Plays

DEFINITION a dramatic performance usually performed on a stage

PARTS OF A PLAY Cast/Characters Setting/Scenes Directions

CAST Characters – people/animals in the story act out parts, pretend to be someone else. May wear costumes May change voice

∙You can learn about characters by noticing what they say and do. ∙Notice how they interact with other characters.

NARRATIVE CHARACTERS Provide background information Provide supporting details Do not participate in scenes with other characters

SETTING/SCENES Sets background for play Tells you when and where the action takes place May contain one scene or multiple scenes

DIRECTIONS Tell characters what to do Where to go When to move How to move How to speak Written in parenthesis

The King in the Kitchen by Margaret E. Slattery Illustrated by Matthew Trueman

Using Graphic Sources Turn to p. 446 in your basal. Look at the pictures of the characters. What do they tell you about the play and what it will be about?

Vocabulary Turn to p. 442 in your basal. Look at the vocabulary words used in the play. Read “Keeping a Secret” on p. 443 to see these words used in text. Write any vocabulary words you do not know on the next clean page in your reading notebook. Write The King in the Kitchen on the top line. Use the glossary in the basal to help you with the definitions.

As you read the play… Let the characters come alive in your mind. Imagine the setting. Picture where and when the events take place. Think about what a king might be doing in the kitchen. Begin reading the play on p. 446.

Answer these questions in your notebook… Look at the pictures of the characters on p What do they tell you about the play and what it will be like? What do you know about the King? How does the setting add to the silliness of the story?

More Questions… Does the King know a lot about cooking? What details from the story support your answer? How is this play like and unlike other stories about kings and princesses that you have read?

More Questions… Why doesn’t the King want the Princess to marry the Peasant? The Princess calls the Peasant “clever” and the King calls him a “genius.” Who do you think is the smartest character in the play? Why? Would you want this King to rule your country? Explain.