout North America as well as seventeen countries across Europe, the Middle East, South America, and the Pacific Rim. The troupe has won numerous major puppetry awards including First Prize at the 1977 International Festival of Puppet-Actors in Poland, and both the Puppeteers of America Trustees’ Award and the President’s Award (the highest honors in North American puppetry). The American Centre of l’Union Internationale de la Marionnette has awarded the Coads six Citations of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry. In 1987, they set up Charlemagne Press to publish books of advanced level puppetry and related topics. Over twenty titles are currently available.

Each year, Coad Canada Puppets create a new show for a solo performer which tours for eight months to elementary schools throughout British Columbia as well as children’s festivals across Canada.

About the Artist

Luman Coad

Despite his frequent appeals, Darryl is forbidden to keep a pet. One day he smuggles a large “pet” rock into his room. Imagine his surprise when out of this rock pops a small and very hungry dinosaur! Now Darryl’s problems really begin. What does it eat? How can he train it? Why is it growing so quickly? And most importantly, how can he keep his new pet hidden in his room? But Darryl can’t keep it a secret for long. What will Aunt Amelia do when she discovers that his pet rock has turned into a gigantic pet dinosaur?

Synopsis

http://www.dinodon.com/index.htmMeet Dino Don, author of 25 books on dinosaurs.

http://paleobiology.si.edu/dinosaurs/index.htmlVisit the dinosaurs Web page created by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.

http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dinosaurs/Find answers to your questions about dinosaurs at this Web site produced by the US government.

http://dsc.discovery.com/guides/dinosaur/dinosaur.htmlTake an interactive dinosaur tour at Discovery.com.

http://www.livescience.com/dinosaurs/You’ll find lots of great information on dinosaurs at Live Science.com.

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life/dinosaursVisit New Scientist.com’s comprehensive dinosaur site.

http://www.coadcanadapuppets.com/Check out what’s new at Coad Canada Puppets on the Web.

http://members.shaw.ca/charlemagnepress/welcome..htmShop for puppetry books at Luman Coad’s Charlemagne Press online.

http://www.fairyland.org/Visit the historic Children’s Fairyland in Oakland, California where puppeteer Luman Coad began his career. First open to the public in 1950, this children’s theme park still continues its tradition of puppet shows for young children.

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Bibliography• Dingus, Lowell, et al. Dinosaur Eggs Discovered: Unscrambling the Clues. Twenty-First Century Books, 2007.

• Dixon, Dougal. Cretaceous Life (Prehistoric World). Barron’s Educational Series, 2006.

• Dixon, Dougal. If Dinosaurs Were Alive Today. Running Press Kids, 2007.

• Hoff, Syd. Danny and the Dinosaur. HarperTrophy, 1992.

• Holtz, Jr., Dr. Thomas R. Dinosaurs: The Most Complete, Up-to-Date Encyclopedia for Dinosaur Lovers of All Ages. Random House Books for Young Readers, 2007.

• Pallotta, Jerry. The Dinosaur Alphabet Book. Charlesbridge Publishing, 1990.

• Potts, Aidan. Uneversaurus. David Fickling Books, 2007.

• Priddy, Roger. My Big Dinosaur Book. Priddy Books, 2004.

• Rey, Luis V. Extreme Dinosaurs. Amazon Remainders Account, 2001.

• Sharfe, Elaine. There’s a Dinosaur in My Room. Chestnut Publishing Group, 2005.

• Tanaka, Shelley. New Dinos: The Latest Finds! The Coolest Dinosaur Discoveries! Atheneum, 2003.

• Yolen, Jane. How Do Dinosaurs Play With Their Friends? The Blue Sky Press, 2006.

• Zimmerman, Howard. Dinosaurs! The Biggest Baddest Strangest Fastest. Atheneum Books, 2000.

Internet Resources

P-K & K: Dinosaurs Patterning Activity

Georgia Bright from the Start Pre-K Content Standards covered: Mathematical Development MD 2 b (Children will create and duplicate simple patterns). Georgia Performance Standards covered: Kindergarten, Mathematics (Geometry) MKG3B.

Objective: Students will identify simple picture patterns and select from a list the picture that completes each pattern.

