World According to Kaley

The World According to Kaley

By Dian Curtis Regan

Pre-reading:

Do you keep a journal or learning log for any of your classes? Which ones? Do you like it? Why or why not? Do you think it helps you understand the material better? What do you think a learning log should include?

Questions to consider:

1. Do you think Kaley is a good reader? Why or why not? What makes a good reader? How do you know if you’ve understood the material you were assigned to read?
2. Find five facts and five opinions in one of Kaley’s essays. How do you tell the difference between facts and opinions? Is one more important than the other?
3. Do you think Mr. Serrano is a nice teacher? Why? Do you think he is a good teacher? Can a teacher be not nice and still be good? What do you think of his assignments?
4. What’s the most interesting fact you learned by reading Kaley’s essays? How did you know which parts were true and which ones she was writing creatively?
5. Describe what else happens in Kaley’s life outside of school.
6. Which essay is your favorite? Why? Which topic would you most like to study? Which one would you least like to learn about? Why?
7. Why did Kaley lose points on her graphs? What is the purpose of footnotes? Did she do it incorrectly? Did she learn how to do it correctly? How do you know?
8. What happens that changes Kaley’s feelings about her baby brother? How does that situation turn out? What do you think would be the hardest part about having a baby in the house?
9. What did you learn about the history of medicine? Did it remind you of anything else you’ve learned or know? What?
10. Predict what you think Kaley will be like in five years? Use examples from the story to back up your predictions. What do you think she’ll decide to be when she grows up?

 

Across the Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Write a letter from Kaley to her baby brother about all the most important things he must know in life. You can create new information about Kaley but it should sound like her and seem believable.

Science:

 Write an essay of your own about how scientific beliefs have changed through history. Compare what they used to believe to what people believe now: Choose one of these topics or one of your own:
How people get sick.
How to stay healthy
What to eat and what not to eat
Home remedies

History:

Research one of the topics from the book and create a poster about what you learned. The poster should answer the five journalistic questions of who, what, when, where and why. Share your work with your class.

Sample topics:

Early civilization

Stone Age

Ice Age

New Stone Age

Nile River Valley

Pyramid construction

Greek Empire

Roman Empire

Ancient Olympic Games

The Middle Ages

The Gutenberg Press

The Renaissance

The Wright Brothers

The History of Medicine

Music:

Research the types of musical instruments that were played in one of the historical time periods mentioned in the book. Try to find a picture of it and describe how it was played. For extra credit, locate some music to share with the class in the style of the period.

Art:

Take a common composition notebook but make it your own my cutting out pictures from magazines, adding stickers and other designs to make it your own. Cover with clear contact paper to make it durable. Write and doodle at will.

Math:

Create at least two of the following: a graph, chart, table, or timeline based on the research you did for either the history or music projects. Be sure the information is labeled accurately and site the source for your work. Do not just copy a graphic from an existing text!

cont. on next page….
Fill out this KWL chart before you begin one of your research projects.

TOPIC:____________________________

SOURCE:_________________________

What I already KNOW about this topic:	What I WANT to know about this topic:	What I LEARNED as I read about this topic:

Mary Margaret and the Perfect Pet Plan

Teacher’s Guide for                                           

Mary Margaret and the Perfect Pet Plan
By Christine Kole MacLean

Prediction Guide: Answer these questions at the end of each chapter to help build your comprehension. Remember- right answers don’t matter! What fun would it be to read if you already knew what would happen? Make guesses based on what you’ve learned about the characters, the setting and what you know about stories.

Pre-reading:

What do you think the main problem will be in this story? Why do you think so? What do you think will happen in the end?

Chapter 1

1. What will her mother say about Lester?
2. Will Mary Margaret be able to find Lester?

Chapter 2

1. Will Andy and Mary Margaret become best friends? Why or why not?
2. What type of pet do you think Mary Margaret wants most? Why?

Chapter 3

1. Will JT help Mary Margaret get a pet?
2. Why do you think her mom doesn’t want a pet?

Chapter 4

1. Will her dad get sick from Lester?
2. Will her mom be less crabby after the baby comes?
3. What is up between JT and Duff?

Chapter 5                                                                                

1. Will JT tell on Mary Margaret?
2. What will he make her do so he doesn’t?
   
    

Chapter 6

1. What could the secret be?
2. Will JT figure out that Mary Margaret snooped? How?

Chapter 7

1. Will Duff and JT stay friends?
2. What is Mary Margaret’s idea?

Chapter 8

1. Will Andy keep being Mary Margaret’s friend? Why?
2. Will Mary Margaret blab that JT is sewing for her?

Chapter 9

1. Will Mary Margaret sell a lot of #2 totes?
2. What will she name the baby?

Chapter 10

1. Will Mary Margaret ever snoop again?
2. What do you think this means (the last sentences of the chapter): “Which is a fib. Because he actually says quite a bit about JT.”

Chapter 11

1. What will they do with the rest of the summer?
2. Will they continue to make and sell #2 Totes?

Chapter 12

1. What do you think she’s getting for her birthday?
2. Will Mary Margaret ever get a pet she really wants? When?

Chapter 13

1. Will Mary Margaret accept the baby?
2. Will she lose her temper again or will she be better now that she has said how she feels to her mom?

