Celestial Being Study Guide

celestial Being

by Dave Deveau

Presented with support from:

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www.greenthumb.bc.ca www.greenthumb.bc.ca

Green Thumb Theatre presents Celestial Being

by Dave Deveau

Green Thumb Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement,

professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

Office Staff

Artistic Director Patrick McDonald

General Manager Nadine Carew

Production Manager Rachael King

Tour Coordinator Michele Frazer

Artistic Associate Shawn Macdonald

Fundraising Coordinator Jessica Choi

Marketing Coordinator Robyn Lamb

Bookkeeper Susan Cai

Director Patrick McDonald

Stage Manager Heather Thompson

Set, Prop & Costume Design Drew Facey

Sound Design Patrick Pennefather

Celeste Katey Hoffman

Martin Jordan Jenkins

Production Staff

Cast

http://www.greenthumb.bc.ca


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www.greenthumb.bc.ca

This Study Guide will help you decide how to prepare your students to see the play. Included here are suggestions on how to work the performance into your curriculum and ideas on how to promote classroom discussions.

This Study Guide was written by Amy Thomasson. Amy studied Theatre and Film at Queen’s University before starting her Masters degree in Theatre Education at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. She is the author of several Green Thumb Study Guides and hopes that Celestial Being will help to encourage inclusion, and open discussion about Asperger Syndrome in the elementary school classroom. She currently lives and works in Berlin, Germany.

Many of the exercises in this guide are not original creations of the author. The author of the guide is not attempting to claim the exercises as her own invention. Where no credit is given, the original source is unknown.

Rights are Reserved for the contents included in the Celestial Being Study Guide.

About this Study Guide

Photo by Jennifer Greenhorn


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Table of Contents

Company List 2

About this Guide 3

Table of Contents 4

Synopsis & Characters 5

Background & Discussion 6 - 8

Show Etiquette & Tips 9 -10

Curriculum Connections- Kindergarten & Grade 1 11

Curriculum Connections- Grades 2 & 3 12



Activities & Worksheets 15 - 23

Resources for Teachers 25

Resources for Students 26

Thank You & Answer Key 27



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Synopsis & Characters

Synopsis

Celeste is building a top-secret spaceship so that she can go back to Celestia, her home planet where she really belongs. She definitely doesn’t fit in at school and, now that she has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, it seems even worse. Miriam, who used to be her best friend, is constantly teasing her and calling her a “space case”. Martin, the new kid in Celeste’s class, likes talking about space almost as much as she does but it is hard to know if he can be trusted, after all, she is pretty sure he is a Martian from Mars.

Characters

Celeste- 9 years old. An imaginative kid who has trouble with social interactions. Has recently been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome.

Martin- 9 years old. The new kid in Celeste’s class.

Photo by Moonrider Productions


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Background & Discussion

Autism Spectrum Disorders

According to the National Autistic Society (UK), an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a “lifelong developmental disability that affects the way a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them”

In the play, Celeste has been diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, which is a form of Autism Spectrum Disorder, often considered to be “high-functioning autism”. People with Asperger Syndrome can be of average or above-average intelligence and usually have less difficulty with speech than others on the Autism Spectrum. They may, however still have difficulty understanding and processing language.

3 Main Impairments Associated with ASD:

1. Difficulty with social interaction: Someone with ASD may have trouble recognizing and understanding the feelings of others and managing their own feelings.

2. Difficulty with social communication: Verbal and non-verbal communication (gesture, tone of voice, facial expressions) are challenging and sometimes impossible for someone with ASD to understand and/or use.

3. Difficulty with social imagination: For someone with ASD it can be hard to predict and understand behaviour and intentions of others and to imagine outcomes or cope with new or unfamiliar situations. [1]

Autism is also associated with sensory issues including high or low sensitivity to sound, touch, taste, smell, light or colour. This can make daily life overwhelming in a way that is hard to understand for people who don’t have ASD.

[1] Source: The National Autistic Society Autism Spectrum Disorders: a resource pack for school staff. 2013.

After the play, your students may have questions about Asperger Syndrome or you may want to lead a conversation about Autism Spectrum Disorders to help your students better

understand the challenges that some of their peers face.

