a christmas story resource guide - golden isles arts and humanities

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A Christmas Story

Table of Contents

Page 2 About Golden Isles Arts &

Humanities and the Historic Ritz Theatre

Page 3 Radio Theatre Print

Page/Student Handout

Page 4 Will your tongue really

stick to a frozen flagpole?

Page 5-6 Classroom Activities

Page 7 Classroom Discussion

Page 8 About Jean Shepherd

Page 9-12 Life in Ralphie’s World

3-15 The Great Depression

Page 16 1940’s Trivia

Page 17-18 Bullying

Page 19-20 BB Gun Safety

Page 21-23 Other Class Activities

Resource Guide

About the Golden Isles Arts & Humanities production…

Audiences delighted in our very first Ritz Radio Theatre production, The Maltese Falcon, presented as part of The Big Read in 2012. Be prepared for more of the same old-‐time fun as our radio troupe brings this wonderful holiday gift to the Golden Isles, just as it would have been done on the air (and before a live audience) in the 1940s, with period costume, sound effects, even vinatge-‐style ads by our sponsor, Ned Cash Jewelers.

Thirty-‐two years ago, A Christmas Story opened in movie theatres across the country to mixed reviews. MGM never wanted to release the film in the first place. So although it was number one by its second weekend, MGM pulled it out of theatres in its third week. What MGM didn’t bargain on was that over the next couple years the movie would become a cult hit. Television station TNT even runs the film for 24 hours straight beginning Christmas Eve. If you’re like the almost 40 million viewers this annual event draws, then the TV is turned on to the appropriate channel and left there while you pursue your own holiday rituals, allowing you to always catch your favorite parts.

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Resource Guide

A Christmas Story

o 1899: The Grand Opera House is built. Used for vaudeville.

o 1909: Silent films are being shown in the Ritz Theatre

o 1920’s: Building converted to a movie palace and become the Ritz Theatre.

o 1956: Housed the world premiere of A View From Pompey’s Head, filmed primarily at the Oglethorpe Hotel.

o 1981: City of Brunswick purchases the Ritz Theatre and the theater was modernized and altered (partially due to the roof collapsing)

o 1990: Golden Isles Arts & Humanities begins managing the Ritz Theatre for the City of Brunswick.

o 2008: the Ritz becomes part of the Fox Theatre Institute

o 2010: Golden Isles Arts & Humanities receives a restoration assistant grant, matched by the City of Brunswick, to restore the building’s 58 original windows.

o 2011: The original Ritz sign was restored with the help of the Fox Theatre Institute, Fendig Signs, and the City of Brunswick. The grand relighting took place on November 4.

Mission Statement The mission of Golden Isles Arts & Humanities is to provide distinctive cultural events and education that engages, inspires and celebrates our community.

Arts in Education Overview

• In-‐School Arts Programming: requested by teachers

• Field Trip Performances • The Bid Read/The Little Big Read • Eugenia Price/Joyce Blackburn

Foundation Young Poet’s Award (high school)

• Eugenia Price/Joyce Blackburn Foundation Young Playwright’s Award (middle school)

• Student and Teacher Art Exhibits • Excellence in the Arts Awards • Young Actor’s Company • Summer Theatre and Film Camps and

Classes

More information about these programs, and others presented by Golden Isles Arts & Humanities, please visit our website at www.goldenislesarts.org, give us a call at 912.262.6934, or email [email protected] or [email protected].

Brief history of the Historic Ritz Theatre

A Little About Golden Isles Arts & Humanities

In the late 1980’s, a group of Glynn County residents formed what would be known as Golden Isles Arts & Humanities. Since its inception, this organization has worked to promote and strengthen the arts and humanities in the area. Over twenty five years later, Golden Isles Arts & Humanities, the coordinating arts council for Glynn County and the City of Brunswick, works to bring in the highest quality arts and entertainment programs.

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Print Page for Students A Christmas Story

Radio Theatre

Radio Theatre began as early as 1880 and, in some way or form, has continued ever since. Between the 1920s and 1930s radio drama became widely popular in America. “How big was it? People who grew up with television have no idea how much their parents and grandparents were affected by what they heard. Radio took the country by storm. Careers were made overnight, and a few were lost the same way. The shows that came out of the three national radio centers – New York, Chicago, and Hollywood – informed, entertained, and shaped the opinions of three generations”[1}. Because there are no visual elements to construct or lines to memorize, radio plays could be produced rapidly. The music, sound effects and actor’s voices created every detail needed to allow the listener’s imagination take over in creating the visuals for the characters and settings.

