Name: Katie Hargett
Book Title: Maniac Magee
Author: Jerry Spinelli
TEXT OVERVIEW
Summary:
Maniac Magee is the story of a young, orphaned boy who affects many lives
within the town of Two Mills, while in the mean time discovering himself and trying to
find a home. He is the kid that everyone wants to be. He can hit the “un-hittable” pitch of
John McNab, outrun mean Mars Bar Thompson, and can catch a ball better than James
“Hands” Down. Maniac also does the unthinkable and crosses Hector Street, the barrier
between the East End and West End, the blacks and the whites.
However, everyone Maniac meets has something he does not; a home. He thought
he found a home with the Beales, a black family in the East End. However, Maniac was
not accepted by everyone on that side of town and he felt as though he would only bring
the Beales’ trouble and therefore ran away to live in the buffalo pen at the zoo. There he
encountered Grayson who he lived with for a while in the baseball band shell until
Grayson passed away, once again orphaning Maniac and leaving him without a home
address.
After doing more “crazy” things like bringing a black boy to the McNab
household, Maniac slowly begins to understand how racism shapes the way many people
think but still chooses not to accept it. He slowly begins to break down the barrier of
Hector Street and in the process finds his permanent place within the Beale home.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Quality Literature:
Winner of the Newbery Medal Award Winner, Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book
Award and Boston Globe–Horn Book Award.
This piece of realistic fiction allows young readers of both genders to relate to the heroic
main character and his relationships with the people he meets in Two Mills. Maniac
Magee provides the reader with insight into difficult issues within the world such as
racial tension, homelessness, and literacy. By learning about these issues through a heroic
tale, young readers gain understanding about the issues without feeling overwhelmed.
Readers watch and grow along side Maniac as he deals with challenging situations and
comes out successful in the end, leaving the reader feeling hopeful and optimistic.
Readability:
Average syllables per 100 words: 128.33
Average number of sentences per 100 words: 8.67
Fry Readability: 5th Grade
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 1
Rationale:
This book allows student to explore difficult issues such racism and homelessness
through a unique and creative story with a main character whose feats are similar to those
in tall tales and legends. Students will enjoy the reading about the journey of Maniac
Magee while probing into why racism and homelessness exist.
Context:
This lesson would fall during the second half of the year once students have
already had practice with different types of fiction and non-fiction literature, different
forms of writing, and plenty of experiences using the internet as a technology tool within
the classroom. The class is comprised of 22 students; 14 females and 8 males. There are 4
students exceeding the 5th grade expectations in reading and writing, 12 students are just
about on target, and there are 6 struggling readers and/or writers. This is the beginning
lesson for a unit on Maniac Magee. As mentioned, in an actual lesson I would most likely
not model and teach a comprehension strategy using the first 2 chapters because I was
students to get into the book first. That is why the rest of the lesson takes place from
chapters 9-19. The modeling of the comprehension strategy and the during reading
portion of the lesson would occur during the morning hours of the class and the letter to
the editor response activity and research would take place during the afternoon.
OBJECTIVES / OUTCOMES
1. Comprehension:
While they are reading, students will compose at least 4 double-entry
journal entries in which they make appropriate connections between the text
and themselves, the world, another text, or another author to more deeply
understand racial issues and conflict in chapters 12-19.
a. R–5–16.1 Generates a personal response to what is read through a variety
of means by comparing stories or other texts to related personal
experience, prior knowledge.
b. R–5–13 Uses comprehension strategies (flexibly and as needed) before,
during, and after reading literary and informational text. (Local)
EXAMPLES of reading comprehension strategies might include: using
prior knowledge; sampling a page for readability; summarizing; predicting
and making text-based inferences; determining importance; generating
literal, clarifying, and inferential questions; constructing sensory images
(e.g., making pictures in one’s mind); making connections (text to self,
text to text, and text to world); taking notes; locating, using, and analyzing
text features (e.g. transition words, subheadings, bold/italicized print, parts
of the book); or using text structure clues (e.g. chronological, cause/effect,
compare/contrast, proposition and support, description classification, and
logical/ sequential)
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 2
c. W-5-2.3 In response to literary or informational text, students show
understanding of plot/ideas/concepts by connecting what has been read to
prior knowledge or other texts, by referring to relevant ideas.
