Maniac Magee - Center for Social and Character Development

CENTER FOR SOCIAL AND CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
TEACHER-CREATED CURRICULUM RESOURCES PROJECT
Lesson Plan Contributors from the New Jersey Association of School Librarians:
LaDawna Harrington (School Librarian, Avenel Middle School Library Media Center, Avenel, NJ)
Nina Kemps (School Librarian, Rosa International Middle School, Cherry Hill, NJ)
Lauretta Fernandez (Elementary School Librarian, Woodbridge Township, Woodbridge, NJ)
Wendy Su (School Librarian, South Plainfield Middle School, South Plainfield, NJ)
Lesson Plan (Topic):
Maniac Magee
Grade Band/Level: Grades 5-7
Core Content Area:
Cross Content: English-Language Arts, Social Studies, Physical Education and Art
connected together through information literacy and essential research skills done in partnership with the
school library media specialist.
Scope: Short (one class period)
Medium (more than one class period)
Long (Project/unit – many class periods)
NJCCCS and Information Literacy Standards that will be addressed:
Language Arts:
Information Literacy Standards:
3.1 Reading Standard 1: Accesses information efficiently and effectively
3.2 Writing (Information Literacy Standard 1 is the foundation upon which all of the
3.3 Speaking subsequent information literacy standards are based.
3.4 Listening Standard 2: Evaluates information critically and competently
Standard 3: Uses information effectively and creatively
Social Studies:
Standard 4: Pursues information related to personal interests
6.1 Social skills Standard 5: Appreciates and enjoys literature and other creative
6.4 Geography expressions of information
Standard 6: Strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge
generation
Physical Education/Health:
2.2 Personal, Interpersonal, Standard 7: Recognize the importance of information to a democratic
and Life Skills
society
2.5 Movement Concepts Standard 8: Practice ethical behavior in regard to information and
and skills
information technology
Standard 9: Participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate
information
Art
1.2 Creation and Performance
The Library Media Center’s purpose should be that of helping to meet the curriculum needs expressed by
the school district and to enhance the students’ interest in learning by providing them with the skills and
motivation that will sustain them throughout their life. Partnering with the school library media specialist
utilizes opportunities for interdisciplinary units and cooperative learning. Use of effective information
literacy skills should be an integral part of the total educational program, connecting information and ideas
in all subjects and interest areas. The continuous link that brings all these diverse disciplines together is the
Library Media Center.
Character Education Connection, Core Values that will be investigated:
• respect
• honesty
• responsibility
• caring
Literature is a wonderful avenue for exploring the difficult topic of racism. Maniac Magee challenges
racism on both sides of Hector Street, and the subject of homelessness in the novel also gives rise to a

discussion of compassion. By building collaboration between classroom teachers and the media specialists
the students will be encouraged to work in teams and develop critical thinking skills through involvement
in subject related, real-life explorations.
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals
Students will:
• Read for personal growth
• Read and listen actively and critically in order to draw conclusions and make judgments.
• Identify and analyze main ideas and supporting details in order to make connections
• Access, locate, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of resource materials both print
and electronic including the Internet and Databases to conduct research
Understandings:
Students will understand that . . .
• Ethnic differences exist in the story and
that these differences generate powerful
feelings
• There are differences between “real” and
“tall-tale” character qualities, and that truth
may exist in the midst of exaggeration
• Descriptions of what a home is means
different things to different people
• Reading is a means of personal growth but
in order to have that personal growth you
must be able to read. What is the meaning
of illiteracy and what can be done to
overcome this problem?
• Every individual is on their own journey
and have their own hurts and joys
• developing understanding and empathy for
a variety of social issues bridges
differences and the possible effects they
may have in their own lives or the lives of
their classmates
• Segregation and prejudice still exist and
that family definitions have different
meanings to different individuals
• Homelessness is not just a problem
somewhere else but a problem even in our
own communities
Essential Questions:
• Are some people better than others?
• What character qualities make a hero?
• What is the difference between fact and
fiction? Can something have truth even if
there is exaggeration?
Performance Tasks Language Arts:
"Inside his house a kid gets one name, but on the
other side of the door, it's whatever the rest of the
world wants to call him." Chapter 14, pg. 53
Prior to reading the story students will brainstorm
what a home means to me.
During the reading of the story these are examples
of questions that could be part of the discussion:
• What themes do you find in Maniac
Magee? Is it about prejudice? Courage?
Fear? Understanding?
• Maniac wants to belong, but he's also a
loner. There are times you have to make
choices to stand apart from others.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Other Evidence:
• Home is…
• What’s in a name?
• Brainstorming Maps
• Venn Diagrams
• Writing journals
• Vocabulary quizzes
• Awards Ceremony
• Oral presentations
• Tall-Tales
• Poetry in Motion
• What’s the pitch?
• Country Research
o Ethnic diversity

