The Elves and the Shoemakers

Learning Resource

Contents
Welcome Curriculum Framework Synopsis Early Primary: Lesson Plan One Early Primary: Lesson Plan Two Early Primary: Lesson Plan Three Early Primary: Other Activity Ideas: Foundation Stage: Lesson Plan One Foundation Stage: Lesson Plan Two Foundation Satge: Lesson Plan Three Foundation Stage: Other Activity Ideas Investigating Materials for Shoes Worksheet Dress Up Activity Sheets Venn and Carroll Diagrams Worksheet Dress up and Decorate Elves 2 2 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 16 17 18 19 21 22

Theatre Hullabaloo, 2012 Contributors: Jane Thain & Miranda Thain Layout: Kelly Atkinson Cover Illustration: Josie Brookes

We encourage educators to reproduce portions of this learning resource, but request that credit be attributed to Theatre Hullabaloo. www.theatrehullabaloo.org.uk 1

Welcome to The Elves and the Shoemakers Learning Resource

We hope that you and your children enjoy our dramatisation of The Elves and the Shoemakers. To help you to broaden the experience, we have prepared some related lesson plans and activities that we hope you will enjoy in the classroom. We believe that the experience of live theatre is an important one for young children in terms of their emotional, social and creative development, but when it is most effective is within a wider learning context with a teacher or shared with a parent or other children. The vital contribution of foundation stage education lies in developing the range of childrens learning experiences, to leave them confident, eager and enthusiastic learners.

A Curriculum Framework for Children 3 5 years

Each learning experience focuses on raising achievement with special emphasis on literacy and numeracy while recognising the value of free play in an enjoyable and safe learning environment.

Key Aspects of Childrens Development and Learning

Specific Skills

Learning Activities

Emotional, Personal & Social

Turn taking / sharing Social skills Confidence / self esteem Understanding Others Listening Extending vocabulary Basic literacy Appreciation of books Nature / technology People and places Basic numeracy Colours / shapes Spontaneity Imagination / Curiosity Rhythms Co-ordination

Communication & Language

Knowledge & Understanding of the World

Expressive & Aesthetic Development

Games Role play Interactive storytelling Songs / rhymes Dramatising (animated storytelling) Word / letter games Illustrated stories Percussion Music / Dance Puppetry Counting Games Different materials / textures Painting / drawing Sculpture / collage

Physical Development & Movement

Synopsis of The Elves and the Shoemakers

We meet the old man and his wife - once rich and successful shoemakers, now struggling to earn enough to keep themselves warm and fed, and with only one piece of leather left to make some shoes to sell. Christmas is just two days away and they have no money to buy each other presents. The old man decides to sell the shop, but his wife reminds him of the beautiful shoes he can make and that people need shoes. Cold and hungry, they set about making a fire to warm themselves and some food to eat, but realise they have no wood for a fire and not even a crust of bread to share. Even a rubbing hands, stamping feet dance doesnt warm them up. The old woman goes to bed, leaving the old man to make the shoes, but his fingers are so cold, he cant feel them. He falls asleep. Two elves appear in the shoemakers house. Not only are they small, but they play together like children do, and they argue and fall out like children sometimes do, but then they become friends again. The elves realise that the old man and the old woman have no food, no fire and no money and that these problems make them sad and worried. They decide to help the old couple by making a pair of shoes out of the leather on the shoemakers bench. The elves make some beautiful shoes. In the morning when the old woman gets up she is feeling very cold. She has forgotten theres no wood for a fire, or any bread to eat, and then she notices the shoes. She thinks her husband, the shoemaker, has made the shoes, and is thrilled at what he has done. She says that everything will be alright. A customer comes to the shop and buys the beautiful shoes, paying more money than the shoemaker expected. The old woman comes home from shopping. She has been able to buy wood for the fire, bread and milk and something secret - a Christmas present for the old man - as well as enough leather to make two pairs of shoes. The old man tells his wife that he didnt make the shoes they sold that day and he doesnt know who did. They realise that they have been very lucky. They say that the help they have been given is like being given a present. They decide to stay up that night to find out who their kind helpers are. At night the elves come out again to play. They hear the old man and his wife laugh, and decide they must have cheered up. But the old man and the old woman are happy because they have found out that the elves are the ones who are helping them by making beautiful shoes. The elves notice the fire is lit so their home is warm, and when they find the leather they set to work to make more boofy shoes - this time two pairs. In the morning the old man and the old woman are thrilled to see the beautiful shoes the elves have made. Theres a long queue of people outside the shop who want to buy the shoes, which are quickly sold. Everyone wants to buy the beautiful shoes made at this shop.

