Click Clack Moo - Great Lakes Center For The Arts
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Click Clack Moo
January 31
About Click Clack Moo the Musical:
"Cows that type? Hens on strike! Whoever
heard of such a thing!" Farmer Brown cries.
When his granddaughter Jenny comes for a
visit, Farmer Brown declares the farm a tech-
free zone. He takes her laptop in the cold barn
with the shivering cows who use her computer to
type messages requesting blankets.
"No way," replies Farmer Brown. "No blankets!"
So, the cows go on strike and the chickens join
them in solidarity. No blankets? No milk! No
eggs!
Will Farmer Brown give in to the animals' demands? Will Jenny get her computer back?
Find out in a hilariously moving musical about negotiation and compromise, based on
the Caldecott Honor Book by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin.
Approximate Running Time: 60 Minutes
Recommended Ages: Grades K through 4
From their website: https://twusa.org/shows-artists/past-shows/click-clack-moo/
Lesson Overview:
Activation Watch the music video “Click Clack Moo the Musical”
How is Click
Clack Moo a https://youtu.be/iYySsE3F-ms
Musical?
Click, Clack, Moo is a musical. “What is that?” you may ask. Musical theater
combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The storyline is told
through words, music and movement. The first time the typing cows got
attention was through a book for kids, but it was later adapted into a
musical.
Once a creative team secures the rights to adapt a book to stage, they must
work through some challenges. Since a picture book does not have much
content, the creative team often sits down with authors to discuss content
so the audience is not disappointed. Once the story has been developed,
characters are added that serve as storytellers. From there music is added
which shares the inner thoughts and feelings of a character while keeping
the story moving forward.
Lesson Plans Check out this link to lessons plans
https://twusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/TWUSA-Click-Clack-Moo-
SG.pdf
Classroom Don’t let this experience end with the drop of the curtain. Keep the
Conversations conversation going with your students and reflect on the performance
that you just attended. Here are a few questions to get the conversation
started!
• What did you learn about making requests from this
performance?
• What was your favorite song in the performance?
• Which moment do you remember most from the performance?
What was happening?
• What did you learn about the importance of community from this
performance?
• Describe the music you heard. How did the music add to the
mood or atmosphere of the performance?
• Describe how the performers used their bodies. How did their
movement reflect the animals they were portraying?
• If you were going to tell a friend about the performance, how
would you describe it in one sentence?
Taken from Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education’s Study Guide
education@foxcitiespac.com
Click, Clack, Moo Musical Activity Submitted by RaeAnna Goss, Nashville, Tennessee Idea posted April 8, 2005 Materials: Copy of book "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type" by Doreen Cronin Rhythm Sticks, Triangle, Ratchet, Barred Instruments Process: Read through the book and have the students sing the recurring phrase "Click clack moo, click clack moo, clickety clack moo!" on s-m-s, s-m-s, sss-m-s Have students watch for notes that have been typed on the typewriter. If available, show them a real typewriter. After the story, assign students to the barred instruments to accompany the singing of the recurring phrase. I had my students play a C and G with the rhythm of the words click clack moo (3x). The remaining students get a set of rhythm sticks, triangle, or ratchet. You could even assign a student to be the narrator and read the book. I also assign a student to be the director for the typewriter section. Typewriter section: Anytime students see a note in the story that was typed on a typewriter, they provide the sound effects of the typewriter! The director will pretend to be typing on the keys and the rhythm sticks play the clicking sounds. When the reader comes to a punctuation mark in the note, the director stops typing and the triangle makes the "ding!" After the triangle, the director pretends to push back the typewriter roll while the ratchet plays. Your students will love this story! I've done it with second through fourth grades. Also, follow up the lesson with a listening example on form. Play Leroy Anderson's "The Typewriter" and have them all be directors on the typing, ding, and roll back sounds. The form is: introduction A B A C interlude A coda.
CLICK, CLACK Moo
STUD Y G UIDE
Dear Teacher,
We have created the following study guide to help make your students’ theater experience with
Click Clack Moo as meaningful as possible. For many, it will be their first time viewing a live
theatrical production. We have learned that when teachers discuss the play with their students
before and after the production, the experience is more significant and long-lasting. Our study
guide provides pre and post production discussion topics, as well as related activity sheets. These
are just suggestions; please feel free to create your own activities and areas for discussion. We
hope you and your class enjoy the show!
