nutcracker volume-1 sample - ReadySets.comreadysets.com/previews/nutcracker_volume_1_sample.pdf · Sugar Plum Fairy (coloring page) ... and they began to march and dance around

Volume One

by Mary Hopkins

Nutcracker Literacy& Fun

Common Core

Aligned

Description Page

Teacher’s Page - 1 & 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4The Story of the Nutcracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7Story of the Nutcracker Ballet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8The Nutcracker (coloring page) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9The Nutcracker Poem. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Nutcracker Secret Message Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Fritz (coloring page) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Spelling List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-14Spelling Homework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-16Sugar Plum Fairy (coloring page) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Creative Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19Hot Chocolate Dance (coloring page) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Alphabetizing - ABC Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21-23Vocabulary Word Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Nutcracker Crossword Puzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Crossword Puzzle Clues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27Russian Dancers (coloring page) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Comprehension Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29-30Answer Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31-43

Nutcracker Literacy

Volume 1

Table of Contents

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NUTCRACKER LITERACYVOLUME I

Dear Teacher,Nutcracker Literacy Volume I will introduce this timeless children’s classic to your

students while building vocabulary and literacy skills.

Included are activities featuring common core standards:

• —pp. 29 - 30CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understandingof a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

• pp. 5 - 7

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy,appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings

• —pp. 18 - 19CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences orevents using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

•

:

• Summarized Nutcracker narrative (pp. 5 to 7)

• Biography of Peter Tchaikovsky (p. 8)

• Original Nutcracker Poem for choral reading and memorization (p. 10)

• Coloring pages ofThe Nutcracker (p. 9)Fritz (p. 12)Sugar Plum Fairy (p. 17)Spanish Dance of Hot Chocolate (p. 20)Russian Dancers (p. 28)

(continued)

Comprehension Questions

The Story of the Nutcracker

Creative Writing Prompt

Nutcracker Comprehension Questions

Featured activities

TEACHER’S PAGE

—• —p. 10

—p. 30 (# 16 and # 20)CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a pointof view with reasons.

The Nutcracker Poem

©1996-2013

www.readysets.comMary Hopkins - author3

NUTCRACKER LITERACYVOLUME I

TEACHER’S PAGE(continued)

Featured activities:

• Nutcracker Secret Message Puzzle (p. 11)• Nutcracker Spelling Words (pp. 13 - 14)• Spelling Homework Fill in the Blanks (pp. 15 - 16)• Creative Writing Prompt (pp. 18 - 19)• Alphabetizing (pp. 21 - 23)• Vocabulary Word Search (p. 24)• Nutcracker Crossword Puzzle (pp. 25 - 27)• Nutcracker Comprehension Questions (pp. 29 - 30)

Full set of answer keys included (pp. 31 - 43)

Please visit our store to see our other Nutcracker units…..

• Nutcracker Literacy—Volume II

• Nutcracker Math

• Nutcracker Board Game

Copyright Notice

The material presented in this book is copyrighted by Ready Sets.The material presented in this book may be reproduced by mechanical means for in-classroomuse only by the original purchaser.Copies of this material may not be given to another individual with the intent to reproduce thematerial for another classroom.No part of this publication may be reprinted for resale without the express written permission ofReady Sets.

© Copyright 1996-2013 Ready Sets - Mary Hopkins. All rights reserved.

©1996-2013

www.readysets.comMary Hopkins - author

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The Story of the Nutcracker

ong ago on a snowy Christmas Eve, Marie and her littlebrother Fritz were anxiously waiting for their family's

Christmas party to begin! Their parents had decorated a beautifulChristmas tree with brightly lit candles and sparkling decorations.

Guests began to arrive. They shook the snow off their coats,and then gathered around the bright Christmas tree. There weregifts for all the children. The boys got stick horses and French horns.The girls got pretty dolls.

Suddenly a mysterious guest arrived. He wore a dark cape anda black eye patch. It was Marie and Fritz's Godfather Drosselmeyer—a famous maker of magical toys. His helper brought in two enormous boxes. Aseveryone watched, the boxes slowly opened by themselves! One contained alife-sized toy soldier and the other a lovely ballerina. Godfather Drosselmeyerturned a key on their backs, and they began to march and dance around.