The old man comes back from shopping. His wife tells him he must get busy making more shoes to sell, but he reminds her that tomorrow is Christmas Day and no-one will be out shopping. The old man has bought wood for their fire, milk and bread and something secret- a present for his wife - and more leather, enough to make lots of pairs of shoes. They talk about how lucky they are. Because of the present the elves gave them, making shoes for them to sell, the old man and the old woman have a warm home, food to eat and enough leather to make many pairs of shoes, as well as secret Christmas presents for each other. They decide that they must make a thank you present to give to the elves. The old man and the old woman rush around their home finding all the things they need to make beautiful clothes and shoes for the elves. They work all day to get these presents ready. At night the elves come out. The boy elf starts to play their usual game, but the girl elf has noticed the clothes and shoes the old man and the old woman have made for them. She points them out to the boy elf. The old man comes out, the boy elf runs and hides but the girl elf bravely meets the old man who tells her that the shoes and clothes are a present for her and the boy elf. He thanks them for their help and wishes them both a Merry Christmas. The boy elf returns and both elves get dressed in their new clothes and shoes. They are very excited and very pleased with these boofy things. But they realise that actually, although they could go anywhere in the world with these fine new clothes, they just want to stay where they are. The old man and the old woman wish each other a Happy Christmas and exchange their secret presents. They tell us that the elves, whilst never seen again, are still helping them, by cleaning up the workshop most nights, and they tell us that their shoe shop is now called Boofy Shoes, and that it is a very busy, happy successful shoe shop.

Early Primary: Lesson Plan 1

Subject Links in the National Curriculum: Literacy: Speaking & Listening and Drama; PSHCE: Morals & Themes Duration: Pre-performance discussion 20 mins, post-performance lesson 50 mins + circle time

Pre Performance Discussion Topics

1. 2 3. 4. 5. Where do you get your shoes? What are they made of? Have you, with your parents, ever taken shoes to a shop to get them repaired or fixed when they come apart, or to get a new heel put on? The story of The Elves and the Shoemakers comes from a time when all shoes were made by hand and all shoes were made from leather. Where does leather come from? The story of The Elves and the Shoemakers was written by two brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, known as the Brothers Grimm, who lived in Germany a long time ago. They collected stories and wrote them down for people to enjoy. Have you heard of these other stories written down by the Brothers Grimm? Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin. What are elves? (An imaginary small creature with magical powers that looks like a human). What other stories do you know that include elves?

6. 7.

Back in the classroom Learning Objectives

Children will have the opportunity to explore themes of sharing and caring and helping one another through their experience of the performance of the story of The Elves and the Shoemakers. Children will have the opportunity to discuss and develop their understanding about making positive choices in the ways they relate to other people, based on the performance and story of The Elves and the Shoemakers.

Vocabulary: Being polite, courtesy, sharing, kindness, caring, helping others, being helpful
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Main Activity
Ask the children to re-tell the story of The Elves and the Shoemakers from the performance they saw.

Post Performance Discussion Topics

1. 2. 3. 4. Where does the story take place? Who are the characters? Which is your favourite character and why? What are the problems the characters face? 5. 6. 7. How do they solve these problems? How does the story end? What lesson does this story teach you?

Divide the class into groups of five - each group has to decide who will play the part of the old man, the old woman, two elves and a customer. Explain to the children that you are going to re-tell the story of The Elves and the Shoemakers - synopsis provided - and you want the children to act out what happens as you tell the story. Explain that after you have done this once - which is a practice for everyone - then each group will have a chance to act their version to the rest of the class.

