Wolf Trap Online Junior Ranger Activities

The Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts

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Welcome to your online Wolf Trap Junior Ranger Activity Guide! These activities help you learn more about Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts and the National Park Service. Let's get started!

Junior Ranger Responsibilities

As you complete this activity guide, please remember that as a Junior Ranger, it is your responsibility to help care for the national parks you visit. You can help preserve and protect these special places and keep them safe and enjoyable for the wildlife that inhabit these areas, and for future generations.

Did You Know…Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is the only national park dedicated to presenting the performing arts?

What’s in a Name?

Established in 1966 with land donated by Mrs. Catherine Filene Shouse, this park was originally named Wolf Trap Farm Park. Wolves were once trapped here, however, there have been no wolves in the park for well over 200 years. Today we exist as Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts which was formally authorized on August 21, 2002.

This is a visual representation of the Filene Center House seating chart. Can you identify House Right and House Left?

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Welcome to the Filene Center!

You may call the place where you live your house. The area where the audience sits to watch a performance at a theater is also called the house. If every seat is filled, it is called a “full house.”

The House has a right and a left side. When you stand in the middle of the theater and face the stage, the area on your left is called House Left, and the area on your right is called House Right. The lower level of the Filene Center’s House is called the orchestra level. The upper level is called the balcony – this is where the loge and box seats are located.

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Use what you learned to complete the following activities.

Across

5. Where the audience sits (five spaces)

6. Symbol of the National Park Service (9 spaces)

10. Brass instrument with slide (8 spaces)

11. Gets you into the theatre (6 spaces)

Down

1. Helpful people in uniform (7 spaces)

2. Marionette- hand- or finger-________ (6 spaces)

3. This type of dancer wears a tutu (6 spaces)

4. Use this to cross Wolf Trap Creek (6 spaces)

7. Top of the ranger uniform (3 spaces)

8. Theatre-in-the- ____________ (5 spaces)

9. Meal on a blanket (6 spaces)

Did you know… The Filene Center you see today is the second Filene Center? Also known as Filene Center II, the present facility opened on July 30, 1984. A mysterious fire destroyed the first Filene Center (Filene Center I) on April 4, 1982. In addition, a series of mysterious fires also destroyed the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods stage, the Meadow Pavilion and the Composers’ Cottage. The cause of most of these fires was never determined.

The National Park Service cares for national parks, a network of nearly 400 natural, cultural and recreational sites across the nation. People from all around the world visit national parks to experience America’s story, marvel at the natural wonders, and have fun.

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Decipher the code to discover the mission of the National Park Service.

Key:

A = 12

B = 8

C = 6

D = 1

E = 13

F = 4

G = 9

H = 15

I = 22

J = 25

K = 17

L = 7

M = 21

N = 2

O = 11

P = 26

Q = 19

R = 14

S = 5

T = 23

U = 16

V = 20

W = 24

X = 18

Y = 10

Z = 3

Using words from the word bank below, fill in the blanks to learn more about the history of Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts was originally named Wolf Trap___________Park. It is the___________national park for presenting the performing arts. In 1966, ________________________donated the land, currently _______acres, and funds to build the Filene Center. The first Filene Center, built of Oregon cedar, was partially burned on March 13, 1971, but was nevertheless opened on July 1, 1971. However, the original Filene Center burned to the ground on __________, 19____. The second Filene Center, the one you see at the park today, opened on ____________, 19___. It is constructed of Douglas fir and yellow pine, and is equipped with an advanced fire and smoke alarm system.

Word Bank:

• April 4
• Farm
• ‘82
• Catherine Filene Shouse
• ‘84
• only
• July 30
• 130

Circle the correct answer.

Wolf Trap was created so that all people could enjoy the performing arts in a natural setting?

TRUE or FALSE

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is a place where you can be inspired.

Visit wolftrap.org to find a copy of the performance schedule for the Filene Center or the Theatre-In-The-Woods. If you could go to any concert on the list, which one would you attend? Why?
______________________________________________________________

If you were performing at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, what would you do? Sing? Play an instrument? Dance?
______________________________________________________________

A Look at Performing Arts

A performer can entertain an audience in many ways. Below are six different types of performers. Draw a picture for each.

Singing ............................................................................... Conducting

Puppetry ............................................................................... Dancing

Acting ............................................................................... Playing an Instrument

Children and adults alike have enjoyed performances at Children's Theatre-in-the-Woods for generations.

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Introducing… the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods!

Each summer from late June to mid-August, the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods hosts a variety of family friendly performances.

Have you ever been to a performance at the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods?

If so, who did you see? __________________________________________

What did you like about the show? __________________________________________

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Beginning at the musical note and connect the dots until you reach the star. Do you recognize the picture?

A group of students pose on a footbridge over Wolftrap Run while exploring the park's natural side during a school field trip.

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Did You Know… Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts sits on 130 acres and is open all year round? When the performing season is over there’s still plenty of fun things to do, like take a hike on our 2 mile long footpath, attend a backstage tour of the Filene Center, go for a walk and explore the Wolf Trap Run creek or the manmade pond. You can also bird watch, have a picnic, go sledding and even arrange school field trips to the park!

Explore the Park!

In the park, go down through the meadow towards the creek. Use the exhibit called “Wolf Trap Run” to answer the following questions…

Can you still find wolves at Wolf Trap?

Wolf Trap Run flows into the _________________ River, which flows into the _______________ Bay.

Cross over the bridge at Wolf Trap Run and use the exhibit called “The Forests of Wolf Trap” to answer the next question.

What is a habitat?

Take a moment to stop and listen. What do you hear?

Have you seen any animals today? If so, what did you see?

Scavenger Hunt!
How many of the following items can you find on a walk in the park or around your current area? You may even be able to find some of these items in your backyard or community!

□ A weed or wildflower

□ A bird singing

□ A spider web

□ A smooth rock or pebble

□ A butterfly

□ Animal tracks

□ A turtle

□ An animal habitat

□ A reptile or amphibian

□ A feather

□ An insect

□ Flowing water

□ A tree stump

□ A clover

□ Moss

□ A squirrel

□ A grain of sand

□ A Y-shaped twig

□ A leaf with insect holes

□ The sound of a buzzing bee

□ A cloud

□ Bumpy/rough tree bark

□ A cricket chirping

□ A fern

□ An ant hill

Identifying and Protecting our National Treasures!

Draw a circle around the objects you can find at Wolf Trap. Draw a square around the ones found in a different National Park. ((Hint: Some can be found at both Wolf Trap and at other National Parks. For those, draw both a circle and a square)

Footbridge......................................................Washington Monument

.................................. Filene Center

......Leaf ..............................................................Squirrel

............................... Mount Rushmore

Park Ranger .................................................. Statue of Liberty

Ready, Set… Draw!

Draw your favorite instrument OR your favorite thing at Wolf Trap.

Two NPS Park Rangers help to protect natural, cultural and historical resources, as well as provide information about their parks.

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Who are Park Rangers? What do they do?

Park Rangers are men and women who work hard to protect and preserve national park lands, wildlife and resources. You can usually recognize a Park Ranger by the gray shirt, green pants and big flat hat he or she is wearing. As a Junior Ranger, it is your responsibility to help care for the national parks you visit and encourage others to do the same.

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Junior Ranger Oath

As a National Park Service Junior Ranger, I promise to learn about and help protect my national parks and other public lands, and to educate others about what I have learned.












Your name & signature _____________________________________

Date __________________



Send pictures or a scan of your completed activity guide via email to [e-mail]. Let us know if you would rather have the Wolf Trap Junior Ranger badge or patch for your accomplishment.