d. RIBTS 3.3 Teachers create instructional opportunities that reflect
understand of how children learn and develop by creating lessons and
activities that meet the variety of developmental levels of students within a
class.
e. RIBTS 4.2 Teachers create instructional opportunities that reflect a respect
for the diversity of learners and an understanding of how students differ in
their approaches to learn by using their understanding of students (e.g.
individual interests, prior learning, and cultural experiences) to create
connections between the subject matter and student experiences.
2. Response:
A. Students will practice researching non-fiction information to understand
racism by creating a two-column chart with information from a variety of texts
provided in one column and relevant information about racism from the novel
Maniac Magee in the other column.
a. R–5–7.3 Demonstrate initial understanding of informational texts
(expository and practical texts) by organizing information to show
understanding (e.g., representing main/central ideas or details within text
through charting, mapping, paraphrasing, summarizing, or
comparing/contrasting)
b. W-5-2.1 In response to literary or informational text, students show
understanding of plot/ideas/concepts by selecting appropriate information
to set context/background.
c. RIBTS 2.4 Teachers create learning experiences that reflect an
understanding of the central concepts, structures, and tools of inquiry of
the disciplines they teach by incorporating appropriate technological
resources to support student exploration of the disciplines.
d. RIBTS 5.1 Teachers create instructional opportunities to encourage
student’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and
performance skills by designing lessons that extend beyond factual recall
and challenge students to develop higher level cognitive skills.
B. Students will use their research chart to compose a Letter to the Editor of
the Two Mills newspaper that explains the racial tension present in their
community from the perspective of a main character or another member of
the community.
a. R-5-16.1 Generates a personal response to what is read through a
variety of means by comparing stories or other texts to related personal
experience, prior knowledge, or to other books.
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 3
b. W-5-4.1 In written narratives, students organize and relate a story
line/plot/series of events by creating a clear and coherent(logically
consistent) story line.
c. W-5-4.2 In written narratives, students organize and relate a story
line/plot/series of events by establishing context (setting or background
information), problem/conflict/challenge and resolution.
d. RIBTS 5.2 Teachers create instructional opportunities to encourage
student’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and
performance skills by posing questions that encourage students to view,
analyze, and interpret ideas from multiple perspectives.
e. RIBTS 6.6 Teachers create a learning environment that encourages
appropriate standards of behavior, positive social interaction, active
engagement in learning, and self-motivation by creating learning groups in
which students lean to work collaboratively and independently.
MATERIALS
Teacher:
Maniac Magee novel
Large copy of letter format
The Sneetches
Large white paper (to generate class list)
Sticky notes with discussion questions marked in book
Markers
Computer
Newspaper template
Student:
Maniac Magee Novel
Double-entry journal worksheet
Making Connections tally sheet (if desired)
Computer
Variety of non-fiction texts on racism
News articles on racism
Bookmarked website on racism
Two-column research worksheet
Peer Editing Worksheet
Letter-to-the Editor Template (if desired)
Pencil or pen
Copy of Rubrics
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 4
GROUPING
The lesson begins as a whole group so that everyone can witness the modeling of
the comprehension strategy. I also begin the lesson as a whole group because we are just
starting to read the book, so it eases students into a new book by having the first few
chapters read to them. This way they are not overwhelmed with the thought of starting a
whole new book and a whole new lesson.
I also keep the class together as a group during guided practice because I want to
be there to assist and support students as they begin to make their own connections to the
text. Also, students who are struggling with the strategy will be able to listen and
generate ideas about making connections as their peers make their own connections.
Struggling readers will gather in smaller groups with me during independent practice to
practice reading and making connections in a smaller, more intimate group where they
will not feel intimidated to attempt making connections.
Students will work independently while they work on their double-entry journals
because I want them to make meaningful, personal connections and that is something that
is hard to do with a partner or a group because everyone has experienced different things
in their lives. This type of strategy can be personal and I want to give students the chance
to share personal experiences if they so choose.
