Maniac Magee contains strong situations of youth living homeless and also other various socio-economic statuses. Learners will connect emotionally with this activity as they learn more about kids like them, living without homes. TEXT: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli GRADE LEVEL: 4th-8th COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.2,3,6,7 Answer Key Included! ···················································································· This resource can be purchased as part of MANIAC MAGEE Unit Teaching Package bundle. ···················································································· Any time after your students have read chapter 28, this activity will lead students to read some information and assess a video about the homeless youths in the United States. Students will learn about the number of youths, the reasons they end up on the streets, and the risks on their lives. A great activity to engage them during the reading journey. INCLUDED: * URL links to fantastic homeless research articles * URL links to YouTube interviews and documentaries about homeless youths * a 1-page analysis activity of the article and and a 1-page writing response to the scenes in the video Enjoy MANIAC MAGEE! And remember, if Maniac can wave at people, so can we!

Using examples from the novel Maniac Magee, students will study conjunctions (coordinating, subordinating, and correlative) and interjections. They will learn to locate the various conjunctions and interjections in the sentences. TEXT: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli LEVEL: 4th-8th COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.1 ANSWER KEY: Included ·················································································· This resource can be purchased as part of MANIAC MAGEE Unit Teaching Package bundle. ·················································································· MANIAC MAGEE RESOURCES INCLUDED: * 2-page activity practicing the conjunctions and interjections using examples from the novel * answer key Enjoy Maniac Magee! And remember, if Maniac can wave at people, so can we!

Maniac Magee activity seekers will love this Two Mills Times Newspaper Design Activity. Chapter 19 mentions their town newspaper, The Two Mills Times, and its influence on their small town. After reading chapter 19, learners will design a front page of the Two Mills Times newspaper. Using details from the story, they will write the stories, create the interesting headlines, even take pictures ... whatever you need to do to create a compelling front page. Use real details, emotions, and creativity to create a quality newspaper page that readers are interested to read. TEXT: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli GRADE LEVEL: 4th-8th COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1,3 ···················································································· This resource can be purchased as part of MANIAC MAGEE Unit Teaching Package bundle. ···················································································· When your story is done, your teacher will tell you how to publish it. They might have you email the newspaper to them, print it out and post it on the classroom wall, post it to Edmodo or Blackboard, or post a link to the class’s Twitter feed ... or some other method. Enjoy Maniac Magee! And remember, if Maniac can wave at people, so can we!

Maniac Magee activity seekers will love this Myth Creation Contest. After reading the legend of Cobble’s Knot and what happens with it, learners will engage in a creative writing contest. They will think about something on their school campus or in their town and make a tall tale myth about it, a legend about its history and fame. The best myths will include reality, exaggeration, and humorous awe in the details. TEXT: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli GRADE LEVEL: 4th-8th COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1,3 ···················································································· This resource can be purchased as part of MANIAC MAGEE Unit Teaching Package bundle. ···················································································· They can either write out the legend or film it. Get creative with the writing and the filming. Don’t do any low quality film job. Your effort will show and will count as part of your assessment. When your story or video is done, your teacher will tell you how to publish it. They might have you email the myth to them, or upload the video version to YouTube, or post it to Edmodo or Blackboard, or post a link to the class’s Twitter feed ... or some other method. Enjoy Maniac Magee! And remember, if Maniac can wave at people, so can we!

Maniac Magee activity seekers will love this Man Who Struck Out Willie Mays Creative Writing Activity. Maniac and Grayson enjoy an amazing moment at the buffalo pen when they celebrate Christmas by giving each other gifts. Maniac gives Grayson a book he wrote himself entitled The Man Who Struck Out Willie Mays (see chapter 25 for the whole story). After reading chapter 31, learners will write this story. Tell it the way you think Jeffrey Magee would have told it. Use the appropriate details from the story about Grayson’s life and what baseball was like at the time. Maybe even do a little Willie Mays and minor league baseball research. Whatever you need to do, use your creativity to tell a great version of the story. The best stories will include reality, history, and creativity in the details and emotions. TEXT: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli GRADE LEVEL: 4th-8th COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1,3 ···················································································· This resource can be purchased as part of MANIAC MAGEE Unit Teaching Package bundle. ···················································································· When your story is done, your teacher will tell you how to publish it. They might have you email the story to them, post it to Edmodo or Blackboard, or post a link to the class’s Twitter feed ... or some other method. Enjoy Maniac Magee! And remember, if Maniac can wave at people, so can we!

