Nutcracker Ballet Unit Study

One of our Christmas traditions is to gussy up and go see the Nutcracker Ballet.  We follow it up with a nice restaurant, and the kids don't even know that they're learning about culture and etiquette.  Good memories, and a nice family tradition...  This year, we've decided to take the month of December off from our regular curriculum and do some fun unit studies.  The week preceding our Nutcracker outing will surely be focused solely on Tchaikovsky and the ballet!

If you’re unfamiliar with the story, ...Clara receives a nutcracker for Christmas, and wonderful things begin to happen.   There’s the battle with the Mouse King, the nutcracker magically transforming into a handsome prince, the trip to the kingdom of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and finally the question the next morning of whether it was all Clara's dream.  Was it?

If you’re want to listen to highlights, I recommend the key dances from The Land of the Sweets.  (The Battle Scene is from Act I, but leads into Act II.)

• Battle Scene & Journey through the Snow/Waltz of the Snowflakes
• Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy
• The Spanish Dance (Chocolate)
• The Arabian Dance (Coffee)
• The Russian Dance (Trepak)
• The Chinese Dance (Tea)
• The Mirliton Dance
• Waltz of the Flowers

Here are some fantastic resources to supplement your unit study!  I have tried to break them down by subject :

Music Appreciation

• Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite: Waltz of the Flowers
• Maestro Classics set
• Tom & Jerry's Nutcracker Tale

Language Arts

• Free Nutcracker lapbook
• Nutcracker Ballet Worksheet
• The Nutcracker Reading Comprehension Sheets 
• Nutcracker Teacher Study Guide 

Arts & Crafts

• Lego Nutcracker w/ Instructions
• Nutcracker Cut & Paste Printable
• Nutcracker Coloring Pages
• Symmetrical Nutcracker Art Lesson
• Nutcracker Puppets 
• Nutcracker Craft Puzzle 
• Nutcracker Toilet Paper Roll Craft
• Nutcracker Math Coloring Page

Cooking

• Sugar Plums recipe