Fancy Nancy Education (PDF)

Tying Fancy Nancy: The Musical with common core lessons.
At first glance, Fancy Nancy might not seem like an educationally rich show. But with a little fancy
thought, it’s easy to find ties to classroom instruction beyond the social skills so prevalent in the story.
Science
The show Nancy and her pals are trying out for is “Deep Sea Dances.” The musical mentions a wide
assortment of aquatic life including jellyfish, crabs, snails, dolphins, octopi, tuna, clown fish, sea horses,
barracudas, and most notoriously, a shark. Fancy Nancy can provide a great entry point into discussions
around what these creatures look like, what they eat, how they swim and move, how they communicate,
and many other fascinating facts.
Activities:
 use the internet and library to research marine life found in Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet
 draw or craft marine creatures
 create your own deep sea display or dance!
Language Arts
Fancy Nancy has a gold mine of advanced vocabulary and French phrases which provide an opportunity
to explore synonyms, antonyms, and colloquial phrases in a fun and fancy way! Use sentence examples
from the Fancy Nancy books to help students clarify meanings of phrases and words through
contextualization, review the purposes of synonyms/antonyms in language, and explore how word
choice, nuance, and subtext effect meaning.
Activities:
 match synonyms/antonyms
 play a game of synonym/antonym telephone
 create poetry
 add your own fancy spin to vocabulary!
Social Skills
At its core, Fancy Nancy deals with not getting what you want. We have all lived this scenario and have
experienced the hurt, jealousy, entitlement and anger that comes along with it. Despite how easy it is for
grown-ups to say not getting the part doesn’t matter, to the child, the devastation is real. Take the time to
teach the positive solution to this difficult situation. As Nancy’s mother reminds Nancy, being fancy isn’t
always about getting what you want. How we respond in the face of this adversity determines who we
truly are. Being fancy isn’t about being the best or brightest; it’s about being your best and trying your
hardest. Thought of this way, fanciness is just for girls, it’s a way for everyone to explore the best and
most special version of themselves. Just ask Lionel…
Discussion:
 Have you had a time when you didn’t get what you wanted? How did that make you feel? What
did you learn from it?
 Do you do/have something that makes you feel special every day?
 What would you say to Nancy after she didn’t get the part she wanted?