Educators' Guides for Benny and Penny in The Big No-No!
HARDCOVER ISBN 13: 978-0-9799238-9-0
LEXILE LEVEL: GN 30
GUIDED READING LEVEL: H
LEXILE LEVEL: GN 30
GUIDED READING LEVEL: H
Lesson Plan:
Before Reading | Explain the concept of making informed guesses, or “figuring things
out” through “clues” in order to better understand stories. (Or review
key points about making inferences you have already taught.) Preview
both the content and the implementation of the skill itself by drawing
attention to the book cover. Ask students how we know that Penny is
talking to Benny even though she seems to be addressing the reader
directly (i.e., she says his name). Have students identify the situation/
setting of the cover image purely from visual clues (Benny and
Penny are looking into another yard) and infer how the characters
feel (they are unhappy or alarmed). Reinforce that using clues in this
way to figure out meanings that aren’t stated directly is helpful to
understanding—and enjoying—a range of stories, including those
without pictures. To activate prior knowledge, invite students to share what they know about Benny and Penny (from Just Pretend) or what it’s like to play with an older/younger sibling or kids in their neighborhood. Discuss the sort of things a mean person does, the importance of sharing, or what misunderstandings are and how they can be resolved. |
During Reading | Read the first half of the story (through p. 17) as a group, using
whatever routine you’re most comfortable with. Point out throughout
how the words and pictures work together to allow readers to make
inferences that tell them what the characters are doing and why. For
example, on the very first page, draw attention to the clues that suggest
that the main characters are brother and sister (they share the same
yard; their names rhyme). Using a think-aloud process, continue to
model the skill as needed. On p. 7, for example, you might ask why
Penny says that girls are nicer (Benny has just been mean to her on the
bottom of p. 6) or how one can tell that Benny is looking for his pail in
panel three (the dialogue in panel 4 makes this clear). Have students read on their own to complete the second half of the story (pp. 18-31), instructing them to complete the activity sheet as they read to focus on making inferences. Clarify that the activity calls out only five inferences that readers might make for this section of the text, and that good readers make inferences about characters as needed. |
After Reading | Have students share their work on the activity sheets with the group,
and invite volunteers to identify other places in The Big No-No! where
they needed to make inferences. Be sure to have them explain how
story clues enabled them to figure out what the characters were doing
and why. Finally, make a thematic connection by discussing how Benny
and Penny made inferences—incorrectly—about their new neighbor
from the clues that they came across. Ask students if they’ve ever
experienced a misunderstanding as the result of an incorrect inference.
Then connect this particular comprehension skill to another, making
predictions, by having students reflect on Benny, Penny, and Melina
at the conclusion of the story. What will the three characters do in the
future? What is the evidence for such a prediction? |
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