Saturday for Educators ǀ April 13, 2013
2
What’s it like
to run the circus?
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to run a circus?
With tickets to sell, transportation to plan, performers to feed,
and audiences to amaze, you can bet it would be a big job! The
following activities allow students to imagine that they have
stepped back in time to the golden age of the American circus.
Students will use creative thinking skills and collaboration to
tackle issues that a circus impresario would have faced on a daily
basis, all while sharpening skills in geography, math, language
arts, and science.
CONTENTS
Welc ome Wha t ’s It L ik e to R un the Circus ? How to Us e This G uide
2 2 2
Task # 1 Planning the R oute
3—5
Task #2 Arriving in Town
6—7
Task #3 Attrac ting a C rowd
8—9
Task #4 Under the B ig Top
10—11
Appendix 12—20
Life on the Circus L ot 12
Clothing C ut- Outs 13—14
Ringl ing B ros . a nd Ba rnum & Bail ey , 1919 R oute
15
Popula tion Fa ct Sheet 16
Circus A nimals 17
Diavolo L oop- the-Loop 18
Pos ter Analysis Works heet 19
Ima ge C redits Glossa ry For F urther L ea rning
20 20 20
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to offer you this comprehensive resource and activity guide. Designed to accompany the Ringling Museum’s rich collections of circus art and artifacts, this guide contains an array of standards-based activities, images, and worksheets for you to adapt to your classroom needs.
How to use this guide
The activities in this guide are grouped according to the four broad tasks that went into managing a circus:
transportation, logistics, sales, and performance. Starting with the earliest step in the process – planning the
circus route – we see how geography skills were essential for keeping the show on the road. From there, we study
math as it relates to unloading and setting up circus equipment. Then comes the important job of drawing in
spectators, which highlights the role language arts play in advertising. Finally, we see how circus performers rely
on laws of physics to accomplish their fantastic feats.
Please mix and match activities as you see fit to best serve your learning objectives and content area!
Saturday for Educators | April 13, 2013
3
Grade level: K-1
Goal: To understand
seasonal weather
variations and their
effects on how people
live.
Duration: 15-20 minutes
Materials: Circus lot
photos (see appendix);
clothing cut-outs (see
appendix); tape; drawing
materials
One thing that makes circuses different from
other forms of entertainment – like movie theaters, sporting events,
or zoos – is that circuses are known for moving from place to place. For much of the twentieth century, circuses
crisscrossed the nation on railroads, stopping in small towns and big cities long enough for a one-night
performance before packing up and moving on to the next venue. During the winter months, many circuses set up
camp in temperate parts of the country for a break from touring.
Determining a circus’s route required knowledge of geography, transportation, and weather patterns. See if you
have what it takes to get your circus moving by completing these activities.
Activity #1
Instructions: Show students the photographs of life on the circus lot. Did circus
performers spend most of their time indoors or outdoors?
Ask: How do you dress when you go outdoors in the summer? What about in the
winter? Why do you dress the way that you do during different seasons?
Draw a circus performer stick figure on the board to match the size of the clothing
cut-outs. Using small pieces of tape, have students come to the board and attach
clothes and accessories that the performer would need to pack for each season.
Follow-up: Have students draw clothing items for a circus
performer to pack during a season of their choosing.
Standards: SS.K.G.3.3 / SS.1.G.1.6
Saturday for Educators ǀ April 13, 2013
4
Grade level: 5-7
Goal: To understand how climate
and physical environment vary by
region in the United States, and how
that affects our lives.
Duration: 30-45 minutes
Materials: Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route Book
(see appendix); computers with
web access
Suggested resources: Weatherbase
(www.weatherbase.com); Google
Earth (earth.google.com);
U.S. Geological Survey
(www.usgs.gov)
Grade level: 2-4
Goal: To practice using
cardinal directions and map
elements.
Duration: 20-30 minutes
Materials: Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route
Book (see appendix); masking
tape; stickers; paper
Activity #2
Instructions: Clear a large space in your classroom or gym. Select a few
cities from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route book and use
stickers or masking tape to mark their locations on your floor. Print a large
compass rose and add it to the map. Have students gather around the floor
map and take turns carrying out instructions using cardinal directions (for
example, “Walk east from Columbus. What is the first town you reach?”)
