This humorous yet poignant story tells of a superathletic teenager who bridges his small towns racial gap. Book trailer see what these elementary school kids have done with the book. Mary lous summer journal which she begins grudgingly as a dreaded assignment for school becomes a hilarious chronicle of the circle of people and events that make her. Novel unit maniac magee ideas for teaching, resources for. Ch 612 and find homework help for other maniac magee questions at enotes. In both stories, a teenage character is stranded in the wilderness following a plane crash.
Improve your students reading comprehension with readworks. Students must choose either this book or skinnybones by barbara park and complete a summer project by the first day of school. I think maniac is a good nickname for jeffery because he can do almost anything and everything he does cannot be done by others. The lion, the witch and the wardrobe lowry, lois number the stars namioka, lensey yang the youngest and his terrible ear nixon, joan lowery in the face of danger odell, scott island of the blue dolphins park, barbara mick harte was here. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli meet your next favorite book. These projects help students work through its themes, characters, and events by creating a. First have students look up the words and add their meanings to the list. You might try the following activities with the class before handing out the book. This book is sort of a girls version of gary paulsens classic hatchet. Parents need to know that jerry spinellis maniac magee is an exciting, moving, and sometimes funny story, brilliantly told, about an orphan boy who runs away from his feuding aunt and uncle at age 8 and makes a name and legend for himself in a racially divided town. It won the 1991 newbery medal and remains a vital, relevant classic. It is a great movie to show how a book can be so much more rewarding than television. The following words appear in maniac magee and may be unfamiliar to some students.
Maniac magee by jerry spinelli is one of the best books ive ever taught my fifth graders. Class book report assignment assign a different book and print a journal with questions for each student automatically edhelper saves books assigned so students will be given a different book each time. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli paperback book the parent. Maniac magee topics for discussion jerry spinelli this study guide consists of approximately 30 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of maniac magee. Jeffrey lionel magee is living a normal life until his parents are killed in a tragic trolley accident when hes three. Feeling his race is making trouble for the generous beale family, maniac shuttles back and forth between the east and west end, searching for family and a. Jeffery lionel magee maniac magee genre of the story.
Grades 23 book report format and template printable ideas science fiction book report easier. Maniac magee deals with important issues while presenting an engaging protagonist and compelling story. Free maniac magee study unit worksheets for teachers to print. This is a fifth grade unit on the novel maniac magee by jerry spinelli.
Perfect if youre looking for 5th grade books to read aloud in your classroom or to build your library. The author of maniac magee creates personality traits for many of his characters that make them similar to legendary figures. Several concepts are pursued, including theme, conflict, relationships, plot, and characters. This is a great book to read to your 3rd and 4th graders and even beyond if your family enjoys sharing books. Maniac magee for 5th graders donorschoose project by mr. Each creative project has a description of what needs to be included. This novel study is complete as is, or makes a great companion to your current curriculum. Best books to inspire your sportsobsessed kids to read. It stuck with me more than in just a lifelong love of butterscotch krumpets, but also in the sweetness of the main character and the good that he finds in well, everyone. See more ideas about maniac magee, 5th grade reading and 6th grade reading. Comprehension by chapter, vocabulary challenges, creative reading response activities and projects, tests, and much more. Maniac magee literature guide this newbery medal winner tells the mythical tale of a legendary hero. Each project requires a visual and written component. There are several teary momentsloser is also a wonderful.
Get an answer for why did maniac magee keep amandas book in maniac magee. Maniac magee literature guide for grades 58 teachervision. Maniac becomes a legend in two mills, a town with an east end for blacks and a west end for whites. I would not like that nickname because i would not want to be known for doing everything like a maniac. There are themes of friendship, family, racism, courage and love. Amanda beale, maniac magee, john mcnab, earl grayson, mars. Maniac magee lesson plan lesson plan for 5th grade. Top teaching blog teachers tool kit student activities the teacher store book clubs book fairs. Have students predict what the character with this name might be like. Because of the way the book is written, setting and characters play a big part. Books for 4th and 5th graders these book lists offer general guidelines for appropriate agelevel recommendations for independent reading, with an eye to complexity and content, understanding that individual readers have different tastes and needs which may fall outside this general set of norms. Maniac tries to find a home, soothes tensions between rival factions on the tough side of town, and becomes a true hero.
Parenting book lists favorite books for 5th graders. Book reports forms, ideas, format, template, and writing. Maniac magee accelerated project options what is going on at two option 5. Generations young and old love this book that showcases the true meaning of the word family. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli life for a preteen can be tough. A 5th grade literature guide unit is suitable for 4th 8th grade. Maniac magee, written by jerry spinelli in 1990 and winner of the newbery medal in 1991, follows an orphaned boy named jeffery lionel magee colloquially maniac magee as he seeks out a home and confronts the racism of the 1980s1990s in the fictional city of two mills, pennsylvania. Hes sent to live with his aunt dot and uncle dan, and, despite dots sporty name, its not a fun household. Construct a chart that lists the traits of the main characters in maniac magee. Free maniac magee worksheets and literature unit for. Theres no need to run around trying to plan a unit for the book maniac magee, the work has already been done for you.
Maniac magee is a folk story about a boy, a very excitable boy. Maniac magee is a book that stuck with me long after i read it in fifth grade for the first time. If the events in the novel merit it, write up a report as a social worker would on the conditions in the home and whether or not its a good environment for a child. Fifth graders will enjoy frances hodgson burnetts classic childrens novel the secret garden. After years of living with his aunt and uncle, who hate each other, jeffrey decides he. Id love to provide my students with a class set of jerry spinellis maniac magee, which won the newberry medal award in 1991. All projects will be assessed with the provided rubric. Maniac magee was born in a dump, his heart is a cereal box, he has an eightinch pet cockroach on a leash.
