Schools
Kentucky Chautauqua® living history dramas in Kentucky schools. These programs will be booked first come, first served while funding lasts. Our grant runs through the spring of 2009.
Programs covered by the grant will cost your school only a $150 booking fee.
What the Kentucky Humanities Council will provide:
- One Kentucky Chautauqua presentation of approximately 45 minutes with discussion to follow
- CORE content information by grade level, by character, and for both social studies and arts and humanities
- A brief history of the character and his/her contributions to
- Printed programs with essays and further reading
- Pre and post performance questions
- A ready-to-use introduction for the character
- The Humanities Council will also provide lodging, if needed, for the presenter.
Miss Dinnie Thompson, portrayed by Erma Bush.
Kentucky Chautauqua®
Kentucky Chautauqua programs are one-person short dramas that represent the lives of both famous and unknown contributors to Kentucky’s history and heritage. Each Chautauqua is a carefully prepared, accurate, believable and interesting living history drama.
Procedure:
- You decide which program you want to book.
- You contact the presenter to see if they are available for the date/time/place. Please discuss with the presenter the grade level, whether their program should be abreviated for the age group, and how many children they can anticipate in their audience.
- If the presenter is available, you prepare for their visit by: (a.) You send us the date, time, school and your contact information, providing us with a mailing address for printed materials we send you in advance of your program. (b.) You send us the information including driving directions for the presenter to meet you and information about the lodging*, if the presenter has requested a reservation. Please ask the presenter if they will require lodging and make the reservation for them. The Humanities Council will pay for the lodging but we do not know what lodging is available in your area.
- Make arrangements for payment to the Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc. of $150 per program. That is the only payment we will ask for.
- Advise us about how many printed programs you will need for each program.
- You or a designated, named representative meet the presenter at an agreed upon place (if not the school) and accompany them to the classroom.
- After the program takes place, please send us the teacher's evaluation.
- We will pay the presenter and the presenter's lodging.
What to expect:
Before coming to your school, the Chautauqua presenter(s) will want to speak with you. They will want to know about classroom study activities in advance of their visit, particular interests that have led you to choosing this particular Chautauqua program (for example – you are teaching a unit on the Wilderness Road and Dr. Thomas Walker as part of class work on American history, Kentucky’s pioneers, local history). Chautauquans need to know how many students will be involved, the kind of space in which they will give their program, and something about how their program fits into the curriculum.
A Chautauqua program has two segments –
a) the dramatic presentation and
b) student questions
Typically, the dramatic presentation takes 45 minutes with at least 30 minutes allocated for student interaction. However, the presenter can prepare for a shorter dramatic presentation tailored for younger children. To make the most of your Chautauqua program, please allow at least 30 minutes for questions from students. Our experience with classrooms shows that prepared students will not run out of questions – a total of two hours works well.
Will there be any written information I can use as a teacher to prepare my students? What about Core Content materials?
We will provide for each child a printed program with a biographical essay and further reading. Please tell us the number of students. We will also provide you with CORE CONTENT information, pre and post presentation questions for discussion, and historical resources.
How many students?: 30 – 50 allows for ideal interaction. Presenters can accommodate up to 150 students, depending on lesson plans. Assembly situations limit student interaction, so we ask that you not schedule them.
Is it possible to schedule two performances on the same day?
Yes. If there are different grade levels involved, or if there are too many students for a single performance to reach, Chautauquans can give two programs on the same day. However, since the Humanities Council must pay for each separate performance, the booking fee will be charged twice.
Do Kentucky Chautauqua presentations require a stage or special location?
Not at all. All students should be able to see and hear the Chautauqua presenter. Since Chautauquans travel with their own wireless microphones and bring minimal props, they can work with a wide variety of performance areas such as the school’s library, a classroom, or an all purpose room. More intimate spaces are preferable for both sound control and interaction with the Chautauqua presenter. Do choose a location where students won’t be distracted.
Dressing Room: All Kentucky Chautauquans perform in accurate costumes. Since these costumes are sometimes elaborate and not easy to wear while driving, most Chautauqua presenters will need a dressing room with some privacy (the teachers’ lounge or some private space with a washbasin available) to change clothes before and after the presentation.
Help your Chautauquan Find You! Please be sure your Chautauqua has accurate and clear driving directions to your school. If two schools are involved, please be sure that a coordinator is in place to guide the Kentucky Chautauquan from the morning school to the afternoon school – they will want to be on time and may have difficulty finding the afternoon school venue.