“Everything on radio was done live, often with so little preparation that it defies belief today…. It is now estimated that the number of shows saved on transcriptions might run into hundred of thousands”[1]. Despite solely relying on sound, “Lux’s extravagant productions were a huge success. Renowned director Cecil B. DeMille—whose films were synonymous with spectacle—was brought in to host the show. Stars were routinely paid up to $5,000 to appear and over 50 actors, musicians and technicians were on hand every week for productions"[2]. By today’s standards, $5,000 may not sound like a huge sum of money but in 1943 the Average Annual Salary was $2,500. As television became more accessible in the 1960s, radio theatre rapidly declined in popularity. In recent years, radio theatre has gained momentum in the form of podcasts. Despite ever-‐changing technology, this form of entertainment has proven to be resilient with a place in our culture.

[1] Dunning, John. On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-time Radio. New York: Oxford UP, 1998.

[2] "Lux Radio Theatre." Radio Hall of Fame. National Radio Hall of Fame, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2012.

Radio both influenced and was influenced by popular culture. How many of these Radio Theatre titles do you recognize?

The Thin Man Wuthering Heights Casablanca Miracle on 34th Street Little Woman The Wizard of Oz The African Queen Dick Tracy Green Hornet Little Orphan Annie The Lone Ranger Popeye Sherlock Holmes Superman

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A Christmas Story Resource Guide

Will Your Tongue Really Stick to a Frozen Flagpole? by George Frederick The next time someone triple-‐dog dares you to stick our tongue to a frozen metal pole—don’t. Your tongue will be joined to the pole, and you’ll have plenty of time to ponder the thermal conductivity of metal while you await the rescue squad.

Your tongue is covered with moisture, which begins to freeze if its temperature drops below 32 degrees F. Your body then counteracts the freezing by pumping warm blood to your tongue.

Heat from your blood warms the moisture through a process called conduction. Heat energy from the blood excites atoms in your tongue. The atoms absorb the energy and vibrate. The more they vibrate, the more their temperatures increase. This incites vibrations in neighboring atoms, which take the energy and pass it up the line like a hot potato and eventually warms the surface moisture.

So why is the Fire Department on its way?

“It’s because of the high thermal conductivity of the pole,” explains Frank J. DiSalvo, director of the Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future and co-‐director of the Cornell Full Cell Institute. “The metal is a much better conductor than your tongue (up to 400 times more powerful). The metal takes heat faster than your body can replenish it.”

The atoms in solid metal are packed tightly and transfer thermal energy more readily. They also have free electrons that boost conductivity. Free electrons are free to move from atom to atom. The electrons absorb heat and energy and more through the flagpole, stirring up other atoms.

As your tongue touches the flagpole, the moisture in your tongue is robbed of heat. The temperature of the moisture drops. Water freezes inside tiny pores and surface irregularities on your tongue and the pole. You’re stuck.

So now your thinking, “Maybe if I just pull hard it will come off.” Yes, it will – a piece of your tongue, that is.

Kent Sperry is a 911 dispatcher at a place where people know about cold and snow—Boulder, Colorado. He offers a less painful alternative, assuming you happen to have the necessary remedy at hand: “Pour warm water on the area where the tongue meets the pole, and the tongue should come free.”

Science Discussion:

Flick licked the frozen pole, and his tongue stuck. Is that scientifically possible? How cold would it have to be, and how long would it have to be that temperature, for someone’s tongue to get stuck to a metal pole? Would it have happened if the pole had been made of wood? Plastic? Why or why not?

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Resource Guide A Christmas Story

Classroom Activities

Social Studies

Ralphie Parker was growing up in the mid-‐1930s and mid-‐1940s. What was going on at that time in the United States? In Europe? What about Asia? Try making a timeline of major historical events from 1935 until 1945. Don’t forget about other countries all around the globe. This was an interesting time for everyone, not just Americans.

A Christmas Story takes place in the fictional Hohman, Indiana. How would the weather be different in the play if the author chose to have it take place in Haiti? Ireland? Australia? Look up these different locations and decide where the best weather would be and why.

Math

Figure out your budget of what you would want to spend on your family and friend’s Christmas presents. Then make a list of 2-‐4 different ideas of gifts for each of them. Research prices and sales on each of the gifts and decide which gifts you want to buy. Add them all up and see if they are in your budget. If not, how can you alter your gift decisions to work with your budget?

Writing

Ralphie is assigned in class to write a paper and decides to write about why he wants the Red Ryder Rifle for Christmas. He doesn’t do a very good job and gets a C+. Write a persuasive paper on a present you want and give three arguments on why you should receive this gift. Will it help you, do you deserve it? Also address a reason someone would think you shouldn’t have it. Why are they wrong? Finish with a strong conclusion.

