Subject Area: Language Arts

Reading Level: 2.2

Book Summary
Junie B. Jones is back in the 17^th book of her adventures. This time, our irrepressible heroine is set to graduate from kindergarten. Her teacher hands out new white graduation gowns, with a warning not to touch them until graduation day. Unfortunately, Junie B. can't resist trying hers on for an adoring audience of stuffed animals. Disaster strikes when grape juice spills. Can Junie find a way to make things right? Or will she be stuck in kindergarten forever?

Objective
Students will become familiar with the use of meaning clues to aid reading comprehension.
Standard: Students will practice using meaning clues (e.g. pictures, picture captions, title, cover, headings, story structure, story topic) to aid comprehension and make predictions about content (e.g. actions, events, character's behavior).

Before Reading
What Happened Here?
Help students use illustrations to make predictions.

1. Start with the cover of Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl. Display the illustration in view of your whole class.
   
2. Ask students to think about what might have happened to Junie's graduation gown.
   
3. How does Junie look? What emotions might she be experiencing?
   
4. Have each student write a paragraph about his or her prediction.
   
5. Ask each student to read his or her paragraph aloud to the whole class.
   
6. If time allows, choose another illustration from the story. Repeat the exercise, asking students to think about how the character feels and to predict what might be happening.

Teaching Plan
Activities
Junie vs. Me
Junie's behavior is unpredictable. How do your students stack up?

1. Talk about Junie's reactions at various points in the story.
   
2. Ask each student to think about how he or she might have reacted in the same situation. If they had spilled grape juice on a white gown, what might they have done? If they'd been sent to the principal's office, how might they have behaved?
   
3. Next, ask each student to think about an event that happened recently in his or her own life. This could be something simple such as oversleeping an alarm clock, breaking a sibling's toy, or losing a tooth. Have each student write a brief paragraph predicting how Junie might have reacted in the same situation.
   
4. Ask if any students want to read their paragraphs aloud to the class.

It's Graduation Time!
It's almost time for your students to move to the next grade. Help them celebrate!

1. Talk about the concept of graduation with your students.
   
2. Use this time to help them prepare for the next grade. Discuss any questions they may have. If they are moving to a new school, talk about what that might be like.
   
3. Allow your class time to prepare their own graduation ceremony - even if it's just something that you'll stage in your classroom.
   
4. Using white poster board (or cardboard that students can color), have each student create his or her own mortarboards (an academic cap).
   
5. If possible, and appropriate, have each student bring in a simple white sheet from home. This can be draped and pinned to create a graduation "gown."
   
6. Choose a day on which to stage your "graduation." If feasible, invite a class of younger students to witness the ceremony.
   
7. Award each student with a simple, handmade diploma (create something on the computer and make photocopies). Have fun!
   

Fun With Words
Junie B. certainly has a unique way with language!

1. Talk about Junie's sometimes fractured English.
   
2. Have your students go back through the story, skimming for Junie's mistakes.
   
3. Make a list of her misuse of language, including misheard phrases such as "Cats and Gowns."
   
4. Make a list of Junie's incorrect pronunciations (or conjugations) on your chalkboard as your students call them out.
   
5. Next to that list, create a list of correct pronunciation/conjugation.
   
6. Ask your students to draw a picture of one of Junie's malapropisms.
   
7. Post their artwork on a classroom bulletin board.
   
8. One by one, point at each picture and ask students to guess what has been illustrated.

More Beginning Reader Chapter Books
The Henry and Mudge series
by Cynthia Rylant
Best friends Henry and his dog Mudge are inseparable. Their adventures, both big and small, are perfect for beginning readers.

The Magic Tree House Series
by Mary Pope Osborne
Readers thrill to the time-traveling escapades of Jack and Annie - the brother and sister team.

The Ramona Books
by Beverly Cleary
This best-loved pest never fails to enchant readers as she faces life's little problems head on.

Other Books in the Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones First Grader at Last!
Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day
Junie B. Jones Has a Peep in Her Pocket
Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying
Junie B. Jones Smells Something Fishy
Junie B. Jones Is Not a Crook

Lesson Plan Written by Rebecca Gómez