Around The World with Penny Pago

Meet Penny Pago the traveller as she invites you to join her on some of her adventures across the globe. The purpose of the show is to create a fun filled environment in which children in year1 to year 6 can experience a large amount of cultural knowledge in an interactive way. As teachers you will be able to continue work based on this performance and incorporate ideas into your current learning programs.

Geography

In the performance Penny Pago travels to a variety of countries - Timbuktu, New Zealand, Japan, Egypt, France and the Ant Artic. During the performance we ask the children geographical questions about these countries.
“Can anyone point out Kenya on the map”?
“What will we see there”?

Lesson Ideas
• How does a country’s position on the globe effect its environment, its wildlife and its natives?
• What countries make up each continent?
• How can we help to save our planet?

History

In the performance Penny Pago views the pyramids.

An interesting fact I will share with you all,
If it wasn’t for the butchers and the bakers,
They wouldn’t be there at all,
It did take 80 years to complete,
With 30 thousand men,
Shipping rocks up to the summit,
To climb back down again! ….

She also views ancient forms of traditional dance such as the Maori poi dance and the Egyptian belly dance.
Lesson Ideas
• The history of dance, and its cultural traditions.
• The history of Japan, its tea ceremonies and their geishas.
• The building of the pyramids
• Maori Poi dance and its martial arts heritage

Physical Education

This performance is a great way to inspire children to try all different types of movement. In each of theses settings we see some of the natives traditions and customs through traditional dance.
• Contemporary dance in the fierce lion from Kenya,
• Belly dance from Egypt,
• Tea ceremony and The Fan dance from Japan
• Mario poi dance from new Zealand and the
• The Can Can from France.

Lesson Plans for Physical Education

• How can we move like a lion in the jungle?
• How does the tempo of the drums change the way we move?
• How can we be graceful, how can we be strong
• Build a choreography based on a story from a different country.

Music

We also bring in music to the performance using drums and shakers.
Hopefully the children will be able to see how music can change the
Mood of a performance and create an ambience.

Lesson Ideas

• How does the tempo of the music effect a performers movement?
• Why was music used in traditional ceremonies?
• Looking at musical instruments from different cultures.
• Make your own musical instruments.

English and Literacy

The performance is a perfect way to look at literacy and poetry.
How does Penny Pago use adjectives to create the ‘settings’ for different countries and characters?
Descriptive vocabulary
The ‘Fierce’ lions,
The ‘Kind’ market seller,
The ‘Friendly’ Maori lady
The ‘Graceful’ Japanese girl
The ‘Beautiful’ belly dancer and the
The ‘Grand’ Can Can dancer.

Lesson Ideas

• Write your own poem based on penny Pagos adventures
• What words would you use to describe one of the countries or its characters?
• Write your own travelling adventure.

Religious education

This is a great way to introduce children into different cultures in a visual way.

So we’ve been to Japan
To see their dress
There dance, and of course there grace,
It seems in each country,
They have traditions that are unique to that place.

Lesson Ideas

How do different cultures celebrate?
What makes our culture unique?
How should we treat people from different cultures?

Recycling

If you decide to opt for the full performance Penny Pago goes under the sea to the mermaid village.
When we are in the village we see the destruction that the wasteful pirate ‘Captain Vago,’ has caused.
The children have to think of ways in how they can help teach the pirate to recycle and look after the mermaid village.
“When captain Vago realised the mess that he had caused
He promised to clean the seas his ship and even the sandy shores
He started by recycling those bottles that he chucked around the place
He put them in a bin where they deal with all kinds of waste.
He looked in to solar panels
And a wind turbine
To help run his ship
When other pirates came round to dine!’

Lesson Ideas

Draw the mermaid village what creatures do we see there?
How are these creatures affected by waste?
What different types of
Recycling is there
As children how can we help save our planet?