Edc425 Lesson Plan Template

EDC425 LESSON PLAN Name: Khabria Hundley Book Title: Maniac Magee Author: Jerry Spinelli

TEXT OVERVIEW

Summary: Maniac Magee is about a 12-year-old named Jeffrey Magee also known as Maniac Magee. Jeffrey was orphaned at the age of 3 when his parents are killed in a trolley accident. Jeffrey, in search for a better home, runs for a year and ends up in the town of Two Mills. Two Mills is a town divided by race and is split into the East and West End. The West End is where the whites reside and the blacks reside in the East End. Jeffrey quickly befriends several people on both sides of the unofficial segregation. He attempts to lead the people of Two Mills away from prejudice, ignorance, and fear. The themes of this story are: race, home, and literacy.

Genre: Children’s novel/Realistic Fiction

Quality Literature: This book meets criteria for quality literature for many reasons. Readers can gain new insights into themselves and peers in the context of realistic relationships and problems they face in their lives. The realistic problem in this book is that Maniac is without a loving home. Students may be able to relate to Maniac’s unhappiness in the home of his aunt and uncle. This book also presents a model of confronting life experiences where the reader can serve as a spectator. It also depicts life in other cultures. For example, in Maniac Magee the town where Maniac flees to is divided into two sections where blacks and whites do not interact and live separate from one another. America is an extremely diverse country, but in some places outside of the world or even in our country, segregation still exists. Children may not experience this in the classroom, but they do need to know that this exists. Segregation was an integral part of our world history. It is also a good story that engages readers to care about the outcome. All readers should feel relieved and overjoyed after Maniac finds the home that he had been longing for. The character development does form an integral part of the story. Children can follow Maniac through his journey and see many changes in the Maniac they were introduced to in the beginning of the story versus the Maniac in the ending. Lastly, it involves a challenging situation requiring problem solving or reflection. As mentioned before, students can follow Maniac’s journey in search for a warm, loving home.

Readability: Approximately 6.3 sentences & 136 syllables= 5th or 6th grade reading level

Rationale: This book is appropriate to use with fifth graders because students will be able to relate with Maniac on a number of different levels. Maniac is very athletic and talented. Some students could relate to his athleticism. Maniac is without parents and homeless. Some students may relate to this situation personally or may know someone who can relate. Students can also relate to the idea of friendship. All students know what it means to have a friend. This story is intended to entertain young readers while at the

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 1 same time helping them to understand many important life lessons. The lessons deal with racial and other prejudices and the importance of friends and family. These lessons are easy for children to understand and apply, making a huge impact in the lives of these young readers.

OBJECTIVES / OUTCOMES

1. Comprehension: After reading part 1 of Maniac Magee in a two-day period, students will appropriately use the making connections strategy to understand the idea of home and what home means to Jeffrey Magee (the main character of Maniac Magee) and how he feels about home by creating a concept map and Venn diagram comparing and contrasting what home means to him and what home means to them. On day 1, they will participate in a think aloud where I will model how to make connections and then give them guided practice where they can use the strategy on their own with assistance from me. Students will also use the making connections strategy to complete the making connections tally sheet for homework after independently reading chapters 15-21 of the novel. Students will share their connections with a partner during class. Students will complete: a. Concept map for both Maniac and themselves b. Venn diagram c. Making connections tally sheet d. Making meaningful connections think sheet e. diorama f. journal entry a. Reading GLE R-5-5.2: Describing characters’ physical characteristics, personality traits, or interactions, or providing examples of thoughts, words, or actions that reveal characters’ personality traits or their changes over time (state)

R-5-7.2: Using information from the text to answer questions related to main/central ideas or key details (state)

R-5-13: Uses comprehension strategies (flexibly and as needed) before, during, and after reading literary and informational text

b. Writing GLE

W–5–3.3 Using specific details and references to text or citations to support focus (Local) W-5-11.2: Sharing thoughts, observations, and impressions (Local) W-5-2.1: In response to literary or informational text, students who understanding of plot/ideas/concepts by selecting appropriate information to set context/background (Local)

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 2 W-5-2.3: Connecting what has been read (plot/ideas/concepts) to prior knowledge or other texts, by referring to relevant ideas (Local) W-5-3.2: Making inferences about the content, events, characters, setting, or common themes (Local) W-5-7.2: Stating and maintaining a focus/controlling idea on a topic (Local) W-5-9.1: In independent writing, students demonstrate command of appropriate English conventions by identifying or correcting grammatical errors (Local) 9.2: Applying basic capitalization rules (Local) 9.4: Using punctuation to clarify meaning (Local) 9.5: Correctly spelling grade-appropriate, high-frequency words (Local) Rhode Island Beginning Teacher Standards (RIBTS)

2.3 Select instructional materials and resources based on their comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness for representing particular ideas and concepts.

