Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
The Nutcracker Teacher Resource Guide
Clara becomes Marie, The Mouse King becomes a rat, and the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh becomes the setting for a modern interpretation of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet. Intended as a resource guide for a 2012 performance, the...
Curated OER
Exploring Force: The Nutcracker
Students explore basic dance element of force, compare and contrast the use of force as it distinguishes the expressive qualities of a given dance, and explore the use of force in several of its many expressions.
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Sharp and Smooth Movements: The Nutcracker
Students explore sharp and smooth movements. In two groups, students perform dances using sharp and smooth movements. They are asked to discuss the differences between the movements and how they felt when you watched or performed.
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The Dancing Flute
Learners use a cardboard tubes as props as they create their own dance steps to express the emotions invoked in a portion of The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky.
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Carrot Seed Lesson Plan
Students create a seed museum. In this early childhood lesson plan, students identify various seeds and the plants the seeds will grow into. Students write a description of the plant, illustrate the plant and create a seed museum in...
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Symphonic Poetry (SMART Board Lesson)
Let music and poetry collide in this well-orchestrated language arts lesson plan. After studying program music and C. Debussy's Prelude to an Afternoon Faun, view the attached SMART board lesson plan to read through "Fog" by Carl...
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Analyzing Two Dances and Making a Dance Map: The Nutcracker
Young scholars discuss dance elements and create a dance map. They choose a dance theme and incorporate movement into their dance maps and choreography. They also experiment with different types of music.
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"Nutcracker"
Students recognize the timbre of a celesta by listening to music that contains the celesta. They listen to music from Tchaikovsky's "Danse de la Fee-Dragee" (Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairies), track #14 and describe how the music...
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Christmas Celebrations
Second graders view a video of the Nutcracker ballet and then compare and contrast holiday celebrations in Germany and the United States. They use the computer to write a paragraph exploring their observations.
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How Do You Celebrate?
Investigate the customs of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa with a holiday instructional activity. Pupils use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the customs of each holiday before writing an informative paragraph about...
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Simple Machines
Fourth graders examine a machine and how its parts work together. In this simple machines lesson, 4th graders work in groups to study different gadgets, analyze how the parts of the gadget work and draw sketches of the gadget. Students...
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Emotions in Motion
Young scholars use dance as a form of communication. For this meanings of dance lesson, students create dances to communicate a variety of emotions.
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Autumn Season
Students explore a nut theme for the autumn season. They assemble one acorn craft and use as a puppet for the introduction and presentation of the theme. They plan for a classroom bulletin board idea that incorporates the acorn craft.
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Friendly Flowers
Students listen to music while creating flowers with a partner. They decide on a philanthropic act related to flowers. They recognize the difference between private property and common resources. They use a problem-solving model to...
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Shelling a Pecan
In this pecans worksheet, 3rd graders fill out a graphing organizer sequencing how someone shells a pecan. Students also draw someone shelling a pecan and write a story about it.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: There Once Was...
Part 2 of this tutorial on limerick writing demonstrates the importance of form (meter and rhyme) in limerick poetry using the exemplary and amusing work of Edward Lear.
John F. Kennedy Center
The Kennedy Center: Lesson: Telling a Story Through Dance
In this lesson plan from ArtsEdge, students focus on the ballet, "Nutcracker," while learning about storytelling through dance and movement. Provides assessment criteria, a list of sources and links to use for references.