This section of the study guide will provide background information about Autism Spectrum Disorders in general, and Asperger Syndrome specifically, to help you talk about the play with

your class.



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ASD can be expressed many different ways but the common difficulty with social interaction and communication makes the school environment overwhelming and full of obstacles for any child with ASD.

Some Key Obstacles at School for Students with ASD:

• Social interaction is challenging for children with ASD so they tend to have particular difficulties with “fitting in” and learning to play with others.

• Because so much communication can happen through gesture, tone of voice and facial expression, ASD students often have trouble understanding what their teacher is asking of them or following a lesson.

• Routine is important to most children with ASD and because it is hard to imagine or anticipate situations or outcomes, changes in the school schedule can be quite stressful and hard for a student to adapt to.

• While many students who have high-functioning autism or Asperger Syndrome are of average or above intelligence, they often struggle in subjects and activities that include or rely on abstract ideas. • Students with ASD have low awareness of other people’s emotions and unwritten social rules, so they can have trouble making and keeping friends.

ASD and Celestial Being


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Bullying:

In the play, Celeste experiences her Asperger Syndrome as something that makes her “alien” to the other kids in her class. She is constantly trying to keep up with the changing “t-shirt” rule and is confused by the way Miriam is acting towards her. She takes Miriam’s bullying literally and really believes that she is from outer-space (a feeling that resonates with the challenge of being identified as “different” from the other kids). She is reluctant to go to school at the beginning of the play because of the way she is treated by the other students.

Like Celeste, children with ASD often experience bullying. In fact, studies have shown that students with ASD are more likely to be bullied. This is partly because their peer group can tell that they behave “differently”, partly because bullies enjoy getting an upset reaction (which is easily achieved when a child with ASD’s routine is interrupted or they are put in an unfamiliar situation), and partly because a student with ASD may be missing the social cues to know that their bully is in fact being mean to them. (Szalavitz, Maia Why Autistic Kids Make Easy Targets for School Bullies Time Magazine Online, September 2012. http://healthland.time.com/2012/09/05/why-autistic-kids-make-easy-targets-for-school-bullies )

For more information and useful classroom tips about Autism and Asperger Syndrome, please consult the resources listed on page 24

Imagination:

In the play, Celeste has an active imagination and is able to take her rocket ship all the way to the edge of the Solar System. While a child with ASD may lack social imagination, or the ability to anticipate/predict what will happen next, they can, like Celeste, be very creative, imaginative, and excel at specific all-absorb-ing interests.

Repetition:

Celeste chooses repetitive behaviour to cope with situations that are difficult for her. For many children with ASD it is hard to cope with change, emotions, or sensory overloads and they may rely on repetition to give them a sense of structure, calm and normalcy. Celeste repeats the planets of the solar system over and over to calm herself down when something is upsetting.

ASD and Celestial Being



http://healthland.time.com/2012/09/05/why-autistic-kids-make-easy-targets-for-school-bullies

http://healthland.time.com/2012/09/05/why-autistic-kids-make-easy-targets-for-school-bullies

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Show Etiquette & Tips

Before the PerformanceThe theatre is a place where many people gather together to enjoy live performance. It is important to

remember that other students and teachers would like to see and hear the show. It is also interactive and the performers can be distracted by disruptions from the audience. As such, here are a few things to consider

when watching any live performance. Please take a minute to review the following notes and share them with your students.

Some Notes on Theatre Etiquette

• Anything that beeps, buzzes or chimes needs to be turned off completely. The light your phone creates when texting is often just as distracting so that is why you should turn your phone off, rather than just muting it.

• Photos and videos are not permitted in the theatre. While it is true that flash photography is particularly distracting, it is also important to know that it is not legal to record or photograph a professional production in any way.

• Please do not bring any food into a theatre. You are here to watch a show and it can be distracting in terms of both sound and smell. It is also impolite to unwrap candy or gum during a show as this can make a lot of noise.

• It is never okay to talk during a show. It is appropriate to laugh when things are funny, gasp when things are shocking and, most definitely, to show your appreciation to the performers by applauding when the play has finished. The sounds we make naturally when we are really listening to a story are great. The sounds we make when we stop listening should be saved for after the show.

• Fidgeting and wiggling in your seat is often distracting to your neighbour. While it may be unavoidable to some extent, it is best to try as much as possible to keep still throughout the performance.

