Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre / Learning Standards / Conestoga Stories

Grade 5 / Erie Canal Tales

Downloadable Production Guide & Activity Sheet (.pdf)

Back to Erie Canal Tales Intro

Sample Activities

Today, television watchers have the luxury of seeing the story unfold in living color. Radio stories and dramas were much different. Listeners had to use their imaginations to picture the characters and events. Listen to an old radio show (there are many available to download off the internet). Create a drawing of the setting, main characters, and events based on the descriptions in the radio show. Compare this to a television program. Turn on the television, and close your eyes. Is the story line confusing? Do you feel like you are missing information? Can you draw an accurate picture of the story?

Erie Canal Tales recounts one day, during the early days of the Erie Canal. Have students research the old Erie Canal and write fictitious journal entries about a week-long canal trip. Students can name their own barge and pick their own destinations. Information about the early days of the canal can be found at the school library or online.

NYS Learning Standards

Preparatory Classroom Workshop

ARTS 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts – THEATRE
ARTS 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources – THEATRE
ARTS 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts - THEATRE
ELA 1.1: Language for Information and Understanding – Listening and Reading
ELA 1.2: Language for Information and Understanding – Speaking and Writing
ELA 4.1: Language for Social Interaction – Listening and Speaking
SS 1.1: History of the United States and New York – Development of American culture
SS1.2: History of the United States and New York – Recognize how traditions
and practices were passed from one generation to the next
SS 1.3: History of the United States and New York – Understanding
roles and contributions of individuals and groups

Conestoga Stories Performance

ARTS 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts – THEATRE
ARTS 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts – MUSIC
ARTS 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources – THEATRE
ARTS 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts – THEATRE
ARTS 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts – MUSIC
ELA 2.1: Language for Literary Response and Expression – Listening and Reading
ELA 4.1: Language for Social Interaction – Listening and Speaking
SS 1.1: History of the United States and New York – Knowing the roots of American Culture
SS1.2: History of the United States and New York – Recognize how traditions and practices
were passed from one generation to the next
SS 1.3: History of the United States and New York – Understanding roles and contributions
of individuals and groups
SS 1.4: History of the United States and New York – View historic events through the eyes
of those that were there

Production Guide
standards addressed by the suggested activities

ARTS 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts – THEATRE
ARTS 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art – THEATRE
ARTS 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts – THEATRE
ARTS 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts – MUSIC
ELA 1.1: Language for Information and Understanding – Listening and Reading
ELA 1.2: Language for Information and Understanding – Speaking and Writing
ELA 2.1: Language for Literary Response and Expression – Listening and Reading
ELA 2.2: Language for Literary Response and Expression – Speaking and Writing
ELA 3.1: Language for Critical Evaluation and Analysis – Listening and Reading
ELA 3.2: Language for Critical Evaluation and Analysis – Speaking and Writing
ELA 4.1: Language for Social Interaction – Listening and Speaking
ELA 4.2: Language for Social Interaction – Reading and Writing
SS 1.1: History of the United States and New York – Knowing the roots of American Culture
SS1.2: History of the United States and New York – Recognize how traditions and practices
were passed from one generation to the next
SS 1.3: History of the United States and New York – Understanding roles and contributions
of individuals and groups
SS 1.4: History of the United States and New York – View historic events through the eyes
of those that were there
SS 3.1: Geography – Investigate how people depend on and
modify their physical environment.