Teaching Ideas
Explore jumping-off points that deepen discussions, inspire reading interest, and support connections to books and authors. Easily share and include in your instructional plans, newsletters, and social media.
National Dance Day
National Dance Day is September 16, 2023!
Enjoy the video book trailer for Danza!: Amalia Hernandez and El Ballet Folklórico de México, then share videos of actual folklorico performances from the internet.
Make your own wrist bands like Josephine’s with these activity sheets for Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker. You could also show students how to dance the “Charleston”, a dance popular in her time.
Share these complete video book readings with readers and invite them to complete book cover jigsaw puzzles.
Tune in to this audio excerpt for I’ll be the One by Lyla Lee and then invite students to get up and dance K-Pop style with this tutorial.
- Listen to the co-author of Firebird talk about the discipline of artists and dancers in this Meet-the-Illustrator Recording. Encourage students to think about other things that require discipline and dedication. Consider using the prompt on page 5 in this discussion guide to help students to write a short essay about someone who inspires them.
Research differently-abled dancers and world dance traditions using prompts in this discussion guide for A Time to Dance, after watching the video book trailer.
Learn about a dance that broke barriers in this Meet-the-Author Recording for ¡Mambo Mucho Mambo!: The Dance That Crossed Color Lines, then find fun questions and activity prompts to learn about dance and music in this activity guide.