A Christmas Story is told in Ralphie’s first person perspective. Think about how much the play would change if told from the sole perspective of a different character. Pick one of Ralphie’s family members (the Old Man, Mother, or Randy) and re-‐write your favorite part of the play in their perspective. When writing from their perspective try to capture their inner thoughts as well as dialogue to other characters. After writing evaluate if you believe your characters perspective works better than Ralphie’s. Why or why not?

Use and adapt these activities in your classroom to help students make more connections to the play, while supporting other core content areas.

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Theatre

Ralphie is constantly told “You’ll shoot your eye out!” by his parents, teachers and even Santa Claus. What happens when he finally gets his treasured Red Ryder 200-‐Shot Carbine Action Range Model Air Rifle? He shoots his eye out. Well, actually the BB hit his glasses breaking them. Instead of confessing that his parents were right all along. Ralphie creates a big lie that an icicle fell and busted his glasses. Create a scene where the lie doesn’t work out. What would Ralphie do next? Would he confess? Would he create another lie to cover up the previous fib? Write a dialogue between Ralphie and his mother using at least ten lines.

“Icy wasteland.” “Howling wind.” These are a few descriptions of the vicious winter Ralphie was up against in Indiana. Congratulations! You got the job as director for A Christmas Story and must decide how you will use the technical elements of the theatre to help the audience feel like they are watching the characters in the dead of winter. What sound effects will you use? What lighting will help set the mood of the harsh cold? Will you use any props or scenery? Then pretend a critic reviewed the show and hated your choices. Write a newspaper editorial defending the choices you made and explaining why they worked.

Creative Writing

In A Christmas Story the Old Man got into several fights with the Circuit Breaker. Imagine as your parents put the finishing touches on your massive yard display of Christmas lights, a circuit shorts and knocks out all of the power on your block for Christmas eve. Write a story about what happens next.

Cross Culture

Most of us have heard the song “Feliz Navidad,” which means “Merry Christmas” in Spanish. Research how to say “Merry Christmas” in French, German, Italian, Porteguese, Russian, and Swedish. Next, look up how to say “Happy Hanukkah” and “Happy Holidays”.

Many of Ralphie’s memories are centered around Christmas, but there are lots of other holidays that people observe besides Christmas. If Ralphie had been Jewish, what might his family have done for Hanukkah? Do people exchange gifts for Kwanzaa? When is Ramadan celebrated?

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Preshow Conversation: -‐ Have a discussion about who has seen the movie A Christmas Story. [Emphasize to the students that the play is based on the movie and there will be similarities as well as differences.]

-‐Ask if students been to the theatre to see a live production before? Discuss the how the experience is different to watching a movie. [Discuss why it is important to be respectful of the live actors on stage and those seated around you.]

-‐ Talk about the Radio Shows of the 1940’s and discuss how seeing one performed like this is different than seeing a regular play.

Postshow Conversation:

-‐ What did you notice when you first entered the theatre? Describe the stage.

-‐ What did the characters learn about themselves or the world in the play? Was there a moral lesson?

-‐ Describe the story by identifying the beginning, middle, and end. What was the climax of the story? Why?

-‐ If you had to summarize the story in one sentence what would it be?


Georgia Theatre Performance Standards Supported:

3rd Grade: TAES3.1, TAES3.6, TAES3.8, TAES3.10-‐11

4th Grade: TAES4.1, TAES4.6, TAES4.8, TAES4.10-‐11









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AbResource Guide A Christmas Story

The movie became an instant classic due to Shepherd’s uproariously funny, ironic and honest portrayal of the euphoria and manic anticipation families experience around Christmas time. Shepherd’s irreverent personality made him the natural choice to narrate the film. He even makes a cameo appearance in the film as one of the disgruntled customers waiting in line for Santa Claus.

During the 1950s, 60s and 70s, he was the sardonic host of a nightly radio program on WOR in New York where his scorching comedy and witty observations on the human condition made him one of radio’s most popular personalities. Although he claimed that his shows took days of preparation, people who worked with him say he improvised most of his talk. For the length of the program, Shepherd would wax philosophical about life, his childhood, his army days and the general human condition. He addressed his listeners as, “You fatheads,” and used his favorite word, “excelsior,” repeatedly with varying definitions.

After Shepherd finished his career with WOR, he wrote a column for The Village Voice, published short stories, and contributed articles to Reader’s Digest, Town & Country, and a variety of other publications. He also became a noted screenwriter, and starred in his own television programs over the years.