HATCHET Symbol Analyzer (by Gary Paulsen) NOVEL: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen LEVEL: middle school (5-8) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4 ··································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of HATCHET Unit Teaching Package bundle. ··································································································· There is no hiding the fact that Brian’s Hatchet is a big deal. Without it, he would have likely died in the wilderness. Using this organizer, students will analyze the importance of Brian's hatchet. They will catalog all the various ways the hatchet is useful to him and then analyze what the hatchet provides him with when he gets to use it. Enjoy Hatchet!

Maniac Magee learners will enjoy this prereading activity that gets thinking about and discussing (and maybe even engaging in some friendly arguing!). Then after the novel is done, students will revisit these questions to consider how their minds have stayed the same or changed based on the events, characters, and themes they've just read about and felt. TEXT: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli GRADE LEVEL: 4th-8th COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2 ················································································································ This resource can be purchased as part of MANIAC MAGEE Unit Teaching Package bundle. ················································································································ MANIAC MAGEE RESOURCES INCLUDED: * Printable Handout * PowerPoint Presentation to accompany discussion So sit back and get ready for some deep, engaging conversation! Enjoy MANIAC MAGEE! And remember, if Maniac can wave at people, so can we!

HATCHET Characters Organizer (by Gary Paulsen) NOVEL: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen LEVEL: middle school (5-8) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3 ··································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of HATCHET Unit Teaching Package bundle. ··································································································· Middleschoolers will love this HATCHET graphics design and might even be tricked into enjoying themselves while taking notes on the characters. This 4-page organizer will help students keep track of their thoughts about the main characters. Students will make notes of the physical descriptions, inner desires, important traits, and anything else they find about the characters. Enjoy Hatchet!

HATCHET Plot Chart Organizer Diagram Arc (by Gary Paulsen) - Freytag's Pyramid NOVEL: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen LEVEL: middle school (5th-8th) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.2 ··································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of HATCHET Unit Teaching Package bundle. ··································································································· While reading Hatchet, this graphic organizer will help students analyze the 6 parts of the plot -- Exposition (setting, characters, and background info) Conflict Rising Action (3 events or details) Climax Falling Action (2 events or details) Resolution Enjoy Hatchet! And remember, "so much of all this, so much of all living was patience and thinking."

HATCHET Movie vs Novel Comparison NOVEL: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen LEVEL: middle school (5-8) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7 ··································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of HATCHET Unit Teaching Package bundle. ··································································································· This 2-page organizer will help your students compare the novel to the movie. How is the movie different? After reading Hatchet, students will view the 1990 film, A CRY IN THE WILD, and analyze the differences. This opens up a bunch of fun and critical-thinking conversation about why the movie-makers would change parts of the novel for the film. They are, after all, two different works of art. Enjoy Hatchet!

HATCHET Vocabulary List and Quiz (30 words, chs 13-15) NOVEL: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen LEVEL: middle school (5-8) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4 ··································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of HATCHET Unit Teaching Package bundle. ··································································································· These 30 vocabulary words from chapters 13-15 of HATCHET will help students engage in the language of HATCHET and understand what they're reading (includes page numbers for students to easily find the words in context of the novel). Students are challenged to find the word on the page, figure out its meaning from the sentence, and write their own definition without using a dictionary. INCLUDED (30 words total): > 30-Word Vocabulary List from chapters 13-15 > 30-Question Quiz > Answer Key Questions are matching and require the student to read a line from the novel, understand the meaning of the words, and fill in the blank with correct-meaning word. Enjoy Hatchet!

HATCHET Vocabulary List and Quiz (30 words, chs 1-3) NOVEL: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen LEVEL: middle school (5-8) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4 ··································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of HATCHET Unit Teaching Package bundle. ··································································································· These 30 vocabulary words from chapters 1-3 of HATCHET will help students engage in the language of HATCHET and understand what they're reading (includes page numbers for students to easily find the words in context of the novel). Students are challenged to find the word on the page, figure out its meaning from the sentence, and write their own definition without using a dictionary. INCLUDED (30 words total): > 30-Word Vocabulary List from chapters 1-3 > 30-Question Quiz > Answer Key Questions are matching and require the student to read a line from the novel, understand the meaning of the words, and fill in the blank with correct-meaning word. Enjoy Hatchet!

HATCHET Vocabulary List and Quiz (30 words, chs 8-12) NOVEL: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen LEVEL: middle school (5-8) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4 ··································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of HATCHET Unit Teaching Package bundle. ··································································································· These 30 vocabulary words from chapters 8-12 of HATCHET will help students engage in the language of HATCHET and understand what they're reading (includes page numbers for students to easily find the words in context of the novel). Students are challenged to find the word on the page, figure out its meaning from the sentence, and write their own definition without using a dictionary. INCLUDED (30 words total): > 30-Word Vocabulary List from chapters 8-12 > 30-Question Quiz > Answer Key Questions are matching and require the student to read a line from the novel, understand the meaning of the words, and fill in the blank with correct-meaning word. Enjoy Hatchet!