2.4 Incorporate appropriate technological resources to support student exploration of the disciplines

3.3: Create lessons and activities that meet the variety of developmental levels of students within a class

4.2: Use their understanding of students (e.g., individual interests, prior learning, cultural experiences) to create connections between the subject matter and student experiences

5.2: Pose questions that encourage students to view, analyze, and interpret ideas from multiple perspectives

5.3: Make instructional decisions about when to provide information, when to clarify, when to pose a question, and when to let a student struggle to solve a problem

8.2 Use a variety of modes of communication (e.g. verbal, visual, and kinesthetic) to promote learning

8.4 Emphasize oral and written communication through the instructional use of discussion, listening and responding to the ideas of others, and group interaction

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 3 2. Response: Students will connect the descriptions included in the concept map and Venn diagram. Students wrote about what “home” means to them and what “home” means to Maniac and how he feels about home. Students will create a diorama of what their home or ideal home would look like. Students will write a journal entry about their dioramas. Students will include all details and descriptions about why they placed specific items in their scenes. Students will also making text-to-text connections between Maniac Magee and the read aloud Changing Places: A Kid’s View of Shelter Living. They will use the Making Meaningful Connections think sheet to write about the connections they made and how it helped them to understand the information presented in both texts. All activities are related to the theme of “home” Students will complete: a. diorama b. journal entry c. Making meaningful connections think sheet a. Reading GLE R-5-5.2: Describing characters’ physical characteristics, personality traits, or interactions, or providing examples of thoughts, words, or actions that reveal characters’ personality traits or their changes over time (state)

R-5-7.2: Using information from the text to answer questions related to main/central ideas or key details (state)

R-5-13: Uses comprehension strategies (flexibly and as needed) before, during, and after reading literary and informational text

b. Writing GLEs

W–5–3.3 Using specific details and references to text or citations to support focus (Local) W-5-11.2: Sharing thoughts, observations, and impressions (Local) W-5-2.1: In response to literary or informational text, students who understanding of plot/ideas/concepts by selecting appropriate information to set context/background (Local) W-5-2.3: Connecting what has been read (plot/ideas/concepts) to prior knowledge or other texts, by referring to relevant ideas (Local) W-5-3.2: Making inferences about the content, events, characters, setting, or common themes (Local) W-5-7.2: Stating and maintaining a focus/controlling idea on a topic (Local)

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 4 W-5-9.1: In independent writing, students demonstrate command of appropriate English conventions by identifying or correcting grammatical errors (Local) 9.2: Applying basic capitalization rules (Local) 9.4: Using punctuation to clarify meaning (Local) 9.5: Correctly spelling grade-appropriate, high-frequency words (Local)

c. RIBTS

2.3 Select instructional materials and resources based on their comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness for representing particular ideas and concepts.

3.3: Create lessons and activities that meet the variety of developmental levels of students within a class

4.2: Use their understanding of students (e.g., individual interests, prior learning, cultural experiences) to create connections between the subject matter and student experiences

5.2: Pose questions that encourage students to view, analyze, and interpret ideas from multiple perspectives

5.3: Make instructional decisions about when to provide information, when to clarify, when to pose a question, and when to let a student struggle to solve a problem

5.5 Use tasks that engage students in exploration, discovery, and hands-on activities

6.3 Organize and allocate the resources of materials and physical space to support active engagement of all students

6.6 Create learning groups in which students learn to work collaboratively and independently

8.1 Use a variety of communication strategies (e.g. restating ideas, questioning, offering counter examples) to engage students in learning

8.2 Use a variety of modes of communication (e.g. verbal, visual, and kinesthetic) to promote learning

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 5 8.4 Emphasize oral and written communication through the instructional use of discussion, listening and responding to the ideas of others, and group interaction

MATERIALS

Teacher: Maniac Magee book by Jerry Spinneli Changing Places: A Kid’s View of Shelter Living book by Judy Wallace Venn diagram outline Concept map/web outline

