A RIF GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY COORDINATORS Before reading: Do any of the children dance or play instruments? What kind of dancing do they like? What kind of music do they play? Read the book s introduction and share a little bit about the history of flamenco with the group. Note: This book should be used as a resource. Don t try to read it all at once! RELATED ACTIVITIES CARDBOARD CASTANETS (AGES 8-12) Materials: cereal box cardboard, scissors, 2 large buttons, tacky glue, markers 1. Cut cardboard into strips 6 in. long and 2 in. wide. 2. Decorate one side with markers. Glue buttons on each end of the strips on the blank side. 3. Fold the strips in the middle; buttons will make a clicking sound when they touch. To use, hold one castanet in each hand. Turn on some flamenco music and click away! PUTTING ON A SHOW (AGES 5-12) Organize a flamenco performance at your center! Watch a few videos at www.flamenco-world.com for inspiration. Put children into pairs or groups and have them create their own flamenco dances. Invite parents or other community members to come watch them perform! FLAMENCO FANS (AGES 6-12) Materials: paper, paint or markers, glue, stapler, optional decoration (sequins, lace, etc.) 1. Fold 2 pieces of paper accordion style. Staple both pieces together at the bottom. 2. Glue the edges of the folds together to form 1 large fan. 3. Spread folded paper out to create a fan shape. 4. Have kids paint fans. (If you re using markers, kids can decorate the paper before you fold it into a fan.) When dry, decorate with sequins, lace or other items you choose. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR Piñata Maker (1994), My Neighborhood (2005), Powwow (1993), Pablo Remembers (1993), Come and Eat! (2011). TECHNOLOGY LINK FOR KIDS www.rif.org/kids
A RIF GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS Content Connections: Art, Music, Social Studies, Technology BEFORE WE READ, LET S LOOK AT... The Cover: Ask students if they are familiar with flamenco dancing. If they ve never heard the word, do they recognize the style based on the front cover photograph? What does the title mean? What language is olé? What does it mean? Why is there an upside down exclamation mark in front of it? The Pictures: Most people are only familiar with a commercialized, tourist-friendly form of flamenco. Take a picture walk through the book to show the incredible variety of flamenco styles, costumes and performers. Prior Knowledge: Ask about styles of dance that students may be familiar with. Do any of the students dance or play instruments? Ask them to talk about how much they have to practice each week. Serious dancers and musicians practice even more. Locate Spain on a map. Then point out Santa Fe, NM. How did a dance from Spain make it all the way out to the American West? Vocabulary: caravans, generations, ancestors, oppressed, palmas Purpose for Reading: This book works best as a resource, not a read-aloud book. Use it as part of a broader lesson on the arts or traditional Spanish culture. Introduce and explain a bit about the book (using the methods outlined above), then keep it in the classroom as a reference material and allow students to use it to practice their research and (for older students) referencing skills. WHILE WE READ MONITORING COMPREHENSION Monitor comprehension by checking the accuracy of the information students take from the book. LET S THINK ABOUT Our Purpose: How well were students able to use the book as a reference? Extending Our Thinking: For older students, take this opportunity to draw explicit connections among different global cultures. How did a traditional Spanish dance make it to New Mexico? Explain colonization. Be sure to remind students that the United States started out as a colony itself. For younger students, emphasize the importance of hard work and dedication. Why are flamenco performers willing to work so hard just to dance? NOTE TO EDUCATORS Extension Activities for Educators also available. Vocabulary Scaffolding Sheet also available.
