One Crazy Summer

By: Rita Williams-Garcia

Lexile Reading Level: 750L

Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: Amistad.

Inspirational, courage, power to the people, hope, judgment, segregation, pride

This book is about three sisters who take the trip to California to visit their Mother. They learn about the Black Panthers and what they stand for. The sisters make new friends and learn how important it is to be themselves and stand up for what they believe in.

Electronic Resources:

History on Black Panthers
This website tells history about the Black Panthers and what they stand for. This website can be used while the students are reading to learn more about the Black Panthers that the three sisters meet.
Voki
This website allows students to create a talking avatar. Students can write a script and record their voice in order to create this avatar. Students can create a talking avatar based on the point of view  of

Delphine, Vonetta, Fern, or of their mother. The students can include how the character feels about an event that happen during their summer. This will be done after the students read the book.

Key Vocabulary:

This vocabulary should be taught before reading the book.

Black Panthers

Surging

 Towering

 Humiliation

 Claim

 Rightfully

 Clutching

Revolution

Squatted

 Queasy

Reading Strategy:

Students will create vocabulary cards on the words on the vocabulary list. On these cards they will include the definition, and a sentence using the word. Students should also draw a picture which describe the definition of the book. These will be created before they read the book, so they can better comprehend the text.

While Students are reading the book, they will do a think pair share. Students will read the assigned chapter. They will think about the significant events which occurred during the story. Then they will meet in small groups to discussion what events happened in the chapter that they believe are significant and why.

After the students read the book, they will create a Poem for Two Voices. They will use inferential comprehension along with explicit details from the text to create a poem. This will compare and contrasts two different character's point of view. This will completed in pairs.

Writing Activity that demonstrates Inferential Comprehension:

Students will write a journal entry as if they were Delphine or her mother. They will include how they  believe the character felt during a certain time or situation. They will use details from the book to support their answers.