HATCHET Vocabulary List and Quiz (30 words, chs 16-19) NOVEL: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen LEVEL: middle school (5-8) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4 ··································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of HATCHET Unit Teaching Package bundle. ··································································································· These 30 vocabulary words from chapters 16-19 of HATCHET will help students engage in the language of HATCHET and understand what they're reading (includes page numbers for students to easily find the words in context of the novel). Students are challenged to find the word on the page, figure out its meaning from the sentence, and write their own definition without using a dictionary. INCLUDED (30 words total): > 30-Word Vocabulary List from chapters 16-19 > 30-Question Quiz > Answer Key Questions are matching and require the student to read a line from the novel, understand the meaning of the words, and fill in the blank with correct-meaning word. Enjoy Hatchet!

GIVER Essay and Speech (Persuasive) TEXT: The Giver by Lois Lowry GRADE LEVEL: 6-12 COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1 ······························································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of THE GIVER Unit Teaching Package bundle. ······························································································································· Students are given 3 persuasive topics about The Giver: > Theme - Getting rid of pain > Character - Carrying the memories > Setting - Personal Rights They can then choose to write an essay or deliver a speech on their ideas from The Giver. The grading rubrics are included for easy, effective grading and feedback. Enjoy The Giver!

GIVER Journal - Quickwrite Writing Prompts - PowerPoint TEXT: The Giver by Lois Lowry GRADE LEVEL: 6-12 COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1 ·························································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of THE GIVER Unit Teaching Package bundle. ·························································································································· These 16-question writing prompts for THE GIVER never fail to get conversation started. And not just any surface conversation. In response to each question, students will write a short quickwrite essay in a journal writing format. Questions like these get kids thinking deeply about life and talking deeply about the things that really matter. THE GIVER QUESTION TOPICS: * Perfection * Adulthood * Complaints * Color * The Old * Safety * Memories * Back & Back * Famous * Giving * Favorites * Sorry * Pain * Love * War * Legacy NOTE: This file for The Giver has been updated to include both the PowerPoint Show and the customizable .ppt file. Enjoy The Giver!

ROMEO AND JULIET Essay (Response to Literature) PLAY: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare LEVEL: middle school (junior high), high school (secondary) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.1 ···················································································· This resource can be purchased as part of ROMEO AND JULIET Unit Teaching Package (by William Shakespeare). ···················································································· Students are given 6 potential topics about characters in ROMEO AND JULIET and whether they are to blame for the tragedy. INCLUDED: > Essay topic handout > Essay Guided Outline > Grading Rubric > Sample Essay > Quote Trackers for students to organize supporting quotes for each topic They will then write an essay on their ideas from Romeo and Juliet. The grading rubrics are included for easy, effective grading and feedback.

ROMEO AND JULIET Fact vs Opinion Activity PLAY: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare LEVEL: middle school (junior high), high school (secondary) COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5 ···················································································· This resource can be purchased as part of ROMEO AND JULIET Unit Teaching Package (by William Shakespeare). ···················································································· Using examples from Acts 4 & 5 of Romeo and Juliet, students will practice determining the difference between what is a fact and what is an opinion. OPINIONS: Students will discuss whether they agree or disagree with the opinion from the play. FACTS: Student will put them in chronological order in the plot. Enjoy Romeo and Juliet!

GIVER Movie vs. Novel Comparison TEXT: The Giver by Lois Lowry GRADE LEVEL: 6-12 COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.7 ······························································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of THE GIVER Unit Teaching Package bundle. ······························································································································· This 2-page organizer will help your students compare the novel to the movie (theatrical release, August 2014). How is the movie The Giver different? After reading The Giver, students will view the film and analyze the differences. This opens up a bunch of fun and critical-thinking conversation about why the movie-makers would change parts of the novel for the film. They are, after all, two different works of art. Enjoy The Giver!

GIVER Jeopardy Trivia Competition TEXT: The Giver by Lois Lowry GRADE LEVEL: 6-12 COMMON CORE: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.10 ·························································································································· This resource can be purchased as part of THE GIVER Unit Teaching Package bundle. ·························································································································· This 26-slide PowerPoint Jeopardy Trivia is a fantastically fun review activity after you finish reading The Giver novel. These comprehension questions will build some enjoyable competition between students (or teams of students). Categories of Giver Questions: > The Rules > The Characters > The Memories > The Plot > The World's Problems Enjoy The Giver!