During the researching part of the activity, students will be keeping their own
two-column charts but will be encouraged to read through the non-fiction sources of
information together and to share interesting facts they may come across during the
research process.
Students will work in groups of four to do a peer-editing workshop to practice the
peer-evaluation process. This process is used throughout one’s life so it is important to
have children experience it young. They must learn how to both praise and constructively
criticize a peer’s work. They will also enjoy being able to read each other’s letter’s and
compare the many different angles they each took in writing their letters.
Finally, each student will write their own letter-to-the-Editor so they can
independently practice their letter writing skills along with generating a fictional letter
that integrates non-fiction and fictional information.
PRE-READING
Activating Prior Knowledge:
1. Remember a week ago when we were studying the Civil Rights Movement in our
history unit. What can anyone tell me about the racism that occurred during that
era? (Background Knowledge)
Student: We learned that African American and White people were legally separated
throughout the country.
T: Good, now what do you mean by legally separated?
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 5
Student: Well they had separate schools, separate bathrooms, different everything.
African Americans also had to sit at the back of the bus. That’s what happened with Rosa
Parks, because she refused to give her seat up to a White person and she was arrested for
it.
2. Why do you think this occurred? (Inferential)
Student: Because people are afraid of other people who are different. Because African
American people have a different color skin, they were afraid of them.
Student2: We also had slavery for so many years in this country so a lot of White people
had the mind set that White people are better than black people. So even though we
didn’t have slavery anymore, black people were still treated as if they were less than
human.
3. Good answer, now do you think racism still exists today?
Student: I do think it still exists, but not in the way it did during the Civil Rights
Movement because during that time it was okay to be racist and even the laws were
racist. Now it’s more discrete.
Student: I think it still exists. A friend of mine’s dad is Black and he gets pulled over
going over the New London Bridge at least once a week for nothing and she says the
cops are always very rude to him.
Teacher: That is a very sad thing to hear, but your right, racism does still exist. The
feelings of racism are often passed down from parents and it continues through the
generations unfortunately. Now let’s try an activity to try and understand what it must
feel like to be a victim of racism.
Engaging students in theme:
We will generate a class list of many different ways people are different. (Hair color,
skin color, eye color, body type, favorite types of music etc.) We will then think about
and discuss how it would feel if someone did not like us because of the type of music we
listened to or because of eye color.
I will then read a passage from the children’s book “The Sneetches” by Doctor
Seuss, which discusses how the star-bellied Sneetches did not like Sneetches without
stars on their belly. Then when the ones without stars put stars on their belly, the original
star-bellied Sneetches take their stars off and not dislike the Sneetches with star bellies.
After reading the Dr. Seuss book, we will discuss the following questions:
4. How does this relate to the idea of racism? (Inferential)
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 6
Student: Well the star-bellied Sneetches did not like the Sneetches without stars. And
when they did finally conform to what they wanted, the star-belled Sneetches removed
their stars just so they could still dislike the other Sneetches for being different.
Student: It just proves that some people will always find a reason to dislike someone
who is different, even if they have to create the difference themselves.
5. Why do you think people dislike other people who are different?(Inferential)
Student: Because people think that people who are different, think differently and feel
differently as well, and this scares people.
Student2: Some people also just have a lot of hate in them and want to put blame and
focus the hate, and people who are different become the victims.
Setting Purposes:
I will then explain to students that we are going to read a story about a boy
without a home who encounters many different types of people and is accepting of them
all. However, he encounters people who do not like him because he is different and some
people with strong feelings of racism. I will then explain that we will now read the novel
Maniac Magee to discover how our main character, Maniac Magee develops in this new
world that is full of racial tension.
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY
Description: Making connections during reading is how a reader makes sense of the
information received from a text. When a reader makes connections, they take the words
from the page and make it come to life within their minds. Students gain a better
understanding of the text through making connections. Finally, students should make
connections to relate to characters or plot, visualize what is going on in the story, to avoid
boredom and pay attention while reading, to remember what they read, and to help
generate questions, another important comprehension strategy.
