April / May Read Aloud

Here are some questions we will use throughout this unit during read alouds, both as “think alouds” and turn and talk to a partner:

Who are the characters here, and what issues are they facing?

 What are the characters reactions to these issues?

 How do characters deal with these issues?

What perspective does each character have on this issue?

Is this fair?  Why?  Why not?

What did we just learn from reading this page/chapter/book about a specific social issue?

 If you were this character, what would you be thinking right now?  What would you be feeling right now?

 How does what we just read connect with some of the other books that we’ve read before?

Read Aloud Book

Maniac Magee 

By: Jerry Spinelli

Jeffrey Lionel Magee is living a normal life until his parents are killed in a tragic trolley accident when he's three. He's sent to live with his Aunt Dot and Uncle Dan, and, despite Dot's sporty name, it's not a fun household. Uncle Dan and Aunt Dot are strict Catholics who hate each other, meaning Maniac grows up in a loveless, largely silent house. When he's 11-years-old, he's finally had enough, and takes off running. Yup, literally running. He runs for a couple hundred miles and a year, and ends up in Two Mills, Pennsylvania.

Conversational Vocabulary:

• Desserted
• Commotion
• Cease
• Infamous
• Athletic
• Mirage
• Segregated
• Solitude

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3-CCyb5iLkAdGVGWm11Y2VYWFJmbHV3aTVzd3NIT2tIWVdN