Student: Maniac Magee book Work journal Making Connections tally sheet Making meaningful connections think sheet Concept map/web outline Venn diagram outline Writing utensils

GROUPING  I chose this book for a 5th grade class and I would teach it in the middle of the year after I already introduced the students to the comprehension strategy of making connections. They will have already read books and used the making connections strategy in order to gain deeper meaning. I will also introduce this book after doing research and oral reports about homelessness in the United States and other countries such as: South America, India, and Central America.  In doing the guided practice, the lesson would be intended for a whole group. The response activities will completed by the students in pairs and independently at home. Students will work with partners to peer edit letters for feedback and corrections.

PRE-READING

Activating Prior Knowledge: [Literal = L; Inferential = I; Background knowledge and experiences = BK] T: Do you all remember a week ago when we conducted research on the problem of homelessness in the U.S. and in other parts of the world as a part of our history unit? (Background Knowledge and experiences) S: Yes we remember. T: Today, we are going to read Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. Homes and homelessness are very important to the plot of this novel. This book will entertain, teach, and help you understand many other life lessons such as homelessness.

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 6 Can anyone tell me what the term “homeless” means? (Literal) S: If a person is homeless, he/she lacks housing and food, usually because they cannot afford appropriate shelter. S: A person can also be homeless if they sleep in a shelter. It is not permanent housing and they can only stay there over night. T: These are all great responses. It seems like you are all experts on this topic. I’m impressed. Can anyone tell me why homelessness occurs? (Inferential) S: The major reasons and causes for homelessness are: they cannot afford to pay for housing, not being able to keep and maintain a job, they abuse drugs and/or alcohol, they are mentally ill, domestic violence, they cannot afford healthcare, and natural disasters (for example, hurricanes) T: Good, these are all major reasons why a person would be homeless, but there are also more. Finally, why do you think homelessness still exists today? (Inferential) S: Homelessness still exists today because of the reasons we just talked about. There will always be people like this and they have no help. T: I certainly agree with you. We will not be able to get rid of homelessness. Homelessness goes back to the 16th century in England and still exists in society today. Today, I want you to compare and think about the information you presented in your oral reports and the information presented in Maniac Magee. Homelessness is not a new problem, as we know from our research, nor is it confined to individual neighborhoods, cities, or countries. Homelessness could happen to anyone.

Engaging students in theme: I will ask students to first think about what “home” means to them. They will create at least five items or thoughts that describe their definition of home. An example of an item could be: “home means having food in the refrigerator or a home cooked meal.” Students will use the concept map/web outline as the format to create a similar web. Home is the subject of the web and around that bubble should have 5 lines linking. I will tell the students to pay close attention to what home means to Maniac after reading Maniac Magee. During and after reading, students will be asked to create a similar concept map/web for Maniac. When both webs are complete, the students will be asked to use the webs to create a Venn diagram that illustrates the similarities and differences between their concept of home and Maniac’s concept of home.

Setting Purposes: For the next two days, we are going to read about Jeffrey Magee, a boy without a home. I want you all to focus on this theme of home while reading the novel. Pay close attention to the information presented in the novel and how Jeffrey’s life compares to your own life. This will help you complete the concept maps and Venn diagram. We will see how Maniac defines home and what his feelings are towards home. We will read chapters 1-10 on the first day and then follow up with chapters 11-21 on the next day. This means we will complete the first part of the book in two days.

COMPREHENSION STRATEGY

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 7 Description: I plan to work with making connections. Making connections during reading is how a reader makes sense of the information received from the text. When a reader makes connections, they relate the events in the story to something they have seen before or experienced. Students should use the strategy of making connections to relate to characters, plot, it helps them to focus and determine important ideas in the book, remember what they read, help them generate questions, and make inferences which are some other important comprehension strategies to use while reading. Defining/Explaining [Think-Aloud for students]: Today we will talk about making connections, which is one of the five strategies to help you make meaning of a story as you read. Remember, making connections means to relate something in the text to something you’ve read about, experienced, or seen in the media (television, magazine, radio, etc.) There are three general forms of making connections: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world. Text-to-self is when you relate a personal experience to something you’ve read in the book. Text-to-text is when you relate the book that you’re currently reading to a previous book you’ve read. Finally, text-to-world is when you relate something you’ve read in your book to something that you’ve seen in the world around you. Making meaningful connections will help you to make good, strong predictions about a story. This prediction is based on something you have seen or experienced. It is also based on the text, making it related and meaningful. We can make connections to the characters, plot, setting or place, to visualize, taste, smell, feel, or hear the text, to predict or infer what will happen in the text, to what we already know about a topic or word, and to help us feel emotions related to the text. Today, we are going to make connections using events and parts of Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. In this book, there are many details and important events. We will all place ourselves in the book and become involved in the storyline. Now, I am going to read the first chapter aloud to you and model how to visualize while you read. Please pay close attention to the way I do so because I am going to ask you to notice what I am doing while I think aloud. I will model making connections using chapters 1-10. You will practice making connections on your own using chapters 11-21.

