A Long Way from Chicago Lesson Plans, Resources, and Activities

A Long Way from Chicago Resource Set

Lesson Plans • Resources • Activities
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Summary

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

Richard Peck’s series of short stories about the summers two children spend with their grandmother provides a perfect opportunity for students to learn about character perspective. Full of hilarious and sometimes shocking stories, A Long Way from Chicago makes it easy for students to talk about the characters and the ways in which they change and grow each year.

Teach with A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

Get everything you need to run a successful Book Club using A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

  • Interactive Lesson Plan for 9 Book Club Meetings Focusing on Perspective
  • Chapter by Chapter Discussion Guide
  • Chapter by Chapter Vocabulary Guide
  • Book Club Calendar
  • Conversation Prompts
  • Expectations for Book Club Anchor Chart / Student Reference Sheet
  • Student Self-Evaluation Forms
  • Running Record Assessment Tool
  • Student Reading Response Guide
  • Comprehension Assessment Rubric
  • Common Core State Standard Assessment
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A Long Way from Chicago Lesson Plans, Resources, and Activities
CCSS Alignment
TEKS Alignment
  • CCSS Alignment: L.5.4a L.5.5 L.5.6 RF.5.3 RF.5.4 RL.5.1 RL.5.10 RL.5.2 RL.5.3 RL.5.4 RL.5.5 RL.5.6 SL.5.1a SL.5.1b SL.5.1c SL.5.1d SL.5.2 SL.5.3 SL.5.6 W.5.8 W.5.9
  • Vocabulary: L.5.4a L.5.5 L.5.6
  • Instructional Overview: 5.10A 5.10E  5.13A 5.13C 5.13E 5.13H 5.1A 5.1C 5.1D 5.6A 5.6B 5.6C 5.6D 5.6E 5.6F 5.6G 5.6H 5.6I 5.7A 5.7B 5.7C 5.7D 5.7E 5.7F 5.7G 5.8B  5.8C 5.8D
  • Vocabulary: 5.3A 5.3B 5.7E 5.7F

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    A Long Way from Chicago Resource Set

    Instructional Overview

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    The instructional overview includes instructional background for point of view, instructional objectives for each of the Book Club meetings, and a list of the materials and preparation necessary to A Long Way from Chicago Book Club.
    TEKS Alignment:

    5.10A 5.10E  5.13A 5.13C 5.13E 5.13H 5.1A 5.1C 5.1D 5.6A 5.6B 5.6C 5.6D 5.6E 5.6F 5.6G 5.6H 5.6I 5.7A 5.7B 5.7C 5.7D 5.7E 5.7F 5.7G 5.8B  5.8C 5.8D
    PDF Resources
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    Book Club Management Resources

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    The management resources include a Book Club Calendar, conversation prompts, Student Self-Evaluation forms, Reading Response Board (with optional Common Core alignment), and an Expectations for Book Club anchor chart.
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    Meeting #1: Introduce Perspective

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    The Book Club for A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck focuses on tracking changes in a character's perspective across a longer text. This first meeting introduces the concept of perspective to the readers.
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    Meeting #2: Tracking Changes in Perspective Over Time

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    Tracking the changing perspective of a character is one strategy to help sustain comprehension over a longer text. Using A Long Way from Chicago, students are able to notice examples of the main character's changing perspective of his grandmother.
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    Meeting #3: Determining Pivotal Moments that Change Perspective

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    Author Richard Peck uses pivotal events in A Long Way from Chicago to change the perspective of the main character. Students will use a graphic organizer in this meeting to help track their thinking about Joey's perspective of his grandmother.
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    Meeting #4: Noticing and Considering Historical Perspective

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    Thoughtful discussion of how historical perspective effects the characters in A Long Way from Chicago helps students understand the change in thinking of the main character.
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    Meeting #5: Changes in Perspective and Character Influence

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    Author Richard Peck changes the main character's perspective by using the influence of other characters. This Book Club meeting focuses on finding examples of this in the text.
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    Meeting #6: Making Inferences to Identify Character Perspective

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    When readers use their prior knowledge and information from the text, they are able to make inferences that deepen their understanding of what is happening in the story. In A Long Way from Chicago, the characters make inferences that effect their perspective.
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    Meeting #7: Noticing Changes in Perspective

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    As students progress through Richard Peck's novel, they are exposed to a variety of changing perspectives. Noticing these changes as they read will lead to a greater understanding of A Long Way from Chicago.
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    Meeting #8: Perspective and Author's Message

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    This A Long Way from Chicago Book Club meeting analyzes the relationship between Richard Peck's message and the reader's perspective of Joey's grandma. Discussing how and why perspectives change throughout the novel will lead to a greater understanding of the story.
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    Meeting #9: Reflection on Perspective

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    The final discussion for A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck looks at how and why Joey's perspective of his grandmother changed over the course of the text. Readers are further encouraged to make a text to self connection and apply the same thinking to a time that their perspective about something was changed.
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    A Long Way from Chicago Focus Assessment and Rubric

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    Use this six-question assessment to determine whether or not students understand the key concepts associated with perspective.
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    A Long Way from Chicago Running Record

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    Use this "done for you" Running Record to assess oral reading fluency of A Long Way from Chicago. Track meaning, structure, and visual accuracy using the first 100 words of the text to determine whether or not this book is a good fit for the readers in your classroom.
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    Student Resources in Spanish

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    This set of Spanish student facing resources includes Book Club Management Resources for use with A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. These resources are intended to be used with the lesson plans included in the Resource Set for this book.
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    A Long Way from Chicago Vocabulary Connections

    A Long Way from Chicago Vocabulary Connections Preview
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    Are your students familiar with new vocabulary used in A Long Way from Chicago? Download this Vocabulary Connections for fun resources and activities that support Tier 2 and Tier 3 vocabulary growth. If you download this book’s Super Pack, these resources are all included.
    Common Core Alignment:

    L.5.4a L.5.5 L.5.6
    TEKS Alignment:

    5.3A 5.3B 5.7E 5.7F
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    A Long Way from Chicago Common Core Alignment

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    List of the Common Core State Standards addressed by A Long Way from Chicago Book Club Resource Set.
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    TEKS Alignment

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    Complete TEKS alignment for all of the mini lessons, resources, and activities in the A Long Way from Chicago Resource Set.
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