Background
Our play is based on the book, Click Clack Moo by author Doreen Cronin with illustrations by Betsy
Lewin.
The Story
• Farmer Brown has a smooth-running farm where the cows make milk and the chickens lay eggs.
On the surface everything seems to be fine, but the truth is that the animals aren’t very happy.
Every night the barn gets very cold and in the morning the animals are very cranky as a result.
• Farmer Brown’s granddaughter Jenny visits farm with her laptop computer, so that she can keep in
touch with her friends back home.
All illustrations in this Study Guide are from CLICK, CLACK, MOO
by Doreen Cronin with illustrations by Betsy Lewin. Used with permission of Pippin Properties, Inc.
• Duck explains to the animals that he stays warm because of the down in his feathers which the
farmer uses to make blankets. The cows decide that they want blankets too but don’t know how
they can communicate their wishes to Farmer Brown. When Jenny leaves her laptop and printer in
the barn, the animals figure out how to type a note to Farmer Brown requesting blankets.
• When Farmer Brown refuses their request, the cows decide to go on strike. They send a new note
saying they will not give milk until they get blankets. The Farmer decides he doesn’t need to sell
milk. Instead he’ll just sell eggs. In turn, the cows convince the chickens to join in the strike until
the Farmer meets their demands.
• Jenny helps negotiate an agreement between the animals and Farmer Brown while Duck runs back
and forth with demands from both sides. Finally, in exchange for the laptop, Farmer Brown gives
the animals blankets. Of course once Duck gets the laptop, he has some demands of his own.
Before Seeing the Play
1. You may want to read Click Clack Moo: Cows that Type and review the plots and
characters with your students.
2. Discuss the ways humans communicate with each other (face to face, phone, email,
text) Then discuss how animals communicate with each other. How do humans and
animals communicate with each other? What do you think animals would say to us if
they could talk?
3. Discuss how humans and animals are alike and different. What are some things people
can do that animals can’t? (talk, drive, cook) Name some activities that both animals
and humans can do. (eat, find shelter, protect their young) What can animals do that
humans can’t? (see in the dark, breathe underwater, fly) You can even make a Venn
diagram of all three.
4. Ask the class if they can name any stories where animals behave like humans. (The
Three Bears, The Three Pigs, Max & Ruby stories) Discuss the concept of
“personification,” when an author gives an animal human characteristics.
After Seeing the Play
1. Ask your students how the play was different from the book Click Clack Moo: Cows that
Type you read. How was it the same? Discuss the costumes. How did the actors portray
the farm animals?
2. Farmer Brown was very upset by the idea of giving the cows blankets. Why do you think
the idea bothered him so much? Did he do the right thing in the end? What else could
he have done?
3. The cows and chickens were unhappy in the barn. What else could they have asked for
other than blankets? What would animals in a zoo ask for? A circus?
Activities
Creative Dramatics
• Perform the story as a readers theater exercise. Go to the link:
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2277.html
Assign parts to the students and copy the script. Practice as a class and
schedule a performance for other students or parents.
Creative Writing
1. Ask the students to write letters from their pets to themselves. (use a
relative’s or friend’s pet if they don’t have one) What would the pet ask
for? What might they want to change in the house? Have students draw a
picture of the pet and display the picture with the letters on a bulletin
board.
2. Give students writing prompts to complete the sentences or begin a
paragraph or story:
• Living on a farm would be…
• I like to keep warm by…
• If my pet could talk, it would say…
• My favorite thing to do on a computer is…
Bibliography
Doreen Cronin is an award winning author of nine books including others that
take place on Farmer Brown’s farm. A list of her books:
Click, Clack Moo: Cows that Type
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack
Click, Clack, Splish, Splash
Giggle, Giggle, Quack
Duck for President
Diary of a Worm
Diary of a Spider
Diary of a Fly
Wiggle
Inter net :
Readers Theater Script:
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2277.html
Learn about author Doreen Cronin:
http://www.doreencronin.com/doreen.html
Teaching Unit and Activities from PBS Kids site:
http://pbskids.org/lions/cornerstones/click/
Name:
CLICK, CLACK Moo
Put the events from the story into the correct order.
the duck wri tes a message 1.
the hens will not lay eggs 2.
duck carries the messages 3.
the cows will not give milk 4.
