The next subject we looked at in Passport Pals was ballet. The Russian ballet is very famous – and they were even touring in our area the week we did this lesson!  Here are the plans that I used for our Russian Ballet storytime.

Passport Pals over Russia: Ballet

Welcome! Let’s sing our song together! Come on everybody and clap your hands . . . stomp your feet . . . jump up high . . . swing your arms . . . stand on one foot . . . spin around . . . on the way to Passport Pals. (Come and watch me spin the globe)

Privyet! Do you remember what country we have been learning about this month? Russia! Russia is on two continents! What are they? (Europe and Asia). Let’s do our continent cheer together!

Continent Cheer (GGM #3)

Russia is on the continents of Europe and Asia. (show on map) Do you know what continent we live on? We live on the continent of North America. It is right here (show on map). What do you live in? (a house). Where is that house? (on a street) Where is the street? (in a city) Where is the city? (in a county) where is the county? (in a state) Where is the state? (in a country) Where is the country? (on a continent) Where is the continent? (in a hemisphere) and it’s all on planet earth!

Sing “Where do I live?” (GGM #1)

Suitcase: ballet slipper, picture of a ballerina,

Read: “Ballet Dancing” by Kathryn Clay

Ballet Exercises: Teach kids a few ballet exercises they can do — rainbow stretch, airplane, freeze waltz, see https://vimeo.com/22698607

Song: The Balancing Act (Kids in Motion #6). The kids had lots of fun striking the poses and this song tied in really well with the ballet theme!

Say: There was a Russian who wrote a very famous ballet called “The Nutcracker”. Have you ever heard of the Nutcracker? This is a story about it.

Read: “Ella Bella Ballerina and the Nutcracker” by James Mayhew.

Song: Something from the Nutcracker (with shakers or instruments)

Read: “Brontorina” by James Howe

Stamp Passport