During his final years, Shepherd and his fourth wife, Leigh Brown moved to Sanibel Island, Florida, where he died of natural causes on October 16, 1999. A year after his death, Shepherd was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Jean Shepherd (1921–1999) is a familiar name to millions of people who enjoy the annual television marathon showing of the 1983 holiday film, A Christmas Story . Shepherd based the film, which he co-‐authored, on his 1966 collection of short stories about growing up in small town Indiana, In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash . Over the decades, the film, in which Shepherd’s voice is heard as the narrator, has developed a cult-‐like following . A simple Google search for “A Christmas Story, movie” turns up more than 59,000,000 results .

About the creator of A Christmas Story

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Life in Ralphie’s World Although the year in which the play takes place is not specifically stated, the year is probably 1940. This was just as the Great Depression was coming to an end and just before the United States entered World War II.

The world of Ralphie Parker in A Christmas Story is very different from life today. Televisions were very rare. Instead, radios and newspapers provided an information lifeline for Americans. Whole families gathered around the radio to listen to news broadcasts and popular programs like “Little Orphan Annie,” quiz shows, mysteries, dramas, music and sports.

Here are just a few toys, popular items of the day, and historic events in Ralphie’s world...

Boy, It’s A Daisy! The Daisy Air Rifle Company actually had its beginnings back in 1882 as the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company, a manufacturer of windmills in Plymouth, Michigan. However, by the late 1880s, the windmill business was changing and the struggling company began looking for new ways to attract customers.

In 1886, Plymouth inventor Clarence Hamilton introduced a new idea to the windmill company. It was a combination of metal and wire, vaguely resembling a gun that could fire a lead ball using compressed air. Lewis Cass Hough, then president of the firm, gave it a try and, after his first shot, enthusiastically exclaimed, “Boy, that’s a daisy!” The name stuck and the BB gun went into production as a premium item given to farmers when they purchased a windmill. The gun was such a huge success that Plymouth Iron Windmill soon began manufacturing the Daisy BB gun in place of windmills! On January 26, 1895 the company’s board of directors officially voted to change the name to Daisy Manufacturing Company, Inc.

Red Ryder BB Guns were the preference of Red Ryder, a fictional comic book cowboy in the 1940s, but the Red Ryder air gun, with it’s lever action, spring piston, smooth bore barrel, adjustable iron sights, and a gravity feed magazine with a 650 BB capacity was a real product and highly desired by many American boys . The Red Ryder “Range Model Carbine-‐Action BB Gun” in the movie was a fictional model from Jean Shepherd’s imagination . It included a compass and “this thing that tells time” which were never a part of the Red Ryder BB Gun . The “Buck Jones” Daisy Air Rifle did have a compass and sundial in the stock and could have served as an inspiration.

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The sturdy little Daisy BB gun quickly became a staple with American youth. Youngsters all across the land cut their shooting teeth on a Daisy. Competition was keen at the time, with guns such as Bulls Eye, Dewey, Hero, Dandy, Atlas and others appearing almost overnight and disappearing just as quickly. Over the years, Daisy has continued to improve and expand their line of airguns, putting model after model within the reach of every young shooter’s pocketbook and skill level.

In 1958, Daisy moved their offices and manufacturing facilities from Plymouth to Rogers, Arkansas where the company continued to prosper and grow. One gun, more than any other, played a major role in making Daisy the household name it is today. Introduced in 1939, the Daisy Red Ryder sold over 9 million units, easily making it the most famous BB gun ever built! Today, Daisy has become a household word, selling guns in almost every country and on five continents.

Ovaltine is a brand of milk flavoring created in 1904 in Switzerland and is still available today. The powdery mix, made of sugar, malt extract, cocoa and whey, is often mixed with warm or hot milk. As a sponsor for “The Little Orphan Annie Show,” Ovaltine offered Secret Decoder Rings in exchange for proofs of purchase.

Lionel Trains were electric toy trains and model railroads that were embellished with hand-‐painted details and authentic elements. Elaborate train displays were often featured as part of department store Christmas displays and a Lionel Train Set was routinely found under the tree on Christmas morning.

Shirley Temple Dolls were manufactured by Ideal Toys and Novelty Company and were fashioned after Shirley Temple, the child star known for films such as Bright Eyes, Heidi, and The Little Princess.