More Info for TeachersStudents and teachers should remain seated during

the performance.

Washroom trips should be discussed as a group and planned prior to the performance. Tell students the length of the performance so they can anticipate

when they will be able to get to a washroom AFTER the show.

Students need to be supervised during the performance.

Please seat teachers and parent helpers in a position where they can respond quickly to disturbances that

might arise. Please quietly remove disruptive students that continue to act up, call out or disturb others

during a performance.


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Show Etiquette & Tips

Active Viewing

To make the most out of watching this live performance, please encourage your students to not only watch the play for the story, but to also pay attention to the set, costumes, music and props. These aspects are an important part of a live performance and will enhance later discussions about the play and the students’ experience watching it.

After the Performance

Now that your students have seen the play, it’s time to further enrich their experience.

The following activities are provided as suggestions and starting points for further exploration into the themes brought up in Celestial Being. Activity sections are divided by grade purely based on suggested suitability, but are not necessarily limited to each age group.

Near the end of this guide are several pull-out worksheets that investigate aspects of the performance. All are in keeping with the BC Ministry of Education Curriculum Guidelines.

Remember, theatre companies love getting feedback from students and teachers! If your classroom has a strong reaction to the show, has more questions for the company or the performers, or wants to respond with some ideas of their own, encourage them to get in touch!



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Curriculum Connections

These suggestions address the Curriculum Standards of:

Fine Arts- Exploration & Imagination, Context, Social Responsibility

Health and Career- Healthy Living and Relationships

Language Arts- Self and Society

Personal Planning- Mental Well-Being and Healthy Living

Springboard for Discussion

• What happened at the beginning, middle and end of the play?

• Which character did you like? Why?

• How did you feel when you were watching the play?

• What is a good way to show respect as an audience member?

• What is an example of something that is disrespect-ful as an audience member?

• What was your favourite part of the play?

Activities

1. Super Powers/Super Challenges:Fold a piece of paper in half. On one side, draw a picture of something you are good at. On the other side, draw a picture of something that is hard for you.

2. In the play, Celeste repeats the names of the planets when she is feeling nervous. Draw a picture of something that helps you feel relaxed or happy.

Please refer to the following activities in the worksheets section:

3. Faces and Feelings (page 15)

4. My Planet (page 21)

Kindergarten & Grade 1


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Science- Earth and Space Science: Stars and Planets


Health and Career- Healthy Living and Relationships

Language Arts- Self and Society

Springboard for Discussion

• What surprised you about the story and why?

• Why do you think Celeste wanted to go to another planet?

• Did you see any examples of bullying in the play?

• Why do you think Celeste decided to stay on Earth after all?

• What does Martin do to show Celeste that he wants to be her friend?

• Why do you think Miriam changes the rules of the T-shirt game?

• Can you think of a moment in the play when you could relate to one of the characters? Describe what happened and how it reminded you of your own life.

• In the play, Celeste repeats the names of the planets when she is feeling upset. What do you do to help yourself calm down when you are nervous, anxious, upset, or uncomfortable?

Activities

1. Super Powers/ Super Challenges:Fold a piece of paper in half. On one side write three things that you are good at. On the other side write three things that are hard for you. Compare your list with the person sitting beside you. Are they the same? Are they different? Imagine that one side of the page is your super powers and the other side is the things that you have to face as a superhero. Draw a picture of yourself as a Superhero making sure that you show all your super powers and your super chal-lenges. Discuss as a class why it is important that we all have different strengths and weaknesses. Extension: Have every student make a short (5 frame) comic of their superhero showing how one of their strengths can help other people. Compile them to make a class comic book!


2. Faces and Feelings (page 15)

3. Feelings and Body Language (page 18)

4. Solar System Worksheet (page 19)

5. Research a Planet (page 20)

6. My Planet Art Project (page 21)

Grades 2 & 3



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Health and Career – Healthy Living and Relationships

Language Arts – Self and Society (Personal Awareness, Comprehend and Respond and Working Together)

Fine Arts – Exploration & Imagination, Context, Social Responsibility

Springboard for Discussion/ Writing Prompts

• What did you think of the play and why?

• What did you think the play was about?