Follow-up: Have students work together and use masking tape to mark the
route that the 1919 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus took between
the cities on your map.
Standards: SS.2.G.1.1 / SS.3.G.1.2 /
SS.4.G.1.4
Activity #3
Instructions: Have students work in groups to explore climate and
environment in different regions of the United States. Choose cities
from the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route, and assign
one to each group. Students plot that city on a map and then use
online resources to research its general climate, average monthly
temperatures, and environmental features. Explain to students that a railroad circus would have traveled between
April and November. Given what they’ve learned about the weather in
different cities at different times of the year, what route do they think
would be best for the circus to follow? Compare their route with the
actual route from 1919.
Follow-up: Have students calculate the distance between each point
on their route, along with the total distance to be traveled. If the circus
train could travel about 100 miles a day, how long would it take to
complete the route they planned? Would any of the stops require
more than one day in between?
Standards: SS.5.G.1.1 / SS.5.G.1.3 / SS.6.G.1.4 / SS.7G.2.3 / SS.7.G.6.1
Saturday for Educators | April 13, 2013
5
Grade level: 8-12
Goal: To analyze connections among
the development of railroads, changes
in U.S. population, and the traveling
circus.
Duration: 30-45 minutes
Materials: Ringling Bros. and
Barnum & Bailey 1919 Route
Book (see appendix); computers
with web access; Lloyd’s
American Railroad Map,
(www.loc.gov/item/
gm70005368);
Distance Map,
United States,
Mexico and Canada,
(www.loc.gov/item/
2006627699); Population
Fact Sheet (see appendix)
Activity 4
Instructions: Display the Lloyd’s American Railroad Map from 1861. Ask students to
predict the 10 most populous cities in 1861. Then, pass out the Population
Fact Sheet to compare with their guesses. What do students
notice about those cities in terms of the presence of railroads?
Next, display the Distance Map, United States, Canada, and
Mexico from 1919. How does it compare to the 1861 map? Have
students look at the opposite side of their Population Fact Sheet,
and discuss how those figures are reflected in the railroad map.
How did the spread of the railroad across the United States affect
population? How might it have affected the circus?
Follow-up: Have students decide, based on the railroad map and
Population Fact Sheet of 1919, which cities they would have visited
if they were running the circus that year. Then, compare those plans
with the actual route found in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey
1919 Route book.
Standards: SS.8.A.1.2 / SS.8.G.2.3 / SS.8.G.4.1 / SS.8.G.4.5 /
SS.912.A.3.4 / SS.912.G.4.1
Saturday for Educators ǀ April 13, 2013
6
Grade level: K-2
Goal: To solve a problem by comparing
and sorting three-dimensional objects
based on size and capacity.
Duration: 15-20 minutes
Materials: Circus animal shapes (see
appendix); assorted small manipulatives
(such as wooden or foam blocks);
assorted boxes of various sizes (e.g.
empty food containers); crayons or
markers
Grade level: 2-5
Goal: To measure three-
dimensional objects using
appropriate units.
Duration: 20-25 minutes
Materials: 3D circus animals
and train cars (see Activity
#1); rulers; graph paper
A railroad circus arrived in a town in the early part
of the day, unpacked and set up all equipment in time for afternoon
performances, and was ready to pack up and move on to the next town by the late evening. In between all of those
steps, circus workers needed time to eat, dress, make repairs, and rehearse. This whole process required carefully
thought-out procedures and an accurate understanding of the circus’s space and resource requirements.
In these activities, you’ll use math skills to sort, measure, and make predictions in order to get your circus on and
off the train and ready for show time.
Activity #1
Instructions: Before the lesson, cut out circus animal shapes and
glue or tape them to wooden blocks or other manipulatives of
varying sizes. Collect a variety of boxes in various sizes, and have
students decorate them to look like circus wagons.
Explain to students that their job is to make sure that each animal
has a spot on the circus train. Have students match train cars to
animals based on size.
Follow-up: For an added challenge, provide fewer train cars than
animals, and have students work out the best way to combine
animals within cars.