Defining/Explaining :
Okay class, we have been discussing and practicing making connections with different
books we have been reading. Today we are going to begin a new book named Maniac
Magee, where everyone will be able to make some type of connection. Let’s review some
of the different types of connections that can be made. We can make text-to-self
connections where you connect what you are reading to something that has happened or
something you have experienced in your personal life. Another type of connection that
can be made is a text-to-text connection. This is when you connect what you are reading
to something else you have previously read. You can compare characters, settings,
themes, or events; all of these things we have discussed before. Text-to-world connection
is another connection you can make during your reading. This is when you make a
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 7
connection to something that you may not have experienced personally but something
you have learned about, something in the news or current events, or any type of general
knowledge you have. The final type of connection you can make is the text-to-author
where you make connections between two works done by the same author. The author
may have similar characters or writing techniques. In this case, we are reading Maniac
Magee, which was written by Jerry Spinelli. We have not read a work by him in this
class, but some of you may have in another class or on your own time. If so, feel free to
make a text-to-author connection.
Now let’s discuss why we make connections during reading. Making connections
allows us to better understand what we are reading by helping us to predict what might
happen or to visualize what is going on in the story. We can also make connections in a
story to connect us to the character or the plot, through our own emotions and the
emotions related to the story. Finally, we can make connections to how we know a text is
structured. For example, when I read the first line “Once upon a time” from a story I will
make a connection to previous books that I have read with the same introduction, and I
can now predict that it is going to be a fairy tale.
Now I am going to read the first chapter aloud to you and model how to make
connections while you read. Please pay attention because I am going to ask you to notice
what I am doing while I think out loud.
DURING READING
Modeling – Notice/Apply [Think-Aloud]:
“They say Maniac Magee was born in a dump. They say his stomach was a cereal box
and his heart a soft spring.
They say he kept an eight-inch cockroach on a leash and that rats stood guard
over him while he slept.
They say if you knew he was coming and you sprinkled salt on the ground and he
ran over it, within two or three blocks he would be as slow as everybody else.
They say.(p.1)”
T: I am going stop here for a second. This beginning reminds me of the beginning of
a tall tale, like Paul Bunyan. The way that author uses the saying “They say” to
describe these unrealistic facts about Maniac Magee are similar to how tall tales are
written. For example, it was said that Paul Bunyan was so big that his footprints are
what created the lakes in Minnesota. Based on this connection, I am going to predict
that Maniac Magee is some kind of legend. Now can anyone tell me what I just did
there?
S: You made a text-to-text connection because you compared Maniac Magee to the
tall tale Paul Bunyan.
T: Good, and what did I notice while I read to help make the connections?
S2: You noticed that both Paul Bunyan and Maniac Magee couldn’t really do the
things that people had heard they did. For example, no one can make a lake out of a
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 8
foot print because no one is that big and no one’s stomach can be a cereal box. So
you made a prediction from your connection because you already know that Paul
Bunyan is a legend from a tall tale so you predicted that Maniac Magee is going to
be some kind of legend.
T: Great observations. Now let’s keep reading to see if we can make anymore
connections.
“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
TV’s. 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.(p.6)”
T: I am going to stop here for a second. I know that divorce can be extremely
difficult, especially for children, but it can be even worse to live separated within
one house. When the people you are living with won’t even talk or eat together, that
can cause a lot of stress. I bet Jeffrey must be driven crazy his Aunt and Uncle’s
separate lives. Now, can anyone tell me what I just did?
S: You made a connection to the world because there is a lot of divorce and
separation in families now and you used your knowledge of it to imagine how
Maniac is feeling. You know that it is a stressful situation so you imagined that
Jeffrey must be driven crazy by it.
T: Good, now as we read the next few chapters aloud, I am going to see if you can
make some of your own connections to the story.
Guided Practice:
Description: We will read through Chapters 9-11 aloud and students will take turns
reading. I will stop them periodically to ask open-ended questions that will foster their
abilities to make connections. Students will have read chapters 2-8 independently. (I
realize I would not normally model the beginning of the book then have students read
independently before doing guided practice)
1. p.32- T: What is going on here? (Literal)
S: The Cobras won’t cross Hector Street.
