Text Type: Fiction/Realistic
Page Count: 20
Word Count: 1,310

Book Summary
Aunt Maggie is coming to visit Adam and his family, which means lots of fun and laughter are in store. Even Adam's neighbor Dario agrees: she is the coolest, most amazing grown-up they know. But when Adam and Dario notice Maggie struggling for breath after a short walk to the park, they realize that her health is in danger. They put their heads together to create a plan to help Maggie make healthier choices--but will she appreciate their suggestions or be offended? Illustrations support the text.

About the Lesson

Targeted Reading Strategy

• Make, revise, and confirm predictions

Objectives

• Use the reading strategy of making, revising, and confirming predictions
• Make inferences
• Understand the use of a dash as punctuation
• Recognize and form compound words

Materials

• Book -- Only One Aunt Maggie (copy for each student)
• Chalkboard or dry erase board
• Prediction, make inferences, dash, compound words worksheets
• Discussion cards

      Indicates an opportunity for students to mark in the book. (All activities may be demonstrated by projecting book on interactive whiteboard or completed with paper and pencil if books are reused.)

Vocabulary

• Content words: advice, alternative, arteries, crave, dictate, excellent, furrowed, lean, marathon, pledge, realistic, recent, spanning, summon, trio

Build Background

• Ask students if they have a favorite relative or family friend and, if so, what makes that person so special. Ask if that friend or relative spends special time together with them, and how that makes them feel. Ask if there are specific activities that they like doing together. Encourage volunteers to share their experiences.
• Ask students to tell how they know when a story is fictional. Review what realistic fiction is, and discuss how authors use realistic elements to make their stories more interesting.

Preview the Book

Introduce the Book

• Give students their copy of the book. Guide them to the front and back covers and read the title. Have students discuss what they see on the covers. Encourage them to offer ideas as to what type of book it is and what it might be about.
• Show students the title page. Discuss the information on the page (title of book, author's name, illustrator's name).

Introduce the Reading Strategy: Make, revise, and confirm predictions

• Explain to students that good readers often make predictions about what will happen in a book based on the series of events and what the characters say, do, and think in the story. As they read the story, readers revise or confirm their predictions based on what they learn from reading. Before reading a book, readers can use the title and illustrations as the basis for making predictions.
• Model using the title and illustrations to make a prediction.
  Think-aloud: When I look at the illustration on page 4, I see a boy at the dinner table with people who are probably his parents. The boy looks as if he is about 8 or 9 years old. I also see that the boy is happily waving his arms in the air. It seems as though he is excited about something. The title of the book is Only One Aunt Maggie. I wonder if the story is about the boy's Aunt Maggie, who comes to visit him. Perhaps he is excited because he really likes her, and he doesn't see her that often. I'll have to read the book to confirm or revise my prediction.
• Create a four-column chart on the board with the headings Make, Revise, Confirm, and Actual. Model writing a prediction in the first column, Make. (For example: A boy is excited to see his Aunt Maggie, who is coming to visit him.)
• Introduce and explain the prediction worksheet. Have students look at the covers of the book and the title page again. Ask them to make a prediction before they begin reading and write it on their worksheet in the Make column. Discuss with students that the reasons behind their predictions are what make their predictions valuable. Invite them to share their predictions and why they think that event might happen.
• As students read, encourage them to use other reading strategies in addition to the targeted strategy presented in this section. For tips on additional reading strategies, click here.

Introduce the Comprehension Skill: Make inferences

• Explain that not all the information in a book is directly stated. Sometimes readers need to make inferences by using details in the story to understand the indirect language used. Explain that an inference is a conclusion drawn by connecting clues in text to information already known. Making inferences allow readers to understand ideas in text on a deeper level.
• Ask students to turn to page 4; read it aloud as they follow along. Discuss with students what can be inferred about how Adam feels about his Aunt Maggie (he really likes her). Have volunteers give examples from the text that support this inference ("Whooo-hooo!"; waving his arms overhead; and so on). Point out how the illustration supports the inference.
• Think-aloud: As I read, I will look for other opportunities to make inferences. I know that good readers do this and that it helps them understand what they read. I will think about what I already know and make inferences as I read Only One Aunt Maggie.

Introduce the Vocabulary

• Cut out the illustrations from pages 6 and 7.
• Write the following words from the content vocabulary on large pieces of paper and hang them up around the room: spanning, realistic, and trio. Read each word aloud with students.
• Place students in three groups and assign each group to a word. Have them discuss what they know about the meaning of their word and write a definition on the paper. Rotate the groups until each group has visited every word.
• Show students the illustration from page 6. Invite students to describe what they see. Ask students if they know a word that means reaching or extending across (spanning). Point to the word on the board and practice saying it aloud with students. Ask them to identify what is spanning in the illustration from page 6. Have a volunteer read the definition from the glossary, and invite students to compare the meaning of the word with their prior knowledge definition.
• Write the following sentence from page 7 on the board: After lunch, the trio baked a racetrack cake. Ask students to compare their prior knowledge definition of trio with what they can gather from the context clues in the sentence. Have a volunteer read the definition for trio from the glossary, and have them compare that definition with the one they created from prior knowledge.
• Show students the illustration from page 7. Point out the trio of people, and invite them to describe what else they see. Ask students if they know a word that means seeming real (realistic). Point to the word on the board and practice saying it aloud with students. Have a volunteer read the definition from the glossary, and invite students to compare the meaning of the word with the definition they came up with from their prior knowledge.
• For tips on teaching word-attack strategies, click here.