Modeling – Notice/Apply [Think-Aloud]: Ch.1 Page 6 T:….Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan hated each other, but because they were strict Catholics, they wouldn’t get a divorce. Around the time Jeffrey arrived, they stopped talking to each other. Then they stopped sharing. Pretty soon there were two of everything in the house. Two bathrooms. Two TVs. Two refrigerators. Two toasters. If it were possible, they would have had two Jeffreys. As it was, they split him up as best they could. For instance, he would eat dinner with Aunt Dot on Monday, with Uncle Dan on Tuesday, and so on. Eight years of that. Then came the night of the spring musicale at Jeffrey’s school. He was in the chorus. There was only one show, and one auditorium, so Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan were forced to share at least that much. Aunt Dot sat on one side, Uncle Dan on the other. Jeffrey probably started screaming from the start of the song, which was “Talk to the Animals,” but nobody knew it because he was drowned out by the other voices. Then the music ended, and Jeffrey went right on screaming, his face bright red by now, his

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 8 neck bulging. The music director faced the singers, frozen with his arms still raised. In the audience faces began to change. There was a quick smatter of giggling by some people who figured the screaming kid was some part of the show, some funny animal maybe. Then the giggling stopped, and eyes started to shift and heads started to turn, because now everybody could see that this wasn’t part of the show at all, that little Jeffrey Magee wasn’t supposed to be up there on the risers, pointing to his aunt and uncle, bellowing out from the midst of the chorus: “Talk! Talk, will ya! Talk! Talk! Talk! No one knew it then, but it was the birth scream of a legend. And that’s when the running started. Three springy steps down from the risers- girls in pastel dresses screaming, the music director lunging-a leap from the stage, out the side door and into the starry, sweet, onion-grass-smelling night. Never again to return to the house of two toasters. Never again to return to school. Wow, that was a powerful passage. I can really feel bad for Jeffrey after reading this. The relationship between the aunt and uncle makes me very sad. Who could live like this? I would never feel comfortable living in this house. I am just picturing the home life. There is two of everything and no items are shared. I wonder if the aunt and uncle had tried to fix up their relationship or go to marriage counseling. This might be beneficial for them. They could talk about their problems with one another and not just with Jeffrey. If they learned to communicate to one another, they would have a more successful marriage. If I were Jeffrey, I would want to run away from home too. They use Jeffrey as their go-between and that is not healthy for Jeffrey, who is a young man. I am also going to back to the point where I read: “And that’s when the running started.” I am predicting that this is not the only time in the story where Jeffrey will run away from home. What do you notice about what I am doing here? S1: I noticed that you’re making connections to predict what will happen next in the story. You predicted that this might not be the only time in the story that Maniac runs away from home. S2: I noticed that you also made connections to feel emotions about something in the story. Especially when you said that you felt bad for Maniac and sad for how he lived at home with his aunt and uncle. S3: You made connections with Maniac too. You put yourself in his shoes by saying: “If I were Jeffrey, I would want to run away from home too!” You understood exactly how Jeffrey felt. T: These are all very good responses class. You are all right! I was making connections with what was going on in the text. Now, I have a deeper understanding of what Jeffrey is going through and I can predict what will occur in the future as I read the book. I will give you all practice in using making connections to better understand the story as we read on. Chapter 8-Page 29 T:…And that was it. Nobody (except Amanda Beale) had any other name for him, so pretty soon, when they wanted to talk about the new kid, that’s what called him: Maniac. The Legend had a name. But not an address. At least, not an official one, with numbers. What he did have was the deer shed at the Elmwood Park Zoo, which is where he slept his first few nights in