“The Little Orphan Annie Show” was one of the first 15-‐minute daily radio serials made for children. The show was sponsored by Ovaltine and ran from 1930 to the early 1940s. It was inspired by the daily American comic strip by Harold Gray about a young orphan girl, her dog Sandy, and her guardian, Daddy Warbucks. They encounter many adventures including gangsters, spies, and kidnappers. The show was also known for it’s opening theme song sung by Pierre Andre.

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Open Road for Boys was a popular boy’s outdoor adventure fiction magazine from 1919 to 1950 that featured advertisements for model airplanes and Red Ryder products.

Jujubes are a candy drop created in 1920 and are still available today. Originally, it was a hard candy that you had to suck on and the original flavors were lilac, violet, rose, spearmint and lemon.

The Movies! Ralphie may have read books like Daniel Boone and Make Way for Ducklings, but one of the most popular forms of entertainment was at the local movie house where he might have seen National Velvet, Lassie Come Home, Flash Gordon, Roy Rogers, and Superman. Ralphie could go to see a double feature, with newsreels and a cartoon—plus a candy bar—for only a dime!

No Computers! Because personal computers were decades away from being conceived, there were no cell phones or email, internet or Xbox. One of the earliest computers, the ENIAC, was completed in 1945. It weighed 30 tons and was two stories high!

Radio Flyer is a brand of toy wagons and sleds that are still popular today. The Radio Flyer Company was founded in 1920 by Antonio Pasin, when he began his business by making wagons at night in his little woodworking shop and selling them by day. During the 20s, using the auto industry as inspiration, Pasin began using metal-‐stamping technology to produce steel wagons, and applied mass production techniques to wagon making. These innovations earned Pasin the nickname, “Little Ford.” To date, Radio Flyer is the #1 wagon maker in the world.

From 1942-‐1945, Radio Flyer was asked to stop wagon production and focus all it’s manufacturing effort on making 5 gallon steel “blitz cans,” used to transport fuel and water during the war. On July 14, 1945, Radio Flyer was awarded the Army-‐Navy “E” Award, for high achievement in producing materials needed for the war.

In 2003, Antonio Pesin was honored by becoming the 44th toy innovator inducted into the Toy Industry Hall of Fame.

Decoder Rings/Pins were all the rage during the golden age of radio, lending an air of participation to popular radio shows like “Little Orphan Annie .”

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Red Ryder was a popular long-‐run Western comic strip created by Stephen Slesinger and artist Fred Harman. In 1938, Red Ryder was syndicated by Newspaper Enterprise Association, expanding over the following decade to 750 newspapers, translations into ten languages and a readership in the United States of 14 million. The 26-‐year run of the comic strip came to an end in 1964.

Although billed as “American’s famous fighting cowboy,” Red Ryder was notable because he did not usually kill his enemies, but instead, aimed for the hand to disarm them.

The Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story is one of the most iconic and recognizable movie props of all time. Replicas of the leg lamp have become prized “Major Awards” for fans everywhere. A Christmas Story author, Jean Shepherd, was inspired to create the leg lamp after seeing an illuminated Nehi Soda advertisement. The design of the leg lamp for A Christmas Story is the work of production designer Reuben Freed. Unsure of exactly what a leg lamp was or what it should like, Freed presented a couple of sketches to Shepherd who said, “Yep, that’s it!” Freed then produced three leg lamps for the movie and went through several shade styles before settling on the large golden bell shape with black fringe seen in the movie. None of the three original leg lamps survived the production of the movie: all three props were broken on set during the filming. Although the original lamps are now long gone, the leg lamp will forever be remembered as the “soft glow of electric sex.”

Riding his mighty steed, Thunder, Red was a tough cowboy who lived in Painted Valley Ranch in the Blanco Basin of the San Juan Mountain Range with his aunt, the Duchess, and his juvenile sidekick, Little Beaver. Little Beaver spoke in the sort of Pidgin English that is now considered to be an offensive caricature (e.g. “Spinach heap good. Me like’m!”). Other notable characters in the comic were ranch-‐hand Buckskin Blodgett, Red’s gal-‐pal, Beth, and bad-‐guy Ace Hanlon.

The Red Ryder radio series began in February 1942 and was broadcasted three times a week on the Blue Network. The series continued on the West Coast Don Lee Network through the 1940’s. The continuing characters of the comic strip were also found in the radio series.

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The Great Depression

The Great Depression began with the Wall Street stock market crash in October of 1929 and rapidly spread worldwide. The crash marked the beginning of a decade of high unemployment, poverty, low profits, deflation, plunging farm incomes, and lost opportunities for economic growth and personal advancement. Although its causes are still uncertain and controversial, the effect was a sudden and general loss of confidence in the economic future, creating a downward economic spiral of reduced spending, falling confidence, and lowered production.