Then Godfather Drosselmeyer surprised Marie with a special gift just forher. When she opened the box, she was delighted to see a wooden nutcrackerfashioned as a toy soldier.

Just as Marie was looking at her new gift,naughty Fritz called the nutcracker an uglytoy, and grabbed it from her hands. Hecrammed a very big walnut into its mouth.CRACK! Three of the nutcracker's teeth fellout! Marie was very upset. She wrapped ahandkerchief around the little soldier's headand put him into a doll bed to rest.

After much dancing and celebrating, theparty was over, and Marie, Fritz and theirparents, wished the guests a very merryChristmas and said goodnight.

Fritz went to bed, but Marie fell asleep onthe couch in the living room, close to the dollbed where her nutcracker rested.

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Nutcracker

GodfatherDrosselemeyer

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When the grandfather clock chimed midnight, astrange thing happened. The Christmas tree and

everything in the room grew bigger and bigger until theywere enormous! The clock's chimes woke Marie, and to

her surprise, she saw Godfather Drosselmeyer sittingatop the clock and a room full of giant gifts, toysoldiers and Christmas candy canes!

Along with the tree and the toy soldiers, a smallarmy of house mice had grow huge as well! Theyran into the room with an extra big Mouse King

leading the others. Wearing a golden crown onhis head, he waved a sharp crooked sword.

The mice rushed at Marie and tried to carryher off, but to her surprise, the toy nutcracker had alsogrown life-sized, and he raised his own sword to leadthe toy soldiers into battle against the mice and their

king.

The toy soldiers shot gumdrops at the mice from toy cannons. The battleraged on, and it looked like the mice would surely win. Marie, looking on, couldnot stand to see her nutcracker defeated by the mice. Suddenly she took off hershoe, and threw it right at the Mouse King! To her surprise, he toppled overdead.

When Marie looked over at her nutcracker, she was amazed to see that hehad changed into a handsome real live prince!

The Nutcracker prince summoned a magic sleigh and asked Marie to flywith him to his kingdom, the Land of Sweets. Through the snowy skies theyflew, until they landed outside a wonderful palace, made completely of candiesand sweets. At the gates stood the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy who broughtMarie and her Nutcracker Prince inside and seated them on a golden throne.

All the Nutcracker Prince's subjects were gathered to welcome him. Theyperformed magical dances for him and Marie.

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The Story of the Nutcracker - p. 2

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First, some Spanish dancers performed the Hot Chocolate Dance.Then the music became mysterious as the Arabian dancers swayed tothe rhythm of the Coffee Dance. Next, a giant teapot appeared withChinese dancers hopping out to perform their Dance of Tea.

Funniest of all was Mother Ginger, a giant lady wearing anenormous hoop skirt, from under which skipped out littlechildren—turning cartwheels and dancing happily.

Next was the lively music of Trepak, the Russian Dance, with itsacrobatic dancers twirling and leaping high in the air.

Finally came the beautiful Waltz of the Flowers, and the Dance ofthe Sugar Plum Fairy.

Marie and her Nutcracker Princeclapped—delighted with eachdifferent performance.

At last the magicalevening came to an end.All the dancers ofthe Land of Sweetsgathered together towave farewell to Marieand her Prince as theyentered their sleighto travel back home.

On Christmasmorning Marie awokein her own bed, with thetoy nutcracker in her arms.Had it been a real Christmas adventure…or only a wonderful dream?

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The Story of the Nutcracker - p. 3

Chinese Dance of Tea

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8

The Nutcracker Balletby Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky

The music for the Nutcracker ballet was written by the Russiancomposer Peter Illyich Tchaikovsky. The story of the ballet was based on abook called by Mr. E. T. A. Hoffmann.The ballet was first performed in St. Petersburg, Russia on Sunday,December 18, 1892.