• Why do you think Celeste didn’t want to go to school at the beginning of the play? What changed during the play that made it easier for her to catch the bus on time?

• Have you ever heard of Asperger Syndrome before? What do you think it is?

• Do you think this play helped you to better understand what it is like to have Asperger Syndrome? Why or why not?

• Why do you think Miriam tried to trick Celeste into wearing the wrong colour t-shirt to school?

• Try to imagine a different ending to the play. Write about it in your journal. What happens to Celeste, Martin and Miriam at the end of the story? What happens to the spaceship?

• In the play, Celeste lists the names of the planets to help her calm down. In your journal, write about something that makes you nervous or anxious and something that you can do to relax.

Activities

1. Solar System Travel Guide:Have students, alone or in pairs, fill out the Research a Planet Worksheet (found on page 20 ). You can assign planets or let the students choose their own. Expanding on the information that they have gathered in their research, ask each group to prepare a “travel guide” or brochure encouraging tourists to visit their planet. It can include important information, things to do and lots of images. Each group will have the chance to present their work to the class and try to convince the other kids to visit their planet. You can compile all of the work into a Complete Solar System Travel Guide.


2. My Planet Art Project (page 21)

3. Understanding Asperger Syndrome (page 23)

4. Feelings and Body Language (page 18)

Grades 4 & 5


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Activities

1. Play Review: Write your own theatre review about the play that you saw today. Include something you liked about the play, something you would change about the play, and a description of the themes and topics. Be sure to find out who wrote the play and to share your overall opinion (with examples why).

2. Sequences: Students who have Asperger Syndrome often excel at, or enjoy, finding patterns and sequences. Ask one or two students to leave the room. Ask the rest of the students to organize themselves in a particular order (start with something easy like a line from shortest to tallest). They should memorize who they are standing beside. Ask the students to return from the hall and tell them they have exactly 30 seconds (or longer depending on the student group) to look closely at the line of students. They aren’t allowed to write anything down. After 30 seconds ask them to close their eyes, turn around, or leave the room. The rest of the students will rearrange themselves. The task is for the student (or students) to put the line back in the order they remember. Give them a reasonable time limit and then ask the line of students if they are close to the correct pattern! What was hard about this activity? Extension: You can make the task more difficult by introducing a loud or annoying noise to distract the student who is trying to memorize/recreate the pattern. This can lead to a discussion about how sensory sensitivities of students with ASD may impact their concentration.

3. Understanding Asperger Syndrome (page 23)

4. Research project: Canada in Space (page 22)


Science -Earth and Space Science


Health and Career- Healthy Relationships

Language Arts – Self and Society

Springboard for Discussion/ Writing prompts

• How did the set and props help to tell the story of the play?

• What were the themes and topics of the play?

• Did the play help you to understand Asperger Syndrome? Why or why not?

• Could you relate to one of the characters in the play?

• Can you think of a time when someone you know has been excluded because they were different? What happened? How could you show that person friendship?

• How would you describe Celeste’s character?

• How would you describe Martin’s character?

• How would you describe Miriam’s character?

• Why do you think they all acted the way they did?

Grades 6 & 7



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Activity

Kindergarten and Grade 1: Use Faces and Feelings Worksheet One AND Worksheet Two. First, have each student cut out the faces on work-sheet two. Read aloud the emotions on the Feelings bingo card (worksheet one) and have the students pick a face to go with each emotion. Colour the faces and glue them in place.

Grade 2 and Grade 3: Use Faces and Feelings Worksheet One.First, have each student draw a facial expression to go with each emotion on their Faces and Feelings Work-sheet. They can cut out their emotion cards and put each one face up on their desk. Read the situations below (or make up your own) and have students raise the card (or cards) of the emotions that someone might feel in that situation. Ask students to explain their choices and show the class their facial expression (on their card or acting it out with their own face).

Situations:

1. You come home from school and there is a big present waiting on your doorstep with your name on it.

2. Somebody pushes you to the ground in a game of soccer.

3. Your little sister or brother breaks your favourite toy.

4. You find out that someone is calling you names behind your back.

5. You have so much homework that there isn’t time to watch TV or play after school.

6. You are going to your favourite restaurant for dinner tonight.

7. Your parents tell you that you are moving to a new town.

8. Your bicycle goes missing while you are at the swimming pool.

9. Your best friend can’t come over on the weekend because they are going away.

10. You aren’t invited to your friend’s birthday party.

Faces and Feelings

Extension:Hand one “face card” to students, in groups of two or three, and ask them to come up with a short

skit that represents the emotion shown on their card. The rest of the class has to guess what emotion they are feeling, based on the story and their faces.