Farmer B ro w n says no blankets 5.
Farmer B ro w n's cows type a 6.
second note to the farme r
Farmer B ro w n gives blankets 7.
to the animals
The cows ask for blankets 8.
Name:
Below are two notes from Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type. They are
each missing some words. Choose the correct words from the word box
at the top of the page and fill in the blanks.
cold Dear Sincerely Farmer
Hens blankets electric cows
Brown barn milk
Dear Farmer _________,
The ________ is very ________ at night.
We’d like some ___________ blankets.
____________,
The Cows
_______ Cows and _________:
There will be no electric __________.
You are ________ and hens.
I demand ________ and eggs.
Sincerely,
__________ Brown
Name:
CLICK, CLACK Moo
Cows that Type
N Y R C B P I N Q E I A C D B
F Y T Y P E E G Z P W M Z D Y
C V H P U K M G H J X F P Y I
H D P F I D H Z G J D A W M L
I X Z R R Z X Y W S V I E E N
C T T G E W A K N D T P J O J
K S G B L Z Z Y O B L M T M W
E J A W Y B Y H T A A O U L B
N I B T I P Q D E R X N C C R
M J C R O S K W L N E O A F P
D I N N Y T E K N A L B A A L
E H L K C I T R X F N Y P R C
W U C K C U D O A D M L T M R
R O M L L D D H D Y J H T E N
W K Q Z U I L V W A W C A R T
BARN EGGS
BLANKET FARMER
CHICKEN MILK
COLD NOTE
COW STRIKE
DUCK TYPE
Theatreworks USA Production of Click, Clack, Moo Educator Resource Guide
Theatreworks USA Production of
Click, Clack , Moo
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
9:30 a.m.
Run Time: Approx. 60 minutes
Grades: PreK-3
Dear Educator –
We are excited to welcome you to the 2016-17 Season, filled with engaging artistic and educational
opportunities for you and your students. Join us as we celebrate the voices of community and culture that
have the power to unite us all. As part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage Education Program, this
resource guide will provide you with lesson ideas to prepare your students for the upcoming performance.
Please feel free to adapt any of the activities in this guide to make them appropriate and meaningful to your
students.
The Caldecott Honor Book by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin comes to life in a hilariously moo-ving musical
that focuses on negotiation and compromise. Your herd will laugh along with the typing cows, striking hens
and demanding chickens as they wonder how Farmer Brown will handle his animals’ requests.
We look forward to recognizing each unique voice and providing a platform for expression through the arts.
From lesson ideas and professional development workshops to backstage tours, allow us to partner with you
to provide students with exciting educational opportunities!
For questions contact the education sales department (920) 730-3726 or educationsales@foxcitiespac.com.
INSIDE THIS GUIDE
Welcome 3 In the Spotlight 9
Standards 4 Discover the Arts 11
About 5 Resource Room 16
Lesson Plans 6
Community Partners Series Sponsor With additional support fromWELCOME TO THE FOX CITIES P.A.C.
We are in need of an audience – are you up for the part?
THEATER ETIQUETTE
•When entering the Fox Cities Performing Arts
Center, remember to show respect for others
by waiting your turn and speaking quietly.
•Remember that during the performance the
live performers can see and hear you. Even the
smallest sounds can be heard throughout the
theater, so it is best to remain quiet so
everyone can enjoy the performance.
•Applause is the best way to express how much
you enjoyed the performance!
•Important things to remember: This study guide was created for you by the Education
•Student backpacks, gum, drinks and Team as a part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage
food are not allowed in the theater. Education program. To download copies of this study
•Cell phones should be turned off and guide or to find additional resources for this performance
stowed. or view past study guides please visit:
•Note that recording or taking photos www.foxcitiespac.com/educators
in the theater is strictly prohibited;
however, photos may be taken in the Questions about your show reservation? Contact our
lobby. education sales team at educationsales@foxcitiespac.com
•It’s a long way down – please do not or call (920) 730-3726.
drop items off balconies. ENJOY THE SHOW!
INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS DID YOU KNOW?