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 9 town. What the deer ate, especially the carrots, apples, and day-old hamburger buns, he ate. Wow, I am at loss for words. I also have to stop here because I can relate to what’s going on here with Maniac. I cannot relate personally, but this situation has happened to my aunt and cousins. I remember when my aunt lost her job and she was kicked out of her apartment and had to take my 3 cousins with her. They lived in a shelter for a few months, and then they came to live in my house. They were forced to eat nasty food, but it was all the food they had. I can only imagine what they had to go through. My cousins used to have their own rooms, but in the shelter they all stayed in one room and there beds were small and uncomfortable. I feel bad for Maniac because he does not have a home. He does not have a place to call his own and a place to have a home-cooked meal. He is living just like an animal; they are not in control over where they live and what they eat. One day old hamburgers must be disgusting! I would not want to eat those. Maniac is a human and he should not be in this situation. Living in the zoo, is just like when my 3 cousins and aunt had to live in the homeless shelter. They had no home either. I would not want to live like this. What do you notice about what I am doing here? S1: I notice that you are making a self-to-text connection. Although your story is not from your own life, you have seen this before with your own family. They were homeless just like Maniac. S2: You made a connection to help you feel emotions related to Maniac’s situation. You said that Maniac had to live like an animal and he was not in control over where he lived and what he ate. You felt bad for Maniac too. S3: You also connected your family to Maniac, the main character in the story. Maniac’s situation is similar to a past experience with your family. T: Very good. I see that you are all paying attention to how I am making connections to the story. Pay special attention to this passage because it is a good example of how Maniac’s home is now versus what he truly wants. For example, he wanted an official address with numbers because this is what makes a home a home. Also, he lives with the animals and probably prefers a nice, cozy house. Also, notice the food he is eating compared to what he would get in a home.

DURING READING

Guided Practice: Try with class, have students share in small groups This is day two of our lesson and I will stop and read certain passages or certain chapters aloud to the class and will ask you all some questions. These questions will all be taken from part 1 of Maniac Magee (chapters 11-21)

Pg. 44 Chapter 12 T1: “Before Maniac could go to sleep, however, there was something he had to do. He flipped off the covers and went downstairs. Before the puzzled faces of Mr. and Mrs. Beale, he opened he front door and looked at the three cast-iron digits nailed to the door frame: seven two eight. He kept staring at them, smiling. Then he closed the door, said a cheerful ‘Goodnight,’ and went back to bed. Maniac Magee finally had an address.” T: So, what’s going on here? (Literal)

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 10 S1: Maniac is staring at the address on the outside of the Beales’ house. T: Why did Maniac stare at the numbers? (Inferential) S2: He stared at the numbers because he used to be homeless and he finally had a home to live in. T: How would you feel if you were Maniac? (Inferential) S3: I would feel overjoyed and excited. I can only imagine how Maniac feels. He’s been running for a long time and now he finally finds what he is searching for, which is a home. This home means a lot to him. S4: I can put myself right inside of Maniac’s shoes. He finally has a nice family and a home. If the Beales’ took me in, I would be so grateful. T: Great responses. These are nice self-to-text connections. I see that you can put yourself right into the setting of this passage. You understand what home means to Maniac. You are also connecting to help you feel emotions related to Maniac. You are putting yourself in the setting and make believing that you are actually in the Beales’ house and that is an excellent reading strategy. You can also personally make an emotional connection with Maniac which is important for understanding his character. Making connections is a good approach in understanding important ideas and details.

Pgs. 45-46 chapter 13 T1: “He carried out the trash, mowed the grass, cleaned up his own spills, put the cap back on the toothpaste tube, flushed the toilet, and-Mrs. Beale called it “the miracle on Sycamore Street”-he kept his own room neat. Every morning Mrs. Beale looked into it. No socks on the floor, no drawers open, no messed-up bed. That was the most amazing thing, the bed. It looked as if it hadn’t even been slept in. Which, she found out, was the case. Late one night she opened the door and found Maniac sleeping on the floor. She lugged him onto the bed, but by the next night he was back on the floor. Maniac just couldn’t stand being too comfortable. Lying on a mattress gave him a weird feeling of slowly rising on a scoop of mashed potatoes. He was that way with chairs too. If he had a choice, he usually sat on the floor. T: So, what’s going on? (Literal) S1: Maniac is doing chores around the house without being asked too. He keeps the house and his room cleaned and Mrs. Beale is shocked. Mrs. Beale also notices that Maniac is not sleeping in his comfortable bed; he is sleeping on the floor. Instead of sitting in the comfortable chairs, he sits on the floor. T: How do you think Maniac feels? (Inferential) S2: I think Maniac is very happy that he has a home where he can do normal chores in the house. S3: I think Maniac is not used to having a mattress because ever since he ran away from home, he has been sleeping with the animals at the zoo. That can’t be too comfortable! S4: I think so too. He is not used to having a bed to sleep in and a chair to sit him since he hasn’t lived in a home in a long time. This is probably what he wants in a real-life home, but he is not used to it yet. T: How would you feel if you were Maniac? (Inferential) S3: I would be overjoyed and grateful just like Maniac. I would do chores too without being asked because it shows them that you appreciate them. The Beales’ gave Maniac a