Adaptation:To adapt this activity for a student with Asperger or Autism, why not give them a copy of the FACES

worksheet so that they can circle, or point to, the face that they see in the story.


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Faces and Feelings #1- Worksheet

Name:___________________________________________

I feel happy when: _____________________________________________

I feel sad when: _______________________________________________

I feel excited when:____________________________________________

I feel angry when: _____________________________________________



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Faces and Feelings #1- Worksheet Faces and Feelings #2- Worksheet

Name:___________________________________________


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Activity

(this activity originally appeared in the Green Thumb Theatre Study Guide for People Like Vince)

A variation on “Simon Says”

Make a list on the board of as many emotions as you can think of as a class. Discuss how we use facial expressions to show our emotions. Get students to volunteer to draw a face on the board to match each emotion.

Then, discuss how the actors in the play showed emotions using both their facial expressions AND their body language. Try to think of examples.

Practice making your body look: Happy, Sad, Mad, Frustrated, Excited, Confused, Nervous, Etc.

Now pick someone to be “Simon” and play a round of “Simon Says” but instead of “Simon Says…touch your nose” Simon Says an emotion and the kids have to make their body AND their facial expressions show the emotion that “Simon Says”

If the leader (Simon) says an emotion but doesn’t say “Simon Says be..:” first, then whoever acts out the emotion is out and returns to sit at their desk until the next round.

At the end of the activity, you can discuss with your class about whether it is easy or hard to tell how someone is feeling based on their body language. Remind them that people with Asperger or Autism sometimes have a hard time understanding body language and gestures so this would be even harder for them. As a class, brainstorm ways that you could help a friend to understand what you are saying without using body language, gestures or facial expressions.

Feelings and Body Language



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Activity Label the Solar System - Worksheet

Fill in the blanks on the Solar System drawing and match the descriptions with the words on the right hand side of the chart.

1. I am the closest planet to the sun. The Sun2. I am the space between the Terrestrial Planets and the Gas Giants. Saturn3. I am the only star in the solar system, everything orbits around me! Uranus4. I am named for the Roman god of the sea, and one year for me is the same as 164 Earth years.

Pluto

5. I am the largest planet in the solar system, but for me a day is only 10 hours. Neptune6. I am sometimes called the red planet and I am home to the solar systems largest volcano.

Orbit

7. I am usually the furthest away from the sun and used to be called a planet. Now I am called a dwarf planet.

Mercury

8. The path that a planet takes around the sun is called an: Jupiter9. I am the furthest planet from the sun that could be seen before the invention of the telescope. I am most famous for my rings.

Mars

10. I have only one moon and it takes me 365 days to travel once around the sun. Venus11. I am one of the two Ice Giants and they sometimes call me the ‘sideways’ planet because I spin on my side.

Earth

12. I am almost the same size as Earth but a day for me is as long as 243 Earth days. The Asteriod Belt


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Research a Planet - Worksheet

Choose a planet in the solar system and, using the internet or books from the library, learn as much as you can about that planet. Fill in the blanks below so that you are ready to present your planet to the class.

Name of Planet: ________________________________________________________________________

What the name means/where it comes from: _______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Number of Moons: ____________________________________________________________________________

Name(s) of Moon(s): ___________________________________________________________________________

Distance from the sun: _________________________________________________________________________

How long it takes to orbit the sun: ________________________________________________________________

Average temperature: __________________________________________________________________________

Two interesting facts:

1. _________________________________________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________________________________________

On a separate piece of paper do a drawing of the planet (including any moons)



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Research a Planet - Worksheet Art Project: My Planet - Worksheet

“ Celeste: CELESTIA! It’s perfect. See, look, everyone wears every colour t-shirt and we eat ketchup on everything and nobody thinks it’s weird ever.”

In the play, Celeste comes up with her own planet called CELESTIA.

Imagine you had your very own planet. What would it look like? Who would live there? Where would it be? What would life be like?