Banks began to fail in October 1930—one year after the crash—when farmers defaulted on loans. There was no Federal Deposit Insurance during that time as bank failures were considered quite common. This worried depositors that they might have a chance of losing all their savings, therefore, people started to withdraw money and changed it into currency. As deposits taken out from the bank increased, the money multiplier decreased, which means money circulation is slowed down. This led to a decrease in the money supply, an increase in interest rates and a significant decrease in investment.

Economists dispute how much weight to give the stock market crash of October 1929, but it undoubtedly played a role in the initial depression. It clearly changed sentiment about and expectations of the future, shifting the outlook from very positive to negative, with a dampening effect on investment and entrepreneurship. Double-‐digit unemployment figures characterized the depression years.

Industries that suffered the most were construction, agriculture (as dust-‐bowl conditions persisted in the agricultural heartland), shipping, mining, and logging, as well as the manufacture of durable goods like automobiles and appliances that could be postponed. The economy reached bottom in the winter of 1932– 33. Then came four years of very rapid growth until 1937, when the recession of 1937 brought back 1934 levels of unemployment. The depression caused major political changes in America. Three years into the depression, Herbert Hoover lost the 1932 presidential election to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a sweeping landslide. Roosevelt’s economic recovery plan, the New Deal, instituted unprecedented programs for relief, recovery and reform, and brought about a major change in the role government played in Americans’ lives.

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In the “First New Deal” of 1933–34, programs, sought to provide work and relief through increased government spending. In 1934–36, through the “Second New Deal,” Roosevelt and his party and added Social Security, a national relief agency called the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and, through the National Labor Relations Board, a strong stimulus to the growth of labor unions. Unemployment fell by two-‐thirds in Roosevelt’s first term (from 25% to 9%, 1933–1937), but then remained high until 1942.

Following the recession of 1937, southern Democrats joined with Republicans in a conservative coalition to stop further expansion of the New Deal and further spending by the government. By 1943, they had abolished all of the relief programs with the exception of Social Security and labor laws were revised by conservatives in the Taft-‐Hartley Act of 1947.

The Great Depression and the New Deal remain a benchmark amongst economists for evaluating severe financial downturns, such as the economic crisis of 2008, and the United States’ present economic situation.

The biggest shift towards recovery from the Depression came with the decision of Germany to invade France at the beginning of World War II. France’s defeat meant that Britain and other allies would look to the U.S. for large supplies of materials for the war. The need for these materials created a huge spurt in production, thus leading to promising amount of employment in America. Moreover, Britain chose to pay for their materials in gold. This stimulated the gold inflow and raised the monetary base, which in turn, stimulated the American economy to its highest point since the summer of 1929 when the depression began.

Once World War II began, corporate energies were directed to winning the war. By 1939, the effects of the 1937 recession had disappeared. Employment in private sector factories recovered and employment leaped from 11 million in 1940 to 18 million in 1943. By the end of 1941, WWII defense spending and military mobilization began one of the greatest booms in American history, thus ending the last traces of unemployment and the Great Depression.

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Depression Era Facts and Figures: • In 1929—before the Depression began—the unemployment rate averaged 3%. • In the 1920s, the banking system in the U.S. was responsible for about $50 billion,

which was about 50% of GDP. • Between 1929 and 1932, industrial production fell by nearly 45% and homebuilding

dropped by 80%. • From 1929 to 1932, about 5,000 banks went out of business. • By 1933, 11,000 of the 25,000 U.S. banks had failed. • Between 1929 and 1933, U.S. GDP fell around 30% and the stock market lost almost

90% of its value. • Corporate profits had dropped from $10 billion in 1929 to $1 billion in 1932. • 13 million people became unemployed. In 1932, 34 million people belonged to families

with no regular full-‐time wage earner. • In 1933, 25% of all workers and 37% of all nonfarm workers were unemployed. • In Cleveland, the unemployment rate was 50%; in Toledo, Ohio, 80%. • One Soviet trading corporation in New York averaged 350 applications a day from

Americans seeking jobs in the Soviet Union. • Over one million families lost their farms between 1930 and 1934. • Between 1929 and 1932, the income of the average American family was reduced by

40%. • Nine million savings accounts were wiped out between 1930 and 1933. • 273,000 families had been evicted from their homes by 1932. There were two million

homeless people migrating around the country. • Over 60% of Americans were categorized as poor by the federal government in 1933. • In the last prosperous year (1929), there were 279,678 immigrants recorded, but in

1933 only 23,068 came to the U.S. • In the early 1930s, more people emigrated from the United States than immigrated to

it. • With little economic activity, there was scant demand for new coinage. No nickels or

dimes were minted in 1932–33, no quarter dollars in 1931 or 1933, no half dollars from 1930–32, and no silver dollars in the years 1929–33.