Set the Purpose

• Tell students as they read the book to make predictions about what will happen based on what the characters say, do, and think. Remind them to revise or confirm their predictions as they learn more about the events of the story.

Student Reading

• Guide the reading: Have students read from page 5 to the end of page 9. Encourage those who finish early to go back and reread these pages.
• Model revising a prediction.
  Think-aloud: I predicted that a boy was excited to see his Aunt Maggie, who was coming to visit him. As I read, I learned that Adam was indeed excited to see Aunt Maggie, and so were his mother and father. I read that they all thought she was a very funny lady, and they always had a great time with her. I know that the family was very interested in Aunt Maggie's stories about her travels. I inferred this information because I read: Everyone's eyes were glued to Aunt Maggie as she spoke... I'm revising my prediction to: Aunt Maggie invites Adam to join her when she takes her next vacation because they have so much fun together. I will write this prediction on my chart in the Revise column next to my original prediction.
• Encourage students to use the information they've read and discussed to revise or confirm their prediction. Have them write their new prediction under the Revise heading on their worksheet. Remind them that if their first prediction has been confirmed or has not yet been proven, they may write another prediction in the Make column of their worksheet. Model for students how to think through whether or not their predictions were confirmed, and if not, why not. Help them to think about whether or not the reasons for their predictions were valid.
• Check for understanding: Have students read to the end of page 11. When they have finished reading, have them share their predictions and the outcome of their predictions. Remind them to revise or confirm their predictions and write what actually happened on their worksheet.
• Based on the information in the book, ask students to infer why Aunt Maggie is unhealthy. Have students share the story clues and prior knowledge they used to make that inference. (Page 8 clues: everyone was eating grapes, but she wanted chips; her two favorite foods are chocolate and chips. Page 10 clues: she was sweating a lot for a cool day and her face was red; she had only walked three blocks and was out of breath. Page 11 clues: she sat down on a bench to catch her breath and wanted a sweet treat; on the walk home she breathed even heavier and walked even slower; she said that she's overweight and out of shape.) Introduce and explain the make inferences worksheet, and have students record this information on their worksheet.
• Have students read the remainder of the book. Encourage them to continue to make, revise, and confirm their predictions as they read the rest of the story.

      Have students make a question mark in their book beside any word they do not understand or cannot pronounce. Encourage them to use the strategies they have learned to read each word and figure out its meaning.

• Ask students what words, if any, they marked in their book. Use this opportunity to model how they can read these words using decoding strategies and context clues.

Reflect on the Reading Strategy

• Think-aloud: I predicted that Aunt Maggie would invite Adam to join her when she took her next vacation because she and Adam have so much fun together. My prediction was incorrect, although I did read more about how much fun they had together. I learned that he cared deeply for Maggie, and when he learned about her health problems he wanted to help. I read about how Dario and Adam created an inspirational poster that would help Maggie make healthier food choices. I will write this information next to my prediction under the heading Actual.
• Independent practice: Have students complete their prediction worksheet. Invite them to share their predictions, reasoning, and revisions, and to tell how their predictions related to the actual outcome of the story. Ask students to explain how the strategy of making, revising, and confirming predictions helped them understand and enjoy the story.

Reflect on the Comprehension Skill

• Discussion: Ask what can be inferred about why Adam's family is healthy. Have students share the story clues and prior knowledge they used to make that inference. Record the information on the board as story clues are shared. (Page 4 clues: Mom served salad for dinner. Page 5 clues: The family laughed a lot; Adam played soccer. Page 7 clues: Adam's specialty was buckwheat pancakes with bananas. Page 8 clues: everyone was eating grapes for a snack; they didn't have chips in the house. Page 10 clues: Adam walked six blocks to get to the park. Page 12 clues: they ate turkey sandwiches and carrots for lunch; Adam remembered learning about the heart in science class; he saw the importance of helping Aunt Maggie get healthy. Page 14 clues: Mom served brown rice and wheat bread; doughnuts and chips were only for Junk Food Fridays. Page 16 clues: Adam knew examples of less healthy foods; he knew what foods to eat instead when he craved junk food. Page 17 clues: Adam was comfortable confiding in his mother. Page 18 clues: Adam knew it was important to share his poster with Maggie, even though he was nervous.). Encourage volunteers to share prior knowledge clues and add them to the board.
• Have students turn to page 12 and reread it. Ask what can be inferred about why Adam is a good student. Have students share the story clues and prior knowledge they used to make that inference. (Page 12 clues: he kept thinking about science class; he remembered what he had learned about the heart; he applied his knowledge to a real-life situation; he kept thinking about how to solve Maggie's problem and came up with a plan). Have them record this information on their make inferences worksheet.
• Independent practice: Ask students to think about what can be inferred about why Aunt Maggie was impressed with Adam's poster. Have students complete the make inferences worksheet by recording their answers on their worksheet. When they have finished, discuss their answers as a group.
• Enduring understanding: In this book, you learned about a woman who wasn't making healthy lifestyle choices. She admitted that she was overweight and out of shape, and her nephew was afraid that her heart was in danger. Now that you know this information, how does it make you feel about the importance of making healthy choices in your own daily life? What actions can you take today that will positively affect your life in the future?

