Please read over the project requirements.

Return this paper by:

_______________Friday, February 6, 2009______________

Keep packet at home.

We have discussed this project together and we:

________ have no questions.

OR

________ we have questions regarding……

________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_____________________________

Student’s Signature:

__________________________________________

Parent’s Signature:

___________________________________________

Date:

___________________________

1
 Attention Students and Parents…

Your independent reading project is due:

Monday, March 2, 2009

 Students will read Maniac Magee written by Jerry Spinelli.

 A timeline has been provided to help focus the students’ work on this project.

 I would like to encourage parent participation with this project. Parents can be the
child’s reading partner while reading at home. Parents may guide their child through
the project and give suggestions or help. The work needs to be completed by the
student.

 Students may bring their books into class and read them during centers time (silent
reading time) or whenever they have finished a task early. Students will work on all
the pieces of their Bloomball at home. The ball will be assembled in class on the day
that the work is due. Please DO NOT preassemble them. We will do that step in
class.

There will be a five-point deduction for each day the project is late.

2
 BLOOMBALL
DIRECTIONS: After reading the book Maniac Magee, you will complete each
of the following twelve activities. You will receive twelve different pieces of paper
with a hexagon shape that will be put together to create your BLOOMEBALL.
For each number you will write the activity on both sides and then complete the
activity on the blank side. PLEASE be sure to NUMBER each section with the
activity # on both sides of the paper.

1. Write the TITLE and AUTHOR (spell correctly and plan lettering to fill
space) Make this colorful, neat and fancy. Put your name on this piece.

Written By:
Louis Sacher
Created by: Mr. Howell
1

2. Research and find four-six interesting facts about the AUTHOR. You may
write these facts in a bulleted format.

3. CHARACTER WHEEL- Describe an important/main character. Put your

character’s name in the center of the circle. Then on the spokes of the
wheel write 6 adjectives/descriptive words that describe the important
character’s personality, feelings, or experiences.
Ideas to Write About
Sees
Hears
Loves
Does
Says
Goes

4. Illustrate the setting of the story or an important place. Label the picture
and tell what it is about.

5. Illustrate your FAVORITE CHARACTER from the story. Label and tell who
the character is and explain why this character is your favorite.

6. Pick five words that you will define from the story. It can be words that you
find interesting or you want to tell more about.

Ex: The name of a place and tell about it, a made up word in your story
and what it means, or words you didn’t know.

3
7. Describe the main sequence of events about the story. List at least 6-12
facts in order from the beginning to the end of the story. Use a bullet
format. A copy of the wheel can be e-mailed to you so you can type the
facts in. Please e-mail your teacher if you would like this format e-mailed.
jdhowell@vestal.k12.ny.us

8. WORD SORT-create a chart with the following categories:

Characters Animals Actions Setting
Make a heading to categorize the topics and then list examples
from the book in each category.

Example: Holes
Characters Animals Actions Setting
Stanley Yellow Spotted Digging Camp Green Lake
Lizards
X-Ray Mary Lou the Climbing God’s Thumb
Donkey
Zig Zag Learning to read Under a bridge

Zero Carrying Zero up Court

the mountain

9. Give the main PROBLEM in the story and then write about the solution or
tell how the problems were solved.

10. Create a NAME POEM: Pick a character and create an acrostic poem
about the person.
Ex: Stolen shoes
Tall and heavy
Always has bad luck
Not afraid to teach Zero to read
Loves his family
Eventually is proven to be innocent
Yelnats

11. Illustrate what you think the book cover should look like.

12. Develop a NEW ENDING for the story.

4
 Timeline
This is a guide. You may work ahead if you would like, but don’t let yourself fall
behind.

Week of: February 2, 2009

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
READ READ READ READ READ READ READ
10 pages or 15 pages 10 pages or 15 pages 10 pages 15 pages 15 pages
more or more more or more or more or more or more

Week of: February 9, 2009

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
READ READ READ READ READ READ READ
10 pages or 15 pages 10 pages or 15 pages 10 pages 15 pages 15 pages
mores or more more or more or more or more or more

Week of: February 16, 2009 (no school this week)

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
READ READ READ READ READ READ READ
10 pages or 15 pages 10 pages or 15 pages 10 pages 15 pages 15 pages
mores or more more or more or more or more or more

Week of: February 23, 2009

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

HAVE BOOK Work on: Work on: Work on: Work on: Work on: Work on:
COMPLETED activity 1 & 2 activity 3 & 4 activity 5 & 6 activity 7 & 8 activity 9 & 10 activity 11 & 12
BY THIS of of of of of of
DATE! BLOOMBALL BLOOMBALL BLOOMBALL BLOOMBALL BLOOMBALL BLOOMBALL

All the pieces should be complete and brought to school on:

Monday, March 2, 2009.

We will assemble the BLOOMBALLS in class on Monday and Tuesday.
DO NOT assemble at home!

Students will present their Bloomballs

Wednesday, March 4-Friday, March 6, 2009.
Please be prepared to present when your stick ispicked. You do not need to
memorize your project, but you do need to be comfortable enough with it to
appear confident, make eye contact, and use a loud voice.