Saturday, March 7, 2015

To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel

Robert F. Sibert Award Honor,
among other awards

" When it was almost time for opening night,
we moved into the New York State Theater.
We rehearsed and rehearsed.
 Then we'd perform what we'd been
 rehearsing all these months- on stage.
This was LINCOLN CENTER!
There would be THOUSANDS
of people in the audience!
 It's true, what they say about the butterflies.
 Nerves feel like butterflies
fluttering in your stomach, every time.
 Your heart beats fast.
You're breathing harder.
It's very hard to stand still..."




To dance is: Inspirational, Spectacular, Creative, Exciting, and Encouraging




To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel
memoir by Siena Cherson Siegel and illustrated by Mark Siegel
A Richard Jackson Book
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Simon & Schuster

Reading Level:
Lexile: GN610L
Grade Level(s): 3-6
Suggested Delivery: Independent Read, Guided Reading

Summary:

Young Siena had always loved to move her body and dance wherever she could. When Siena's doctor told her she had flat feet she decided to take a dance class. Her dance teacher told her that Maya Plisetskaya, a famous ballerina was coming to Boston to perform so Siena went saw her. At the performance, Siena fell in love with ballet and wanted to one day be on stage like Maya. Siena began intensifying her dance classes and soon auditioned and was accepted into the School of American Ballet. Here Siena would dedicate most of her childhood and teenage years to perfecting her technique.  Siena's life became focused around dance- she absolutely loved it and she used it as a tool to help her through some difficult changes in her personal life. In this graphic novel, one can see the dedication, determination and love that Siena had for dance.

Electronic Resources for Educators:

https://www.sab.org/
This is the School of American Ballet where Siena attended dance school. Students can read about the history of the school as well as get to know about what is happening at the school now.

http://misserinmarie.blogspot.com/2008/05/sbbt-interview-siena-cherson-siegel.html

This is an interview that a blogger conducted with Siena Cherson Siegel about her experience and motives behind writing her graphic novel.



Teaching Suggestions:

Key Vocabulary:


Comprehension Activities for the Classroom Teacher:

Before Reading Activity-Watch-Write-Pair- Share
Let your students know this book is about a young girl who falls in love with dancing after she sees Maya Plisetskaya perform a ballet piece in the Dying Swan. The youtube link below is a video of Plisetskaya performing the very piece that made young Siena want to become a ballerina. You may want to show the clip to your students and then have them write about why they think this performance would make someone want to become a dancer.  After they write have them pair up with a partner and share their thoughts with each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcDwxJMxm8w

During Reading Activity-Directed Reading Thinking Activity

This is an activity where students have to be active readers to complete this assignment. They must use their critical thinking skills and reading strategies to be successful.  Students make predictions before each chapter or section of reading and then while they read they look for evidence to support or oppose their prediction.

Direct- Before students read each section or chapter of the book have them look through the graphics and predict what might happen in that particular section of the book.  Students may need some directing in forming predictions.  Ask them questions such as: What does it look like Siena is doing in these graphics?  What is the setting? Who might the other pictured characters be?  After looking through the graphics, what do you think will happen in this chapter? Use questioning to guide their predictions and what you want your students to notice.

Reading-While students read they should take notes that either support or oppose their predictions.  A great way for students to take notes is to either use sticky notes or the following log.



http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/DRTA%20Prediction%20Log.pdf

Thinking- After your students have finished reading an assigned section, they will use their notes or look back into the text to find evidence that either extends and supports their predictions or they will modify their predictions to fit the story.  This is also the point in the activity where the teacher asks students questions to deepen their understanding of their reading.  Example questions:  What do you think about your predictions now that you have read the chapter?  What events or evidence caused you to change your prediction?

Post Reading Activity-  
Questioning the Author: teach students to develop and critique authors writing. Ask your students what they want to know that was not stated in the text.  Do they have questions for the author about why she included or did not include something? This activity is meant to help students infer. You could even write a letter to the author asking her questions about her story.

Writing Activity- Write about the questions that the Voki asks you.
http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=11115106&height=267&width=200


Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Mirror Mirror

Cybil Award in Poetry, among other awards

Up                               A puzzle
or                                 in
Down -                        a poem-
A poem                        Down
in                                  or
a puzzle                        Up






Mirror Mirror is: Spectacular, Intriguing, Engaging, Charming, and Simplistic







Mirror Mirror: a book of reversible verse
Written by Marilyn Singer and Illustrated by Josée Masse
Published by Dutton Children's Books,
a division of Penguin Young Readers Group

Reading Level:
Lexile: No Lexile assigned
Grade Level(s): 1-4
Average Grade Level: 3.4
Suggested Delivery: Read aloud, Independent

Summary:

There are always two sides to every good story. Usually authors only show readers the perspective of the main character in the story. In this collection of reverse poems, Marilyn Singer includes both sides to every fairytale she shares. Reader, have you ever thought about what Goldilocks thought about eating the porridge? What about what the Wolf in Red Riding Hood was thinking?  In this creative collection of poems, the text will get  turned upside down to show you the untold experience of the antagonist.