First brainstorm some ideas:

My planet is called: ________________________________________________________________

It is: Hot / Cold / Rainy / Dry /_____________________

It has: ___________________ moons

__________________________ and ________________________ and ______________________________ live on my planet.

To get there you have to travel for: _______________________________________________

Three things you can do on my planet:

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________

3.___________________________________________________________________________________

Two special facts about my planet:

1.___________________________________________________________________________________

2.___________________________________________________________________________________

Now that you know what life is like on your planet, draw a picture of your planet (on the back of this worksheet or on a big piece of paper!). Colour it and decorate it exactly how you imagine it would be.

Fun Activity: When you are done, organize a Tour of the Galaxy in your classroom where everyone can visit each

other’s planets and hear all about them!


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Activity

A great place to start is The Canadian Space Agency:( http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts )

Here you can find biographies of Canadian astronauts, a list of Canadian foods that have been sent into space, and lots of information about the daily life of an astronaut. There are also fact sheets about Canadian satellites and lots of information about other contributions Canadians have made to space exploration and technology.

Collect as much information as you can about your topic and write a page, in your own words, about what you learned. Find pictures to go with your project or draw your own. Display your project in an attractive/creative way.

Present your project to the class and try your best to answer any questions they might have.

As a class, create a museum about Canadian Space History.

There is a time line of important dates on the Canadian Space Agency website to help you organize your ideas, projects and research.

Invite other classes to come visit your space museum and share your projects with them.

In the computer lab or the library, research a topic about “Canada in Space.”

Here are some topic ideas:Astronauts: Roberta Bondar Julie Payette Marc Garneau

Chris Hadfield Robert Thirsk Ken Money

Technology: The Canadarm The Canadarm II The Space Vision System

STEM antenna Microgravity Isolation Mount

Satellites: CASSIOPE ALLOUETTE I ISIS I

Research Project: Canada in Space

Adaptation: To adapt this project for a student with Asperger or Autism, consider coming up with

a list of specific questions you want them to answer with their research.



http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts

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Activity Understanding Asperger Syndrome - Worksheet

In the play Celestial Being, Celeste has just found out that she has Asperger Syndrome. Use this worksheet to find out what you already know about Asperger Syndrome and try to understand better what it might be like to have Asperger’s.

On your own or with a partner, try your best to answer the questions below. If you are not sure of an answer put a star beside it so that you can remember to ask a classmate or your teacher later. ( Answer Key on page 27)

What do you already know about Asperger Syndrome? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are two things that might be extra hard for people with Asperger Syndrome? :A) Reading the expressions on people’s faces to know how they are feeling.B) Remembering lots of facts about particular subjectsC) Understanding unexpected changes in a plan.D) Putting things in a list or order.

What are two things that people with Asperger Syndrome are often really good at? :A) Making new friends.B) Remembering lots of facts about particular subjectsC) Understanding body language.D) Being creative or having a big imagination.

What is something you could do to help someone Asperger Syndrome at your school ?:_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write one questions that you still have about Asperger Syndrome: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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Understanding Asperger Syndrome - Worksheet

TRUE or FALSE (Put a check beside the ones you think are True. Put an X beside the ones you think are False)

Asperger Syndrome is something you can catch from someone _____

Having Asperger Syndrome can feel lonely because people sometimes don’t understand why you act the way you do. _____

Sometimes Asperger Syndrome means that people don’t like loud noises or big crowds. _____

People with Asperger are not as smart as other people. _____

You can’t be friends with someone who has Asperger Syndrome. _____

The inventor of Pokemon and Microsoft both had Asperger Syndrome. _____



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Resources for Teachers

Below is a selection of helpful resources available on the Internet. First is a short list of sites for general information and then some helpful documents and guides about ASD in the classroom.