Practice and Performances

Plenary:
1. 2. 3. 4. Explore the childrens thinking with these questions What was so special about the pair of shoes made from the shoemakers last piece of leather? What did the customer do when he found that the shoes fit so well? What did the shoemaker and his wife buy with the money made from the sale of the shoes? What did the shoemaker and his wife decide to do for the elves? Why?

Ask the children to think of a person who has helped them a lot in their life. Ask them to think what they have done or could do for this person. Ask the children to remember their ideas to share at the next class circletime.

Success Criteria

Children explored themes of helping one another, sharing and caring. Children discussed and developed their understanding about making positive choices in the ways they relate to other people.

Follow Up
Class Circletime: Remind the children about how the elves helped the shoemaker and his wife.
Ask the children as you go round the circle to say who they know who has helped them a lot in their life and how they have helped. Then go round the circle again and ask the children to say what they have done or could do to show their thanks for the help they have been given.

Activity: Provide the children with a piece of card folded and ask them to write inside it a thank you
note to their chosen special person for the help they have given, and to decorate the front cover. Use additional adults to note childrens ideas where writing is pre-emergent or needs mediating.

Early Primary: Lesson Plan 2

Subject links in the National Curriculum Mathematics: Handling Data Duration: 50 minutes

Learning Objectives
Children will explore questions relating to footwear that require the collection and analysis of information. Children will collect, group, sort and record their findings in a range of ways, including using ICT. Children will use their recorded findings to draw conclusions from the information they have collected. Children will apply previous learning in the creation of their chosen method of recording information.

Vocabulary: Tally, table, pie chart, bar graph, pictogram, Venn diagram, Carroll diagram

Introduction
Ask the children to re-tell the story of The Elves and the Shoemakers. Point out that we dont know exactly what the shoes made by the elves were like. We dont know what colour the leather they used was, or how the shoes were made so they would stay on their owners feet. And, while thats not important information for the play, it is important for real shoe makers who want to make shoes that people will want to buy.

Main Activity

Explain that by looking at the shoes we are wearing today we can sort them into groups. But that well need to decide how we are going to sort them. By colour? By the way they are fixed onto our feet (laces/velcro/buckle/slip-on/zip)? Shiny/not shiny? Ask all the children to take off one of their shoes - if there are a number wearing the same style, put a sticky label with the childs name inside their shoe to avoid confusion or arguments! Choose a criteria and show the children how they can record the information as a tally on whiteboards/paper. Explain that this information can be used to make a bar graph, pie chart or pictogram all using ICT, or a hand drawn bar chart or table. Choose two criteria and show the children how they can record the information as a Venn diagram using overlapping hoops on the carpet. The children could draw a Venn or a Carroll diagram to record their information.

Group Work
These suggestions provide you with the opportunity to organise your groups according to whether children need support in applying their previous learning, can work independently, or as an opportunity for you to teach a new skill to a group.

Group 1: Children use ICT confidently to decide the type of record they will create to show the range of
types of shoe fixings and complete and print it independently.

Group 2: Children use ICT with support to create bar graph/pie chart/pictogram to show the range of
types of shoe fixings and print it.

Group 3: Children need instruction/practice in designing and drawing accurately, particularly in relation to
the vertical axis and scale on a bar graph to show the range of types of shoe fixings.

Group 4: Children need instruction/practice in completing a Carroll diagram - criteria might be black and
not black, shiny and not shiny.

Group 5: Children need instruction/practice in completing a Venn diagram - criteria might be black and
not black, and not shiny.

Extension: Children could use the information they have collected and record it in a different form. Plenary: Bring the children together with their completed records and ask them what sorts of shoes
they can see from the information they collected are most popular. Return their shoes!

Success Criteria
Children collect, group, sort and record their findings. Children use their recorded findings to draw conclusions from the information they have collected. Children apply previous learning in the independent creation of their chosen method of recording information.