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 11 home and this is what he wanted. I would be happy to have my own bed to lie in. He hasn’t slept in a bed in a long time. T: I couldn’t have said it better myself. I love how you are connecting to what you know about what a home should be. A real home would provide Maniac with a bed to sleep in and a chair to sleep in. I could not imagine living without these two items. Since Maniac was homeless, he was not able to enjoy them. I like how you connect to Maniac and his emotions. I would be overjoyed too and I would show appreciation to the Beales’ in anyway. Maniac was happy to clean around the house because he finally had a house where he could do such things. I see that you all know how to make connections and you’ve learned a lot.

Pgs. 51-52 Chapter 14 T1: “Maniac loved his new life. He loved his new sneakers, the ones Mrs. Beale bought for him. He loved the new quietness of his footsteps as he trotted Bow Wow through the early morning streets…He loved the silence and solitude. But he also loved the noise, which came later in the day. He loved the sound of pancake batter hissing on the griddle. He loved the noise of the church they went to on Sunday mornings, a church called Bethany-when the minister would thump on the pulpit and the people would call out “Amen…” T: So, what do we see happening here? (Literal) S1: Maniac loves his new life with the Beales’. S2: He also loved his new sneakers that Mrs. Beale bought for him. When Maniac came to Two Mills his shoes were old and worn down. S3: Maniac now has a family. Mrs. Beale acts like his mother by buying him the sneakers and cooking pancakes on the griddle. He enjoys going to church with the family every Sunday. T: How do you think Maniac feels? (Literal) S4: I read that Maniac loves his new life. T: How would you feel if you were Maniac at this point? S5: If I were Maniac I would be excited. This is what Maniac wanted in a home-a family. This situation seemed similar to what happened to a friend of mine. She was adopted by a new family and they took care of her just like the Beales’ did for Maniac. They gave her a room of her own with a bed, TV, and anything else she ever wanted. They gave her new clothes and sneakers. She did not have nice clothes or shoes before she moved in with her new family. My friend’s story can relate to this one. T: I like how you made that text-to-self connection Kelly. You related friend’s situation to Maniac’s situation. You can connect with Maniac and understand how he feels. This is something that you have seen before, so you can understand Maniac’s life better. Your friend’s life became better when she moved in with her adopted family and Maniac loves his new life now that he has moved in with the Beales’. You are all doing a great job at making connections. Connections are personal; who we are shapes the connections we make. Most of you were able to connect to at least one part in this story. These connections all bring the text to life and we can all fully get involved.

Independent Practice: Students apply to activity on their own

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 12 In addition to modeling my own making connections strategy and guided reading in the classroom, I will have students read chapters 15-21 independently at home. This will be the homework assignment for the night. While they read, they will keep a making connections tally sheet (pg. 115 of the Hancock book). The purpose is to keep a tally of how many times they make connections during reading and how they connected (to characters, plot, setting, and feelings, predict, and to know about a topic). Once they have completed the reading and tally sheet, they should be prepared to share their connections with a partner the next day in class. In addition to reading and completing the tally sheet, students should complete the concept map for Maniac and how he feels about home and how he defines home. The students have gotten many examples of what home means from part 1 because they have gotten through some of the plot. They also got many examples of what home meant to Maniac through the guided reading and think aloud. This strategy use should help them to focus and better understand the concept of “home” After completing the concept map for Maniac; the students will complete the Maniac Magee Venn diagram for both themselves and Maniac. This is where the students will compare and contrast what home means to them and what home means to Maniac. Students are expected to write at least 5 descriptions for each side of the diagram. Finally, students should write out which descriptions are similar in the middle of the diagram.