Chapter 14

1. Why won’t they get to sleep outside in the tent?
2. What kinds of things will Mary Margaret get away with after the baby comes?

Chapter 15

1. Will JT save the rabbit?
2. Will JT and Duff ever be friends again?

Chapter 16

1. Will Duff go back to Mike and Kevin?
2. Will Mary Margaret like the baby more in a year?

Chapter 17

1. What do you think the title of this chapter means?
2. Will Eliza ever get over her colic?

Chapter 18

1. Do you think Mary Margaret will get a dog too? Why or why not?
2. Will she like her sister more and more?

 

Comprehension Guide for

Mary Margaret and the Perfect Pet Plan
By Christine Kole MacLean

                                                                            

Knowledge:

1. Describe Mary Margaret in your own words.
2. Make a chart with each character’s name and a description of them from the book.

Comprehension:

1. List five key events from the story in the order they appear.
2. Explain what is going on in JT’s life.

Application:

1. Write five interview questions you would like to ask Mary Margaret.
2. Draw a picture of your favorite scene.

Analyze:

1. Compare JT and Mary Margaret.
2. Predict what Mary Margaret will be when she grows up. Explain your answer.

Synthesize:

1. What would happen if you (like Mary Margaret):
   1. Told your Grandpa that you didn’t like his birthday gift?
   2. Brought a rat home without asking?
   3. Logged into your brothers journal without permission?

Evaluation:

1. Decide what happens after the book closes.
2. What is your favorite part of the story? Why?

Multiple Intelligence Projects for

Mary Margaret and the Perfect Pet Plan 
By Christine Kole MacLean

                                                                            

Verbal/ Linguistic:

Mary Margaret and her brother sometimes speak in code by dropping all the letters off words except the first one. (an example: KWIM for know what I mean) Create a code like this for your most common phrases and make a handbook so people can understand you. IWBF  (It will be fun!)

-or-

Mary Margaret loves to write little poems about what is going on around her. Write three poems inspired by this spunky character about what is happening around you.

-or-

Write a pamphlet about your dream pet. Find out everything there is to know about owning such an animal like food requirements, training, vet costs, housing needs, exercise and where you can find one.

Logical/ Mathematical:

Math worksheet below

Visual/ Spatial:

Design a bedroom for Mary Margaret. Choose colors, tell what her comforter would look like, what posters she might have- even the toys and books that would be sitting on her shelf. A really fun way to do this project is to cut out pictures from ads and magazines. Or, use a shoebox and make a miniature of her room with found objects.

Body/ Kinesthetic:

Play charades, acting out these scenes from the book (with no words!)

Losing the rat

Camping in the backyard

Selling #2 Totes

Capture of the rabbit

Snooping on the computer

Doing unnecessary chores

Losing her temper in the parking lot

Musical/ Rhythmic:

In small groups, write a song about Mary Margaret or the events in the story to the tune of one of these songs (then sing them aloud for all to enjoy!):

B-I-N-G-O

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Three Blind Mice

Interpersonal:

Write a letter from Mary Margaret to her Grandpa after the birthday incident. Pretend like they didn’t resolve things while at the farm.

Intrapersonal:

Draw an emotional timeline for Mary Margaret. Show the ups and downs in her emotions and make a note as to what causes them. (The chart should look similar to a heart monitor chart!)

Teacher’s guide prepared by: www.TracieVaughnZimmer.com

Visit and find more guides to children’s literature!

Mary Margaret Mathematics:

                                                                                               

In small groups solve these word problems:

1. If it costs Mary Margaret $17.00 to buy the fabric to make #2 Totes, how many will she have to sell at $5.00 a piece to make a profit? Explain how you got your answer…

2. What if JT decides that because he sews the bags for her that he should get a cut of the profits? So, if JT wants $2.00 for every bag sold, and it costs two dollars for the materials for each bag how many bags will she have to sell to make a profit?

3. Mrs. Fufetti has decided that she simply must buy ten #2 leopard print Totes for all her friends in the gardening club. It takes a half a yard of fabric to make five totes. A yard of fabric costs $4.95 a yard. How much will it cost Mary Margaret to make the totes?

4. Mary Margaret wants a new bowl set for her pet. It costs $13.99 at the pet store. How many totes will she have to sell to go buy it?

Harriet Bean and the League of Cheats

Harriet Bean

And the League of Cheats

By Alexander McCall Smith

Illustrated by Laura Rankin

Pre-reading:

What is a cheat? What is a league? How do you think these two things will be combined in this story? Before reading page one what else do you already know about the book?