A RIF GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES Before reading, build background: Does your child like to dance or play music? What kind? Explain that flamenco has been around for more than 200 years. It s passed down through families. While reading, look at the pictures: What do the photographs tell you about flamenco dancers and musicians? They must work hard and spend lots of time practicing! After reading, ask questions: What are the three elements of flamenco dance? How can a dance or a piece of music tell a story? Do you have family traditions like flamenco dancing? What do you care about enough to spend hours a week practicing? RELATED ACTIVITIES TAPAS Tapas are Spanish appetizers or finger foods. They often involve a cracker or slice of bread topped with some kind of meat, cheese or spread. Make a tapas tray to share with your child! Create several different tapas using your child s favorite foods. Traditional Spanish ingredients include: salty ham, olives, garlic, anchovies and salty cheese. OUT AND ABOUT If you can t watch a flamenco performance in person, check out the videos on www.flamenco-world.com. (Site available in English and Spanish.) Try to spot the differences between the different styles of flamenco. CARDBOARD CASTANETS Materials: cereal box cardboard, scissors, 2 large buttons, tacky glue, markers 1. Cut cardboard into strips 6 in. long and 2 in. wide. 2. Decorate one side with markers. Glue buttons on each end of the strips on the blank side. 3. Fold the strips in the middle; buttons will make a clicking sound when they touch. To use, hold one castanet in each hand. Turn on some flamenco music and click away! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES OTHER BOOKS BY THIS AUTHOR Piñata Maker (1994), My Neighborhood (2005), Powwow (1993), Pablo Remembers (1993), Come and Eat! (2011).
A RIF VOCABULARY SCAFFOLD perform: to do something in front of other people, like dance or play music audience: people who watch a performance blend: to put a bunch of different things together to make one new thing muffled: soft, not as loud as it usually it accompany: to go with, or to play a musical instrument while someone else sings or dances rapid: very fast train: the long part of a fancy dress that drags on the floor frenzy: really wild excitement, a whole bunch of things happening at the same time applause: clapping, people hitting their hands together to show they liked something rehearse: to practice, to get ready to perform
RIF EXTENSION ACTIVITIES FOR EDUCATORS THINK-TAC-TOE ACTIVITY OPTIONS Individual students can choose an activity to complete. Student pairs or cooperative groups can work together on a choice of their own. Educators can assign an activity for an individual, pairs or groups. EXCLAMATION STATION English doesn t have an upside down exclamation mark ( olé!) like Spanish does. Why not? Write a letter to the editor explaining why English should start using upside down exclamation marks. Give at least 3 reasons. Be sure to use proper letter format! Word Smart/Creative Writing IT S TRADITION Flamenco is an important family tradition for many people. What are your family s traditions? Interview an older family member about one of your family traditions. What is it? When do you practice or celebrate it? How? How did it get started? Why is it special to your family? Draw a picture to illustrate your interview. Word Smart/Informative Writing SING ALL ABOUT IT Flamenco tells stories through music, dance and song. With a partner or in a small group, think up your own story. Write a song (you can use a tune you already know) and create a dance to tell your story. Perform your song and dance for the class. Art Smart/Creative Writing IMPRESSIVE IMPROV Flamenco uses a lot of simple or improvised instruments like clapping, or the cajón. With a partner or small group, come up with your own improvised instruments using your hands and feet or everyday objects. Write a song using your new instruments and perform it for the class. Art Smart MUCH TO-DO If you want to be a serious dancer or musician, you have to practice for hours every week to succeed. What do you want to be? What will you need to do to succeed? Pick your dream job and research it. Will you need a college degree? An apprenticeship? Make a list of at least 10 things you ll need to do to get your dream job. Social Studies/Informative Writing MUSICAL MATH Music is written in notes. These notes are fractions: double whole note, whole note, half note, quarter note, eighth note, sixteenth note, thirty-second note, sixty-fourth note. What do you notice about all of these numbers? Can you find the pattern? If there were another note after sixty-fourth, what would it be? Math/Art Smart EXPRESS YOURSELF One of the ways a flamenco dancer tells the story of the dance is with his or her face. Different expressions help show what the dancer is feeling. Draw a comic strip without words. Try to tell a story using only the expressions of the characters. Trade papers with a partner and see if you can read each other s stories. Art Smart/Creative Writing THE REIGN IN SPAIN Spain is a constitutional monarchy. What does that mean? Who s in charge? What other countries are constitutional monarchies? What kind of government does the United States have? Research to find out. Share your findings in a poster or PowerPoint. Include a chart or Venn diagram comparing the US government to Spain s government. Social Studies/Informative Writing SOUTHERN LIVING Flamenco comes from Anadalusia in southern Spain. Research to find out more about that area: people and culture, animals, plants and crops, climate, geography, etc. Make a colorful poster or brochure to share your findings with the class. Science/Social Studies