AFTER READING RESPONDING

Description: A diorama is a mini-world: an entire landscape in a cardboard box, carry case, or window. You can create your own little world of model figures that can create a freeze frame of what you are trying to display or historical events. Students will create a diorama of their ideal home or what their real home looks like to them. Then, students will write about what they included in their home, why they call it a home, and why they included those particular items in their home. Each student will create their own individual diorama and journal entry. Response Activities (Writing, etc): The focus of this lesson plan is the theme of what home means to both the students and Maniac in the novel. Students will create a diorama of their ideal home or what their real home looks like to them. Students will create the dioramas out of cardboard boxes or shoes boxes. Students can use dollhouse dolls, figurines, miniature animals or people, paints, clay, and any other materials that they need. Students will write a description of their homes in their student journals. They need to include all details about their home and write about the objects in their homes. They need to write about why they call it a home and why they placed each particular item in the house. Journal entries should be a minimum of 5 sentences and include many details. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar will be graded also.

APPLYING THE COMPREHENSION STRATEGY

Description: I will read the book: Changing Places: A Kid’s View of Shelter Living by Judy Wallace to the fifth grade students. After leaving his aunt and uncle’s home,

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 13 Maniac takes shelter in several places throughout the story. He arrives in Two Mills and lives with the Beales’. He also stays in the buffalo pen at the zoo. He lives with the McNabs’. Then, he stays with Grayson at the Two Mills YMCA. Each “home” was very different for Maniac. Students can make connections with this book to Judy Wallace’s book because the story is the voice of eight homeless children, ages 6-13. Students can connect the character Maniac to the children in this story. These children are without homes and so is Maniac. Judy Wallace’s book gives the students a look at shelter life. They have already learned about shelters in their oral presentations about homelessness around the world. Students can gain a deeper understanding of what home means to these eight children. Students can also see how similar the children are in their wants, needs, likes, and dislikes, no matter their home circumstances may be. Unlike Maniac, the accounts of the eight children are real. Maniac Magee is a legendary tale. After reading the story with the story aloud with the fifth grade students, I will have them complete the Making Meaningful Connections Think Sheet. Students will write the connection that they made text-to-text and how this connection helped them to understand both texts better. This will give the students more practice in using the Making Connections model.

ENGAGING ALL STUDENTS (How differentiate for students with different modality preferences? How differentiate for different reading ability levels?)

During instruction: Students on all levels will benefit from modeling the making connections strategy. Students will benefit from both the think-aloud and the guided-practice. During the think- aloud, students have the teacher model the strategy for them, so they know how it works. During the guided practice, students have the opportunity to apply the strategy of making connections independently, with the assistance of the teacher. Working with peers will help those who are struggling and help the advanced students practice working in a small group. By having students read independently and as a group meets the needs of both types of readers. If a reader is having difficulty, I would probably have a mixed guided reading group. I would put struggling readers, advanced readers, and those students in between in a group to work together. The struggling readers would be challenged and helped by the advanced readers. The advanced readers could clarify word definitions and concepts that may be unfamiliar to struggling readers. I would also require them to have more time to cover more chapters in the book at home. I would encourage parents to get involved in helping their children complete their homework. I would guide them through the reading in school as well and use several read aloud sessions to answer questions that the students may have and clarify concepts that the students have trouble understanding.

During response activities: Students will work with partners to share the connections that they made after reading chapters 15-21 independently at home. Students can learn about the level of thinking of each student. Making connections are personal. The level of the connection that is made is based on each individual. Students can learn more about each other personally after

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 14 sharing their connections. The response activities will accommodate all developmental learners because they will be working individually and with a peer; hands-on with the materials. The response activities will also accommodate different approaches to learning because the students are working hands-on, which is kinesthetic. They are recording their connections, tallying their connections, creating a diorama, writing personal responses in their journals, and reading a book related to the theme of home, which is the visual portion of the activities. The whole group discussion and any direct instruction would be the auditory portion of the activities. Teachers will visit each group to assess understanding, answer questions, and offer help to any student who is struggling. The dioramas can be very interesting for the children. Students can connect their descriptions of “home” in their concept maps and Venn diagrams. The dioramas would be great for the visual and hands-on learners. Students are hands-on with creating their 3 dimensional scenes and the visual is the final result of creating them.

