Dancing Words Blog

Category: The Moon

  • A Full Moon is Rising

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    I am a fan of poet/author Marilyn Singer, and her book A Full Moon is Rising will inspire magical and whimsical class projects this spring with students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.

    Marilyn Singer and illustrator Julia Cairns share stories, beliefs, customs, and celebrations from around the world related to the full moon. Each two-page fold includes a poem, art, and location in which this poem is located (New York City, Hong Kong, Australia, the Caribbean Sea). The book successfully conveys the idea that we all have this common link of a full moon. The book is a beautiful global study; in the back of the book there is an extra paragraph related to each region of the world to offer further details.

    I envision that you divide your class into several small groups of 1-4 students. Each group can create a vignette for one of the poems. String them all together. You can record your voice saying the poems or narrate them live. 

    This book pairs nicely with Rise the Moon.

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  • Magic and Whimsy Series: Rise the Moon

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    I am a big fan of illustrator Raúl Colón and was excited to recently stumble upon the book Rise the Moon (with author Eileen Spinelli). This story can serve as inspiration and a conversation starter with a wide age range – preschool through 5th grade. What do we do under the light of the moon?

     

    Encourage your students to each come up with an original idea - What do you want to do under the moonlight? What is the imagery? Potential dance steps and action words? What is the movement quality and speed?

    As the teacher, you can capture the ideas on paper. Students in grades 3-5 can write their own ideas.

    String the concepts together to create a beautiful score for an original, unique dance project. You can even use moon-related music, such as "It's Only a Paper Moon" (various versions).

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  • Alphabet Series: The Letter M

    When you and your students explore the letter M, these books can be springboards and inspiration for improvisations and dance projects. 

    M is for MOVING

    Move! – Numbers on the Move – Alphabet Movers 

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    Float….swing….leap! Join the animals moving in Steve Jenkins's book Move!, available in hardback and board book formats. Move! inspires you and your students to do a wide variety of locomotor actions.

    Teresa Benzwie has written two movement-related books, exploring the alphabet and numbers. Both are great for warm ups and getting students to move in various ways:

    Numbers on the Move

    Alphabet Movers

    M is for MOM

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    There are great books with mothers and children dancing together, My Mama Had a Dancing Heart and Jonathan and His Mommy. I especially love Jonathan and His Mommy, as it is a beautiful springboard to explore walking and pathways with students.

    M is for MABEL

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    Mabel Dancing is a playful book to share in a preschool setting or at home with parents and child. It is a “classic story” in some ways of a little girl who dreams of dancing and naturally wants to move and dance at home. 

    Mabel’s parents dress up to have a dance party downstairs in their large house. Mabel is tucked into bed for the night while the party takes place. She cannot resist, and ends up sneaking downstairs to have her short moment dancing too.

    M is for the MOON

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    Eric Carle's 1986 book Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me is a gentle story between a girl and her father. The daughter so wants the moon, and the father "catches" it for her. But, as we know, the moon "appears" and "disappears" in our lives each month. The story is a playful way to explore the phases of the moon. And, like the images in the book, students can also dance with a crescent moon if you make a prop for the class. Play one of the those classic jazz tunes – like "It's Only a Paper Moon" – as you and your students dance. 

    M is for MERMAIDS

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    Last, have you had students who have requested to dance a "mermaid dance?" This book – literally titled Mermaid Dance - can be translated into a dance for your students. 

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    Search for these great "M books" at the school library, public library, or online. Many are reasonably priced (used) on amazon.com.

    Exploring letters and the alphabet through reading, movement, and dancemaking creates powerful connections for young learners.

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