Early Primary: Lesson Plan 3

Subject links in the National Curriculum Science: Investigating Materials Duration: 50 minutes

Learning Objectives
Children will learn the names of the different parts of a shoe and decide what are important features of footwear. Children will sort, group and identify familiar materials which may be suitable to make shoes with, according to observable features and properties. Children will investigate the properties of the materials provided to find the most suitable for use in making shoes.

Vocabulary: Sole, upper, heel, toe, sheet plastic, leather, range of fabrics, bubble pack, tin foil, range
of papers, card, string, cotton wool etc

Resources:

A range of suitable and less suitable materials. See vocabulary list for ideas.

Introduction

Ask the children to re-tell the story of The Elves and the Shoemakers. We know that the shoemakers in the story used leather to make the shoes, but what other materials might be good to use? Ask the children to think about the important features of shoes - water proof, comfortable, soft inside, cover your foot, dont come off easily, hard wearing etc. Explain the more sophisticated terms. Discuss their own shoe - ask the children to take one off and have a look. Is the sole made of the same material as the upper? Is the inside of the shoe fitted with a different material from the upper? If so, can the children think why it is?

Main Activity

Show children the range of materials gathered for them to investigate. Discuss the merits of some, and point out the unsuitability of some others. Explain that the childrens task is to test some materials, two which might be suitable for the upper, two for the sole and two for the inside of the shoe. Tell them they are going to find out the answers to the following three questions: 1. Is the material water proof? Would it make a good upper? 2. Is the material hard wearing? Which material will make the best sole?

3. Will a shoe made from this material be comfortable to wear? Which material will make the most comfortable inside? Ask the children how they think they will carry out the tests. Remind them that the tests must be fair tests so when testing for a material being water proof they must either pour exactly the same, small, quantity of water on to each material to see if the water stays on top or soaks into the material. Or, if they are going to tie a piece round their hand, they must carefully put their hand into a small amount of water in a container and count to, say 20, for each piece, before they check to see if the water soaked through or not, for each material. Demonstrate both tests. Fair testing for wear will need to involve the same number of rubs along a hard surface for each material. Demonstrate the test. A large number of rubs will ensure that every group member has a turn of, say, 10 rubs each. Fair testing for comfort will be more subjective. Discuss the places where some protection might be necessary, eg the back of the shoe which rests against the wearers heel, and the interior base of the shoe. Talk about the danger of too much soft material making shoes bulky inside.

Group Work
Either organise the groups so that each group investigates the materials for the three parts of the shoes, or have each group investigate materials for just one part of the shoe. Findings can be recorded on the sheets provided. Ask the children to make their recommendations on their group sheet.

Plenary: Bring the groups together to discuss their recommendations.

Success criteria
Children know the names of the different parts of a shoe and can say what are desirable features of footwear. Children sorted, grouped and identified familiar materials which may be suitable to make shoes with, according to observable features and properties. Children investigated the properties of the materials provided and have recommended the most suitable for use in making the uppers, the sole and comfortable interiors of shoes.

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Early Primary: Other Activity Ideas

Wordsearch
girl elf boy elf shoemaker sole heel uppers stitch leather cut out old woman old man customer shoes helping others kindness caring

f s h o e m k e r

h e k f p x

t l

u u p

y g i y

h h n t

c j g i r l e l f n

u o o h h f y y c e

s l t y g r h u s

t h f l t t s

o m e e c g e c o p r u t a e u y s t i t c h t t

r s l i h e e l h

p n o k e k d g

k p y j r h c c

s h e s c j r x v

k c a r i n g z q z

d o

d w o m a

r m o

d p a y k r s t y i

d p

g m e

p p b b o e e n l f l d

a w n b o

n m b

q w

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Design a Slipper
Children trace the outline of their shoe onto a piece of paper and cut it out. Trace another piece the same shape covering only the toe half of the first part and about 4cms bigger around. Decorate the top part (the second piece that was cut out) with colour, pattern and decorative additions. Next staple to two parts together along the sides, leaving the toe open to make your slipper. Then make the other slipper. Have a slipper parade so everyone can see the beautiful slippers the children have created.

