Realistic fiction The Real McCoy – Rigby

Day 1
1
Setting the Scene
Using your best judgment, adapt the
following to meet the needs of each
group.
1. To introduce the topic, have students
listen as you read aloud the
synopsis from the back cover.
Have you ever made a big mistake when
trying to help your parents? What happened?
How did you feel about yourself?
Did you eventually have a chance
to prove that you were responsible?
2. Introduce the book by showing
the cover illustration. Have students
describe the setting. Encourage
them to predict why Devin might
be alone on the dock.Then read
the title aloud.
Have you ever heard this expression?
How might it relate to the story?
Have students write down their
predictions for future reference.
3. Discuss elements of realistic fiction.
(See pages T36 and T37.) Ask
students to think of books they
have read that have fictional characters
who behave as people do
in real life.
4. Review the comprehension strategy,
synthesizing, with students.
Focus on the importance of being
able to retell what you have read.
Encourage students to think about
what is essential to include in a
summary or a retelling.
Model a think-aloud Illustrate
this strategy by reading Chapter 1
aloud.Then model a retelling of
Chapter 1.
This is what has happened so far: Devin
reacts to a “mean kid.” Gram offers
advice, but the encounters between
Devin and “the mean kid” don’t
improve. Devin worries that he made
a big mistake by coming to Maine.
Reading the Text
Chapters 1–3 (pages 1–18)
Below Grade Level Readers
1. Have students reread Chapter 1
with a partner.Ask each student to
select key events that should be
included in a chapter summary.
Discuss the chapter.
Why do Devin and the “mean kid”
avoid eye contact? Is it a problem for
Devin that he is not very daring?
Explain. Did Gram give Devin good
advice? Why or why not? Devin thinks
he made a big mistake. Do you agree?
2. Read Chapter 2 aloud. Remind
students to listen for key events
that may be used in a summary of
the chapter. Stop at the break on
page 8 and ask students to write
predictions about how Devin’s life
might change.
3. Continue reading the remainder of
Chapter 2 to students as they follow
along in their own copies.Then
have them state key events from
the chapter and retell what has happened
so far. Discuss the chapter by
using open-ended questions.
What might the expression “the real
McCoy” mean? How could changing
the menu help Gram’s Diner? How
could it hurt? How is John’s advice
about making friends helpful?
4. Have students read Chapter 3 with
a partner. Remind them that they
are to select key events to include
Talk about local restaurants
and diners. Discuss
job titles and responsibilities
of the people who
work there. Compare
and contrast various
restaurant menus.
Use a map to show
students the location of
Maine and New York.
Discuss the definitions of
rural, urban, and suburban.
Compare and contrast
these settings.
A vocabulary notebook
may be helpful for students
to keep track of
new words they learn in
this story.
You can create a classroom
chart of literary
terms with definitions so
students can use them
when discussing the
book (include conflict,
resolution, character
traits, dialogue, narration,
setting, foreshadowing,
imagery, and so on).
The author uses phrases
that cannot be understood
in a literal sense.
You may need to explain
idioms such as to take up
the slack (p. 6).
If students mention
details when retelling,
explain the difference
between a key event and
a detail.
The Real McCoy 51 F