Maniac magee book report ideas for elementary school

In 2012 it was ranked number 40 among alltime childrens novels in a survey published by school library journal, a monthly with primarily u. He wrote a poem about this, and two days later the poem was p. Love the ideas and worksheets in this book and that it is reproduceable. Although the book is a bit difficult to get into, the persistent reader will be well rewarded. The west end is where the whites live though maniac cant figure out why they call them whitehe has at least seven different shades of color in his own skin and none of them are white. Help your students make the books they read come alive with these 22 creative book report ideas and examples. Maniac magee in elementary school curricula essay 582 words. The story of jeffrey lionel magee, aka maniac, has become a school standard since its publication in 1990. Conflict management is in the required health curriculum for fifth grade, so using this book brings the conflict resolutions to life. Great for new teachers, student teachers, homeschooling and teachers who like creative ways to teach. Any unlawful, unauthorized, improper, or negligent use andor. A guide for using maniac magee in the classroom literature units see more.

Published in the 1990s, spinelli decided to focus on an issue that was not widely discussed within the school systems and chose to inform fifth graders about segregation and the effect this can have on a persons moral character. Maniac magee book project book projects, maniac magee. 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. He presents maniac as a legendary figure, and leaves it to the reader to decide what is true and what is myth. 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. After reading an informational book, make a scrapbook about the topics.

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. The west end is where the whites live though maniac cant figure out why they call them whitehe has at least seven different shades of. Jeffrey lionel becomes maniac because he lacks a family, and throughout the book maniac is searching for a family. A collection of crosscurricular lessons to accompany the novel by jerry spinelli offers sample lesson plans, vocabulary lists, quizzes, cooperative learning activities, and book report ideas.

Maniac magee literature guide this newbery medal winner tells the mythical tale of a legendary hero. Language arts anchor charts great for upper elementary teachers i like to use sticky notes for students to complete the anchor chart. Spinelli first decided he wanted to become a writer at the age of 16, when his high school football team won a big game. This is the official facebook page for magee elementary school. But i think there is also something valuable in including books written by minority voices andor with minority characters. There are themes of friendship, family, racism, courage and love. Design a poster or new book cover depicting the climax of the story. We encourage you to click the critical thinking co. These projects help students work through its themes, characters, and events by creating a. Critical thinking work sheets grades 35 maniac magee this work sheet is part of a special library of free printable work sheets created for education world by one of our partners, the critical thinking co. Maniac magee makes maniac readers donorschoose project. Maniac magee is the story of jeffery lionel magee, a homeless drifter who finds his way to the racially divided community of two mills, pennsylvania. This project can be completed by students either while they read the story or after completion of maniac magee.

For example, i did meet a sixth grade girl in new york city once who brought her books to school every day in a suitcase. This book report should be done after completing reading maniac magee. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli lesson plans and teaching resources free. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. 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. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of maniac magee by jerry spinelli. An instructional guide for literature novel study guide for 4th 8th. For six engaging and different trifold novel study projects that can be used with any novel, please check out this resource. In form, it offers both social realism and an adventure tale about the life and times of a contemporary legend. Maniac magee, lived with his parents until he was 3 years old. Exciting, moving story explores racism, myth making. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli lesson plans and teaching resources maniac magee vocabulary, comprehension questions, and learning activities, divided by chapters.

My students need 61 maniac magee books to learn about conflict management in the fifth grade. The watsons go to birmingham is a great novel about racism and the civil rights movement, also. Exploring themes of racism and inequality, it follows the story of an orphan boy looking for a home in the fictional town of two mills. An orphan with no place to call home, maniac magee enters the town of two mills, a town sharply divided by race. 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. 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. In maniac magee, jerry spinelli writes a young adult novel in which the main character. In this lesson you will learn about the themes in the book maniac magee. Section one contains literature circle meeting forms. The students in elementary school also read it as a part of the curricula. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli is a young adult novel published in 1990. Free sandwich book report this is such a fun, clever, and unique free printable book report idea. Maniac magee is considered as an important literary work.

Draw a classroom mural depicting a major scenes from the book. Access thousands of highquality, free k12 articles, and create online assignments with them for your students. School novel, middle school, junior high, summer reading, 5th fifth grade. The watsons go to birmingham is a great novel about racism and the civil rights movement, also for upper elementary lower middle. He becomes a local legend for feats of athleticism and helpfulness, and his ignorance of sharp racial boundaries in the town. Maniac magee plot chart organizer by spinelli while reading the novel maniac magee, 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 novel maniac magee by jerry. Deklotz on this issue affecting the safety and health of students. I get my ideas from everyday life, memories, and imaginationand that probably covers everything.

Great supplemental information for school essays and projects. Maniac magee deals with important issues while presenting an engaging protagonist and compelling story. 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. An orphan with no place to call home, maniac magee enters two mills, a town sharply divided by race.