Cost: Your Chautauqua program is provided by the Kentucky Humanities Council, Inc. through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Your Teaching American History regional coordinator, school system, local sponsor, or Center for Rural Development will pay the booking fee of $150.00 per program. There are no other costs.
Kentucky Chautauqua Programs
PLEASE SEE WHOLE HUMANITIES CATALOG FOR FULL DESCRIPTION, CONTACT INFORMATION, AND APPLICATION.
Daniel Boone, Pathfinder (1734 – 1820)
Scott New, Cumberland Gap TN. Grades 4-12. Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School. There are two programs: "Coming into Kentucky" is about Boone's early days exploring KEntucky in 1769 and the 1775 expedition that founded Boonesborough; "The Courty-Martial of Daniel Boone" is about the events of 1778, when Boone and almost 30 of his men were captured by the Shawnees. He escaped and led the defense of Ft. Boonesborough against a Shawnee siege, but afterward was accused of collaborating with the enemy.
George Rogers Clark, Revolutionary War Hero (1752 – 1818)
Mel Hankla, Jamestown. Grades 4 – 12. Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School.
Overshadowed by his brother, William, of Lewis and Clark fame, George Rogers Clark never got the credit he deserved for securing the Northwest Territory for the young United States.
Anna Mac Clarke, African American Military Pioneer (1919 – 1944)
Haley S. Bowling, McKee. Grades 5 – 12. Core contene: Elementary, Middle, High School Arts/Humanities and Social Studies. This program is really better for high school. Younger children enjoy it but will have no context for the story as far as the WACs go. It is also a story of desegregation and triumph over obstacles.
Henry Clay, Kentucky’s Great Statesman (1777 – 1852)
George McGee, Georgetown. Grades 3-12. Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School. George is absolutely the best for any age.
Price Hollowell, Black Patch War Hero (1895 – 1975)
Ethan Smith, Georgetown. Grades 8 – 12. Core Content: 5th Grade, Middle, High School. This is a complicated story made as clear as possible, but definitely not for very young children. Ethan is only 15 and does a great job. This is a western Kentucky story, but it is also about the largest agricultural uprising in the United States.
Grandpa Jones, Country Musician and Comic (1913 – 1998)
David Hurt, Frankfort. Grades 5 – 12. Core Content: Elementary Social Studies and Arts/Humanities; Middle Arts/Humanities. Involves live music. For Arts and Humanities curriculum, core content is widely applicable.
Simon Kenton, Frontiersman (1755 – 1836)
Mel Hankla, Jamestown. Grades 4 - 12. Core Content: Elementary, Middle, and Social Studies only for High School. Also portrayed by Mel Hankla, this program really is easy enough for 4th grade. Kenton is a good comparison/contrast for Daniel Boone.
Lily May Ledford, Coon Creek Girl (1917 – 1985)
Sandy Harmon, Henderson. Grades 4 - 12. Involves live music. Core Content: Elementary, Middle Arts/Humanities. Her talents work with all ages, best for Arts and Humanities curriculum, core content widely applicable.
John C.C. Mayo, Coal Baron (1864 – 1914)
David Hurt, Frankfort. Grades 9 - 12. Core Content: High School.
This is not a glorification or a condemnation of Mayo, but a story of how coal mining got started, including the much-hated (but not at that time) broad form deed.
It is an eastern Kentucky history story, also great for discussion of environmental issues.
Adolph Rupp, The Coach (1901 – 1977)
Edward Smith, Georgetown. Grades 7 - 12. No core content, but can be provided at request. Ed does a great job of this – It’s not just a basketball story, but the story of a farm boy from Kansas whose family didn’t always speak English at home. In other words, this is a story of character development, not just sports.
Miss Dinnie Thompson, No Ordinary Woman (1857 – 1939)
Erma Bush, Louisville. Grades 5 - 12. Core Content: Elementary, Middle.
Juanita White always accompanies the actress, Erma Bush. Juanita begins the program with getting the audience to join her in singing Hush, Hush. Juanita also has a display of broadsides, etc. from the days of slavery in Louisville. This is an Underground Railroad story, which continues after the Civil War.
Dr. Thomas Walker, Pioneer Physician (1715 – 1794)
Danny Hinton, Livingston. Grades 5 – 12. Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School.