T: And why won’t they cross Hector Street?(Literal)
S2: They won’t cross Hector Street because it is the border that leads to the side
where the black people live.
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 9
T: How would you feel if you accidentally crossed over the imaginary border of
blacks and whites? (Inferential)
S: I wouldn’t care because I know that African American people are humans just
like me and there would be nothing for me to fear by crossing the line. I just wonder how
the black people would feel because they probably are not used to white people crossing
Hector Street.
T: That’s a good question; can anyone tell me how they think the West Enders
might feel when they see Maniac on their side? (Inferential)
S: They might be angry because I remember I saw a movie once about
segregation and the black people were mad because they felt like the white people were
being greedy and trying to take over their territory too.
T: Good connection, now how do think Maniac is going to feel once he realizes
he is on “the black side” of town? (Inferential)
S3: I don’t think he will care.
T: Why do you think he won’t care? (Inferential)
S4: I don’t think he will care because he has already ran onto that side of town
before when he got the book for Amanda and he never even noticed the color of the skin.
T: Ok good. So if it doesn’t matter to Maniac, why do you think the Cobras care?
(Inferential)
S: Well it seems as though, since there is a border made by Hector Street, and the
white people live on one side and the black people on another, that everyone seems to
follow this rule. But Maniac wasn’t raised there so he isn’t going to follow the rule.
2. p. 34- T: What is going on with Mars Bar and Maniac Magee? (Literal)
S: Mars Bar seems to be the tough guy in the neighborhood and it seemed like he
was going to fight Maniac Magee but then he offered him a bite of his candy bar,
which Maniac accepted, and everyone is shocked.
T: If Mars Bar was going to fight Maniac, why do you think he would offered
him a bite of his candy bar? (Inferential)
S: He was probably trying to test Maniac because he figured that Maniac
wouldn’t do it because he was white and the book says that no white person puts
their mouth where a black person does.
T: Has anyone been in a situation where they were being tested or tested
someone? (Inferential)
S: Yeah, one time this kid who didn’t even like me tried to dare me to do
something bad to another kid in our class and told me I was a wuss if I didn’t do
it. But I knew he was just trying to get me in trouble.
T: Can someone tell me how that connects to what Mars is doing in the book?
(Inferential)
S2: Well Mars Bar is trying to make Maniac do something that he expects him to
do, only so he will have a reason to fight him just like that kid tried to get
(Student name) to do something mean to another student to get him in trouble.
T: Good connection, now let’s keep reading to see what happens, when Maniac
does the unexpected.
3. p.39- T: What is going on here? (Literal)
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 10
S: Mars Bar ripped a page of Amanda’s book that Maniac borrowed and when
Amanda saw it, he tried to blame it on Maniac but she didn’t believe him.
S2: Mars Bar probably lies a lot which Amanda knows, because she has known
him for a while. It is like that story, The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf, when you
keep lying, you become known for it and then no one will ever believe you, even
when you are telling the truth.
T: Great connection to another story, now has anyone ever been blamed for
something they didn’t do? (Inferential)
S: Yeah, when my little brother drew on the walls once he tried to blame it on me
but my parents knew he was lying because they knew that I had better hand
writing then him. He got in a lot of trouble for lying.
T: How did you feel when that happened?? (Inferential)
S: I was really nervous that my parents were going to believe him over me. I was
also really angry at him for lying.
T: So can someone tell me how they think maybe Maniac was feeling when Mars
Bar accused him of ripping the page? (Inferential)
S: Maniac is probably very scared because he just met Amanda and she trusted
him with something very important to her. He probably doesn’t want her to think
he was careless with her book, but he knows that she doesn’t know him well
enough and she could very well believe Mars Bar. I bet he is very grateful when
she knows that Mars Bar was actually the one who ripped the page in her book.
T: That is a great description of how Maniac must be feeling. I know that is
probably how I would feel if I were him. Now, you guys are going to keep
reading, only independently now and while you read I am going to have you do an
activity to help you make more connections to the story.
