Ballet for Martha: Making Appalacian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Copyright 2010
Published by Roaring Brook Press
Lexile Level: AD710L
Grade Level: 2 to 6
Ballet, Masterpiece, Collaboration, Determination, Serendipity, Art
This picture book will delight your students and show them what the product of good collaboration is. This is the story of choreographer, Martha Graham, composer, Aaron Copland, and set designer, Isamu Noguchi and how they worked together to compile Appalacian Spring, the famous ballet. Students will be amazed and motivated by the hard work that it took these three people to create such a wonderful masterpiece. Great book to use as a read aloud!
Teachers, here are some suggestions for activities and resources that go along with this novel:
Key Vocabulary:
- angular, ballet, choreographer, composure, gesture, collaboration, melody
After Reading Activity:
- Students can watch the dance, Appalacian Spring, looks like and connect it to the reading. Talk as a class about collaboration and cooperation. What ways did these peoplecooperate to make this artwork? Do you always like to work with other people to get things done? Describe a time when you worked with a team or group. What can be hard about working together? What can be good about working together?
Writing Activity:
- Prior to reading, have your students work in small groups in order to create a story or a poem. They will see the difficulties of working in groups as well as the pros of working together. Ask students how collaborating with one another helped them in their writing and creating of their stories or poems.
Web Resources:
- Here is a link to the video so that students can see the actual dance that was made!
- Visit the author's website to read about the authors, about the book, and find almost a dozen blogs, articles, and activities!
Greenberg, J., Jordan, S., & Floca, B. (2010). Ballet for Martha: making Appalachian Spring. New York: RB/Flash Point.
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