Describe a time when you had to stand
apart from your friends. Why did you?
How did it make you feel? Would you do it
again? Why or why not?
• Who was the biggest hero in Maniac
Magee? Why?
• How were Mr. & Mrs. Beale and Grayson
alike? (use of Venn Diagrams may be a
useful strategies)
• What do you think the author meant when
he said, “Inside his house, a kid gets one
name, but on the other side of the door, it’s
whatever the rest of the world wants to call
him?”
After reading the story have the students go back to
their “what a home means to me” Now discuss the
topic again to see if ideas have changed.
o
homelessness
Making the connection of social issues that can be
addressed locally. (developing empathy for others,
building respect, responsibility and caring through a
local plan of action, i.e. reading buddies)
To apply understanding of prejudice, homelessness,
illiteracy and character qualities that provide
effective change students will create a product with
the following goals in mind:
• To educate others about the problem of
homelessness and/or illiteracy
• To express truth and hero qualities through
storytelling, jump rope rhymes, and other
creative expression
• To educate others about ethnic heritage and
its influence on family and perceptions
Ideas might include a collage, piece of art,
sculpture, rhyming poetry put to action in the form
of jump roping, written story, oral presentation of
tall-tales….use your imagination!
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
HOME IS….
Pre-reading activity: Construct a concept map of what a home means to me. (attached)
Read Maniac Magee. Use the discussion questions and the essential questions listed above as starting
points for discussion. For additional discussion questions see the following websites:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=497_type=Book_typeId=429
http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/maniacmagee.html
http://ddncurriculum.k12.sd.us/view.asp?ID=34
Use a Venn Diagram to compare and analyze my home vs. Maniac’s home.
TALL-TALES/WRITING/ORAL PRESENTATION
Media Specialist
Media Specialist will introduce tall-tale heroes.
Students will investigate several tall-tale heroes using resources available in the Library Media
Center.
Students will create tall-tale of their own.
Students will write stories, make a storyboard, and present their tall-tale in storytelling format
WHAT’S IN A NAME:
Language Arts Teacher and Media Specialist will discuss with the students nicknames and have the
students create a nickname for them if they don’t already have one. Discuss how the student got the
nickname. Was it because of their personality or from something they did? Write about it.
Using the following websites the students will investigate nicknames:

http://www.tngenweb.org/franklin/frannick.htm
http://www.genealogytoday.com/genealogy/enoch/nicknames.html
DISCUSS ILLITERACY AND GO TO THE LIBRARY TO CONDUCT RESEARCH.
Media Specialist will instruct students in use of good search strategies using the Internet and
Databases available.
Students will investigate the problem of illiteracy in the United States.
Students will brainstorm ways they can get involved to help solve this problem in their own
community, i.e. form reading buddies with a variety of groups (in their own school, with younger
children, struggling readers, senior centers, public library, other local venues)
Resources:
Classroom copies of Maniac Magee
Variety of Tall-Tale selections
Videos of Tall-Tales (optional)
Use of Internet
Use of Databases
Social Studies Connection:
COUNTRY RESEARCH
Conducting research in the Library Media Center, Students will be able to:
• Develop an understanding of different ethnic groups and the problem of homelessness
• Use a variety of resource materials both print and electronic including the Internet and Databases
to conduct country research focusing on basic country information to include location, natural
features, climate, government with specific focus on population, ethnic heritage, poverty, and
homelessness in these various countries
Ethnic Heritage should include the following, in order to develop an appreciation and
understanding of family in other parts of the world. Students could compare and contrast these
ideas with those of Maniac Magee.
Important Holidays of Celebrations
Food
Sports or Recreation
• For an interesting idea regarding the discussion of homelessness see:
http://www.classzone.com/novelguides/litcons/maniac/guide.cfm
Resources:
Electronic Resources: Internet and Databases
Print Material including Reference and Non-fiction relating to country research
Atlases
Almanacs
Physical Education Connection:
POETRY IN MOTION:
The children in that live in Twin Mills supposedly still chant jump-rope rhymes about Maniac Magee.
Media specialist will review the Dewey classification for the poetry section of the library.
Students will choose a poem or jump-rope rhyme to put into action
Students will write their own jump-rope rhyme for the Maniac Magee novel.
Students will demonstrate their own rhymes in the gym or outside
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Students will research their favorite baseball team and/or baseball pitches using resource materials
in the Library Media Center.
Together with the phys. ed. teacher the students will form baseball teams. They will need to come
up with their own name, colors, and uniform.
Students will learn baseball skills, etc and play against other teams during physical education classes.

Art Connection:
AWARDS CEREMONY
Students will be able to:
• Select characters that should receive awards (Art teacher would teach graphic art design,
sculpture, or other art concepts for creating trophies, certificates, photo album etc.)
• Design or create an appropriate award for characters in Maniac Magee
o Most unusual nickname?
o Kindest character
• Set up an awards ceremony in the Library Media Center
• Construct a photo album chronicling Maniac’s adventures in Twin Mills
Resources:
Internet
Reference and non-fiction art books
Arts supplies (may include digital software: adobe photoshop, paint, publisher, etc.)