Today is Dragon Appreciation Day which gives us a chance to give a shout out to one of our favorite dragons, the Dragon of Krakow. A dragon with a veracious appetite for munching on sheep along the Vistula River.

Dragon of Krakow Part I

Dragon of Krakow Part II

Dragons are either evil destroyers or benevolent protectors, or somewhere in between, depending on what part of the world they come from. Whatever their type, they have been around for about 6000 years.  Some of the older dragons were just serpents ; the word dragon comes from the Greek word draco, meaning large snake. Later, they developed legs, and then wings, and then one horrendous case of heartburn and bad breath. The number of their toes varied, from 3 to 5. The 5-toed dragons were the most prestigious, and sometimes only kings were allowed to wear their likeness in ornamentation; it’s been said that in some cases if commoners were caught wearing 5-toed dragons, they would be put to death! One type of dragon was the sea serpent, which was said to guard the edges of the earth back when it was flat.  According to tradition, early maps of the flat earth were drawn with dragons depicted on the edges and the warning “Here be dragons”.

In Western folklore, dragons tend to be vicious, breathing fire and destroying villages. In Asia, they tend to be more benevolent and wise. Almost any kind of dragon can talk, depending on its mood.

Western Dragon Stories:

• The Dragon of Boetia (Greek)
• Beowulf (Denmark)
• The Three Giants and the Dragon (Russia)
• The Dragon of Krakow (Polish)
• Ivanko and the Dragon (Ukraine)
• St. George and the Dragon (England)

Eastern Dragon Stories:

• Liu Yi (China)
• The Dragon’s Pearl (China) – read the story while you listen!
• The Monkey’s Liver (Japan)
• The Dragon’s Revenge (Japan)

We are excited – January 15th is Hat Day!

How many hats are on the monkey’s head?

How many hats can you put on your head?
Can you put more hats on then the monkey is wearing on your head?

Make a Fez to Celebrate Hat Day

Why a Fez?

Well, we are getting ready for our next show which features “The Bridge and the Dream” a story from Turkey (opening June 2013). In it there are several characters, who will be played by kids from the audience, and they all need to wear fezzes. So as long as we are making them we thought we’d go ahead and shoot a “How To” video and let you join in the fun.

What is a Fez?

Why, it is a hat that was popularized by Ottoman Empire in the Middle East. Think, Ali Baba, the Arabian Nights and Aladdin.  They are brimless caps with a tassel dangling from the top. They are commonly red or scarlet.

What you need:

• a brown paper bag
• scissors
• tape and glue
• yarn
• a pencil
• optional: markers and other things to decorate with like glitter, scraps of fabric, confetti, etc

Watch the video:

Related Core Curriculum Standards

CCSS.Math.Content.1.G.A.2 Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.

CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.A.1 Measure the length of an object by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.

CCSS.Math.Content.3.MD.B.4 Generate measurement data by measuring lengths using rulers marked with halves and fourths of an inch. Show the data by making a line plot, where the horizontal scale is marked off in appropriate units— whole numbers, halves, or quarters.

CCSS.Math.Content.4.G.A.1 Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in two-dimensional figures.

CCSS.Math.Content.4.G.A.3 Recognize a line of symmetry for a two-dimensional figure as a line across the figure such that the figure can be folded along the line into matching parts. Identify line-symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry.

CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.A.2 Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions.

More Hat Day fun!

Enjoy this video of  clips from “The Hat Seller and the Monkey” from one of our shows:

How are you going to celebrate Hat Day?

Tell us! Leave your ideas in the comments below.