Be prepared to arrive early – You should plan on arriving to the •The Thrivent Financial Hall has a
Center 30 minutes before the show. Allow for travel time, stage larger than any Broadway
parking and trips to the restroom. theater in New York’s infamous
theater district.
Know your needs – To best serve the needs of you and your
students, please indicate in advance if you have individuals •The public women’s restrooms have
who require special services or seating needs upon making 56 toilets.
your reservation.
•The Center is held up by an amazing
Seating – Seating is based on a number of factors including 1,056,100 pounds of reinforcing steel
when the reservation is made, size of group, students’ ages in concrete.
and any special seating needs.WISCONSIN ACADEMIC STANDARDS
To assist you in your planning the Wisconsin Academic Standards that are most likely to connect with this
performance are listed below.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
READING/LITERATURE: Students in Wisconsin will read and respond to a wide range of writing to build an
understanding of written materials, of themselves and of others.
ORAL LANGUAGE: Students in Wisconsin will listen to understand and will speak clearly and effectively for
diverse purposes.
SOCIAL STUDIES
GEOGRAPHY: Students in Wisconsin will learn about geography through the study of the relationships among
people, places and environments.
POLITICAL SCIENCE AND CITIZENSHIP: Students in Wisconsin will learn about political science and acquire the
knowledge of political systems necessary for developing individual civic responsibility by studying the history
and contemporary uses of power, authority and governance.
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES: Students in Wisconsin will learn about the behavioral sciences by exploring concepts
from the discipline of sociology, the study of the interactions among individuals, groups and institutions; the
discipline of psychology, the study of factors that influence individual identity and learning; and the discipline of
anthropology, the study of cultures in various times and settings.
MUSIC
ANALYSIS: Students in Wisconsin will analyze and describe music.
THE ARTS: Students in Wisconsin will relate music to the other arts and disciplines outside the arts.
HISTORY AND CULTURE: Students in Wisconsin will relate music to history and culture.
THEATER
PLAY READING AND ANALYSIS: Students in Wisconsin will attend live theater and read plays, be able to analyze
and evaluate the play and articulate (create meaning from) the play’s message for individuals and society.
RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS: Students in Wisconsin will research and analyze methods of presentation and
audience response for theater, the interconnections of theater, community, other cultures and historical
periods for use as general knowledge.
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726ABOUT THE COMPANY
The mission of Theatreworks USA is to create, produce and provide access to professional theater for
youth and family audiences nationwide, including disadvantaged youth and under-served
communities. Since their founding in 1961, the company has presented more than 90 million children
and their families with opportunities to enjoy theatrical productions. Each season, three million
children, many of whom have no other access to the performing arts, attend their original productions
in venues across the nation. All shows are based in literacy or history and are encouraged to stimulate
reading and discussion with the overarching goal of encourage young people to tap into their own
reservoirs of creativity and talent.
ABOUT THE SHOW
“Cows that type? Hens on strike! Whoever heard of such a thing!” Farmer Brown cries. When his
granddaughter Jenny comes for a visit, Farmer Brown declared the farm a “tech-free zone.” He
confiscates her laptop in the cold barn along with the shivering cows who use her computer to type
messages requesting blankets.
“No way,” replies Farmer Brown. “No blankets!”
Will Farmer Brown give into his animals’ demands? Will jenny get her computer back? Find out in this
hilariously “moooooo-ving” musical about negotiation and compromise, based on the Caldecott Honor
Book by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin.
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726LESSON ONE: ON THE FARM
OBJECTIVE: Students will be introduced to animals on the farm and begin to develop an understanding
of the play’s setting.
MATERIALS
Board
Blank paper
Chalk
Buttermilk
“Farmyard Beat” by Lindsey Craig
OPENING DISCUSSION
How many of you have ever visited a farm? What were some things that you saw? If you haven’t visited
a farm, what are some things you think you might see?
WARM UP
• Explain to students that there are many different types of animals and we can see them in various
habitats.
• Ask students for one animal that they can think of and explain that this word is going to be the
beginning of a “word snake.”
• Start the word snake and continue by using the last letter of the proceeding word as the beginning
letter of the next word.
CAT – TIGER –RABBIT – TURTLE –ELEPHANT – etc., etc.
