EDC425 LESSON PLAN: Maniac Magee
Name: Julia Sullivan
Book Title: Maniac Magee
Author: Jerry Spinelli
TEXT OVERVIEW
Summary: The novel, Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli is about a boy who comes to be known as maniac. He is an orphan that is trying to find a place to call his home. He spends most of his time in a town called Two Mills. It has a distinct separation between the white community and the black community. Maniac meets a variety of different people during his travels, and becomes friends with most of them. The conflict in this story is about overcoming differences and finding a place where you belong. Maniac leaves Two Mills, when the differences between him and the other residents become too great. He eventually returns to Two Mills in the end and makes friends with Mars Bar, someone he had a conflict with in the beginning, and with this he finds a new home. We read the story from the author’s point of view.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Quality Literature: One factor in this books quality is the fact that it won the John Newbery Medal. We also know that this is a quality piece of realistic fiction because of some of its elements. It engages readers in Maniac’s life. By the end of the story we want to see Maniac happy, so it keeps the reader reading. Character development is also a large part of this story. We see Maniac face the challenge of going from home to home until the end when he finds a place where he feels he can finally call home. The last element that makes this story quality realistic fiction is that it leaves us optimistic that this can happen to everyone. It conveys to students that persistence will eventually lead to happiness.
Readability: 142.5 syllables per 100 words/ 8.2 sentences per 100 words. This novel is appropriate for 5th grade.
Rationale: Along with the Fry Readability, this book also has rich topics and themes that will fully engage 5th grade readers. Some of the themes may be difficult for students at first, which is why this text would also be appropriate for older students.
Context: I would teach this lesson towards the middle of the year in a fifth grade classroom. Students will already have experience with quality literature and will be prepared for the heavy topics this book covers. I would say that this lesson is appropriate for all students who have some knowledge of reading. Even if a student is not a strong reader accommodations can be made so that they can benefit from the lesson. This lesson will cover the middle of the book from chapters 22-32. This lesson will take place mostly on one day, but some of the students may need time on a second day to finish their responses.
OBJECTIVES / OUTCOMES
1. Comprehension: The students will use their reading of chapters 22-32, to make connections comparing Maniac’s sense of family from the first part of the book with these chapters they are reading.
a. R–5–4.3 Generating questions before, during, and after reading to enhance recall, expand understanding and/or gain new information.
b. R–5–5.3 Making inferences about problem, conflict, solution, or the relationship among elements (plot, character, setting) within text (e.g., how the setting affects a character or plot development)
c. W–5–3.2 Making inferences about the content, events, characters, setting, or common themes.
- RIBTS 2 - Teachers create learning experiences that reflect an understanding of the central concepts, structures, and tools of inquiry of the disciplines they teach.
- RIBTS 5 - Teachers create instructional opportunities to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
2. Response: The students will respond in an essay and a timeline that shows they understand the plot changes and the connections that can be made between Maniac’s sense of family from Part 1 of the book to Part 2 of the book, and also connect this with their own sense of family.
a. R–5–16 Generates a personal response to what is read through a variety of means R–5–16.1 Comparing stories or other texts to related personal experience, prior knowledge, or to other books.
b. W–5–2 In response to literary or informational text, students show understanding of plot/ideas/concepts by W–5–2.3 Connecting what has been read (plot/ideas/concepts) to prior knowledge or other texts, by referring to relevant ideas.
- RIBTS 2 - Teachers create learning experiences that reflect an understanding of the central concepts, structures, and tools of inquiry of the disciplines they teach.
- RIBTS 5 - Teachers create instructional opportunities to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
MATERIALS
Teacher: Copy of the text with notes
Copies of worksheets for each student
Student: Each student should have a copy of the text.
Pencil
GROUPING
For pre-reading and for the comprehension strategy I will teach the class as a whole group to ensure that all students are getting the same information from the beginning. These parts would also be very time consuming to teach more then once to small groups. During reading students will be in groups in the beginning so that they can discuss and build on each others knowledge. For independent reading I want students to work alone unless they need the help of a buddy reader. I think that this will ensure that they think about how they feel about what they are reading.
PRE-READING
Activating Prior Knowledge:
[Literal = L; Inferential = I; Background knowledge and experiences = BK]
1. (BK) – Have you ever felt like you don’t belong in your family? Are you the only girl/boy? Are you the youngest/oldest?
(Yes)
2. (BK) – So far we’ve learned a lot about Maniac, how do you think he felt while he was living with the Beale’s?
(He felt like he had a family he was a part of.)
3. (BK) – When we finished reading the first part of the book Maniac left the Beale’s house. Why do you think he left?
(He didn’t want to cause anymore problems for the family that he cared so much about.)
4. (Inf) – Do you think that in the next part of the story Maniac is going to find a new family to stay with? And why?
(I think that he is going to find another family because he won’t be able to live by himself.)
Engaging students in theme: It is important for all of you to understand that not everyone has a happy family that lives in a comfortable home. Some people live on the streets and don’t have anyone to call their family. Think about what you have compared to what others have while you read about Maniac.
Setting Purposes: We are going to read the next part of the story and I want you all to use what we’ve learned about Maniac in previous chapters to understand this next part of the book that we are going to read. You are going to need to think about how his home and his family change throughout the story.
