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Junie
B.’s got BIG NEWS! Really BIG NEWS! She’s going on vacation
with her parents to . . . HAWAII
! It is a real Pair-o-Dice! But wait, does she actually have
to do school work while she’s on vacation? Because children
do not actually like to mix those two items. But Mr. Scary
puts Junie B. on assignment for Room One as their official
photojournalist. And that’s different. That’s important.
Of course, there are grouchy ladies on airplanes, and things
that don’t quite fit, not to mention attacking birds and scary
eels! Maybe Hawaii isn’t exactly a real Pair-o-Dice after all!
In
this guide to Junie B., First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha!,
students can learn a few common words in Hawaiian.
As Junie B. learns new words (does rambunctious really mean
bad?), so will her favorite fans. And because students perform
better on standardized tests when they discuss what they’ve
read, the questions here help guide their responses to the book
and spark classroom interactions. A KWL chart helps students access
their prior knowledge before beginning to read, as well as a
character web activity. Finally, teach students about similes by
using details from the story. Junie B. is a great way to get
students to improve their comprehension and still spend time with
one of children’s literature’s most beloved characters.
Pre-Reading
Activities
Using
a show of hands, ask students whether they have ever read
a Junie B. Jones book before. Put Junie’s name in the middle
of a circle on the blackboard and ask students to help brainstorm
everything they remember about these subjects relating to
Junie B. (and put these inside connecting circles to create
a web): looks like, acts like, talks like, and what
others think of Junie B. Can they think of any other
ways a reader might learn something about a character? How
important is it to know what a character is like as you read?
Who are your other favorite characters from children’s books?
Show
students the cover of the book and read each chapter title
aloud to them as well. Then, as a class, create questions
that you would like answered by the book and write them on
large chart paper and leave it posted in the room. For example,
what does “Flinging” mean? Is it a place or something you
do? After reading the story (or after each chapter), have
students return to the questions and see if they can now answer
their questions, and perhaps change their predictions based
on their new knowledge.
KWL
Hawaiian Style
Have
students fill out the “Know” and “Want to Know” sections before
you begin reading Junie B. Jones, First Grader: Aloha-ha-ha!
Haven them finish the “Learned” section after you’re done
reading
 KWL
Hawaii Style
Let’s
Talk About It
- Junie
B. is so excited to share her news that it is getting her
in hot water with Mr. Scary. Have you ever been so excited
you couldn’t sit still? When? How can you be thrilled without
making your teacher upset?
- Junie
B. kisses Ollie good-bye and pretends like she is going to
miss him. Then she says, “Nice fibs are okay to say, I think.
Only I’m not sure of the entire ruling on that.” Do you agree
with Junie B.? Is it okay to fib if you are saying something
nice? Why or why not?
- Describe
what happens at the airport, and on the plane. What was thrilling
for Junie B.? What could she have done without?
- Can
you retell what happened when Junie B. and her parents went
snorkeling? Is this an activity you would like to do? Why
or why not?
- Why
did the little red bird (called an apapane) get tangled in
Junie B.’s hair? Was this the only reason it wasn’t her favorite
part of the vacation?
Aloha-ha-ha!
Junie
B. learns that aloha means both “hello” and “goodbye”
in the Hawaiian language. She also learns these other common
words from Hawaii:
- Mahalo
(ma-ha-lo) means “thank
you”
- Ohana
(o-ha-na)
means “family”
- Wahine
(wa-hee-nay)
means “woman”
- Mano
means
“shark”
- Keiki
(kay-ee-kee) means both
“baby” and “child”
Have
students write each word and its pronunciation on the front
of index cards. On the back, have them write the definition
and draw a picture that will help them remember the meaning.
They can practice their new Hawaiian words with a friend.
Printable
Activities
KWL
Hawaii Style
Rambunctious
Means Bad!
Turtle
Time
This
guide was created by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a reading specialist
and children’s author. Visit her Web site to find many guides
to children’s books.
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