Materials: Dinosaurs patterning handout from this study guide, scissors, glue, glue sticks or paste, crayons, chart paper, and markers.

Procedure: 1. Reproduce Dinosaur patterning handouts so that there are enough for each student.

2. Before distributing handouts, draw a few simple patterns with geometric shapes on the board or on chart paper. Say the names of the shapes out loud as you point to them. For example, “Triangle, circle, square, triangle, circle, square.”

3. Draw a different sample pattern and ask students to identify the patterns in each row, while saying the name of the shape out loud as they “read” the picture of the shape.

4. Distribute dinosaur pattern handouts. Review the names of the dinosaurs with students. The dinosaurs pictured on the handout are: T-Rex, Stegosaurus, Apatosaurus, and Triceratops.

5. Ask students to cut out the squares along the bottom of the page and glue them at the end of each row to complete each pattern. Ask them to say the names of the dinosaurs aloud to help them recognize the pattern, if they are having difficulty doing it visually.

6. When all the patterns have been completed, ask students to color their sheets.

Learning Activities

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Assessment: Collect student handouts for review. Check for accuracy and remediate as necessary. Save work samples for mathematics portfolios or classroom bulletin board display.

Name ___________________________________________ Date ______________________

Directions: Cut out the pictures below. Paste one picture in each square that will complete the pattern for that row. You will use all but one picture.

Dinosaur Patterns

1st & 2nd Grade: Write Your Own Fantasy Dinosaur Story

Georgia Performance Standards covered: Grade 1, English/Language Arts, Writing, ELA1W1a,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,l,m; Grade 2, English/Language Arts, Writing, ELA2W1a,b,c, h,i,j,k,l,m,p,q,r.

Objective: Students will write and illustrate their own fantasy dinosaur story in book form after attending a performance of Coad Canada Puppets’ There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet.

Materials: Chart paper, markers, paper, pencils (or computers with word processing software and printers), crayons, and construction paper.

Procedure:1. After attending a performance of There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet at the Center for Puppetry Arts, divide a

piece of chart paper into three sections, one for the beginning of the story, one for the middle of the story and one for the end of the story. Label each section: beginning, middle, and end.

2. Ask students to recall what happened at each point in the story and fill in the details on the chart paper.

3. Ask them to think of ideas for their own fantasy dinosaur story about their own encounter with a dinosaur. What kind of dinosaur might they meet? What might happen to the dinosaur? What might happen to the student? Ask them to fill in their ideas on a piece of paper (or a computer) for the beginning, middle, and end of their stories just like the class did for There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet.

4. Have students pre-write to generate ideas, create a first draft, revise their first draft, edit their work, and finally publish it in book form accompanied by illustrations. Remind them that their stories must have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Use the structure of There’s a Dinosaur in the Closet as an example.

5. Ask students to share their stories with the class.

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Learning Activities

Assessment: Check students’ work for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Do their stories have a clear beginning, middle, and end? Save books for language arts portfolios.

3rd & 4th Grade: Research Your Favorite Dinosaur

Georgia Performance Standards covered: Grade 3, English/Language Arts & Reading, Writing, ELA3W1. Georgia Performance Standards covered: Grade 4, English/Language Arts (ELA), Writing, ELA4W2.

Objective: Students will select a dinosaur to research and then write a report on their findings.

Materials: Paper, pencils, computers with Internet access, and access to school media center and/or public library.

Procedure:1. Prewriting. Teacher should guide students through a brainstorming session to list different

dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, Triceratops, Pterodactyl, etc.

2. Research. Ask each student to select a type of dinosaur that they would like to learn more about. Once they have chosen a dinosaur to research, they should locate books, encyclopedias, digital media, and websites on the Internet to gather information about their species. They may also conduct an interview with a paleontologist in person, email, or by telephone.

3. Drafting. Students should use research finding to complete the first draft. Ask students to address the following points:

• Describe your dinosaur’s appearance.• In what geologic period did your dinosaur live?• In what sort of habitat did your dinosaur live?• What foods made up your dinosaur’s diet?• How did your dinosaur organize socially? (Alone or in groups?)• How many eggs did the females usually lay at one time?

