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All the children in Room Nine are excited
when they get their bright white graduation gowns. Mrs. says
to keep them in their boxes until the big day. But Junie B.
Jones just can't help herself. Then-uh-oh!-an accident happens!
Can Junie B. find a way to fix things? Or will graduation
be a spotty dotty disaster?
In this guide, a language arts lesson
familiarizes children with the use of rhyming in poetry. It
also opens up discussion of graduation and other accomplishments
your students might be proud of.
"When I wrote the first adventure
of Junie B. Jones, my plan was to keep her in kindergarten
forever. 'Almost six' seemed exactly the right age for
a spunky little girl who could almost keep her slightly
outrageous personality under control . . . but not quite.
Then, little by little, I began
to change my mind. After all, part of the fun of going
to school is knowing that your hard work will be rewarded
at the end of the year by a promotion to the next grade
level. And Junie B. has definitely come along way since
the first day she rode the 'stupid smelly bus' to kindergarten.
So hurray! Graduation Day has finally
arrived for Room Nine! And, of course, when Junie B.
Jones is part of the ceremony, things almost go smoothly
. . . but not quite."
© 2001 by Barbara Park |
Pre-Reading Activities
Begin by showing the class the cover of Junie B.
Jones Is a Graduation Girl. Discuss why a cap and gown is
worn. Discuss the significance of graduations and why they
are such an accomplishment. Ask the children what they notice
about Junie B.'s outfit. Have the children guess why she
has purple splotches all over her white gown. Knowing the
kind of trouble Junie B. often finds herself in, what do
they suspect happened to her outfit?
 Rhymes
and Reason
In Junie B. Jones Is a Graduation Girl, Mrs. asks the children
to work together to compose a classroom poem, but Junie B.'s
class gets off track when silliness takes over. Start by writing
the poem that Room Nine began on the chalkboard (p.12), "Roses
are red, Violets are blue. Graduation is here . . ." Ask the
class to think of a meaningful way to end this poem with a
rhyme (more seriously than Junie B. did!). Write several ideas
on the board. Discuss the use of rhyming in this poem. Now
have the children compose their own poems, either about graduation,
like Junie's, or about another accomplishment they are proud
of. Conclude by bringing the class together to share their
work.
 Printable
Activities
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