Independent Practice:
Students will read chapters 12-19 independently and will work on a double-entry journal
where they write a passage and the page number in the left column and write a
connection they made to the passage. I will explain to students that it can be a text to text,
text to self, text to world, or text to author connection, and they must label what type of
connection they are making. Students will be required to write at least four journal entries
that make connections and I will urge students to make at least two different kinds of
connections. Students will write their journal entries on the worksheet provided which
will later go into their reader’s response journals. (see attached) Students who are
struggling with making connections will be provided a tally sheet to use for when they
make a connection while they read and whether they are making connections to the
characters, plot, setting, visualizing, predicting, or to feel emotions. This will help student
generate ideas for what connections to make and they can go back after they read and
write about their most meaningful connections in their journals.
AFTER READING RESPONDING
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 11
After Reading Discussion:
1. So what do you think this book is trying to tell us about racism so far? (Inferential)
S: I think that this story is trying to tell us that racism still exists in the world. Although
there probably aren’t real borders like there is in Two Mills, there are neighborhoods that
are mostly white and mostly black and people are probably afraid to go into
neighborhoods where they are the minority.
S2: I also think that the book is trying to tell us that racism doesn’t exist everywhere
because Amanda and her family have welcomed Maniac into their home and do not take
into account that he is white. When Maniac entered the house, Mrs. Beale barely lifted
her head.
2. Good, I am glad you noticed that positive aspect as well. So can anyone predict what
might happen as we continue to read?
S: Well Maniac is already feeling guilty for causing trouble for the Beale’s and he is
starting to realize that people don’t want him in the West End because he is white. I think
that something might happen to make Maniac really leave the Beale’s for good because
he does tend to run away a lot.
3. So you noticed that he is feeling the pressure of the racial tension. Can anyone make a
connection to something we have previously learned about racism?
S: Well, we discussed Rosa Parks and how she was pressured to move her seat on the bus
but she was very brave and stood up for her human rights.
4. So how would you deal with this type of racial pressure if you were Maniac?
S: Well, I wouldn’t want to hurt or bother the Beale family because they took me in, but I
think it is important that Maniac stands up for himself and proves that he has just as much
a right to be on the West End as anyone else.
Response Activities :
Students will be asked to write a Letter to the Editor as a resident of Two Mills
discussing the racial issue within the town. They can choose to write as one of the
characters from the book or just a resident of the town. Students must incorporate an
outside source referring to racism in the past or as it occurs today. These sources can
include our history textbook, an internet website (there will be a list of appropriate
websites for 5th graders to visit to learn more about racism provided), books from the
library, news articles, etc. Students will have time to research and will be given a twocolumn chart to write down the information they want to incorporate from their outside
source and information from Maniac Magee. Students will then be given 30 minutes to
write their rough draft of their letter. A copy of letter format will be provided to the
students to remind them of what a letter should look like.
Once they have completed their rough draft, students will gather in groups of four
to do a peer writing workshop. They will each take turns reading each other’s letter, and
create a comment sheet for their partner, writing down any mechanical errors they
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 12
noticed, and writing down any recommendations they might have. Once they have
finished the comment sheet, they will discuss their findings with each other and tell their
group member one thing they liked about their editorial and one thing they wondered
about. (I will emphasize the importance of constructive criticism)
Once they have gathered three comment sheets from their peers their homework
will be to go home and read over what their peers have had to say and revise their letter
to hand in to the Editor-in-Chief (Me). I will explain to students that they don’t need to
change everything that their peers have suggested, however some changes should be
made to the original and they will need to decide which suggestions will make their paper
better.
After being looked over by the Editor-in-Chief, I will hand them back in for final
revisions and create our own classroom Editorial Page (formatted like a newspaper) that
can be handed out to the class. Students who finish early will help the Editor-in-Chief by
entering everyone’s articles into the computer’s newsletter template.
APPLYING THE COMPREHENSION STRATEGY
Description: The next book we will read is The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles.
This is a piece of historical fiction that will relate to the realistic fiction we read in
Maniac Magee and the information we learned about racism from our Civil Rights Unit
in social studies along with the research students performed. Students will be asked to
write a journal entry in their reader’s response making a text-to-text connection or a textto-world connection based on either Maniac Magee of the social studies context.