4. Revising and editing. Have students prepare a first draft of their report for editing.

5. Publishing. Final drafts should be presented before the class.

Assessment: Check to see if students have followed the writing process: prewriting, drafting, editing, publishing. Save finished reports for student writing portfolios.

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Learning Activities

5th & 6th Grade: Dinosaur Egg Discovery: A Word Search Puzzle

Georgia Performance Standards covered: Grade 5, English/Language Arts, Reading, ELA5R3a,b, c,d,e,f; Grade 6, English/Language Arts, Reading, ELA6R2a,b,c,d.

Objective: Students will read a paragraph about dinosaur eggs and complete a word search puzzle featuring vocabulary words from the reading.

Materials: Copies of word search puzzle handouts and pens, pencils, or highlighters.

Procedure:1. Have students read the paragraph about dinosaur egg discoveries at the bottom of the word search

puzzle paying special attention to the words in bold face. Discuss the meaning of any unfamiliar words.

2. After they have read the paragraph, ask them to locate the bolded words in the puzzle. Students should circle or highlight each word as they find it. Words are hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and backward.

Assessment: Check student handouts for completion, comprehension and retention of information. Remediate content from paragraph if necessary.

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Learning Activities

The science of dinosaur eggs and embryos is still relatively new. Compared to dinosaur bones, dinosaur eggs are rarely found and are much more difficult to study. In 1997, paleontologist Luis Chaippe made an exciting discovery when he found a chunk of embryonic skin inside a dinosaur egg while leading an expedition in Patagonia, the southernmost region of Argentina and Chile. This was the first time a scientist had ever seen fossilized dinosaur skin. Chiappe called it the highlight of his career. The eggs Chiappe and his team discovered represent the largest dinosaur nesting site ever discovered. The site was massive. They concluded that herds of dinosaurs from the Cretaceous Period were nesting and caring for their hatchlings on this site and returning time and time again when it was time to lay eggs. Important sites like this inspire new theories about dinosaur reproduction.

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Name___________________________________________ Date ____________________

Directions: Read the paragraph below about dinosaur eggs. Locate all 13 bolded words in the puzzle. Circle or highlight each word as you find it. Words are hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and backward.

N M A S S I V E D H S O G A N H O E Q Q Y U X E Y C Z C I O E H I Y Y P M R M B I I H N I L N A T G X D T H B E O U O T C B O T C S Y R O M N H L G I A A Y A C U C U D S C K H A D K Y F I A H D B U E E P V T E A T S I G O L O T N O E L A P X Y U C W A E I R X D A C P X K U V N S C C H N P E Y E F E I T F Y A A Q C X G E M J W Z A P U T R Y Z G S X S R G I W G T E F O S S I L I Z E D L D A R A C X U C I N O Y R B M E C S G G E D I S C O V E R E D

Dinosaur Eggs Discovered! A Word Search Puzzle

Directions: Read the paragraph below about dinosaur eggs. Locate all 13 bolded words in the puzzle. Circle or highlight each word as you find it. Words are hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally, and backward.

Study Guide Feedback FormThe following questions are intended for teachers and group leaders

who make use of the Center for Puppetry Arts’ study guides.

1404 Spring Street, NW at 18th • Atlanta, Georgia USA 30309-2820Ticket Sales: 404.873.3391 • Administrative: 404.873.3089 • www.puppet.org • info@puppet.org

Headquarters of UNIMA-USA • Member of Atlanta Coalition of Performing Arts and Theatre Communications GroupText by Alan Louis • Design by Melissa Hayes

© Center for Puppetry Arts® Education Department, January 2011.

1. In what grade are your students?

2. Which show did you see? When?

3. Was this your first time at the Center?

4. Was this the first time you used a Center Study Guide?

5. Did you download/use the guide before or after your field trip?

6. Did you find the bibliography useful? If so, how?

7. Did you find the list of online resources useful? If so, how?

8. Did you reproduce the grade-appropriate activity sheet for your class?

9. Additional information and/or comments:

Please fax back to the Center for Puppetry Arts at 404.873.9907. Your feedback will help us to better meet your needs. Thank you for your help!