• The U.S. government sponsored a Mexican Repatriation program which was intended to encourage people to voluntarily move to Mexico, but thousands, including some U.S. citizens, were deported against their will. Altogether about 400,000 Mexicans were repatriated.

• New York social workers reported that 25% of all schoolchildren were malnourished. In the mining counties of West Virginia, Illinois, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania, the proportion of malnourished children was perhaps as high as 90%.

• Many people became ill with diseases such as tuberculosis (TB).

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1940’s Trivia: U.S. President:

World Series Winners:

NFL Champions:

Stanley Cup Winners:

Golf, US Open Winner:

Tennis, US Open Winners:

NCAA Football Champions:

NCAA Basketball Champions:

Kentucky Derby Winner:

Hottest Fashion Icons:

Time Magazine Man of the Year:

Miss America:

#1 Pop Standard Song:

Academy Award for Best Picture:

#1 Best-‐Selling Book:

Newbery Award, Children’s Book:

Caldecott Award, Children’s Book:

Most popular toy/Christmas gift:

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Cincinnati Reds

Chicago Bears

New York Rangers

Lawson Little

Donald McNeil/Alice Marble

Minnessota

Indiana

Gallahadia

Hedy Lamarr, Rita Hayworth, Lana Turner, Betty Grable

Winston Churchill

Francis Burke, Philadelphia, PA

“When You Wish Upon A Star” by Glenn Miller

The Grapes of Wrath

How Green Was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn

Daniel Boone by James Dougherty

Abraham Lincoln by Ingrid & Edgar Parin d’Aulaire

Red Ryder BB Gun

• Bugs Bunny was born in Brooklyn, NY • M&Ms were invented by Frank Mars and Bruce Murrie • Bing Crosby recorded the iconic version of White Christmas in 1942 • Disney released Pinnochio in 1940

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Bullying

In A Christmas Story, the character of Scut Farkus is a bully. Though the play is set sometime around 1940, little has changed with regard to the facts about bullying. However, the treatment and attitude toward bullies and bullying has changed considerably.

The act of bullying occurs when one child manipulates another child through threats, violence, verbal abuse, or uses other intimidation tactics to force the child to do something or exclude the child from a group. Also, in most cases involving school bullies, the bully is more physically imposing than his victim. Bullies almost always have low self-‐esteem. If there is something about themselves they don’t like, by putting someone else down, they are distracting from their own problems. Bullies may behave this way to be perceived as popular or tough or to get attention. They may bully out of jealousy or be acting out because they themselves are bullied. Bullies are also angry. Most likely they were also bullied at some point. We call this the “Bully Cycle.”

How did Scut Farkus bully the other children?

Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse—emotional, verbal, and physical. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. Bullying can be defined in many different ways. Some U.S. States have laws against it. Bullying behavior may include name calling, verbal or written abuse, exclusion from activities, exclusion from social situations, physical abuse, or coercion.

What type of bullying is in A Christmas Story?

Bullying can occur in any place human beings interact with each other. This includes school, church, family, the workplace, home and neighborhoods. Bullying can exist between social groups, social classes and even between countries.

Why do you think Scut Farkus bullied the other children?

Bullying can be classified into two categories: direct bullying, and indirect bullying. Direct bullying involves a great deal of physical aggression, such as shoving and poking, throwing things, slapping, choking, punching and kicking, beating, stabbing, pulling hair, scratching, biting, scraping, and pinching. Indirect bullying is characterized by threatening the victim into social isolation through techniques such as spreading gossip, refusing to socialize with the victim, bullying other people who wish to socialize with the victim, and criticizing the victim’s manner of dress and other socially significant markers (including the victim’s race, religion, disability, sex, or sexual preference, etc.). Other forms of indirect bullying are more subtle and more likely to be verbal, such as name calling, the “silent treatment,” arguing others into submission, manipulation, gossip, lies, false rumors, staring, giggling, laughing at the victim, saying certain words that trigger a reaction from a past event, and mocking.

Did Scut Farkus display direct or indirect bullying, or both?