The Nutcracker ballet is performed in two acts. Act I tells the story ofMarie and her brother Fritz who are waiting anxiously for their family'sChristmas party to begin. It also tells of the battle of the nutcracker and themouse king.

Act II tells the magical story of the Land of Sweets, and includes manybeautiful dances, such as the Dance of Hot Chocolate, the Dance of Coffee,the Dance of tea, the Trepak or Russian Dance, and the Waltz of theFlowers.

Every year the Nutcracker ballet is performed all over the UnitedStates and throughout the world at Christmas time. It has been a favoriteof both children and adults for over one hundred years.

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

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The Nutcracker

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The Nutcracker Poem

Snowflakes were falling,The children were happy,

The Christmas Eve party wasFestive and snappy.

Then Godfather D. – he arrivedWith some toys,

A nutcracker for Marie,And French horns for the boys.

At midnight the tree grewAnd all the mice, too,Marie won the battle,By throwing her shoe.

The snowy Land of SweetsGladly welcomed those two,

With dances of tea,Chocolate, and a coffee brew!

Mother Ginger, the RussiansAnd Sugar Plum Fairy

Wish you all a glad ChristmasThat's happy and merry!

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Common Core AlignedCCS, ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b Read grade-level proseand poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, andexpression on successive readings.

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Write the solution below:

Directions: Choose from the letters directly above

the spaces to fill in the blanks. Cross the letters

off after you use them. When done you will find a

Nutcracker message. Write the message in the

blanks below.

,

B A O I E A C N F R W O Z Y E N

N R T K H S R H A U I T O D

M U R C E T K E R G H TR

B R O T E E

Name: __________________________________

Nutcracker’s Secret

Message Puzzle

A

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Fritz

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Nutcracker Spelling List - (p. 1)

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Nutcracker Spelling List (p. 2)

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Nutcracker Spelling Homework (p. - 1)

Name: ______________________________

1. A hot drink that many adults drink with cream and sugar is _________________ .

2. If you have a good _______________ you can pretend and think of creative ideas.

3. Another name for a castle, or a king’s home is a _______________________ .

4. Godfather Drosselmeyer made Marie a little wooden _____________________

for Christmas.

5. _____________________________ is on December 25 .

6. Some ______________________ are chocolate, peppermints, and licorice.

7. Did you buy a Christmas ____________________ for your parents?

8. You can pour hot water into a pot to make ___________________ .

9. The Nutcracker Prince lived in the beautiful

_________________ ____________ _____________________ .

th

Directions: Use the words from

your spelling list to complete

these sentences.

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Nutcracker Spelling Homework (p. - 2)

Name: ______________________________

10. When you see live actors on a stage, you are watching a _________________ .

11. People watching a play are called the _________________________.

12. Do you like to drink __________ ____________________ with whipped cream?

13. The ________________ ____________ _______________ greeted

Marie and the Prince.

14. The Spanish _________________ performed the dance for Marie and the Prince.

15. We go to the big _________________ to watch the Nutcracker play.

16. ____________________ is a kind of dance performed by ballerinas.

17. Do you like to ___________________ ?

18. Many children were ___________________ with Mother Ginger.

Directions: Use the words from

your spelling list to complete

these sentences.

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Sugar Plum Fairy

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Name: ____________________________

Pretend you are either: Marie, Nutcracker or the Mouse King.Write a story about the battle. Who were your enemies? Whowere your allies (friends)? How did the enemy attack you? Whatwere your weapons? How did you win or lose the battle?

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Creative Writing

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Name: ______________________________

Alphabetizing - Nutcracker ABC Word Order (p. - 1)

Fill in the circle by the word that comes first in ABC order. Write the word on the line.

1. coffeenutcrackerpresent

2. playsweetspalace

3. theaterpresentplay

4. dancedancersdancing

5. Christmaschocolatecoffee

6. sweetssugartheater

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Documents

nutcracker volume-1 sample - ReadySets.comreadysets.com/previews/nutcracker_volume_1_sample.pdf · Sugar Plum Fairy (coloring page) ... and they began to march and dance around