ENGAGING ALL STUDENTS
During instruction: Students on all levels will benefit from the modeling of the
comprehension strategy. By performing the guided reading, students get the chance to
practice making their own connections with the help and support of the teacher, if they
need it. Students who do not feel comfortable with speaking aloud with the whole group,
yet still struggle with this comprehension strategy, will be able to use a Making
Connections tally sheet (See attached) to help determine when and what type of
connections they are making during independent practice. If students struggle with
reading the text, I will pull them aside to read in a guided reading session while the rest
of the class reads independently, where I will pose more questions to them in a more
intimate setting to make sure they understand the story and help support their connectionmaking skills. By having students read independently and as a whole group, you are
meeting the needs of both advanced and struggling readers.
During response activities:
By giving the students the freedom to make any type of connection and use any outside
source you are allowing students to work at their own level. If it is a more advanced
student, I might point them in the direction of a more in-depth book or website about
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 13
racism, while if the student is a struggling reader, I might point them in the direction of a
photographic book or website on racism. For students struggling with the research
process, I would provide a worksheet with prompts such as “One interesting fact I read
about was…” “One interesting picture I saw was of…..” “One thing that made me feel
angry when I read about it was..” One fact that reminded me of Maniac Magee was..”
These prompts will guide students to look for particular information while they research
that may help them in writing their letter.
Groups for the peer editing writing workshop will be assigned based on writing skill
level. I will want to put a mixture of skills in a group, some good writers, some struggling
writers, and some right in the middle. This will allow the better writers to practice editing
rather than just skimming over their own papers assuming it is correct and it will allow
struggling readers to see what a more advanced piece of writing will look like.
A model of how a letter should look will be posted on a large piece of paper in the front
of the room. Struggling writers may be given the letter format as a worksheet where they
fill in the date, what they are writing to the editor, and sign their names at the bottom.
This way they can focus on what they are writing rather than making sure the format is
correct.
EVALUATION
Objective #1:
Students will hand in their reader’s response journals which will be graded with the
following rubric:
Students are expected to:
- Select a meaningful passage in Chapters 12-19 of Maniac Magee
- Make a thoughtful connection to their self, the world, another text, or to an author
and explain the connection being made
- Label the type of connection they are making.
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 14
Double Entry Journal
Student Name:
________________________________________
CATEGORY
Maturing Journal Writer Developing Journal Writer Emerging Journal Writer
Text
Selection
Student selects a
meaningful passage
from Chapters 12-19 of
Maniac Magee to make
a connection.
Students selects an
appropriate passage from
Chapters 12-19 of Maniac
Magee to make a
connection
Student selects an
inappropriate passage
from Chapter 12-19 of
Maniac Magee to make
a connection.
Type of
Connection
Student makes a
meaningful connection
to the passage and
labels what type of
connection is being
made.
Student makes an
appropriate connection to
the passage but may have
forgotten to label or
inaccurately labels the
type of connection being
made.
Student does not make a
meaningful connection
to the story and does not
label or inaccurately
labels the type of
connection being made.
Explanation
Students provide a
thoughtful and elaborate
explanation of the
connection they have
made.
Students provide a
thoughtful explanation of
their connection however
they need to provide more
detail.
Student does not clearly
explain or elaborate on
the connection being
made.
Objective #2: Student’s research graphic organizers will just be checked over by the
teacher and given a check plus, a check, or a check minus based on the following rubric:
-
Students are expected to:
Gather at least 4 pieces of information from one non-fiction source
Utilize one of the internet websites (pieces of information do not need to be from
the internet but I want students to practice navigating)
Provide at least 3 pieces of information from Maniac Magee
Research Organizer
Teacher Name: Katherine Hargett
CATEGORY
Check plus
Check
Check minus
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 15
Amount of
Information
Students have
collected at least
4 facts from at
least one
research source
Students have
collected 2-3
facts from at least
one research
source.
Students have
collected at least
one fact from at
least one research
source.
Internet Use
Successfully uses
suggested
internet links to
find information
and navigates
within these sites
easily without
assistance.