• Once you have a working list, have students group animals according to their habitat.
• Draw big circles on the board and connect them to FARM, ZOO, WILD, HOME, etc.
• Discuss with students what habitat each animal on the word snake belongs to.
DID YOU KNOW?
Farming plays an important role in our home state of Wisconsin! In our state alone, cows produce
over 2 billion pounds of milk each month. That’s 1,605 pounds or 187 gallons of milk per cow each
month. On average each cow produces approximately 6 gallons of milk every day. Let’s put all this milk
into perspective - it takes 12 pounds of milk to make one gallon of ice cream, 10 pounds of milk to
make one pound of cheese and 21.8 pound of milk to make one pound of butter. With all this dairy, it
is no wonder that Wisconsin has been a leader in dairying for than a century and was officially named
“America’s Dairyland” in 1930.
Dairy farms help fuel our state economy at a rate of more than $39,000 per minute. This is made
possible by more than 1.27 million cows that claim Wisconsin as home – that’s as many cows as there
are Wisconsin school children!
Source: www.fdlac.com
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726ACTIVITY
• Explain to students that buttermilk is the liquid that is Ieft behind after churning butter out of cream.
(Show students an example and discuss the similarities and differences between milk and buttermilk.)
• Share that buttermilk can be consumed straight or it can be used in cooking. Today it is going to be
used to make art!
• Instruct students to close their eyes and imagine they are standing on a farm. Ask students to raise
their hands and share what they see in their imaginations.
• After students have shared, pass out blank pieces of paper and chalk.
• Explain to students that they will be creating artwork by dipping their piece of chalk in buttermilk and
then using it to draw.
• Provide students each with a bowl of buttermilk, chalk and let them create!
CLOSING DISCUSSION
Did you learn of a new animal today? Or learn about one that may be on the farm? Find one of your
favorite animals and find one fun fact about it to share with your class tomorrow!
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726LESSON TWO: DEAR FARMER BROWN
OBJECTIVE: Students will learn about the basic format of writing a letter and be introduced to the story
of “Click, Clack, Moo.”
MATERIALS
Paper
Writing utensils
OPENING DISCUSSION
Have you ever received a letter? Who was it from? What was it about? Have you ever sent someone a
letter? How did you begin writing it? It is very fun to get mail and today we are going to learn about
different types of letters one can receive and how to write letters.
WARM UP
• Teach students the phrase “Click, Clack, Moo | Click, Clack, Moo | Clickety, Clack, Moo” and discuss
what these words could be representing. What goes click, clack? What goes “Moo?”
• Have students guess what they think it could be and then share that it is typing cows! Who has ever
heard of such a thing!
• Display a picture of a typewriter and explain to students how the machine works. Share that in the
play the cows have upgraded technology and use laptops to communicate!
• Return to the “Click, Clack, Moo” phrase and have students add hand motions to the words.
• Ask students for suggestions: What would a good hand signal be for “Click, Clack” based on
looking at a typewriter or computer?
• What would we do when we say “mooo?”
• Once you have finalized your hand motions to accompany the phrase, practice as a group. Share with
students that you will be reading “Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type” by Doreen Cronin and they are
going to help. Determine a hand signal to cue students on their participatory phrase.
• Read together as a class.
DID YOU KNOW?
In the story of “Click, Clack, Moo” the cows decide to go on strike. They inform Farmer Brown of this
by posting a note to the barn door. A strike occurs when a group of employees (in this case, cows)
organize a slowdown or stopping of work until an acceptance of their demands are met by their
employer (in this story, Farmer Brown). In the book there are a few words that relate to strikes:
“Duck was a neutral party, so he brought the ultimatum to the cows.”
Neutral: not helping or supporting either side in a disagreement.
Ultimatum: A final demand or statement, the rejection of which will result in retaliation or breakdown
in relationship between two parties.
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726ACTIVITY
• Upon completion of reading, look back at the letters in the book. Read through them again and
discuss the format.
• Salutation or Greeting: “Dear Cows,”
• Body: “There will be no electric blankets. You are cows and hens. I demand milk and eggs.”
• Closing: “Sincerely, Farmer Brown”
• Have students think of different greetings they may have seen or received. Discuss content and
how to write the body of a letter. Next, discuss how to close their letter respectfully.