Standards: MA.K.G.2.1 / MA.K.G.3.1 / MA.1.G.5.2 / MA.2.G.3.4
Activity #2
Instructions: Have students work in pairs or small groups. Give each group a
model train car, and have them measure and record the car’s length, width,
and height using a ruler. Older students can also find the area and/or
volume of their car. Students then translate their measurements onto graph
paper, creating a two-dimensional “footprint” of their car.
Follow-up: Assign a circus animal to each group and have them design and
build a train car with measurements that would accommodate that animal.
Standards: MA.2.G.3.4 / MA.3.G.5.2 / MA.4.G.3.3 / MA.4.G.5.3 / MA.5.G.3.2
Saturday for Educators | April 13, 2013
7
Grade level: 6,7
Goal: To solve a real-
world problem based on
the relationship between
area and perimeter.
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: Strips of paper
or ribbons cut to 1-yd. in
length (enough for each
student in class)
Grade level: 8 – 12
Goal: To understand
the slope of a line as it
relates to a real-world
situation, and to use a
coordinate plane to
solve a problem.
Duration: 30 minutes
Materials: “Circus Day
in Our Town” video
(www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=nPc-M4vgmRo);
graphing paper
Activity #3
Instructions: Explain to students that, at each
stop along the circus route, a team of workers
was responsible for setting up dining tables for
the rest of the staff.
For this activity, students will pretend that
they are circus workers who must set up a table for everyone to sit at together.
Their job is to determine what dimensions will make a table that can hold the
MOST food, and what dimensions will make a table that can hold the LEAST food
(largest surface area vs. smallest). Each design must accommodate the entire class.
Students then work in groups to come up with guesses.
For a demonstration of this activity, view the video at
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/real-world-geometry-lesson?fd=1
Follow up: Have students actually act out the scenario you set up for them. Give each student a 1-yd. strip of paper
to serve as his/her “seat” at the table. The whole class works together to lay out their strips and form the
perimeter of each table design they created.
Standards: MA.6.G.4.2 / MA.7.G.4.1
Activity #4 Instructions: Show students the “Circus Day in Our Town” video clip and explain that
circus workers used teams of animals to load and unload cars from the train. Then,
give them this word problem:
The circus train will arrive in Sarasota at 6:00 tomorrow morning. Frank, the
superintendent, has worked out a schedule for unloading the train. He plans to begin
at 6:00 am and have 20 cars moved to the circus lot by 10:00 am, with an additional
10 cars moved by noon. At 3:00 pm he will be done moving another 15 cars. If there
are 52 cars that must be unloaded from the train by the time the gates open at 4:00
pm, will Frank’s schedule work? Why or why not?
Have students solve the problem by plotting the points on a coordinate plane and
using the slope of the line to determine the total number of cars that will be unloaded
by 4:00 pm. An example of this kind of problem can be found at:
http://www.khanacademy.org/math/algebra/linear-equations-and-inequalitie/slope-
and-intercepts/v/slope-example.
Follow-up: Have students determine the rate at which Frank needs to unload the
circus train in order for everything to be ready by 4:00 pm.
Standards: MA.8.A.1.2 / MA.8.A.1.3 / MA.912.A.3.8 / MA.912.A.3.11
Saturday for Educators ǀ April 13, 2013
8
Grade level: K-2
Goal: To draw connections
between written letters,
illustrations, and new
vocabulary.
Duration: 40 minutes
Materials: ABC is for Circus
by Patrick Hruby (ISBN
9781934429617); crayons
and paper
Grade level: 3-6
Goal: To understand
different types of
figurative and
descriptive language and
their effect on mood.
Duration: 40 minutes
Materials: Circus poster
samples (see Poster
Pack); drawing materials
A show can’t go on with no audience, so an
impresario was always thinking about how to attract crowds at each
stop the circus made. Advance men traveled ahead of the circus train,
covering buildings and public spaces with advertisements for the upcoming
show. Once the circus arrived, grinders and sideshow talkers delivered
colorfully worded spiels to lure crowds into their tents. The language used
by the circus was meant to excite, to entice, and to appeal to popular ideas about the amazing and unusual.
