HAPPY NATIONAL DANCE DAY!

"NATIONAL DANCE DAY, a grassroots initiative that encourages the nation, young and old, to move! Individuals, families, organizations and communities from across the nation come together through their creative expression in dance. Any style of dance is welcome and imagination is recommended in order to get the most out of this celebratory day.

Why? To continue to generate national awareness for dance, a medium of expression and ...storytelling which, through shows like So You Think You Can Dance, has proven its value in bringing individuals from all walks of life together through a positive platform that has no boundaries and cultivates imagination and passion. Most importantly, the day is intended to promote health and wellness nationwide."

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO AND LEARN A COOL HIP HOP DANCE! DANCE IT TODAY!



Kathy's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#http://www.helium.com/users/406242.htmlhttp://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.htmlhttp://kathystemke.weebly.comFollow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemkeFollow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile

BACKWARDS DAY ACTIVITIES!

Backwards Day Lesson Plan

If you're looking for a fun idea for April Fool's Day, or to use as a reward for students who have worked hard on a project or state tests why not consider planning a Backwards Day?

Invite students and teachers to wear their clothes backwards or inside out.

Backward Jokes:
· What vehicle is spelled the same backwards and forward? Racecar
· What has four legs and goes "oom-oom" answer: A cow walking backwards
· Forwards it is heavy, backwards it is not. What is it? Answer: A ton.

Poem: "Backward Town"

The folks who live in backward town
Are inside out and upside down.
They wear their hats inside their heads
And go to sleep beneath their beds.
They only eat the apple peeling
And take their walks across the ceiling.

Simon Says Backwards. Do the opposite of what "It" says when It says "Simon Says."

Give each student a "Hello, My Name Is…" nametag. Have them write their name backwards on the nametag.

Take a trip back in time in a time machine. Study dinosaurs.

If you can arrange it, watch a short cartoon backwards.

Plan relay races in which students race backwards.

Read a book backwards. This will be especially funny to students if you read a book with which they are familiar. A Dr. Seuss book, or "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" should work well.

Have a contest: Who can recite the alphabet backwards fastest?

Read Shel Silverstein's poem "Backward Bill" and Backwards Day by Joan Holub.

Backward Watercolor: Have child apply water to paper with paintbrush, covering the entire paper. Then have child draw and color on the wet paper with markers and the colors will run and mix to create a great looking watercolor picture!

Backward Sandwich: Take a piece of bread and roll meat and cheese around it to make an inside out sandwich.

Turn a lot of things in the classroom "backward" from the way they usually are. (You might make changes as obvious as turning your desk around to changes as subtle as turning the letter R backwards on a bulletin board headline.) Challenge students, or pairs of students, to a scavenger hunt in which they find as many backward things as they can. Award a prize to the person(s) who finds the most backward things.

Allow students to sit backwards in their chairs, or teach from the back of the classroom instead of the front.

Read Silly Sally by Audrey Wood. The text is “Silly (name) came to school. ________ backwards was really cool.” Brainstorm silly things that could be done backwards and make a backwards book. Take a photo of the child’s back and put that on the cover that says “Guess Who?” You turn the page and there is a photo of the child facing forward that says “It’s (name).

Jump rope backwards.

Students might eat dessert before they eat their lunches.

Backwards movement exploration; walk backward, skate backard, row backward, circle arms backward, kick backward, jump backward, hop backward, crawl backward, fly backward, dance backward.

Do an Opposites Crossword Puzzle or one of these other opposites activities from BogglesWorld.com.

Tape drawing paper underneath the tables in your classroom or cafeteria. Have students lay on the floor and draw on the paper.

Challenge older students to find in the dictionary as many palindrome words as they can. A palindrome word is a word that is spelled the same frontward and backward. For example: pop, toot, deed, refer…

Have students send a Backwards Day e-card to their parents.

Get a masters in education to better teach children.


Kathy Stemke's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#http://www.helium.com/users/406242.htmlhttp://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.htmlhttp://kathystemke.weebly.comFollow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/kathystemkeFollow me on Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=6147172660&topic=4910#!/kathymarescomatthews.stemke?ref=profile

Poem: SNOW by Kathy Stemke

The breath of the crisp air is light
The bitter sky is full and white
I dance and twirl around so slow
Then on my knees I pray for snow
Hoping,
Waiting,
Waltzing along
For flakes to fall and sing their song

Snow gathers and laughs in the sky
Then falls like angels whirling by
Pure crystal flakes make my heart glow
I give thanks and welcome the snow
Dancing,
Flirting,
Dashing, go
Swirling down on the earth below

Snow covers the troubled, soiled streets
And hides much pain under the sleet
Each flake will soon fade out of sight
And melt like mist in morning light
Cleansing,
Clinging,
Healing woe
Merciful God! Your love I know

Kathy's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com

MOVEMENT LESSONS P-Z!

