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Description:
This 25 minute musical play
can be done as a complete play, skits, read-aloud,
or you can just sing songs. The many layers and animals of the rain forest are
explored in this fun and short play. No music or drama experience needed. Grades 1-5.
Frog in the rain forest desperately wants to get off
the jungle floor and see the sky---but who will help him climb above the canopy? The
Jaguar loves the jungle floor, the Sloth family keeps falling asleep, and the Howler
Monkeys have gone nuts. The Boas offer to slither up a tree, but can you really ever trust
a boa? Meanwhile, two bungling Explorers stumble by in search of the Lost Ancient City of
Choco- late. No wonder the jungle is going crazy. And have you ever seen so many
ants? Rumpus in the Rain Forest gives students a musical tour of the various levels of the
jungle and reinforces in fun fashion the importance of the rain forests.
The Rumpus in the Rain Forest is a great complement to your curriculum resources in elementary
school science. |
Teacher Reviews:
"It was a smash hit. You claimed it would be
easy to do a musical, and you were right. The two school performances went so well that we
took the show on the road to two nursing homes, which we hope now to make an annual
tradition. We enjoyed the experience so much we convinced our third grade to do one your
plays, too."
---Sara Belyea, Teacher (2nd grade), Rutgers
Preparatory School, Somerset, NY
Read
More Teacher Reviews
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National Education Standards:
Fulfills National Arts
Standard 3 for Dance, 1 and 8 for music, and 2, 3, and 5 for Theater.
Fulfills National
Science Standard C for K-4.
Fulfills National
Science Standard C for 5-8.
Casting:
Flexible casting from 8-40 students.
Use as many Sloths, Monkeys, Ants, etc. as desired;
one student can also play more than one role. Note that
roles are not gender-specific; see our comments on
page 30 of the Teacher's Guide.
Read the Script:
This
is the first one-third of the script:
CHARACTERS:
Frog
Toucan
Jaguar
Sloth Family
Boas
Explorers
Howler Monkeys
Army Ants
Shaman
Storytellers
and a Chorus made up of all students who are not playing roles at the time.
(CHORUS is seated on floor. FROG enters, staring longingly up towards the sky.)
STORYTELLER: Once, not very long ago, in the Amazon rainforest, there lived a
frog. This is his story – the story of a frog with an impossible dream that came
true.
STORYTELLER: The leaves are so thick in parts of the forest that less than ten
percent of the sunlight reaches the jungle floor. Creatures may spend their whole
lives without ever seeing the sun. There, on a log, lives the frog with his dream.
Song 1
FROG:
Just once I gotta see the sky
Just once above the trees
Just once I gotta get up high
Just once beyond the leaves.
Just once I wanna have some fun
I've got to get a plan
Just once I wanna feel the sun
Just once I wanna tan.
CHORUS:
He's tried leaping like a lizard
He's tried jumps of every sort
But he's stopping all that hopping
'Cause he's a hundred feet too short!
FROG:
Just once I wanna leave my log
To see if skies are blue
Just once I wanna be a frog
Who casts a shadow too.
Just once I gotta see the sky
Just once above the trees
Just once I gotta get up high
Just once beyond the leaves.
CHORUS:
He's tried leaping like a lizard
He's tried jumps of every sort
But he's stopping all that hopping
'Cause he's a hundred feet too short!
(TOUCAN enters, wing/arm in a sling)
STORYTELLER: The Frog's friend the Toucan has stopped by to see what Frog
was singing about. Toucan hurt his wing the day before-and it still hurts.
FROG: Hello, Toucan. Can you fly me up to see the sky above the trees?
TOUCAN: I can't – my wing doesn't work. Every
time I try to fly I just buzz around
in a circle until I get dizzy.
FROG: Then how will I ever get up to the sky?
TOUCAN: Here comes the Jaguar. Maybe he will give you a lift up the tree.
(JAGUAR enters)
FROG: Hello, Jaguar. Can you take me up to see the sky above the trees?
JAGUAR: Don't be silly! Why would you ever want to go up there?
Song 2
I'm a cool cool cat
This is where it is at
Here on the jungle floor.
Where the plants smell sweet
And there's critters to eat
Here on the jungle floor.
Who needs more?
Who needs more?
Who needs more than the jungle floor?
Tell me, man, what are you looking for?
Who needs more than the jungle floor?
There are bugs to trounce
Oh it's so fun to pounce
Here on the jungle floor.
It's so dark and damp
What a great place to camp
Here on the jungle floor.
CHORUS and JAGUAR:
Who needs more?
Who needs more?
Who needs more than the jungle floor?
Tell me, man, what are you looking for?
Who needs more than the jungle floor?
I'm a cool cool cat
This is where it is at
Here on the jungle floor.
Where the plants smell sweet
And there's critters to eat
Here on the jungle floor.
(JAGUAR exits)
STORYTELLER: The Frog was disappointed, but still determined. He
spotted a family of sloths up in the branches of the tree.
FROG: Hello, Sloths. Can you take me up to see the sky above the trees?
Song 3
SLOTHS:
I'm a sloth
I would help you up this tree
I'm a sloth
But I'm lazy as can be
I'm a sloth
So before I can agree to your request....[a good pause]
...I need to rest.
(SLOTHS fall asleep).
FROG: Hey, wake up!
SLOTHS:
I'm a sloth
I'd be down there in a blink
I'm a sloth
But I'm just too tired to think
I'm a sloth
Why just yesterday I blinked and ate some sap...