Activity #1 Instructions: Read the book ABC is for Circus by Patrick Hruby. Students should
try to work out the meaning of unfamiliar words by examining the illustrations.
Then, have students imagine that they are starting a circus, and that each person
is responsible for one aspect of the show that starts with a different letter of the
alphabet. Each student draws a poster that illustrates his/her circus component.
Follow-up: Instruct students to think of descriptive words that start with their
letter of the alphabet. They should choose words that would make people want to
see their show. Students then add those words to their poster (e.g. “C is for cool,
comic, creative clowns”).
Standards: LA.K.1.1.7 / LA.K.1.4.2 / LA.1.1.6.10 / LA.1.3.5.1 / LA.2.3.5.1
Activity #2
Instructions: Divide students into groups, and assign each group one type of
figurative or descriptive language. Possible types include: personification, simile,
metaphor, hyperbole, alliteration, assonance, parallel structure. Have students look
up what their language device is, and then look through circus posters to identify an
example. Groups then present their findings to the class.
Follow-up: Discuss how figurative and descriptive language might have helped
draw people to the circus. Have groups create circus posters that use their assigned
language devices and that would persuade audiences to attend.
Standards: LA.3.2.1.7 / LA.3.5.2.2 / LA.4.2.1.7 / LA.4.5.2.5 / LA.5.2.1.7 / LA.5.5.2.1 /
LA.6.2.1.3 / LA.6.2.1.7
Saturday for Educators | April 13, 2013
9
Grade level: 7-8
Goal: To identify,
analyze, and employ
persuasive writing
techniques in
advertisements.
Duration: 40 minutes
Materials: Circus
poster samples (see
Poster Pack); filming
equipment (optional)
Grade level: 9-12
Goal: To interpret
media messages in
historical circus
advertisements and
contemporary
publications.
Duration: 40 minutes
Materials: Circus
poster samples (see
Poster Pack); Poster
Analysis Worksheet
(see appendix);
magazines
Activity #3
Instructions: As in Activity #2 above, assign groups of students to different
persuasive writing techniques. These could include: repetition, emotional
appeal, hyperbole, appeal to authority, celebrity endorsement. Have each group
look for a circus poster that exemplifies their assigned technique. Groups then
present their findings.
Follow-up: Instruct groups to create a television advertisement for the circus
that uses the same technique as the poster they selected. How could they use the
same persuasive technique to appeal to a modern audience of their peers?
Groups can record or present their advertisements and vote on which seems the
most effective.
Standards: LA.7.4.3.1 / LA.7.4.3.2 / LA.7.5.2.2 / LA.7.6.4.1 / LA.8.4.3.1 /
LA.8.4.3.2 / LA.8.6.4.1
Activity #4
Instructions: Discuss advertising with students – what messages might be conveyed
in an ad beside the one that the advertisers want you to notice?
Have students select a circus poster and complete the Poster Analysis Worksheet for
that advertisement. Students then form groups with others who selected different
posters. Group discussions follow, centered on these questions: How do these
advertisements portray male and female circus performers? What kind of message do
they contain about men and women in general? How do they portray people from
other countries and people with disabilities? How might these messages reflect
attitudes of the time?
Distribute contemporary magazines and have students look for print ads. What kinds
of covert messages do they contain, and how do those messages compare to the circus
advertisements of the last century?
Follow-up: Students write persuasive essays
on topics related to media or advertising.
Standards:
LA.910.4.3.1
LA.910.6.1.1
LA.1112.4.3.1
LA.1112.6.1.1
Saturday for Educators ǀ April 13, 2013
10
Grade level: K-2
Goal: To explore the
different types of motion
that can result from a
push or a pull.
Duration: 25-30 minutes
Materials: A circus-
themed children’s book
(e.g. Dr. Seuss’s If I Ran
the Circus; Peter Spier’s
Circus!)
At last it’s time for the main event! Circus impresarios
oversaw a talented cast of performers whose acts hinged on physical
properties and scientific laws. Whether flying through the air or flipping off the backs of horses, circus performers
relied on matter behaving in predictable and measurable ways. In these activities, use science to ensure that circus
acts will be both safe and spectacular.