The letter P. Playing with the parachute with our partners in PE. Learning about percussion for our musicians-to-be.

The letter Q. Who is queen for the day? That’s the question. And when we are really quiet we can answer using gestures. Introduce the art of mime. Mime out stories about queens.

The letter R. After the races are run, and we’ve rock ‘n’ rolled like the best, we deserve to relax and to rest. Have an oldies rock n' roll party. Dress up like the fifties, watch the movie, "Grease," and learn the old dances. (twist, stroll, jerk, monkey, mashed potatoes)

The letter S. How about throwing snowballs? Or take your chance to dance with spiders and scarves. Dance like spiders on all fours. Investigate all the ways to dance with a scarf.

The letter T. The T is toe-tapping, tap dancing, tail-tagging, target-throwing, tennis-ball-tossing fun.

The letter U. The letter U goes up and under, and up and under all over the U.S.A. Create a USA shape on the floor with masking tape. Travel across the country going up on a raised platform, jumping down, and crawling under a mop handle.

The letter V. Who would not like to see themselves on video while wearing vests, and playing volleyball at their best? Make paper vests in two colors, one for each team. Set up a rope as a net, and hit balloons over it.

The letter W. Which way does the wind blow? North, south, east, or west? Winter wonderland is where you might go. Create a winter wonderland obstacle course with fake snow, inclines, and snowball throw through the hoop.

The letter X. Design pathways and crossroads, play a game of tic-tac-toe, and accompany the movements on a xylophone.

The letter Y. The letter Y is part of the sign for "I love you." We measure and jump a yard and learn to yo-yo, too.

The letter Z. What a way to end: with a zoo. We have a zebra, and the elephant is back, too. We zigzag from side to side.

Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com

Boys are Active Learners: They Need to Move as They Learn

Recently I came across a great website, which focuses on ways to help boys enjoy reading. The site by owner Mike McQween is full of great articles and tips for helping readers. The following excerpts come from an article which focuses on active learning or movement as a tool to use to help boys enjoy reading.

"Did you know that boys produce less serotonin than girls do? This can cause them to be more antsy and fidgety when forced to sit still for long periods of time.... "

"Boys are active learners. In order to get boys to love books, parents and educators need to change the way THEY think about books....I have learned that while reading to my boys, I need to allow them to ask as many questions as they want so that they feel like active participants in the reading process. Sometimes Caleb will jump off the couch and physically demonstrate something he was thinking about while I read to him."

To read the rest of this article and many more just like it on Getting Boys to Read.com click on this link:
http://www.gettingboystoread.com/content/boys-need-move-it-how-use-movement-help-boys-become-better-readers

Kathy Stemke's websites:
Moving Through all Seven Days link:http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/moving-through-all-seven-days/7386965#http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com

Encouraging Creative Movement and Music in Young Children

HeliumEncouraging creative movement and music in young children

http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
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What Others Are Saying About "MOVING THROUGH ALL SEVEN DAYS" by Kathy Ann Stemke

We are very close to publishing Moving Through All Seven Days. Review copies have been sent out and the reviews are pouring in. The following reviews are a sample of what others are saying about this exciting new book with teacher resources.

Kathy Stemke’s Moving through All Seven Days offers a multifaceted approach to movement in the classroom that also offers a healthy dose of the language arts!

Rae Pica
Education Consultant
Early Childhood Physical Activity

www.movingandlearning.com
www.bamradionetwork.com

Moving Through All Seven Days is a wonderful way to teach young children the days of the week. The days move forward with playful activities, "Slipping, sliding, spin and play, Fun on Sunday, that's the way."

Reading and exercise – what a combination! With bold and colorful illustrations it is sure to hold any child’s attention.

As an added feature, Moving Through All Seven Days includes an activity and learning section with: in class activities, spelling the days of the week, rhyming words, coloring pages and more. This is sure to be a hit in any preschool or lower grade classroom.
Moving Through All Seven Days is also a great way to teach the days of the week to your own little ones before they start school. I’ll be reading it to my 3-year-old grandson!