Create New Kinds of Footwear

Using clay or dough

Play Seek the Shoe

Send a small group of children out of the classroom while you hide a shoe for them to find. The other children can help the seekers by saying youre getting warmer/colder.

Make a Foot Graph

Children draw round their feet, measure them using standard or non-standard units and make a wall graph displaying their feet from smallest to largest.

Create a Shoe Tying Station for the Classroom Wall

Make a large shoe out of cardboard with laces for lace tying practice.

Play Hot Shoe

Children in a circle, passing a shoe, when the music stops the child holding the shoe must say something about it - size, colour, detail. Use a range of different shoes to increase knowledge and vocabulary.

Who Stole My Shoe?

Choose a child to come to the front of the class and stand with eyes closed and back to the rest of the children holding a shoe in her hands. Choose another child to come up very quietly and take the shoe, returning to her place. The child at the front says Who stole my shoe? The child who took the shoe disguises her voice to answer I did! The child at the front may have three guesses as to who the thief is. If successful, she has another turn. If not, the thief comes to the front for a turn.

How Many Words?

How many words can the children find in the word shoemaker?

Sole Rubbing
Make a rubbing using wax crayons of the pattern on the sole of the childrens shoes.

How Many Feet Tall?

Working in pairs, children trace round one foot through several layers of newspaper and cut out the shape. These templates can be used as a non-standard unit of measurement. Child One lies on the floor while their partner measures them using Child Ones cut outs. Then they swap over. Each child will measure seven of their own feet tall.

Welly Wanging or Toss the Shoe

Do this outside and create a class graph to show who throws the welly or shoe the furthest.

Make a Shoe Shop Role Play Area

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Foundation Stage: Lesson Plan 1

Link to Curriculum Framework: Communication and Language; Expressive and Aesthetic Development; Emotional, Personal and Social; Physical Development and Movement Learning activity: Dramatising, animated story-telling with associated activites Duration: Three sessions, 30 minutes each

Objective
The children will respond to a series of events in the story using their bodies.

Method
Children use their imaginations to react in a real way, supported by craft and creative communication activities.

Session 1: Warm Up Activity

Make yourself as big as you can, as small as you can, as tall as you can, as wide as you can.

Main Activity
Re-tell the story from the performance of The Elves and the Shoemaker to the children. Ask the children how very old people stand and move around. Ask the children to move around the space as if they were the old man and the old woman. The old man and the old woman were cold. It was wintertime and they had no wood for their fire. What clothes do you put on to keep you warm when you play outside in the winter? List the childrens ideas. Ask them to pretend they are in bed, then they get up and get dressed to go outside to play in the snow. Ask them to show how they put on all the clothes they need to keep warm

Follow Up Activity
Children cut out/colour the clothes they would wear to play in the snow in winter - sheets provided.

Session 2: Warm Up Activity

Make yourself as big as you can, as small as you can, as tall as you can, as wide as you can.

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Main Activity
Re-tell the story from the performance of The Elves and the Shoemaker to the children. The old man and the old woman decided to make clothes and shoes for the elves to thank them for their kindness making the beautiful shoes to sell in their shop. They had to gather together from around their shop all the things they would need - cloth, thread, buttons, ribbons and feathers to decorate the clothes and hats, and leather for the shoes. Ask the children to pretend they are searching for these things - looking in cupboards, boxes and putting all they find on their table. The old man and the old woman had to cut out, stitch and fix on the decorations for the tiny, beautiful clothes and shoes they were making as a thank you present for the elves. Demonstrate how they would carefully cut out fabric for the clothes and leather for the shoes, and how to thread a needle and stitch.

Follow Up Activity
See outline sketches of the elves. Children decorate the elves clothes - colour choices, decorations to go on - feather in the hat? Buttons and bows etc.

Session 3: Warm Up Activity

Make yourself as big as you can, as small as you can, as tall as you can, as wide as you can.