• Ask students to find a partner and tell them about a pet they have or a pet that they know. Allow
each student to share a little bit about their furry friend.
• Once each student has shared with a partner, pass out writing utensils and paper to each. Explain
that they will be writing a letter from the perspective of their pet or one they know.
• Instruct each student to think of one thing that their pet would want. Maybe it’s a soft bed, an ice
cream cone or a long walk. Once they have determined what it is, have them write a letter
requesting.
CLOSING DISCUSSION
Now that you know a little bit more about letter writing, how many of you will write more letters?
How many of you would like to receive more letters?
Doreen Cronin was a practicing attorney in Manhattan when her first book ”Click, Clack, Moo:
Cows That Type” became a publishing success. But her book was not published overnight, in
fact, she had written this barnyard tale even before attending law school but only received
rejection letters from publishers. Five years after submitting the original manuscript she got a
call from a publisher who wanted to turn her story into a book and the rest is history!
The busy life of a writer left no room for courtroom litigation and arbitration so Doreen made
the leap to being a full-time children’s book author. She then teamed up once again with
illustrator Betsy Lewin to write another hilarious barnyard tale, ”Giggle, Giggle, Quack”, that
Source: www.scholastic.com
continues the escapades of these lovable animals on a farm.
Doreen was born in Queens and grew up in Long Island. She graduated from Pennsylvania
State University and St. John’s University School of Law. She currently resides in New York with
her husband and dog “Ruffie.” Source: www.doreencronin.com
9LESSON THREE: WHAT DID YOU SAY?
OBJECTIVE: Students will explore how animals communicate and how they interact with each other.
MATERIALS
Colored tongue depressors
Writing board
Large books
OPENING DISCUSSION
Discuss how animals show what they are thinking in a variety of ways. Sometimes it is easy to overlook
their communication or recognize how in tune they are to our nonverbal cues. Often as humans we
use words to express what were are thinking through computers or text messages and don’t always
use nonverbal cues. Today we are going to explore how beneficial it is to have both verbal and
nonverbal communication abilities.
WARM UP
• Have students find a partner and set up their desks so they are sitting across from each other.
• Instruct students to place a large book in between, standing straight up, so the book blocks the area
directly in front of them.
• Pass out 10 different colored tongue depressor sticks to each student (make sure each team has the
same colors).
• Have students determine who will be Partner A and Partner B. Partner A will have two minutes to
assemble a piece of art with their depressor sticks. Once they have reached time, Partner B will have
five minutes to re-create the piece of art. However, students are only allowed describe their artwork
with words, no hand gestures.
• Partner B must try to replicate Partner A’s design as much as possible (including the use of the same
colors).
• Once you have reached time, have students remove their book to see how closely their work
mirrors each other.
• Discuss how using your hands or your body would have assisted.
ACTIVITY
• Write the following messages on the board:
• May I borrow a pencil please?
• You are a good friend.
• Great idea!
• I don’t understand what you just said.
• What is for lunch?
• Could you say that again?
• Divide students into teams of four and once students have found their groups, explain that animals
are unable to use words to communicate. Share that a beluga whale is known to use 11 different
sounds to communicate. On the other hand monkeys communicate through visual gestures and
movements, sounds and smells.
• Instruct each group to select two sentences from the board and as a team come up with an
alternative way to communicate the sentence through either sounds or gestures.
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726Click, Clack, Moo is a musical. “What is that?” you may ask. Musical theater is a form of theatrical
performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The storyline is told through
words, music and movement. The first time the typing cows got attention was through a book for
kids, but it was later adapted into a musical.
Once a creative team secures the rights to adapt a book to stage, they must work through some
challenges. Since a picture book does not have much content, the creative team often sits down
with authors to discuss content so the audience is not disappointed. Once the story has been
developed, characters must be created to help tell the story. It is essential to create compelling
characters that serve as storytellers. From there music is added, thought is put into using music to
share inner thoughts and feelings of a character while keeping the story moving forward.
The chart below shows how Broadway puts on a show. This is a similar format to musicals such as
Click, Clack, Moo.
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726• Gather the class and have each group share its sounds or actions. Have the observing groups guess
what message is being communicated.