Occasionally able
to use suggested
internet links to
find information
and navigates
within these sites
easily without
assistance.
Needs assistance
or supervision to
use suggested
internet links
and/or to
navigate within
these sites.
Quality of
Information
Maniac Magee
Information
clearly relates to
the main topic. It
includes several
supporting
details and/or
examples.
Information
Information
clearly relates to somewhat relates
the main topic of to the main topic.
racism.
Information has
little or nothing
to do with the
main topic.
Student has
included at least
3 pieces of
information from
Maniac Magee in
their doublecolumn research
chart
Student has
included at least
one piece of
information from
Maniac Magee in
their doublecolumn research
chart.
Student has
included at least
2 pieces of
information from
Maniac Magee in
their doublecolumn research
chart.
Objective #3: Students Letters-to-the Editor will be graded using the following rubric:
-
Students are expected to:
write in letter format
write the letter as if they are a member of the Two Mills Community
Incorporate information from Maniac Magee along with an outside source from
their research on racism
Write at least 5 sentences
Letter-Writing : Letter-to-the Editor
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 16
Student Name:
CATEGORY
________________________________________
4
3
2
Salutation and
Closing
Salutation,
closing and date
have no errors in
capitalization and
punctuation.
Salutation,
closing and date
have 1-2 errors in
capitalization and
punctuation.
Salutation,
Salutation,
closing and date closing and/or
have 3 or more
date are missing.
errors in
capitalization and
punctuation.
Content
Accuracy
The letter
contains relevant
information from
your research
along with
information from
Maniac Magee
about racism
The letter
contains
inaccurate
information from
your research or
Maniac Magee
about racism.
The letter
contains
information from
only Maniac
Magee or only
from your
research about
racism.
Length
Student wrote at Student wrote 3- Student wrote 2
least 5 sentences 4 sentences.
sentences
Student wrote 1
sentence or less.
Character
You wrote a
believable letter
as if you were a
member of the
Two Mills
Community.
You did not
write as if you
lived in Two
Mills.
You wrote as if
you were from of
Two Mills, but
got out of
character at
times.
1
You made a
mention that you
were from Two
Mills, but did not
write as if you
were that person.
The letter
contains no
information from
either your
research about
racism or
Maniac Magee.
WORKSHEETS/RESPONSE PROMPTS –Worksheets attached
Letter prompt:
Pretend that you are one of the main characters from Maniac Magee or just a
resident from Two Mills and you are fed up with the racial tension within your town.
Write a Letter to the Editor discussing your frustrations while using factual support from
your research along with information from Maniac Magee to support your argument.
Look at the board for how to format your final copy of the letter.
EDC 425 Lesson Plan Points Sheet
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 17
Total Points = 80
Possible Actual
Points
Points
Text overview
Summary concise, including theme
Criteria for quality literature
Readability accurate
Rationale (Grade level justified)
2
2
2
2
Objectives/Outcomes
Clear, appropriate, measurable
At least one strategy objective
At least one response objective
Linked to appropriate GLEs
Linked to appropriate RIBTS
4
2
2
3
3
Materials
Lists teacher and student materials
2
Grouping
Appropriate grade, grouping
2
Pre-reading
Activates BK, Sets purpose for reading
Engaging students in theme
Step-by-step, clear instruction
2
2
3
Comprehension strategy instruction
Describes strategy
Appropriate step-by-step instruction
Explain/Define/Model
Guided practice opportunity
Independent practice opportunity
Comments
2
4
3
3
During reading
Questions/answers labeled (L, I, BK)
Questions help build meaning
Comprehension activity appropriate
2
3
3
After-reading responding
Extends text
Clearly explained
2
3
Applying comprehension strategy
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 18
Clearly described
3
Engaging all students
Clearly described how engaged all
students in lesson
2
Evaluation
Clearly states in narrative form how
EACH objective is evaluated
Evaluation is measurable
At least one rubric clear, appropriate
Mechanics
Sections clearly labeled
Professional language
Grammar, punctuation, spelling
4
2
3
1
3
3
TOTAL
EDC425 Lesson Plan - Page 19