LESSON 1 TEACHER’S GUIDE Just for the Fun of It

Number of Words: 2,796

L E S S O N 1 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Just for the Fun of Itby Bette Frisk

Fountas-Pinnell Level WRealistic FictionSelection SummaryThe Albany Starlings, celebrating their fi rst winning season, must raise money to be able to travel to the national softball playoffs. Budding author and team member Rachel decides to recruit sponsors. When her efforts at fund raising hurt the team’s performance and her best friend’s hand, she must fi nd another way.

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Realistic fi ction

Text Structure • Narrative divided into seven short sections in chronological order• Problem/solution: launching a writing career, fi nancing team travel• Details (quotes, actions, thoughts) help the reader to understand the main character

Content • Publishing a book • Problem solving• Softball team membership

Themes and Ideas • Think before you act.• Be open-minded when problem solving.• Problem solving requires responsibility.

Language and Literary Features

• Conversational language and natural dialogue • Foreshadowing: “I’m just worried that you will have too much to do.” • Onomatopoeia (Pock!), simile (spun her arm like a windmill), idiom (dug her heels in)

Sentence Complexity • Primarily simple sentences, with occasional compound and complex sentences• Numerous compound verbs• Dashes and italics

Vocabulary • Many softball terms, some of which might not be familiar to English language learners, such as inning, tag, playoffs, agent. Publishing terms: manuscript, publishing, revisions.Cultural references: strawberry pie (p. 7).

Words • Multisyllable target vocabulary: editorial, literary, pressuringIllustrations • Colorful, realistic drawings with labels

Book and Print Features • Seventeen pages of text with colorful, easy-to-read section headings© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Target Vocabulary

disclose – to make known, often publicly, p. 13

editorial – involved in making changes to books to prepare them for publication, p. 7

literary – having to do with books, writers, and literature, p. 7

manuscript – the original text copy sent for publication, p. 7

maze – a complicated network of paths, p. 15

muted – muffl ed, reduced, or silenced, p. 12

pressuring – forcefully trying to infl uence, p. 5

publishing – involved in the production and sale of literature and information, p. 7

revisions – corrections and improvements made to a manuscript, p. 5

wry – darkly humorous, p. 5

Just for the Fun of It by Bette Frisk

Build BackgroundHelp students use their knowledge of team sports and problem solving to visualize the story. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: What do you know about the game of softball? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Tell students that this story is realistic fi ction, so the characters and events will remind them of real life.

Frontload VocabularySome everyday words may be unfamiliar to English learners. Before reading, check understanding of the following words: Georgia, strawberry pie, car wash, coffee shop.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, reading the captions, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Call their attention to any important labels. Here are some suggestions:

Pages 2–3: Explain that this story is about Rachel and her softball team, the Starlings. Suggested language: Turn to page 2. Look at the illustration and read the chapter title (A Chance to Win) and the caption under the illustration: The team needs Rachel to get a big hit. Ask: How do you think she feels?

Pages 4–5: Point out the label identifying Suni on page 4. Explain that she is Rachel’s best friend. Rachel tells Suni she is thinking of writing a book. On page 5, direct students to the highlighted term revisions. Ask: What do you do when you make revisions to something you have written? Have students fi nd the word playoffs in the middle of page 5. Ask students why sports leagues have playoffs.

Page 7: Point out that the story includes many publishing terms. Make sure students understand the terms manuscript, editorial, and publishing.

Now start reading from the beginning of the story to fi nd out what happens to Rachel and the Starlings.

2 Lesson 1: Just for the Fun of ItGrade 6© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their understanding of the text as needed.

Remind students to use the Question Strategy and to think of questions as they read.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the story.Suggested language: Have you ever made a plan that didn’t work the way you thought it would? How did you feel when you had to change your plan?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Rachel’s team might go to the national playoffs, and she wants to write a book about the team.

• Rachel fi nds sponsors to pay the team’s expenses to the playoffs, but working for the sponsors tires the team and injures a player.

• Rachel decides, instead, to write a blog about the team.

• When one solution to a problem doesn’t work, try another.

• A good team member tries to help the team.

• Before you put a plan into action, think about the possible consequences.

• The captions help readers understand what characters are thinking and feeling.

• The dialogue sounds natural for adolescents.

• The author uses details about softball to make the story realistic and interesting to readers.

© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

Choices for Further Support• Fluency Invite students to choose a scene from the story to use for a readers’ theater.

Encourage students to visualize the scene and use their voices and gestures to communicate the mood.

• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion, revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go back to the text to support their ideas.

• Phonics/Word Work Provide English words that are based on Latin root words and affi xes. For example, the word manuscript on page 7 is actually a compound word formed from the Latin words manus meaning “hand” and scriptus meaning “written.” Have students work in pairs to look up the defi nitions of these English words also based on manu and scriptus: manual, manufacture, inscription, and script.



Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 1.10.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillUnderstanding Characters

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that they can understand

characters by noticing how they act, speak, and think in the story. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

On her way home from practice, Rachel tells Suni that she wants to write a book about a group of girls who play softball. She tells her dad that she plans on sending her book to the editorial department of a big publishing company. List this detail about what Rachel says because it helps the reader understand her character.

Practice the SkillHave students share other examples of things from the story a character did, said, or thought that helps the reader understand that character.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

Assessment Prompts• Why is the second paragraph on page 6 important to the book?

• What does the word literary mean in the on page 7?

• Why does Rachel decide to write a blog?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What is the name of the girls’ team?

2. Think within the text What happens to Suni’s hand?

3. Think beyond the text Why do you think people write blogs?

4. Think about the text Do you think Rachel’s plan for her blog will

really happen? Why or why not?

Making Connections If you were asked to write a book, what subject would you want to write about? Why would you choose that topic?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Name Date

Just for the Fun of ItCritical Thinking

Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson 1B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 . 1 0

Grade 6, Unit 1: Finding Your Voice12

The girls’ team is called the Albany Starlings.

Hot chocolate burns Suni’s hand.

To become famous, to share news with others, or to give useful

information to people.

Rachel’s plan will probably work out. Rachel seems very

Possible responses shown.

ambitious and is hardworking.

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English Language DevelopmentReading Support Pair English-speaking and English language learners so that they can check their understanding with each other.

Idioms The story includes idioms that might be unfamiliar. Explain the meaning of expressions such as Let’s face it and eat it up (page 8).

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: Who is the main character?

Speaker 2: Rachel

Speaker 1: What sport does Rachel play?

Speaker 2: softball

Speaker 1: Why does Rachel think the team might need money to go to the playoffs?

Speaker 2: Rachel thinks the team will need money to travel because the playoffs are far away.

Speaker 1: How does Rachel try to get travel money for the team?

Speaker 2: Rachel tries to get travel money for the team by fi nding team sponsors.

Speaker 1: Why does Rachel’s plan to help the team travel to Georgia by getting sponsors fail?

Speaker 2: One reason Rachel’s plan fails is that the team helps a sponsor before a game and becomes too tired to play well. The plan also fails because Suni’s hand is injured at another sponsor’s coffee shop. Finally, Rachel’s plan fails because she has too many things going on in her life.



Name Date

Just for the Fun of ItThinking Beyond the Text

Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in two paragraphs.

Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal knowledge to reach new understandings.

On page 4, the caption says, “Everyone on the team feels joy at winning the game.” What does this caption say about teamwork and the Starlings? What kind of responsibility comes along with being a member of a team?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What is the name of the girls’ team?

2. Think within the text What happens to Suni’s hand?

3. Think beyond the text Why do you think people write blogs?

4. Think about the text Do you think Rachel’s plan for her blog will

really happen? Why or why not?

Making Connections If you were asked to write a book, what subject would you want to write about? Why would you choose that topic?

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Name Date

Just for the Fun of ItCritical Thinking

Lesson 1B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 . 1 0



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Student Date Lesson 1

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Just for the Fun of It • LEVEL W Just for the Fun of ItRunning Record Form


Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

9 Rachel worked hard to get new sponsors. First, she went to

the All Shine Car Wash. “Better get the Super Wash, Mom,”

said Rachel as she got out of the car. “This may take a while.”

Rachel talked to the owner while her mother had the car

washed.

Rachel made a deal with the owner. Next Saturday morning,

the team would help the car wash bring in more customers. In

return, the owner would give the team some money to go to

Georgia.

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read

correctly/83 × 100)

%

Total Self- Corrections


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LESSON 1 TEACHER’S GUIDE Just for the Fun of It