MS NOODLEHEAD  GOES TO SCHOOL AND LEARNS TO PLAY WITH WORDS STUDY GUIDE
with Cathy Kaemmerlen

ELAGSE2L4D, ELAGSE2L5
ELAGSE3L5a, ELAGSE3L4
EELAGSE4L5a,b
ELAGSE5L5a,b

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Ms. Noodlehead works at the Spaghetti Factory.  But because she continues to mix things up and perform tasks literally,  She is  sent  to school to learn how to play with words.  While at school, Ms. Noodlehead puts on a “tongue in cheek” play on words, with the use of five audience members, using a list of idioms her teacher gave the class to use in a project.  Once again, she does exactly as she is told., interpreting the idioms literally.  Does Ms. Noodlehead ever learn her lesson? It’s all fun and games as the drama unfolds with the princess who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and the prince who carries a torch (an Olympic one?) for the princess. This show ties in with language arts, based on a literally minded character, like Amelia Bedelia in the Peggy Parish books,, Ramona the Pest in the Beverly Cleary books, Martha in the George and Martha books, Morris the Moose, Junie B. Jones, the archetypal Mrs. Malaprop, demonstrating word play, double meanings, idioms, metaphors and similes, with a dash of onomatopoeia.

ARTIST BIO

Cathy Kaemmerlen, professional actress, dancer, storyteller, and author is known for her variety of characters, one-woman shows, and for her rapport with audiences.  A performer and “creator of shows” since she can remember, she has toured in schools coast to coast, since receiving a BA in English/elementary education from UNC-Charlotte, and a MFA in dance performance/choreography/theatre at the University of Wisconsin.  She tours through her own production company, TATTLINGTALES PRODUCTIONS, the Georgia and South Carolina Touring Arts Rosters, , National Women’s History Project, and the Fulton County Teaching Museums, and has received numerous grants and honors.

          BACKGROUND  OF ART FORM

Telling stories is an oral tradition, dating back to when mankind first developed a language or form of communication. Storytelling is a universal way of passing down information to be saved and remembered and individually interpreted for years to come.  It is an interactive art form in which the storytellers’ passion for the story, material, and information, is passed on to the audience, who sorts through, interprets, stores, and synthesizes what is heard.

PREPARE

Teachers, please read this to your students.

Today we’re going to see a play about a character named Ms. Noodlehead who gets things mixed up.  She doesn’t understand how to play with words, or that some expressions don’t mean exactly what they say.  These expressions are called idioms.  Ms. Noodlehead interprets them in a literal way.  Her boss at the Spaghetti Factory is sending her to our school to learn about idioms and we are to help her understand what figures of speech are and to help her with her class project.

WARM UP QUESTIONS

What is an idiom?
What is a figure of speech?
What does it mean to interpret something literally?

BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE ACTIVITIES

Ms. Noodlehead  interprets words literally.  The following popular expressions have a literal as well as a figurative meaning.  Discuss them with the students before seeing the performance.
Choose an expression.  Draw a picture of the literal meaning.  Next to it, draw a picture of the figurative meaning.
-tongue in cheek
-to be born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth
-to carry a torch
-to wear several hats
-to have your head in the clouds
-to run in circles
-to get the ball rolling
-to take forty winks
-to have your hands full
-to lift a finger to help
-to give someone marching orders
-to hold your tongue
-to look the other way
-you can say that again
-to be a marked man
-to let the cat out of the bag
-to make a clean sweep
-to drop your eyes
-speaking of the devil
-the ball is in your court
-busy as a bee
-mad as a hornet
-laying low
-in the heat of the moment
-barking up the wrong tree
-to see the light
-to rub shoulders
-to pass with flying colors
-to be given your walking papers
-every cloud has a silver lining.

Look at the following poem modelled after Jack Prelutsky’s “I Wave Goodbye When Butter Flies”:

I wave good-bye when butter flies
I’ve sewn a cabbage patch.
I’ve often watched my pillows fight.
I’ve helped a hot dog stand.
I’ve marvelled at a spelling bee.
I’ve danced at basket balls.
I’ve even marked a book or two.
And lead a rubber band.

It’s possible a pencil points,
but does a lemon drop?
Does coffee break or chocolate kiss,
and will a soda pop?

Do you spear a mint?
Do you pepper a mint?
Do you cross a walk or walk across and
What does a honey do (dew)?

I always laugh when dinner rolls.
But cry when lettuce leaves.
Oh me oh my, I say with a sigh.
I say to all, it’s plain to see,
This English language, you’ll agree,
Is the craziest language you’ll ever see.

Talk about the double meanings in the poem and act them out, Ms. Noodlehead style.

Warm Up Questions for meeting the Georgia Performance Standards for “Listening/Speaking/Viewing”:
Describe the perfect audience.
What are some of our class rules for being good listeners?
How do we show someone we appreciate their visit to our school or classroom?
How does being part of an audience help make you a good citizen?
What are some examples of bad audience behavior or attitudes?
How does a negative audience member effect your enjoyment of a show or performance?
How would this make the performer feel?
How do we want the performer to feel when they leave our school or classroom?

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES/REFLECTIONS
.  Keep a collection of other idioms.  Ask parents or grandparents to contribute to the collection.
. Make a Miss Noodlehead Dictionary with illustrations using compound words such as hairbrush, papercut, stockroom, butterfly, haircut, etc.
. Make a book of riddles using a play on words.  Example:  why was Cinderella thrown off the baseball team?  Because she ran away from the ball.
. Make a book of silly questions like:  if a corn can’t hear, why does it have an ear?  If a hot dog lies in a bun, why is it sold in a stand?
. Make up your own play on words and use props to demonstrate the literal meanings.

RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

Gwynne, Fred. CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Keller, Charles. DAFFYNITIONS
Kelley, April. ARE THERE MARMS IN THE MARMALADE?
Longman, Harold.  WOULD YOU PUT MONEY IN A SAND BANK?
Marshall, James.  THE STUPIDS STEP OUT
McMillan, Bruce and Brett.  PUNDIDDLES
Parish, Peggy.  COME BACK, AMELIA BEDELIA; AMELIA  BEDELIA’S FAMILY ALBUM; AMELIA BEDELIA HELPS OUT; AMELIA BEDELIA PLAYS BALL,etc.
Parish, Herman.  GOOD DRIVING, AMELIA BEDELIA; BRAVO, AMELIA BEDELIA; AMELIA BEDELIA RUNS FOR MAYOR
Rosenthal, Peggy, and Dardess, George.  EVERY CLICHE IN THE BOOK.
Schwartz, Alvin.  ALL OF OUR NOSES ARE HERE.
Terban, Marvin.  PUNCHING THE CLOCK, SUPERDUPERS, EIGHT ATE; a Feast of Homonym Riddles
Wiseman, Bernard.  MORRIS, THE MOOSE