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Effects of bullying on those who are targeted

Since bullying is mostly ignored, it may provide an important clue in crowd behavior and passer-‐by behavior. Numerous psychologists have been puzzled by the inactivity of crowds in urban areas when crimes occur in crowded places. Many have suggested bullying as one of the reasons of this decline in emotional sensitivity and acceptance of violence as normal. When someone is bullied, it is not only the bully and victim who are becoming less sensitive to violence. In most cases, the friends and classmates of the bully and the victim accept the violence as normal.

How did Scut Farkus react when Ralphie stood up to him and fought back?

Bullying often takes place in the presence of a large group of relatively uninvolved bystanders. In many cases, the bully creates the illusion that he or she has the support of the bystanders. That instills the fear of ‘speaking out’ in the victim as well as the majority of the bystanders.

It is seldom that a bystander will intervene on behalf of the victim. In fact, bystanders usually tend to lean toward the bully’s side. In 85% of bullying incidents, bystanders are involved in teasing the victim or encouraging the bully, or doing nothing at all.

How can you help if you see someone being bullied? What can you do to help even if you are afraid of being bullied yourself?

It is estimated that about 60-‐80% of children are bullied at school.

There is a growing body of research which indicates that individuals, whether child or adult, who are persistently subjected to abusive behavior are at risk of stress related illness which can sometimes lead to suicide. Those who have been the targets of bullying can suffer from long-‐term emotional and behavioral problems. Bullying can cause loneliness, depression, anxiety, and lead to low self-‐esteem and increased susceptibility to illness. In the long term, it can lead to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

What can you do if you know of someone that has been bullied over a long period of time?

Cyber-‐bullying is any bullying done through the use of technology. This form of bullying can easily go undetected because of lack of parental/authoritative supervision. Because bullies can pose as someone else, it is the most anonymous form of bullying. Cyber bullying includes, but is not limited to, abuse using email, instant messaging, text messaging, websites, and social networking sites.

What can you do to help stop Cyber-‐bullying?

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BB Gun Safety

BB Gun Safety is extremely important. BB guns are not toys and are dangerous. Think about the scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie shoots his BB gun for the first time. He does, in fact, practically shoot his eye out with his “air rifle.” If he had followed basic BB gun safety rules, he would have been fine.

Many people do not realize how easy it is to injure yourself, someone else (or even potentially kill someone) with a BB gun. Even if you don’t have a BB gun, it’s good to know the rules that must be followed when using BB guns or other types of guns in case you unexpectedly come into contact with one.

Safety Rules for Kids from the National Rifle Association (NRA): If you find or come into contact with a gun:

1. Stop. 2. Don’t touch. 3. Remove yourself from the area. 4.Tell an adult.

It’s particularly important that children leave the area where the gun is located to avoid being harmed by someone who may not know how to touch it. A child as young as 3 has the finger strength to pull a trigger. It’s also important for kids to tell an adult about a gun that’s been found.

Important Safety Tips from BB-‐Guns.org:

• Check out both local and federal laws and regulations. Different states have different BB gun safety laws and rules. Certain guns are not allowed in certain places!

• Start out shooting at a shooting range. It is the safest place to learn how to shoot. • Do not allow minors (persons under 18 years of age) to shoot any type of gun (not

even a BB gun) without active adult supervision. • Do not carry your BB gun in a public place. Doing so may actually be illegal in your

state. • Do not alter the color of your BB gun. If it has a fluorescent orange tip, that is for a

reason! Policeman have been known to shoot and fire upon children who have removed the safety orange color form their guns, because the policemen could no longer recognize the guns as anything but real guns. You could be putting yourself and others in danger.

• It is not recommended that children under the age of 16 are allowed to operate a high velocity BB gun. Take a look at the velocity type of your BB gun or air rifle before using. The warning will likely say, “May be dangerous up to 350 yards,” as well as other warnings. Be sure to follow all warnings.

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BB Gun Safety Quiz Discussion topic:

Think about the scene in the show when Ralphie shot his BB gun for the first time. What safety ruled did he neglect to follow?

True or false...

• If you find a gun, stop, don’t touch, leave the area and tell an adult.

• Treat every gun as if it were loaded.

• When shooting a BB gun, always wear protective eyewear.

• Guns not in use should be loaded.

• Some states have laws prohibiting BB guns from certain places.

• The safest place to learn how to shoot is in your back yard.

• You should never carry a BB gun in a public place.

• If you find a gun, bring it to an adult.

• It is acceptable to change the color of a BB gun.

• Ralphie really did almost shoot his eye out!

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a christmas story resource guide - golden isles arts and humanities

Documents

ritz theatre o

historic ritz theatre

bullying page

ritz radio theatre production

fox theatre institute

classroom activities

s trivia page

christmas story o