Discussion Guide:

1. What did Harriet discover about her aunt? Why did they want her to come over?
2. Who do the aunts think must be cheating Mr. Fetlock? Why? How does Harriet dress? Why?
3. Describe Aunt Thessalonika and Aunt Japonica. Would you like to have Harriet’s aunts as your own? Why or why not?
4. What does a detective do? What are disguises? Would you ever like to have a disguise? When?
5. What is a jockey’s job? Would you like to be one? Why or why not?
6. What had someone done to Black Lightening’s hooves? How was Harriet able to discover it?
7. Have you ever discovered information that you weren’t supposed to know? Did you tell anyone? Did it scare you?
8. Why does Harriet study the boots on the way to the race? What does she learn?
9. Who does Harriet realize is the cheat? How? What plan do they make together?
10. What happens when Harriet rides Black Lightening? Would you want to ride him? Why do they think she, too, is cheating?
11.  Who led the league of cheats? How did Harriet and her aunts scare him?
12. What will happen to the cheater after the story closes? What makes you think this?
13. What should happen to people who cheat?  Why do you think people cheat? How do people learn not to cheat?
14. Describe how do Harriet’s aunts scared Charlie Heat. What happens next? Why is it important?
15. Often in mystery stories clues are given that are not true (these are called red herrings). What are some false clues that were given in this story? Did they keep you guessing? Why or why not?

Projects:

Language Arts:

Harriet Bean and the League of Cheats has many great words that you may not know. Try to figure out the meaning by reading the sentence or look them up in a dictionary if you’re stuck. Then, draw a picture that helps you remember what the definition is.

Ch. 1: ridiculous, expecting, ancient, disguised

Ch. 2: interfering, jockey, jodhpurs, extracted, flourish

Ch. 3 companion, disturbed, ordinary, powerless

Ch. 4 scramble, suspicious, collided, exhausted

Ch. 5 sabotage, seethe, dashing, flustered

Ch. 6 mount, hoisted, reins, deliberately,

Ch. 7: beckoned, sniveling, accused, icily, limp

Brainteasers:

If a horse eats one pound of oats a day and two pounds of hay then how much of each does he need for the week? The month? The year?

If a horse can run ten laps around the track without needing water, how many times must he stop if he could go around it 30 times? How did you figure it out?

If it takes fifteen minutes to saddle a horse, how many horses can you saddle in an hour? Two hours? Three?

Art:

Study the illustrations of Laura Rankin in the book. What tools do you think she used to create them? How is working in black and white different from using color? Crate your own black and white illustration of another scene from the novel that is not yet illustrated.

The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet

The Five Lost Aunts of

Harriet Bean

Pre-reading activity:

On a piece of paper list as many of your aunts and uncles that you can. Do they have children? Can you list their names too? Are there any people in your family that you’ve never met? How can this happen? How would you feel if you discovered that you had five missing aunts? Would you want to find them?

Discussion Guide:

1. What is Harriet’s father’s job? Is he good at it? What clues are given to make you decide this?
2. Why hasn’t Harriet known about her aunts? What happened when Harold was young on the farm?
3. Describe the painting made of the five aunts and their brother. Why did the parents want to have it made? What happened?
4. What piece of information does Harriet’s father have about his sister? What does Harriet decide to do with it? Where does this clue lead?
5. Describe Aunt Veronica’s job. How does it relate to what Harriet has already been told about her?  Retell the events with Harold and the elephant.
6. What is the secret to Aunt Veronica’s car? Why does she have this? What trick does she play on the mechanic?
7. How does Aunt Harmonica use her special gift? Why isn’t she happy about her role at the opera?
8. What was the strangest incident in the whole history of opera?
9. Explain the plan to find Aunt Majolica. Does it work? What is she like?
10. Aunt Veronica says, “There are some things that can’t be bought. These things are by far the most valuable.” (p. 84) What does this mean? Do you agree with her? What did she do for the girl instead of just giving her a prize?
11.  Why do the twins wear disguises? What special tools do they have in their office? Which one would you most like to use? Why?
12. The painter makes a mistake on the portrait. What is it? How does he fix it?
13. Do you think the aunts and their brother will keep their promise to see each other weekly? Why or why not?
14. Which aunt would be your favorite? Why?  What special abilities do members of your own family have? How would you try to find someone now?
15. Predict what types of adventures Harriet will have with her aunts.

Projects:

Language Arts:

The following are terrific words from the book The Five Lost Aunts of Harriet Bean. Have children draw pictures that help them remember what the words mean. Sort the words by noun, verb or adjective. Then, play a challenge game like a spelling bee but where children must use the word correctly in a sentence. Wonderful words: astonished, existed, absent-minded, irritating rejected, scone, coax, scythe, immensely, temperamental, alternative, vaguely, protest, stout, bedecked, dismantle, resemblance, marvelous, lozenge, valuable, confidential, intriguing, ordinary, jubilation, laden.

As you read, fill out this character chart about Harriet, her father, and the aunts. Be sure to keep the details straight with the character!

	Description	Career
Harriet
Harold
Aunt Veronica
Aunt Harmonica
Aunt Majolica
Aunt Japonica
Aunt Thessalonika

 

Social Studies:

Create your own family tree. Ask parents, grandparents and uncles and aunts to help you get as much of the information as complete as possible. Organize the information in a way that helps you keep it straight!

Music:

What types of music do you think each of the aunts listen to? If you like, choose a song for each and explain why you picked it.

Art:

Create your own family portrait but be sure to put the right head on the right body- or if you’re feeling silly- well, don’t!