Activity #1
Instructions: Read aloud to students a book about the circus. For each circus act that is mentioned or illustrated,
ask the students to tell you whether the performer moves because of a push or because of a pull (e.g. a human
cannonball is pushed out of a cannon, while a rope aerialist might pull herself up a rope). Discuss the different
types of motion that performers go through when they are pushed or pulled – they may move side-to-side, in an
arc, in circles, fast, slow, etc.
Follow-up: Sit in a circle around a variety of toys and small objects. Give students challenges to make certain
objects move in particular ways. Which other objects or tools can they use to produce that kind of motion?
Does it require a push or a pull – or both? Do these motions remind you of any circus acts?
Standards:
SC.K.P.12.1
SC.K.P.13.1
SC.1.P.12.1
SC.1.P.13.1
SC.2.P.13.1
Saturday for Educators | April 13, 2013
11
Grade level: 5-6
Goal: To investigate the
relationship between motion,
force, and mass.
Duration: 30-40 minutes
Materials: Circus poster of
Diavolo (see appendix);
plywood boards for ramps;
books or other stacking
materials; pennies; tape;
wax paper; sandpaper;
stopwatch with second
hand; journals for recording
data; small toy cars
Grade level: 9-12
Goal: To understand
and apply Newton’s
three laws of motion.
Duration: 30-40
minutes
Materials: Video clip of
a trapeze artist falling
into a net; drinking
straws; string; chairs;
balloon; clothespin
Activity #2
Instructions: Show students the poster of Diavolo and the loop-the-loop
bicycle act. Ask: Why might this trick be considered daring? Under what
circumstances might Diavolo fall from the track?
Explain that this act can only work if Diavolo is moving at a specific velocity.
What might affect his velocity?
Distribute materials to groups of students and have them build ramps for
small wheeled cars. Have students find and record the average time it takes
the car to descend the ramp with a gentle push. Then, students experiment
with other variables (adding weight to the car by taping on pennies, changing
the track surface by laying down wax paper or sandpaper). Students record
their results, and the whole class discusses their findings.
Follow-up: Discuss with students the role that gravity, friction, potential
energy, kinetic energy, and force play in this experiment.
Standards: SC.5.P.13.1 / SC.5.P.13.3 / SC.6.P.13.3
Activity #3
Instructions: Show students a short video clip of a trapeze artist falling into a safety
net. (One example is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_ChTeYs_kk) Ask:
What happens when the performer falls? What protects him/her from injury?
Discuss Newton’s three laws of motion as they pertain to this act. The aerialist falling into the net is an example of Newton’s third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. The force of the trapeze artist falling into the net is equal to the force of the net acting on the artist. But, because the performer has less mass than the net, (s)he is moved farther in the opposite direction by the force of the net. Follow-up: Have students carry out a demonstration of Newton’s third law by constructing a balloon rally. Thread a drinking straw onto a long string, and tie each end of the string to two chairs placed a few yards apart. Blow up a balloon and clamp it closed with a clothespin. Tape the balloon to the straw. Ask: What will happen when the air is let out of the balloon? How is this situation similar to that of the aerialist falling into a net?
Standards: SC.92.P.12.3
Saturday for Educators | April 13, 2013
15
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, 1919 Route
March/April
Mar. 29 - Apr. 26 N.Y.C. Apr. 28-30 Brooklyn, N. Y.
May
1-3 Brooklyn N. Y. 5-10 Philadelphia, Pa. 12-13 Washington, D. C. 14-15 Baltimore, Md. 16 Wilmington, Del. 17 Camden, N. J. 19 Newark, N. J. 20 Easton, Pa. 21 Wilkes-Barre, Pa. 22 Scranton, Pa. 23 Binghamton, N.Y. 24 Elmira, N. Y. 26-27 East Liberty, Pa. 28 Allegheny, Pa. 29 Youngstown O. 30-31 Cleveland, O.