Grammar and Mechanics: Dash

• Review or explain to students that a dash (--) is a punctuation mark used to indicate a break or omission. It is also used to clarify information within a sentence.
• Direct students to page 7 in the book. Write the following sentence on the board: The next morning, Adam made his Saturday morning specialty--buckwheat pancakes with bananas. Ask students how the dash is used in this instance (to clarify what his specialty is).
• Direct students to page 12. Write the following sentence on the board: Well, I think that must be how Aunt Maggie's arteries look, which means that it's harder for blood to get to her heart, which--" Ask students how the dash is used in this instance (to indicate a break at end of the sentence, or an interruption).
• Review or explain that hyphens are used in compound adjectives, such as realistic-looking on page 7 in the book. Point out that hyphens are shorter in length and are used to connect two words. Remind students not to confuse a dash with a hyphen.
• Direct students to page 14 in the book. Write the following sentence on the board: Dario explained how his mom now makes cheeseburgers--one of his dad's favorites--with wheat buns, lean beef, low-fat cheese, and tomato slices. Ask a volunteer to come to the board and circle the dashes (after the words cheeseburgers and favorites). Ask students how the dash is used in this instance (to give more information about the meal choice). Point out the hyphen in the compound adjective low-fat. Ask a volunteer to explain how he or she knows that it is a hyphen and not a dash.

      Check for understanding: Have students find and circle the dashes on pages 5 and 6. In the margins, have them write how the dash is used in each instance.

• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the dash worksheet. If time allows, discuss their responses.

Word Work: Compound words

• Review or explain that when two separate words are combined to form a new word, the new word is called a compound word.
• Write the words weekend, second-grade, and ice castle on the board. Tell students that these are examples of different types of compound words. Each example has two parts that make up one word meaning; however, some compound words are separated by hyphens, some are joined, and some are separate. Explain that the definitions of the two separate words can help students figure out the meaning of the bigger word (weekend: end of the week).
• Have students turn to page 11 in the book. Read the following sentences: "Well, I'm overweight and out of shape. So now a ten-minute walk can really wipe me out!" Have students locate the sentences and identify two compound words (overweight and ten-minute). Ask students to identify the two separate words that make up each compound word (over and weight, ten and minute). Discuss the concept of compound words (combining two separate words to make a new word).
• Check for understanding: Have students look for compound words on page 18 (goodnight, grown-up, anything). Encourage students to think of other compound words they know. Create a poster titled Compound Words and fill it with all of the compound words found in the text and from prior knowledge. Post it on the classroom wall, and add to it as more words are found or remembered later.
• Independent practice: Introduce, explain, and have students complete the compound words worksheet. Discuss their answers aloud once everyone has finished working independently.

Independent Reading

• Allow students to read their book independently. Additionally, partners can take turns reading parts of the book to each other.

Home Connection

• Give students their book to take home to read with parents, caregivers, siblings, or friends. Have students also take home their prediction worksheet and explain to someone at home the process of making, revising, and confirming predictions.

Realistic Fiction Writing Connection
Instruct students to write a story about a girl who does not pay attention in class or do her homework. Ask the writers to include dialogue in the text, including another student who realizes the importance of the situation. Have them decide what the student does to help the girl. Have them read their finished stories aloud in small groups.

Visit Writing A-Z for a lesson and leveled materials on narrative writing.

Science Connection
Provide written and Internet resources for students to further research heart disease and how it is related to diet and exercise. Have students read to find out how arteries get clogged with fat and how long it takes to build the plaque, as well as how long it takes to get rid of it. Have them look to find information on heart disease and what can be done to reduce a person's risk.

Skill Review
Discussion cards covering comprehension skills and strategies not explicitly taught with the book are provided as an extension activity. The following is a list of some ways these cards can be used with students:

• Use as discussion starters for literature circles.
• Have students choose one or more cards and write a response, either as an essay or a journal entry.
• Distribute before reading the book and have students use one of the questions as a purpose for reading.
• Cut apart and use the cards as game cards with a board game.
• Conduct a class discussion as a review before the book quiz.