EVALUATION

Objective #1: Narrative explanation of how students will be graded: For the concept map and Venn diagram, I will a give a student full credit if the 2 separate concept map/webs are done for them and Maniac about what home means to each. This will help them understand the idea of “home” because Maniac has experienced many different homes and many different luxuries. Maniac had no new sneakers before Mrs. Beale bought them for him. Before moving in with the Beales’, Maniac was eating day old food with the buffaloes at the zoo. He did not have a home cooked meal until he moved in with the Beale family. Students should have made these connections during the guided practice and response activities. Then, the Venn diagram has to be complete. Each concept map has to have at least 5 descriptions included in the bubbles. The Venn diagram has to include only relevant information that was presented in the novel. The work has to be neat and organized. I will not give a letter grade for this because a part of it is based on opinion and I want the task to be complete as an introduction to the topic of homelessness, which is the focus of the entire lesson. Objective #2: Narrative explanation of how students will be graded: I will grade the students making connections by using an observational checklist. As the students participate in the guided reading, I will make sure that the students comprehend the theme of “home” in the story as well as the making connections strategy. I will check to see that the students are making the appropriate connections. I will also note the students who are struggling with making connections and think about future instruction in this area. Maybe students will need more instruction with the strategy and need more practice independently.

Objective #3: For the diorama, I will give the students full credit as long as they complete the assignment. The dioramas should be neat and organized. The students’ dioramas should create the scene without any explanation, it should be clear. For the journal entry,

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 15 students should write at least 5 sentences about their dioramas. They should include details such as: why they placed particular items in their dioramas, why this is considered a “home” to them, etc. Students should make minimal spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. Three or more mistakes will result in writing their journal entries over again.

Objective #4: For the Making Meaningful Connections Think Sheet. Students will receive credit for making at least three connections to Judy Wallace’s book and Jerry Spinneli’s book. The connections must be meaningful. Connections should be detailed and descriptive.

Rubric Example for journal entries

Score What do I have to do to earn this score? 3- Exceeds the Standard  Contains 5 or more sentences in the description  It is meaningful and is connected to the theme of “home” and what it means to you  It is directly connected to the scene portrayed in the diorama  It has many describing words and details about the objects placed in the diorama  It uses complete sentences that do not always begin the same way  It has very few spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes

2-Meets the standard  Contains less than 5 sentences in the description  It is connected to the scene portrayed in the diorama  It has describing words and details about why objects were used in the diorama  It has complete, meaningful sentences, and connects to the theme of “home”  It has few spelling, punctuation, and grammar mistakes 1-Approaches the standard  Contains less than four sentences  It is connected to scene in the diorama  It has some describing words and

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 16 details about why these items were placed in the diorama  It has meaning and connects to the theme of “home”  It has quite a few spelling, punctuation, capital letter, and grammar mistakes  Hard to understand

WORKSHEETS/RESPONSE PROMPTS – List here and see attached

Making meaningful connections think worksheet Making connections tally sheet Concept map prompt Venn diagram prompt

EDC 425 Lesson Plan Points Sheet Total Points = 80

Possible Actual Comments Points Points Text overview Summary concise, including theme 2 Criteria for quality literature 2 Readability accurate 2 Rationale (Grade level justified) 2

Objectives/Outcomes Clear, appropriate, measurable 4 At least one strategy objective 2 At least one response objective 2 Linked to appropriate GLEs 3 Linked to appropriate RIBTS 3

Materials Lists teacher and student materials 2

Grouping Appropriate grade, grouping 2

Pre-reading

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 17 Activates BK, Sets purpose for reading 2 Engaging students in theme 2 Step-by-step, clear instruction 3

Comprehension strategy instruction Describes strategy 2 Appropriate step-by-step instruction Explain/Define/Model 4 Guided practice opportunity 3 Independent practice opportunity 3

During reading Questions/answers labeled (L, I, BK) 2 Questions help build meaning 3 Comprehension activity appropriate 3

After-reading responding Extends text 2 Clearly explained 3

Applying comprehension strategy Clearly described 3

Engaging all students Clearly described how engaged all 2 students in lesson

Evaluation Clearly states in narrative form how 4 EACH objective is evaluated Evaluation is measurable 2 At least one rubric clear, appropriate 3

Mechanics Sections clearly labeled 1 Professional language 3 Grammar, punctuation, spelling 3

EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 18