LESSON 18 TEACHER S GUIDE Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina by Miki Terasawa Fountas-Pinnell Level P Biography Selection Summary Maria Tallchief was the first world-famous American ballerina and a proud member of the Osage Native American tribe of Oklahoma. Number of Words: 1,355 Characteristics of the Text Genre Biography Text Structure Content Themes and Ideas Language and Literary Features Sentence Complexity Vocabulary Words Illustrations Book and Print Features Third-person narration Straightforward, factual presentation in chronological order Life and accomplishments of Maria Tallchief Tallchief s Osage heritage Russian infl uence on ballet presented challenge for Tallchief Being proud of one s heritage Excellent instruction, hard work, and endless practice are necessary to achieve success. Artistic insight can be gained by a willingness to learn diffi cult things. Descriptive details Several short quotations Mix of simple and complex sentences Introductory words and phrases; phrases in apposition, phrases in a series Many short, declarative sentences Terms and names associated with Osage culture: Osage Nation, powwows, elders, reservation Terms associated with ballet: The Firebird, Bronislava Nijinska, Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Swan Lake, George Balanchine, choreographer, ballerina Multisyllable words: important, twentieth, choreographers Pronunciation provided for foreign names Color and black-and-white photos Thirteen pages of text, eleven with illustrations Sidebar, section headings, captions 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H. Copyright by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner unless such copying is expressly permitted by federal copyright law. Permission is hereby granted to individual teachers using the corresponding (discipline) Leveled Readers to photocopy student worksheets from this publication in classroom quantities for instructional use and not for resale. Requests for information on other matters regarding duplication of this work should be addressed to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Attn: Contracts, Copyrights, and Licensing, 9400 SouthPark Center Loop, Orlando, Florida 32819. Printed in the U.S.A. 978-0-547-30948-4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0940 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 If you have received these materials as examination copies free of charge, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company retains title to the materials and they may not be resold. Resale of examination copies is strictly prohibited. Possession of this publication in print format does not entitle users to convert this publication, or any portion of it, into electronic format.
Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina by Miki Terasawa Build Background Help students use their knowledge of dance to visualize the biography. Build interest by asking questions such as the following: What makes ballet different from other kinds of dancing? How do you think it is different from traditional Native American dancing? Read the title and author and talk about the cover photograph. Explain that this book is a biography of the famous American ballerina Maria Tallchief. Ask students what kinds of information they might expect to find in a biography of a ballerina. Introduce the Text Guide students through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions: Page 2: Have students read the heading and caption. Suggested language: Why do you think the book starts with a specifi c date? How does this show the importance of that date in Maria Tallchief s life or in her career as a ballerina? Pages 4 5: Have students read the heading and caption. Page 4 tells of Maria Tallchief s childhood. Call attention to the illustration. When Tallchief was a girl, it was against the law to wear Osage dress or join in gatherings called powwows. Unjust laws were leading toward the destruction of Osage culture. The Osage practiced their traditions in secret. Ask: How might seeing traditional Osage dances have infl uenced Tallchief in her career as a ballerina? Page 7: Why might someone enjoy an art like ballet, even though it required endless practice? Now turn back to the beginning of the book and read to fi nd out how Betty Marie Tall Chief became famous. Target Vocabulary background a person s heritage or experiences, p. 4 career a job that becomes a person s lifework, p. 2 destruction damage, ruin, p. 5 edition a printing or version of a publication formula a set of rules or steps to produce a desired result household the people who live together in a residence insights ideas about the true nature of a situation, p. 10 publication printed material for sale or distribution required something that is necessary or called for, p. 7 uneventful nothing of significance taking place 2 Lesson 18: Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina
Read Have students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed. Remind students to use the Analyze/Evaluate Strategy carefully about the text and forming an opinion about it. by thinking Discuss and Revisit the Text Personal Response Invite students to share their personal responses to the biography. Suggested language: How do you think Maria Tallchief felt after successfully performing The Firebird? Ways of Thinking As you discuss the text, help students understand these points: Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text Tallchief s father was an Osage, and her childhood was spent on a reservation and then in Los Angeles. Tallchief had an excellent Russian teacher and practiced long hours to perfect her dancing. The choreographer George Balanchine focused public attention on Tallchief s talent. It is essential to maintain a positive attitude. Take advantage of every opportunity offered to you. Be proud of your heritage. 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H. Tallchief s biography is easy to follow because it is told in chronological order, with headings indicating major developments in her life and career. Close-up photos of Tallchief as a young and a mature woman and photos of her role in The Firebird help the reader connect with her as a person and visualize her dynamic appeal as a dancer. Choices for Further Support Fluency Invite students to choose a passage from the text to read aloud. Suggest that they try reading the passage as if they were the narrator in a TV documentary about Maria Tallchief. Comprehension Based on your observations of the students reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas. Phonics/Word Work Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Point out the differences in pronunciation for the letter g. On page 3, point out that the word great has the g sound and legendary has the j sound. On page 4, background has the g sound and Osage has the j sound. Ask students to identify the sound the g makes in the words Los Angeles and organized (p. 6). 3 Lesson 18: Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina
Writing about Reading Have students complete the questions on BLM 18.7. Responding Have students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill. Target Comprehension Skill Fact and Opinion Remind students that in a biography they will read both facts and opinions about the subject of the book. How can they tell fact from opinion? A fact can be proved to be true. An opinion is what someone thinks or believes is true. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a Think Aloud like the one below: Think Aloud The statement listed under Fact can be proven because dates and places of birth can be checked. What opinions does the author give about Maria Tallchief? Page 7 states that Betty Marie did not mind hard work. That may be true, but no one can prove how Betty Marie felt. So list that statement under Opinion in the chart. Practice the Skill Have students share an example of another book in which fact and opinion can be separated. Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings. Assessment Prompts How does the author organize the information about Tallchief s life in this book? What is the meaning of insight on page 10? Which sentences on page 8 show how Maria Tallchief felt about her Native American background? 4 Lesson 18: Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina
English Language Development Reading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read the text softly, or have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind them that Maria Tallchief had an excellent Russian teacher and practiced long hours to become a successful dancer. Vocabulary Remind students that when they come across an unfamiliar word, they should look for clues to its meaning in nearby words and phrases. Have them find context clues for the following words in the text: ballet (p. 2), reservation (p. 4), powwows (p. 5), and choreographer (p. 9). Oral Language Development Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student. Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced Speaker 1: What kind of dancing did Maria Tallchief do? Speaker 2: ballet Speaker 1: Where did Tallchief see Osage elders perform dances? Speaker 2: at powwows Speaker 1: What ballet made Maria Tallchief a star? Speaker 2: The Firebird Speaker 1: Why did the Ballet Russe s director ask Tallchief to change her name to Tallchieva? Speaker 2: It sounded Russian, and he believed that dancers needed a Russian name to be successful. Speaker 1: Why did Tallchief join George Balanchine s dance company in New York? Speaker 2: She loved his ballets, and he created starring roles for her. Speaker 1: Why was Tallchief s Osage name, meaning Princess Two-Standards, especially appropriate for her? Speaker 2: Tallchief reached a high standard in two different and separate worlds, the world of the Osage Nation and the world of ballet. Name Date Lesson 18 BLACKLINE MASTER 18.7 Read and answer the questions. Possible responses shown. Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina 1. Think within the text Who was Maria Tallchief? the first world-famous American ballerina 2. Think within the text What was Maria Tallchief s first teacher s advice to her? What do you think it meant? When you sleep, sleep like a ballerina. Even on the street waiting for a bus, stand like a ballerina. It meant she should be graceful and never stop practicing. 3. Think beyond the text How did Maria Tallchief s success probably change opinions about American ballerinas? Before her success, there had been no truly great American ballerinas. After her success, American ballerinas were probably taken much more seriously. She proved Americans could dance. 4. Think about the text Analyze Maria Tallchief s story. What do you think was the most important event that shaped her career? Is your answer a fact or an opinion? Explain. I think moving to New York to join George Balanchine s company was the most important event because she got to dance The Firebird. This helped to make her famous. My answer is an opinion. Making Connections Maria Tallchief refused to change her last name because it was part of her heritage. What is one thing about you that you would not change? Explain your answer. Write your answer in your Reader s Notebook.. All rights reserved. 9, Unit 4: What s Your Story? 5 Lesson 18: Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina
Name Date Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina Thinking Beyond the Text Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two paragraphs. Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings. As a child, Maria Tallchief lived on an Osage reservation, far from the world of ballet. How do you think she became the first world-famous American ballerina? What personal qualities helped her achieve success? What advice do you think she might give to a young dancer who was just beginning a dance career? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. 6 Lesson 18: Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina
Name Date Lesson 18 BLACKLINE MASTER 18.7 Read and answer the questions. Maria Tallchief, American Ballerina 1. Think within the text Who was Maria Tallchief? 2. Think within the text What was Maria Tallchief s first teacher s advice to her? What do you think it meant? 3. Think beyond the text How did Maria Tallchief s success probably change opinions about American ballerinas? 4. Think about the text Analyze Maria Tallchief s story. What do you think was the most important event that shaped her career? Is your answer a fact or an opinion? Explain. Making Connections Maria Tallchief refused to change her last name because it was part of her heritage. What is one thing about you that you would not change? Explain your answer. Write your answer in your Reader s Notebook. 7 Lesson 18: Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina
Student Date Maria Tallchief American Ballerina LEVEL P Lesson 18 BLACKLINE MASTER 18.11 Maria Tallchief American Ballerina Running Record Form page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections 4 Maria Tallchief was born Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief on January 24, 1925, in Fairfax, Oklahoma. Her parents, Alexander and Ruth Tall Chief, called her Betty Marie. A younger sister, Marjorie, was born two years later. The little town of Fairfax was part of a Native American reservation. The reservation was home to the Osage Nation. Betty Marie s father, Alexander Tall Chief, was an important member of the Osage tribe. Her mother, Ruth Tall Chief, was of Irish and Scottish background. The Tall Chief home also included Marjorie and Betty Marie s grandmother, Eliza Tall Chief. Grandma Tall Chief was a traditional Osage woman. Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read correctly/102 100) % Total Self- Corrections Behavior Code Error Read word correctly cat 0 Repeated word, sentence, or phrase Omission cat 0 cat 1 Behavior Code Error Substitution cut cat 1 Self-corrects cut sc cat 0 Insertion the 1 Word told T 1 cat 1414369 8 Lesson 18: Maria Tallchief: American Ballerina