June
2 Buffalo, N. Y. 3 Rochester, N. Y. 4 Syracuse, N. Y. 5 Utica, N. Y. 6 Schenectady, N.Y. 7 Albany, N. Y. 9-14 Boston, Mass. 16 Lowell, Mass. 17 Fitchburg, Mass. 18 Worcester, Mass. 19 Providence, R. I. 20 Fall River, Mass. 21 New Bedford, Mass. 23 Springfield, Mass. 24 Hartford, Conn. 25 Waterbury, Conn. 26 New Haven, Conn. 27 Bridgeport, Conn. 28 Stamford, Conn. 30 Paterson, N. J.
July
1 Jersey City, N. J. 2 Trenton, N. J. 3 Reading, Pa. 4 Harrisburg, Pa. 5 York, Pa. 7 Altoona, Pa. 8 Johnstown, Pa. 9 Greensburg, Pa. 10 Sharon, Pa. 11 Erie, Pa. 12 Jamestown, N. Y. 14 Akron, O. 15 Canton, O. 16 Mansfield, O. 17 Zanesville, O. 18 Wheeling, W. Va. 19 Parkersburg, W. Va. 21 Charleston, W. Va. 22 Huntington, W. Va. 23 Chillicothe, O. 24 Columbus, O. 25 Dayton, O. 26 Lima, O. 28-29 Detroit. Mich. 30 Pontiac, Mich. 31 Flint, Mich.
August
1 Saginaw, Mich. 2 Lansing, Mich. 4 Toledo, O. 5 Fort Wayne, Ind. 6 Jackson, Mich. 7 Battle Creek, Mich. 8 South Bend, Ind. 9-17 Chicago, Ill. 18 Indianapolis, Ind. 19 Terre Haute, Ind. 20 Watseka, Ill. 21 Milwaukee, Wis. 22 Rockford, Ill. 23 Madison, Wis. 25 Minneapolis, Minn. 26 Mankato, Minn. 27 Sioux Falls, S. D. 28 Sioux City, Ia. 29 Omaha, Neb. 30 Lincoln, Neb.
September
1 Kansas City, Mo. 2 St. Joseph, Mo. 3 Topeka, Kan. 4 Junction City, Kan. 5 Concordia, Kan. 6 Salina, Kan. 8 Denver, Colo. 9 Colorado Springs, Colo. 10 Pueblo, Colo. 11 Garden City, Kan. 12 Wichita, Kan. 13 Enid Okla. 15 Oklahoma City, Okla. 16 Okmulgee Okla. 17 Tulsa, Okla. 18 Coffeyville, Kan. 19 Joplin, Mo. 20 Springfield, Mo. 22 Fort Smith, Ark. 23 Muskogee, Okla. 24 Ada, Okla. 25 Ardmore, Okla. 26 Chickasha, Okla. 27 Lawton, Okla. 29 Fort Worth, Tex. 30 Dallas, Tex.
October
1 Hillsboro, Tex. 2 Temple, Tex. 3 Houston, Tex. 4 Beaumont, Tex. 6 San Antonio, Tex. 7 Austin, Tex. 8 Waco, Tex. 9 Corsicana, Tex. 10 McKinney, Tex. 11 Greenville, Tex. 13 Paris, Tex. 14 Terrell, Tex. 15 Marshall, Tex. 16 Shreveport, La. 17 Texarkana, Ark. 18 Little Rock, Ark 20 Memphis, Tenn. 21 Jackson, Tenn. 22 Nashville, Tenn.
23 Chattanooga, Tenn. 24 Knoxville, Tenn. 25 Asheville, N. C. 27 Richmond, Va. 28 Newport News, Va. 29 Petersburg, Va. 30 Norfolk, Va. 31 Rocky Mount, N. C.
November
1 Raleigh, N. C. 3 Charlotte, N. C. 4 Greenville, S. C. 5 Spartanburg, S.C. 6 Columbia, S. C. 7 Augusta, Ga. 8 Athens, Ga. 10 Atlanta, Ga. 11 Anniston, Ala. 12 Birmingham, Ala. 13 Montgomery Ala. 14 Columbus, Ga. 15 Albany, Ga. 17 Tampa, Fla. 18 Orlando, Fla. 19 Jacksonville Fla 20 Waycross, Ga. 21 Savannah, Ga.
End of season. Source: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus 1954 Route Book, provided by John Polacek. Found at Circus Historical Society, www.circushistory.org.