Karen Cioffi
Co-Author of Day’s End Lullaby
http://www.dkvwriting4u.com
http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com

This fun book is full of lively rhymes, clever illustrations, and engaging activities sure to be fun for all the kids in your class -- or out of it. I knew I was hooked when I found myself filling in the missing letters on the Complete Each Word activity.

Kathy Stemke, can I be in your class? Pretty please?

Margaret Fieland
Author/Educator
http://www.margaretfieland.com

Move and groove along with the whimsical characters of Moving Through All Seven Days as they slip, twirl, and glide you through the days of the week. An activities resource to help reinforce the learning process of spelling the days of the week is a welcome bonus. It provides an ingenious way of getting the children up from behind their desks to experience learning through movement.

Children’s author, Kathy Ann Stemke brilliantly blends lyrical rhyme and the learning process in a fun and educational twist. Along with the vibrant illustrations created by Tony Glisson, Moving Through All Seven Days is a must have for preschool and kindergarten classrooms and no home library would be complete without it.

Reviewed by author, Donna M. McDine, for the National Writing for Children Center.
Marketing Manager at Stories for Children Magazine
http://www.donnamcdine.com

Each rhyme is short, easy to learn, and fun. I teach Pre-k for the local school district. Our "teaching time" is so limited in Pre-k for scheduling reasons.
What caught my attention is that a teacher could quickly do a daily "story board" and the kids would GET it. At higher grade levels this material could be easily used in center stations for independent work that students would be interested in doing. WAY TO GO!

Versana Polidore
Thomas Gibbs Elementary School
Classroom teacher

Kathy Stemke's websites:
http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com

MEEWEE HIP-HOP CD!

Executive Producers:
Daniel Klein and Perry
Landesbergis

WHAT IS MEEWEE?

MeeWee is fun, exciting, and uplifting Hip-Hop music for preschool and elementary school age children. Through the years, nearly all Hip-Hop music and culture has been designed for adolescents and adults. These fans now have children who love the lively and energetic songs that they hear; unfortunately, most of the lyrical content isn't quite appropriate. Well, MeeWee solves that! With songs like "I Need A Hug", "Us Bus", and "I Can Be Anything", Hip-Hop fans who are four, five, six, seven, and eight years old have cause to celebrate. So do their parents, as they get their children ready to rap and dance to the beats and rhymes of MeeWee.

HOW DID IT GET STARTED?

Danny Klein, whose résumé included three years as a production assistant for The Simpsons, returned to New York in 1999 to work and write. At the same time, he was already thinking about the project that would become MeeWee. "I was a second-grade teacher in Queens," Klein says. "The children didn't speak English or didn't speak it very well. So, being a hip-hop fan, I would rap to the kids, just so they would get it. And they picked up on it, and they laughed, and they thought it was great, and we continued doing it."

WHAT ARE OTHERS SAYING ABOUT MEEWEE?

Veronica Davi, first grade teacher, Lowell Elementary, Teaneck, New Jersey

"MeeWee is an important and meaningful project. We use the songs in our first grade class, and the children's creativity is sparked. They become songwriters, and write lyrics to the MeeWee beats. Teachers are excited about MeeWee!"

Samara Kaufman, Jumpstart, site manager, Brooklyn, New York

"I found MeeWee music to be incredibly energetic for our young children and I now consider it an integral part of our curriculum."

Anita Septimus, PHD. Program Director, Department of Pediatric Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, New York City

"As a light of hope, a sound of music and joy, MeeWee has infused new creativity, self-esteem, values, healing, and courage in our youth. Let's experience with them the magic when the power of 'Me' becomes the power of 'We'."

Kathy Stemke, Author/Educator Atlanta, Georgia

"As a former kindergarten teacher, dancer and choreographer I highly recommend MeeWee for your home or classroom. These hip and lively tunes will inspire endless hours of creativity and movement. The Us Bus has a catchy tune, and is loaded with short u vowel sounds like us, bus, fuss, must, hush, trust, gush, and bust. Jumping Jacks gives kids the opportunity to move and groove. One of my favorite songs is Sounds like Music, because it offers a huge variety of everyday sounds to move to. Check out the lesson plans on MeeWee.com. You can buy the tunes on Amazon, Rhapsody, itunes, and emusic.

Kathy Stemke's websites:
http://www.helium.com/users/406242.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/237923/Kathy_stemke_dancekam.html
http://kathystemke.weebly.com