Tweetemail tweetemailmaniac magee is a great unit for teaching both theme and character change. Kids gotta be a maniac, is what the folks in two mills say. Fifth graders read jerry spinellis, maniac magee, which focuses on homelessness, illiteracy, and racism. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli for starters, jerry spinelli writes some great books for 5th gradersso it was tough to decide which to include in this list. Write their ideas on the board, then have a volunteer look up the word in a dictionary.
Book reports ideas, forms, format, printables, writing. However, maniac magee rose to the top because it digs deep into a number of themes that are engaging and important to talk about with students. A prequel to the newbery medalwinning walk two moons, this book chronicles the daily life of yearold mary lou finney during her most chaotic and romantic summer ever. See more ideas about maniac magee, 5th grade reading and teaching. Maniac magee maniac magee, teaching themes, middle. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. The early death of his parents and the constant fighting of his aunt and uncle drive him to the streets, where he meets families and kids and communities, and he somehow manages to be the most levelheaded, kindest person on the scene. See more ideas about maniac magee, 5th grade reading and book study.
This literature unit guide is designed to be used alongside the soldseparately maniac magee by jerry spinelli. The book starts by relating the legends which built up about maniac magee and its fun to go back to those first two pages when youve finished reading to see how far from the truth the legend has grown. Without a place to call home, maniac bridges racial boundaries with his super athleticism, knotuntying abilities, and overall good character. Tang cleverly teaches problem solving through the use of mindstretching riddles. One that can outrun dogs, hit a home run off the best pitcher in the neighborhood, tie a knot no one can undo. Suggested reading list author title lengle, madeline a wrinkle in time lord, cynthia rules lewis, c. Free maniac magee worksheets and literature unit for teachers. Here is a maniac magee reading end of novel project choices with rubric. An orphan with no place to call home, maniac magee enters the town of two mills, a town sharply divided by race. In the first chapters of maniac magee, we learn the legend of maniac and where he got his name. Character traits are the individual characteristics and qualities that make characters from books, stories, movies, plays, and other art forms come to life for readers use the following list of character traits as a guideline when writing book reports and essays about the different characters youve read about. Watch this book trailer to get an idea of what life had in store for maniac magee.
Find all the books, read about the author, and more. In this newberry awardwinner, jeffrey maniac magee, an orphan, whose antics and extreme athleticism challenges his raciallydivided community. My favorite author is jerry spinellimy 5th graders start the year with maniac magee as our first readaloudloaded with figurative language and themes such as racism, friendship, loss, and more. Book reports ideas, forms, format, printables, writing, and. For example, if a social worker went to the mcnabs house in maniac mageeby jerry spinelli 1990, little, brown how would she describe the home and. In maniac magee, jerry spinelli writes a young adult novel in which the main character. Mary lennox is a spoiled orphan sent to live with her uncle at his mansion full of secrets. Watch to see which characters call jeffrey maniac and which do not. A guide for using maniac magee in the classroom, grades 58 9781557345370.
It stuck with me more than in just a lifelong love of butterscotch. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli lesson plans and teaching resources maniac magee vocabulary, comprehension questions, and learning activities, divided by chapters. This is a two page document that includes end of the story reading enrichment projects designed for the book maniac magee by jerry spinelli. You might make lists of 10 to 15 words to assign as refrigerator studies.
This list includes my 20 favorite books to use for novel studies, literature circles, or book clubs in your fifth grade classroom. Maniac magee is a novel by jerry spinelli in which jeffrey lionel maniac magee is orphaned and spends his youth living with various people in his small, racially segregated. In this novel unit, youll find 18 differentiated activities for maniac magee by jerry spinelli. My sixth grade students read the book maniac magee before watching the nickelodeon version. Hes so cool that he has his very own jumprope rhyme. Maniac magee was a very interesting book that tells the story of a homeless boy named jeffrey magee. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli paperback book the parent store. See more ideas about maniac magee, 5th grade reading and literature circles. Review each project option below and select one to complete for maniac magee. Our panel of childrens book experts recommends these great books for your fifth grader. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli is one of the books incoming 6th graders may choose for their required summer reading. This book would be a wonderful book for my diverse class, as racial prejudice, and other important issues are explored. Knot the whole truth the writer will analyze and discuss the tall tale format after reading jerry spinelli s tale of cobble s knot, told in chapter 20 of maniac magee.
A guide for using maniac magee in the classroom, grades 5. Through a series of whole class, small group, and independent lessons and activities, students practice synthesizing what they read and learn how to find answers to different types of. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli 6th grade book selection. Access thousands of highquality, free k12 articles, and create online assignments with them for your students. Includes a short novel summary and supporting resources for each. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of maniac magee by jerry spinelli. Each activity comes in 2 formats to mix and match based on the needs of your classroom cutpaste interactive.
This time is a little different thoughits a saturday, and there are kids everywhere. If you want to enhance your fifth graders reading experience check out these teacher recommended books for 5th graders. See more ideas about maniac magee, teaching and 5th grade reading. Maniac magee 5th grade unit this is a fifth grade unit on the novel. It was deffinately tough for jefferey lionel magee, nicknamed maniac. Theres even a jump rope rhyme about magee that the kids can jump to and make up other verses for. Maniac magee, lived with his parents until he was 3 years old. Explain that the book they will read is titled maniac magee. One in particular takes particular notice of maniac. At the beginning of the book, readers are introduced to jeffery magee, an orphan made to live with his aunt and uncle who hate each other. Excellent storytelling by spinelli make this a mustread book for any middlegrade reader. Maniac doesnt know he doesnt belong in the east end, and he recognizes some of the streets from when he met amanda.
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