Main Activity
Re-tell the story from the performance of The Elves and the Shoemaker to the children. Ask the children how the elves felt when they saw their present from the old man and the old woman - very happy, boofy clothes. Ask the children to show how they feel when they are given a lovely surprise present - in their faces, with their bodies, with their hands. Ask the children to think about getting dressed and pretend to be the elves putting on their new shirt, trousers, hat and shoes, looking in the mirror then dancing round showing off their new clothes.

Follow Up Activity
Provide the children with a piece of card folded so they can draw and write a thank you card from the elves to the old man and the old woman. Use additional adults to note childrens ideas where writing is pre-emergent or needs mediating.

Success criteria
Children used their imaginations to show a range of physical and emotional actions and reactions to real-life experiences and situations.

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Foundation Stage: Lesson 2

Subject Links in the National Curriculum: Communication and Language; Expressive and Aesthetic Development; Emotional, Personal and Social Learning activity: Painting Duration: 30 minutes

Objective
The children will respond to the events in the story by choosing one event to represent pictorially.

Method
Children use their imaginations, colours and shapes to create a representation of character/s and an event from the story, in paint. Re-tell the story of The Elves and the Shoemakers to the children. Talk about the characters in the story. Identify with the children the different characters and their characteristics. Ask the children which is their favourite part of the story. Talk about the events which the children cite as their favourite parts. Ask the children to paint a picture of their favourite part of the story. Provide the children with a range of colours of paint.

Plenary: Art gallery. Children take turns to talk about the pictures on display.

Success criteria
Children used their imaginations to visualise and create in paint, an event including characters from the story.

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Foundation Stage: Lesson 3

Links to Curriculum Framework: Communication and Language; Expressive and Aesthetic Development; Emotional, Personal and Social Learning activity: Drawing Duration: 30 minutes

Objective
The children will respond to the characters in the story by choosing one to represent pictorially.

Method
Children use their imagination to create an image of a character from the story. Re-tell the story of The Elves and the Shoemakers. Ask the children to list the characters who take part in the story. Write the list on the whiteboard. We dont know their names, but we could make some up. Ask the children which is their favourite character. Encourage the children to share their ideas and listen to others ideas. Ask the children what they think their favourite character looks like, what clothes does s/he wear? Encourage the children to share their ideas and listen to others ideas. Ask the children to draw a picture of their favourite character from the story, and then to write a sentence underneath saying who their character is and what they like about the character.

Use additional adults to note childrens ideas where writing is pre-emergent or needs mediating. Rogues gallery: Children volunteer to talk about the character in their picture.

Follow up
Resources required - shoe templates, sticky back paper, metallic papers, glitter. Ask the children to decorate a pair of Christmas shoes for their character. They could be hung on the class Christmas tree.

Success criteria
Children used their imaginations to visualise and create images of characters from the story using media for drawing.

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Foundation Stage: Other Activity Ideas

Think of all the things you can do with your feet walking, running, hopping, jumping etc. Practise! Make talcum powder footprints on black paper. Adults - fix the footprints with hairspray. Learn the rhyme, There Was an Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe. Words available for display at http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/holiday/elf-elves.htm

Shoe People
Ask the children to draw around their shoe onto a piece of card. Make a shoe person by adding crazy eyes, nose and mouth and wool or string for hair. Decorate with fabric or sticky back paper for beautiful clothes - maybe a Christmas outfit. Hang as a tree decoration.

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Investigating Materials for Shoes Uppers

Materials tested Waterproof? Yes/No Yes/No

The best material for the uppers was:

Sole
Materials tested Harwearing? The best material for the sole was: Yes/No Yes/No

Inners
Materials tested Comfortable? The most comfortable material was: Yes/No Yes/No

I did fair tests

Yes/No

Label the Parts of the Shoe

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What Clothes Would You Wear to Play in the Snow?

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What Clothes Would You Wear to Play in the Snow?

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Carroll Diagram

Venn Diagram

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Dress Me and Decorate Me

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Dress Me and Decorate Me

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