National education association named maniac magee one of teachers top 100 books for children based on a 2007 online poll. The novel received critical acclaim upon release and in 1991 won the prestigious newbery medal. Maniac magee is the story of jeffery lionel magee, a homeless drifter who finds his way. Theres even a jump rope rhyme about magee that the kids can jump to and make up other verses for.

Maniac magee book project maniac magee, book projects. Maniac becomes a legend in two mills, a town with an east end for blacks and a west end for whites. Vocabulary, comprehension questions, and learning activities, divided by chapters. Maniac magee maniac magee, teaching themes, middle. I would not like that nickname because i would not want to be known for doing everything like a maniac. 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. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli is one of the best books ive ever taught my fifth graders. Answer questions with evidence in this excerpt from maniac magee by jerry spinelli. I think maniac is a good nickname for jeffery because he can do almost anything and everything he does cannot be done by others. You might try the following activities with the class before handing out the book.

At the age of three, jeffrey magee loses both of his parents in a tragic accident. Maniac magee is a great unit for teaching both theme and character change. Jexceptional book, recommended for junior high school students. They attend a k5 distinguished school in california. Maniac magee maniac magee, teaching themes, middle school. Students must include the following on their book jacket template. Write an acrostic poem about the book using the letters in the title of the book or the name of a character or author. Without a place to call home, maniac bridges racial boundaries with his super athleticism, knotuntying abilities, and overall good character.

Fun activities to teach the book maniac magee by jerry spinelli. Maniac magee is a novel written by american author jerry spinelli and published in 1990. Students in fifth grade often have trouble solving conflicts. In this novel unit, youll find 18 differentiated activities for maniac magee by jerry. Have students predict what the character with this name might be like. They pull out a book on their own when they finish a task. See more ideas about maniac magee, 5th grade reading and teaching. Study questions, project ideas and discussion topics based on important themes running throughout maniac magee by jerry spinelli. Maniac magee is a book that stuck with me long after i read it in fifth grade for the first time. Maniac magee literature guide for grades 58 teachervision. Rachel shares 10 creative book report ideas that wont have your students begging for another project type. Jerry spinelli, the author of this newbery medal winner, is also the author of other childrens classics like wringer, stargirl, and milkweed.

Students will be able to learn techniques for resolving conflicts. This unit contains everything you need to facilitate a literature circle in your middle school or upper elementary classroom with the book maniac magee. The unit is divided into three sections, and each section includes a wealth of resources. Better than book reports, these ideas will have your students think more complexly. Maniac magee by jerry spinelli is a novel that introduces the human rights violation of racism to children in elementary schools. Write their ideas on the board, then have a volunteer look up the word in a dictionary. It won the 1991 newbery medal and remains a vital, relevant classic. Print in color or black and white, perfect for kindergarten. Jeffery lionel magee maniac magee genre of the story. Reading detective a1 if you find this work sheet of value, see more free printable worksheets from the critical thinking co. Maniac magee is a moderately complex novel, in form and in content. To help determine next steps for the kettle moraine school district, a study group has been formed to investigate the districts sustainability. How might students use storyboards to demonstrate and to extend their learning.

The terrific ten great creative book report ideas minds in bloom inside mobile book report template digital photography below, ways to present a book report. Improve your students reading comprehension with readworks. Book jacket project description page grading rubric halfpage design to save paper example photos of a completed book jacket different novel as example this maniac magee activity is an equal mix of writing and creativity that students love. Explain that the book they will read is titled maniac magee. Magee elementary homepage kettle moraine high school. Magees athletic skills, combined with his nonjudgmental way, lead the people of two mills to overcome segregation, racial profiling, and ignorance. Ideas for classroom organization elementary teacher hacks life.

Maniac magee is not sure what it is either, but he deals with it courageously in jerry spinellis story of two mills, pas legendinthemaking. Fsu employee and student personal information on this website is for official business use only. 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. I have used this study guide with fifth grade and middle school, and highly recommend it. After this lesson, you will have a better understanding of what theme means as well as the four major themes in the book. Your help will ensure that my students have the opportunity to participate in a book study that will encourage a stronger love for reading and a feeling of success struggling readers rarely. The relationship of kids to racial identity in maniac magee has been used as a topic in a number of studies. My students typically complete their book jacket in. Maniac magee book project maniac magee, book projects, map. Jeffrey magee, later nicknamed maniac, goes to live with aunt dot and uncle dan after enjoy book unit samples from maniac magee. Theres more abandonment in maniac magee than in an aspca commercial. Maniacs parents abandoned him by dying, his aunt and uncle abandoned him emotionally by hating each other, maniac abandons the beales out of fear, grayson abandons maniac by dying, maniac struggles and, uh, kind of fails to not abandon russell and piper. It is popular in elementary school curricula, and has been used in social studies on the premises of. Maniac magee book trailer viewpure maniac magee, maniac.