Theatre Bristol Study Guide for

Schoolhouse Rock Live, Jr.!

Dear Educator,
We are excited that you have chosen Theatre Bristol’s production of Schoolhouse Rock, Live! Jr. as part of your curriculum. Enclosed are numerous materials to facilitate understanding and initiate responses from your students in relation to the play. The information and activities provided can be used to enhance your curriculum standards in many subjects.

You know best the needs and abilities of your students. Please feel free to adapt the suggested materials for discussion or activities with your students. You are invited to make copies of the enclosed materials for other teachers as well as your students. We hope you will all enjoy the show!

Sincerely,
Fred Dunagan
Theatre Bristol Education Intern

About the Show
If you were in front of the television on Saturday mornings from 1973 to 1985, you probably caught a series of Emmy Award winning short animated jewels on ABC, entitled Schoolhouse Rock! Beaming into living rooms across America, these musical vignettes brought the classroom home in between the Road Runner and Josie and the Pussycats. The songs covered English, math, history and science and several of them, such as Conjunction Junction and Three is a Magic Number quickly became part of American video culture.

The project was the brainchild of David McCall, a manager for an advertising firm. He noticed that his son knew the lyrics to every Beatles song but had trouble learning his multiplication tables. He was joined by co-workers Tom Yohe and George Newall, and the three enlisted the help of jazz pianist, Bob Dorough. The first song they wrote was Three which Bob sang in the final version. Originally the group tried to sell the songs as an album but they found it sold better as a cartoon.

The team went to Michael Eisner (of Disney fame) who was then ABC’s Vice President in charge of children’s programming. Michael was interested in silencing the critics of Saturday morning television. He consulted with Chuck Jones (one of the major forces behind the Warner Brother’s cartoons) and they agreed that educational cartoons were a great idea. Eisner convinced the cartoon creators to shave a few minutes off of their shows to accommodate the short films. Surprised kids in the 70s found their commercials breaks populated with catchy songs about grammar and math alongside ads for the newest sugary cereals. The rest, as they say, is history (and math, science and grammar).

“As your body grows bigger, your mind must flower.
It’s great to learn, ‘cause knowledge is power!”

Vocabulary
absurd – another word for silly
circulation – the movement of something in a closed loop
Constitution – the document containing the laws and principles of the U.S.
fauna – the animals in a certain area
ferry – a small boat used to transport people and things across small spans of water
flora – the plants in a certain area
immigrant – a person who moves to a new country to live
injection – another word for a shot like you get at the doctor’s office
preamble – an introduction to a document that states its purpose
solar system – a group of planets and other things (like moons) that orbit a star
woo – the act of trying to get someone to go out on a date with you or be your boyfriend or girlfriend

Extra Schoolhouse Fun!
How many words can you make using only the letters in the title of the show? That means you can only use the letters: SCHOLHUERKIV and J! Start by putting them in alphabetical order or maybe put the vowels in one group and the consonants in another.

Discussion
Since the Schoolhouse Rock songs were written, scientists have decided that Pluto isn’t really a planet. They call it a dwarf planet instead (but there are lots of those). You can look at this link on the computer and decide if you think Pluto should be a planet or not.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060824-pluto-planet.html

Testing Standards
Let’s face it, this is the perfect show for educators! Not only is it a fun field trip for the kids, it is also much more than just entertainment. We’ve broken down the list of songs in our show and matched them with Virginia and Tennessee testing standards.

Title VA. SOLs TN. TCAPs

A Noun Is A Person, Place Or Thing Eng K.2, 1.2 1.3.01a
Three Is A Magic Number Ma K.20, 1.15 K.1.1f, 2.1, 3.9, 4.21 2.1.1a
Unpack Your Adjectives Eng K.2, 1.2, K.2.03d Sc K.2 1.3.01d

Just A Bill : Hi 1.14, 2.10, 4.5.spi.7 3.1 5.4.tpi.9

The Preamble Hi K.8, 1.15, 3.4.tpi.4 3.4, 3.11, 4.4, 3.4.spi.2, 5.4

Do The Circulation Sc 1.5, 5.5, 3.1.tpi.4 Ls.3, Bio.5 3.3.tpi.3

Conjunction Junction Eng 2.1, 2.6 1.1.03f, 1.3.04e

Great American Melting Pot Hi 1.1, 2.2, 3.2 3.1.spi.3

Elbow Room Eng 4.4, Hi 5.6 3.3.tpi.4, 4.3.spi.7

Interplanet Janet Sc 1.6, 3.8 3.7.spi.5 4.7, Es.4 3.14.spi.1

Interjections Eng K.4, 2.3, K.3.02d 2.10, 5.6

How To Be A Good Audience
Do not talk during the play. Let other people hear the actors.
Do not bring food or drinks or gum into the auditorium.
Please go to the bathroom before the show begins.
Cameras, video, or audio recording are not allowed.
Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, and watch alarms.
Please DO laugh, clap and otherwise let the actors know you enjoyed the show!

Teachers: Just a Reminder!
Parent chaperones are not seated until all the school groups are seated. They sit separately to the rear of the theatre so they do not block the kid’s view.
No babes in arms, please. Your cooperation is requested. Performances are for school children.
Reservation changes may be made by the lead teacher only.
Confirmation cards must be returned by date indicated.
Please make every effort to arrive on time, no later than 9:15 for the 9:30 show or 11:15 for the 11:30 show. With your help, we will start on time!

Tennessee School Teachers: Ticket Subsidy Program! The Tennessee State Legislature and the Tennessee Arts Commission provide a ticket subsidy program. To find out if your school is eligible, call the Johnson City Arts Council at (423) 928-8229, or the Rose Center at (423) 581-4330. Download all forms at www.arts.state.tn.us to request funds for your trips!

Theatre Bristol is the region’s oldest children’s theatre, and we’ve been educating, inspiring and entertaining children of all ages for 43 years!

Theatre Bristol
512 State St. Bristol, TN 37620 (423) 968-4977 www.theatrebristol.org