...I need a nap.
Did you see that?
DId you see that?
I'm getting set to go
Did you see that?
DId you see that?
I just moved a toe.
(THEY fall asleep again.)
TOUCAN: Hey you guys, wake up!
SLOTHS and CHORUS:
I'm a sloth
I'd come bounding in a blur
I'm a sloth
But I find it hard to stir
I'm a sloth
I've got algae in my fur two inches deep... ...I need some sleep.
(SLOTHS exit)
(This concludes the first one-
third of the script.)
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critters
trounce
pounce
dither
slinking
fracas
ruckus
cavorting
motherload
vault
maraschino cherry
chums
|
clout
eagerness
pharmacy
Rainforest
Terms
jungle floor
sap
algae
weasel
wild pig
hawk
cacao
bean |
flora
canopy
shaman
bulb
Vocabulary
From Stage Directions
longingly
furiously
shrieking |
More Teacher Reviews:
"It was fab, fab, fab! Thanks again for the
terrific musical. I am quite new to a long
established school ---raised my profile with the parents enormously! We had
fantastic fun and folk were saying it was the best they have ever seen."
---Trisha Mills, Teacher (Years 3/4), Flitcham Primary,
Norfolk, UK
"We performed 'Rumpus in the Rain Forest'
for the whole school. We loved the
dialogue, the songs, and everything else. The paresnts were impressed, and the
students in the audience loved it! A few of them told me, 'I wish MY teacher did
plays with us!' This was a perfect culmination to our rainforest unit."
---Margaret Bergamin, Teacher (1st/2nd grades) Sundance
Elementary, San Diego, CA
"At first I was a little nervous about the
quantity of songs the children had to learn but
they had no problem at all. I thought the way the play was written, the way the music
was performed and the general tips that were given in the book were wonderful.
Everyone loved the show and couldnt say enough about how well the children
performed it."
---Ms. Patak, Teacher (2nd grade) Presentation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary School, Jamaica, NY
"The songs were easy to learn. I could
adapt the parts to fit the number of students
in my class. The songs could be sung as solos or multiple students could sing.
Costumes and stage props could be simple or as elaborate as you wanted. All
students, regardless of their actual part, felt like an important memeber, and some
students who struggle academically were able to really shine throughout the play."
---Amy Hill, Teacher, (3rd grade), Wayne Elementary,
Wayne, NE
"Songs were easy for the kids to learn, and the costume suggestions were
wonderful.
It added a demension for students to explore the arts. It was an opportunity for
students that are not strong academically to excell in the arts. I was able to see a
side
of students that is often hidden in a desk - acting. It was a connection from
science to
geography to music; it is wholistic learning."
---Hilde Cline, Teacher, (3rd grade), Vine Street
Elementary, Aberdeen, MS
"The children loved the show. We loved the
music. I think it was great for my kids'
self-esteem. They will remember doing the play---and the parents loved it."
---Mary Skreik, Teacher (2nd grade), Washburn
Elementary, Washburn, WI
"It was a unique experience that cleverly wove the messages and concepts through
word and song. You would have been so proud of our children as they worked
with me during recess to develop the unique choreography that added to the
splendor of your creation. Children realized it was OK to let their inhibitions
go. Many discovered a hidden talent for song, acting and dance. Everyone
had so much fun working in the multilevel experience. We all laughed a great deal!"
---Jane Aikens, Teacher, (5th-8th grade), St. Maria
Goretti School, Schiller Park, IL
"The music was excellent, and so were the
number of speaking parts. It was
perfect for our small rural school."
---Debra Vance, Teacher (Pre K-5), Panther Creek
Elementary, Valera, TX
Buy The Show
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Are Two of You Planning to Put
the Play on Together?
If you ask us, we always suggest having just one class put on a play. We
think each kid is
more involved, and we think it's easier for you to deal with a smaller number of students.
But lots of teachers disagree with us.
They've been happily doing the
plays together for years.
In fact, Amy Anderson, the teacher who does four musicals a year
(and she talks about this on our home page) thinks two classes
together is the way to go.
Then what do I need to purchase? Think
of a musical play like a library book.
Only one teacher may "check out" (i.e. put on) the play at a time. If another
teacher wants
to produce the music play that you purchased in a separate production and at a
later date,
you may loan out your original plan and student copies.
Your "library" needs two copies of the play for two teachers to
put on the play at the
same time. If a teacher wants her class to put on the play with your class,
she needs
to buy her own copy of the play. For three or more teachers to produce a play together,
purchase three copies for your "library" and Bad Wolf extends a Site License for all the
teachers and classes at your school.
But why can't I just make extra copies
of the play? If copies are made for
a class other than the purchasing teacher's, it's an infringement of U.S.
copyright law.
Yikes! Bad Wolf likes to toe the line where Uncle Sam is concerned, so we offer a
discount on the purchase of multiple copies of the play.
If you are 2 teachers putting on the
play together................................$60
* Includes 2 copies of the book and CD (save
almost $20 off of buying
them separately) so each of you has a CD and
book to work with.
* Free bonus: We'll throw in our famed
"Earthworms on Parade" CD. Y'know,
that's the one with the six goofiest songs
about earthworms ever written
($9.95 value.)
* Includes the right to reproduce the
script for the students in both of
your individual classes.
Questions?
Call or email Ron Fink at (888) 827-8661
or ron@badwolfpress.com
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