Danny loves the frontier era and is absolutely authentic. Danny has some great stories about medicine at the time – and has learned to engage audiences in a variety of ways such as offering to use his “tooth key” to cure a toothache, or the use of leeches, and other remedies. He was the first to survey much of eastern Kentucky (17 years before Daniel Boone) all the way to Winchester, and of course there is the Dr. Thomas Walker state park.
NEW FOR 2007-09
The Kentucky Humanities Council has prepared seven new Kentucky Chautauqua programs which will be available September 2007. Four of these new presentations are related to the era of Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln, “I, too, am a Kentuckian” (1809 – 1865)
Jim Sayre, Lawrenceburg. Grades 4 – 12. Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School.
This program focuses a great deal on Lincoln’s Kentucky connections and is also an introduction to the man who came from a humble background to change the course of U.S. history.
Emilie Todd Helm, Rebel in the White House (1836 – 1930)
Betsy B. Smith, Cynthiana. (Grades 5-12). Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School.
The younger sister of Mary Todd Lincoln and wife of Confederate General Benjamin Hardin Helm, Emilie Todd Helm presents a very different picture of the Civil War. Her husband turned down Lincoln’s offer to be paymaster of the Union Army, choosing to fight for the Confederacy. After his death, only President Lincoln’s direct order allowed Emilie to visit her sister in the White House. Emilie’s story represents the divisions and heartbreak for so many Kentucky families as the Civil War took its toll on our Commonwealth. May be too complex for elementary, but core content is provided for teachers' review.
Margaret Garner, Death before Slavery (c. 1833 - 1858)
Erma Bush, Louisville. (Grades 8 – 12). Core Content: Middle, High School.
Margaret Garner’s story is more than that of a fugitive slave, for having escaped across the Ohio River, she killed her baby girl rather than see the child grow up in slavery. Margaret’s case drew national attention. Instead of being tried for murder in Ohio, she was sent to a Covington jail where her owner kept her out of sight without trial until he could sell her into the even harsher life of plantation work down the river. Writer Toni Morrison loosely based her novel Beloved on Margaret Garner’s story. Because of the violence of Margaret Garner’s story, it is not recommended for younger students.
Mary Owens, Lincoln's Lost Kentucky Love (1808 – 1877)
Barbara Flair, Greensburg. Grades 5 - 12. Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School.
The daughter of a prosperous Green County Kentucky planter, Mary met Abraham Lincoln while visiting her sister in New Salem, 1833, where Lincoln was a road-dust covered postmaster at the time. The courtship, recorded in letters, continued until 1836. While Lincoln had stated that he "would marry Miss Owens if she came a second time to Illinois," the relationship ended in 1836, possibly because Miss Owens was not convinced that Mr. Lincoln's future was bright nor his manners acceptable. Barbara Flair is an award winning middle school teacher who makes the times live through this portrayal.
Dr. Ephraim McDowell, Frontier Surgeon (1771 – 1830)
L. Henry Dowell, Nicholasville (Grades 5 – 12). Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School. Famous for performing the world’s first ovariotomy, successfully removing a tumor from Mrs. Jane Crawford’s abdomen thirty-five years before anesthesia, Dr. McDowell mixed his own medicines, performed surgeries on his kitchen table, and learned from autopsy. Dowell’s presentation provides a view of central Kentucky not as a backwater, but as a place where people educated in science achieved worldwide acclaim.
Pee Wee Reese, Hall of Famer (1918 – 1991)
Dick Usher, Benton. (Grades 5 – 12). Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School.
Baseball Hall of Famer Pee Wee Reese was born in Meade County and lived in Louisville. His is a story of character and conviction. Not only did he lead the Dodgers to seven pennants and a 1955 World Series win, but his acceptance of and support for the major leagues’ first black player, Jackie Robinson, helped desegregate the major leagues.
Atta Kul Kulla, Cherokee Peace Chief (c. 1715 – 1780)
Robert K. Rambo, Cullowhee, NC (Grades 4 – 12). Core Content: Elementary, Middle, High School. A powerful Peace Chief of the Cherokee Nation from 1758 to his death around 1780, Atta Kul Kulla played a key role in the famous land transaction known at the Transylvania Purchase. Known as Little Carpenter for his abilities to build alliances, Atta Kul Kulla traveled to England and spoke English fluently. Rambo is dressed authentically, uses Cherokee language and brings many artifacts to explain Cherokee life in the Colonial period.
For a catalog listing of Chautauquans, click here.