INFORMATION ABOUT ASPERGER SYNDROME AND AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS:

http://www.autism.org.uk/A site with complete information about ASD including a downloadable PDF package called Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Resource Pack for School Staff.

http://www.yourlittleprofessor.com/A website with lots of information specifically about Asperger Syndrome, divided into helpful categories.

http://www.parents.com/health/autism/symptoms/understanding-aspergers-syndrome/Information about ASD in the classroom

http://www.deni.gov.uk/asd_classroom_practice.pdfAutism Spectrum Disorder: A Guide to Classroom Practice. (Department of Education Northern Ireland)

http://education.alberta.ca/media/512931/autism5.pdfA document from the Alberta Ministry of Education about facilitating inclusion for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

http://www.researchautism.org/resources/reading/documents/EducatorsAsperger.pdfLife Journey Through Autism: An Educator’s Guide to Asperger Syndrome. Designed as a six step plan for teachers by the Organization for Autism Research.

http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/ed_autisminc.pdfA guide from Prince Edward Island: Educating Children about Autism in an Inclusive Classroom.

http://dawnryan.com/www_diary/default.aspDiary of an Asperger Kid. – A personal blog of a young boy with Asperger Syndrome that may be useful in introducing your students to a personal perspective.

GREAT READS

The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen Year Old Boy with Autismby Naoki Higashida (translated by David Mitchell and KA Yoshida)

Freaks, Geeks & Asperger Syndrome: A users guide to adolescence by Luke Jackson (a 13 year old with AS)

Understanding Asperger Syndrome - Worksheet


http://www.autism.org.uk/

http://www.autism.org.uk/

http://www.parents.com/health/autism/symptoms/understanding-aspergers-syndrome/

http://www.deni.gov.uk/asd_classroom_practice.pdf

http://education.alberta.ca/media/512931/autism5.pdf

http://www.researchautism.org/resources/reading/documents/EducatorsAsperger.pdf

http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/ed_autisminc.pdf

http://dawnryan.com/www_diary/default.asp

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Resources for Students

ASPERGER SYNDROME:

www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=2339This site has useful information about Asperger Syndrome and includes some ideas about how you can help a friend or classmate. (you can also just go to www.cyh.com and type “Asperger Syndrome” in the search box)

www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/pat98young.pdfAutism Spectrum Disorders: A booklet for young people. Includes lots of information and even some thoughts from young people about their own experiences with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

VIDEO:

Asperger Syndrome explained on the TV show Arthur:Clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9eATBV-_lg

BOOKS TO CHECK OUT:

Buster and the Amazing Daisyby Nancy OgazA story about a girl who has Asperger Syndrome and gets bullied in her new class because the kids don’t under-stand her. A picture book for a younger audience.

Asperger Syndrome, the Universe and Everything by Kenneth Hall.Kenneth was diagnosed with Asperger’s when is he was 8 years old and he wrote the book when he was 10. Pretty cool!

Asperger Syndrome, the Swan, and the Burglar by Brenda Boyd. A mystery adventure novel about a young boy with Asperger Syndrome.

Blue Bottle Mystery: An Asperger Mysteryby Kathy HoopmanTwo friends are trying to solve a mystery and one of them is diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome. It is the first book in a series!

COOL SPACE SITES:

www.spaceplace.nasa.govA site by NASA called “space place” that is all about…space.

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/ Another site from NASA. This one is all about the solar system…and even includes a “homework helper” where you can find useful information about lots of topics.

www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronautsThe Canadian Space Agency has lots of information about the Canadian Space Program.



www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetailsKids.aspx?p=335&np=287&id=2339

http://www.cyh.com

http://www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/pat98young.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9eATBV-_lg

http://www.spaceplace.nasa.gov

https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/

http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/astronauts

27

Celestial Being


Resources for Students THANK YOU!

Thank you for taking the time to use and review the Celestial Being Study Guide as a resource to further enrich your students’ experience watching the play.

We want to hear from you and your students!

Visit our website at greenthumb.bc.ca and tell us what you thought about the play, your experience, and future play ideas - we welcome letters as well. You can also add our link to your classroom website to explore the site as an activity.

Good luck in the school year and we hope to see you next year!

Contact Information

5522 McKinnon StreetVancouver, BC

V5R 0B6Tel.: 604-254-4055

E-mail: [email protected]


Cover drawing by Shannon Pawliw of the Mighty Sparrow Design

Answer Key (Understanding Asperger Syndrome Worksheet)1: A & C2: B & DTrue or False: 1:F, 2:T, 3:T, 4:F, 5:F, 6:T


greenthumb.bc.ca

greenthumb.bc.ca

Documents

Celestial Being Study Guide