Electronic Resources for Educators:

Before students read Mirror Mirror they should be familiar with the fairytales that are included in the collection.  Storynory is a free website where students can listen to an audio recording of these fairytales and follow along with the text.

http://www.penguin.com/static/images/yr/pdf/LessonPlans_MirrorMirror.pdf

The publishers have created a pdf which includes two weeks worth of lesson plans that are aligned to the Common Core for grades three and four.

Teaching Suggestions:


Key Vocabulary:


Comprehension Activities for the Classroom Teacher:

Before Reading Activity: 
1. Activate prior knowledge and talk about the fairytales that are included in the poem collection.  http://www.storynory.com/archives/fairy-tales/  Storynory had audio versions of the different fairytales that are included in the poem collection.

2.  Students need to understand the structure of the text in this book.  Explain how the author reversed the poems.  Maybe write one of the poems on the board and then show them how she reversed it.

During Reading Activity: You could stop after every poem or every few and look at how the meaning of the poem changes when the words are reversed.  

Post Reading Activity:-Found Poem-
Click on this link for directions: http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=11224214&height=267&width=200

Example:


Writing Activity: What does it mean that there are two sides to every story?


*Extra Writing Activity*:
A wonderful writing activity would be to invite students to create their own reverse poems. First they need to pick a topic.  They should brainstorm about different topics and words to include in their poem. Next they should write the poem and then reverse it. Finally give students the opportunity to reflect on their reverse poem. Students should have time to edit their work by moving words and phrases around.



Sunday, March 1, 2015

Rain Reign

NCTE Charlotte Huck Award Winner

"Our power has gone out.
 I hug Rain as tightly as possible 
and I finally fall asleep.  
When I awaken 
there’s dim light seeping 
around my window shades. 
The house is quiet. 
The storm bust me nearly over. 
Rain is not in my room.”









Rain Reign is:Emotional, Unique, Surprising, Witty, and Diverse


Rain Reign
Written by Ann M. Martin
Published by Feiwel and Friends

Reading Level:
Lexile:720L
Grade Level:4-6
Suggested Delivery:Independent, Guided Reading, or Read Aloud

Summary:
Rose is a special child who has a love for homonyms, her schedule, and her dog Rain. Rose also is a firm believer in following the law and rules.  Rose has high functioning autism this has made socializing with her peers a bit of a challenge. Her peers struggle to relate to her because she is obsessed with homonyms and when she gets nervous she shouts the prime numbers. One day, Rain follows Rose into her classroom and all of the students fall in love with Rain and finally form a connection with Rose.  Soon after she begins to make friends, Rose’s life turns upside down when a massive hurricane hits the town. Rain goes missing and her absence forces Rose to abandon her schedule and some of her rules to find her best friend. 

Electronic Resources for Educators:

This link will take you to a list of homonyms. It may be fun for your students to see how many homonyms they can come up with on their own and then take a look at the list.

Here is a discussion guide for Rain Reign

Teaching Suggestions:

Key Vocabulary:

Comprehension Activities for the Classroom Teacher:

Before Reading Activity: Guest speaker

In order for students to understand Rose's struggles they need to have some knowledge about what autism is. There are programs where someone with autism could come talk to your class or someone who runs a program for people who have autism.  You could also play a video for your students. Here are some videos that you could potentially use in your classroom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wES6ZeoDaUs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejpWWP1HNGQ

During Reading Activity:

-Give your students a chance to talk about any questions they might have about what they have read thus far in the book.  
-You will need to use a computer lab or have access to many devices
-Have each of your students write their most pressing question on https://bubbl.us/ and then let the students circulate around the room and write a response or an answer to all of their classmates questions.  

Post Reading Activity: Professor Know-it-all
Each student will be placed in a small group and each student will be assigned a topic to become an expert in. They will complete some research and then share it with their group. For example one student might study homonyms, another Autism, another the setting, another dog shelters. The students should pick a topic related to the book that interests them and they should learn enough information on the topic so that they can answers questions that their peers may have.     

Writing Activity: 
-Why do you think Rose's dad left her with her uncle?

OR

-Why do you think Ann M. Martin made homonyms such an important part of Rose's life?