Saturday for Educators ǀ April 13, 2013
16
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Saturday for Educators ǀ April 13, 2013
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Poster Analysis Worksheet
Analyze a poster advertisement from the golden age of the American circus.
Saturday for Educators | April 13, 2013
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1) What are the main colors used in the poster?
2) What effect do the colors have? Describe any moods or associations that are created by the poster’s use of color.
3) Are the messages in the poster primarily visual, verbal, or both? Describe the message that you think the advertiser is trying to get across.
4) Who do you think is the intended audience for the poster?
5) What does the advertiser hope the audience will do in response to seeing this poster?
6) Look at the people being shown in this poster. Describe their clothing and appearance.
7) Why do you think the advertiser depicted people in this way in the poster? What message is being conveyed about those people?
8) Do you think this poster accurately depicts the circus experience? What might have been added or left out?
9) Would all people have the same reaction to this poster? How might individuals vary in the way they interpret and understand its messages?
Adapted from the National Archives and Records Administration
Saturday for Educators ǀ April 13, 2013
20
GLOSSARY Advance men: Workers who went into towns
ahead of the circus to put up heralds and posters
publicizing the arrival of the circus.
Aerialist: Any acrobat working above the circus
ring on aerial equipment such as the trapeze,
Roman Rings, etc.
Back yard: The outdoor area behind the
big top that was off-limits to the public;
circus workers spent many of their off hours here.
Big top: The main tent in a circus where the performances take place.
Circus act: A set of similar tricks that are carried out by one or more performers in
an established sequence.
Grinder: A showman who enticed the crowd with a verbal pitch before the show or
during intermissions. Often, ticket sellers had a “grind” or pitch that they delivered
when interacting with the public.
Impresario: The promoter, manager, and director of a circus or other
entertainment event.
Jump: The move between two towns on a circus’s route.
Menagerie: A separate area in which animals were kept and exhibited.
Ring: The circular section of the arena where circus acts are performed.
Sideshow: A separate, smaller show that takes place on the circus midway.
Winter quarters: The home of the circus when it is not traveling.
IMAGE
CREDITS Cover Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Lou Jacobs, Maxwell Frederic Coplan, 1944, ink on paper.
Adam Forepaugh Five Graces Bandwagon, Fielding Bros. Company, 19th century, wood and iron. Ringling Brothers: Big Bingo, Strobridge Lithograph Co., 1916, ink on paper.
Page 2 Beatty-Cole: World's Tallest Giraffe, n.d., ink on paper.
Page 3 Russell Bros. Pan Pacific: Animal Train, n.d., ink on paper.
Page 4 Ringling Brothers: Four Horse Chariot Racing, Strobridge Lithograph Co., 1916, ink on paper.
Page 5 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Sea Lions, 1945, ink on paper.
Page 7
Bell Bros.: Elephant at a Table, n.d., ink on paper.
Page 8 Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Ferocious Beasts, Strobridge Lithograph Co., n.d., ink on paper.
Page 9 Ringling Brothers: Mademoiselle LaBelle Roche, Strobridge Lithograph Co., 1908, ink on paper.
Page 10 Hagenbeck-Wallace: Daredevil Wilno the Human Projectile, Central Print & Illinois Litho, n.d., ink on paper.
Page 12 Untitled, n.d., black & white photo print.
Untitled, Brown Bros., n.d., black & white photo print.
Page 18 Forepaugh-Sells Enormous Shows United: Diavolo Looping the Loop, Strobridge Lithograph Co., 1904, ink on paper.
FOR FURTHER LEARNING
Davis, Janet M. The Circus Age: Culture and Society Under the American Big Top. UNC Press, 2002.
Hruby, Patrick. ABC is for Circus. Ammo Books, 2013.
Irvine, Sarah. Science at the Circus. Scholastic, 2006.
Spangenberg, Kristin L., Deborah Walk, and David Carlyon. The Amazing American Circus Poster: The Strobridge Lithographing Company. Cincinnati Art Museum and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 2011.
Saturday for
Educators programs
are funded in part
through the
generous support of
The Koski Family
Foundation.