DURING READING
COMPREHENSION STRATEGY
Description: I will have students concentrate on making connections between Maniac’s sense of family in part one and part two of the story.
Defining/Explaining : Making Connections is what we do to make meaning of what we are reading by connecting it to something we know or something we have already read. We can use these connections to help us to understand what is happening in the story and what may happen next. Making connections to the story and to our own lives helps keep us interested in what we’re reading and pay attention. When you are making connections try to connect what you’re reading to the events of the story, the characters of the story, what you think may happen next in the story, or how this makes you feel about what you’re reading. I’m going to read to you for a little bit to show you some ways you can make connections.
Modeling – Notice/Apply : T1: Ok, so I just started reading and I see that Maniac spent the night in the zoo with the buffalo. I’m going to stop here because I remember that Maniac has spent slept in the zoo before, in the beginning of our story. I realize that maybe this is a place that Maniac will keep going back to when he has nowhere to go. So, what did I just do to make a connection?
S1: You connected this part of the story to a part from the beginning to help you remember that Maniac has a certain connection with the zoo.
T2: Good…Ok so we just read about Maniac meeting a man that works at the zoo. Maniac strikes up a conversation with this man and he seems to be nice to Maniac. I’m thinking back to when Maniac met Amanda. Maybe this will be a person that Maniac is going to become close with, like Amanda. It makes me happy that Maniac has met another new friend that is nice to him. Ok, so now what did I do to make connections?
S2: You made connections to the last time that Maniac met someone new.
T3: Good, what else did I make a connection to?
S3: You made a connection to how it made you feel that Maniac was maybe going to form a relationship with a new person.
T4: Great! I’m going to read a little bit more…Ok, so we just read that Grayson took Maniac home to where he lives. I know that Maniac is looking for a home and a family that he can feel close with. Maybe Grayson is going to be a person that Maniac makes a home with. So, now what did I do to make a connection?
S4: You used a connection to predict what you think might happen with Maniac and Grayson.
Clarify: So we just went over how we’re going to make connections throughout the story. Remember that this will help you to understand the new parts of the story by comparing them to what you already know. Try to use this technique when you are confused about something that may have happened once already in the story. It can help you with the reading we’re going to do today, but it can also help you with anything else you have read or are reading.
GUIDED PRACTICE
Ok, now I want you to get into your reading groups (previously assigned) and take ten minutes to read chapter 24 and 25. They are short. Help each other to decide where you think you would stop and make a connection to help you understand what you’re reading. I want you to fold a piece of paper in half the long ways to make a chart. On the left side I want you to write “Beginning” and on the right side I want you to write “Now”. While you are reading you should start to think about what connections you are going to make from the beginning of the book to where we are now and start to talk about this with your group. I also want you to think about some of the big ideas that we have just started reading about today. I am going to stop you a few times to ask a few questions. Although you are reading the chapter, you should be discussing connections and big ideas with your groups.
1. page 86 – Why do you think Maniac doesn’t want to go to school? What do we know about Maniac’s past that would help us to understand why he tells Grayson he won’t go to school?
(I think that Maniac doesn’t want to go to school because he had bad experiences in school when he used to live with his aunt and uncle.)
2. page 87 – How do you think Maniac feels when Grayson asks him about black people? What does this make us realize about Grayson?
(I think that Maniac is less confused now then he was in the beginning of the story about the differences between colors of skin. I still think he was surprised to hear Grayson ask that question though.)
(This makes us realize that Grayson might not know a lot about other cultures or maybe he doesn’t want to know about other people that are different from him.)
3. page 91 – How does Maniac react when Grayson tells him he played baseball in the minors? What does this tell us about Maniac when he wants to hear a story about Grayson?
(He must like baseball. But I also think that he really wants Grayson to be his friend so he isn’t lonely.)
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE
During the rest of reading period today you are going to be finishing this part of the book that we are reading. It goes from chapter 22-32, but we have already read up to chapter 26. You may need to re-read some parts though to fill in your chart. Don’t worry if you don’t get a chance to finish reading today, you will be able to take it home for homework. While you are reading I want you to write down at least five connections from the beginning of the book to what we are reading now. Try to focus on big ideas that we have started to talk about in class. I am going to come around to each group of desks and ask you a few questions while you are completing your work.
4. page 99 – How do you think Maniac feels about teaching Grayson to read? What do we already know about Maniac and reading?
(I think that Maniac is excited about teaching Grayson to read. We know from the beginning of the story that Maniac likes to read, and that he is most likely a good reader.)
5. How does it make you feel that Grayson is an old man but doesn’t know how to read?
(I think it’s sad that no one ever taught him how to read.) Responses will differ.
6. page 105 – How do you think it makes Maniac feel to know that he taught Grayson how to read? How do you think this is helping their friendship?
(I think that Maniac must feel very good about himself that he taught someone how to read.)
(I think that by spending this time learning to read together, they are building a closer friendship.)
7. page 109 – Why do you think Maniac painted a 101 on the side of the building he lives in? How can you connect what Maniac is feeling right now to another part of the story?
(Maniac has always wanted someplace to call home, so now he had an actual address to call his own.)