• Discuss as a class the difficulties that using only nonverbal communication brings.
CLOSING DISCUSSION
What did you learn about expressing what you want to others? As you go out, think about different ways
you see animals communicate. Throughout the week, try to see all the ways you see animals around
communicating.
DID YOU KNOW?
A dog may be man’s best friend, but if
people ever figure out what dogs are
really thinking, will the friendship sour?
That’s a risk that a few inventors in
Europe are willing to take. They’ve
received funding to develop “No more
Woof,” an electronic device that
promises to analyze dogs’ brains and
translate a few of their thoughts into
basic English. It is still in the beginning
phases, but the scientific effort is
aimed at breaking the language barrier
between animals and humans.
Source: www.livescience.com
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726LESSON FOUR: COWS, DUCKS & COMPROMISE
OBJECTIVE: Students will compare and contrast the characters in the books to determine what they
want.
MATERIALS
“Click, Clack, Moo” by Doreen Cronin
Paper
Drawing and writing utensils
Barnyard Dice template (p. 14)
OPENING DISCUSSION
Who are the characters in the story of “Click, Clack, Moo”?
WARM UP
• Begin class by reading through “Click, Clack, Moo” by Doreen Cronin again. Have students see how
much of the story timeline they remember before beginning to read.
• Following the story, write the following on the board: cow, hen, duck, famer, pig and sheep
• As class brainstorm the various sounds these animals (and human!) make and write them on the
board.
• Next, think of a movement that could represent each and write on the board.
• Explain to students that you will be playing a game that incorporates all the sounds and movements
of these animals.
• Before class print the template (p. 14) on cardstock and cut template out.
• Bend all the tabs and lines to make construction easier and pass out to students.
• Instruct each student to glue together to make a barnyard dice.
• Begin the game by deciding on whether you will imitate movement, sound or both.
• Have one student throw the dice and as a class imitate the animal it falls on.
ACTIVITY
• Explain to students that they will be comparing and contrasting characters from the story.
• Pass out a piece of paper and help them draw lines dividing the paper into three sections.
• Label each section: Cows, Same and Duck.
• As a class discuss how the characters are different. Some examples could include: Cows go on
strike, want blankets, live in a barn and Duck wants a diving board, plays the neutral party, plays a
trick to get the typewriter.
• Then discuss how they are the same. They both type notes, they both want something from Farmer
Brown and they are both on the farm.
• Next, have your students fold their paper so it meets in the middle. Have them write the title of the
story on the front. Instruct them to draw their favorite scene from the book on the front.
• Encourage them to include a barn, cow and duck in their picture.
CLOSING DISCUSSION
What did we learn about the various characters in the book? Did they all want the same things? How
did they work together to get what each wanted?
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726
Don’t let this experience end with the drop of the curtain. Keep the conversation going with
your students and reflect on the performance that you just attended. Here are a few
questions to get the conversation started!
• What did you learn about making requests from this performance?
•What was your favorite song in the performance?
•Which moment do you remember most from the performance? What was happening?
•What did you learn about the importance of community from this performance?
•Describe the music you heard. How did the music add to the mood or atmosphere of the
performance?
•Describe how the performers used their bodies. How did their movement reflect the animals
they were portraying?
•If you were going to tell a friend about the performance, how would you describe it in one
sentence?
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726BOOKS
“Click, Clack, Moo” Doreen Cronin
“Giggle, Giggle, Quack” Doreen Cronin
“Dooby, Dooby, Moo” Doreen Cronin
“Duck for President” by Doreen Cronin
WEBSITES
Arts Edge – free digital resource for teaching and learning in, through and about the arts.
www.artedge.kennedy-center.org
Doreen Cronin
www.doreencronin.com
This educator resource guide is created as part of The Boldt Company Beyond the Stage Education Program.
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center Education | education@foxcitiespac.com | (920) 730-3726THANK YOU TO OUR SERIES SPONSORS FOR MAKING THIS PERFORMANCE POSSIBLE!
Community Partners
Our sponsors love to hear from you! Mail or drop off cards, letters or pictures to
the Center and we will share with them.
Fox Cities Performing Arts Center
Education Department
400 W. College Avenue
Appleton, WI 54911You can also read
