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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Crenshaw

The cover for Crenshaw Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources

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Use Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate to turn your read aloud or small group work into a time to improve comprehension and talk about the text in purposeful ways.

Jackson's family is no stranger to hard times and the return of his imaginary friend, Crenshaw, signals that hard times may have found them once again. Crenshaw first appeared when Jackson was young and his family started living in their van. The sharply dressed, surfboard riding cat helps Jackson when he needs it most, but Jackson feels that he is now too old for an imaginary friend. This touching story about family, friendship, and perseverance is ideal for a Book Club focused on theme and how it is developed over the course of the text.

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Explore lesson plans and activities to help you teach with Crenshaw in the drop down below.

Instructional Overview

The instructional overview includes instructional background for determining theme, instructional objectives for each of the Book Club meetings, and a list of the materials and preparation necessary to host the Crenshaw Book Club.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

TEKS Alignment

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Management Resources

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

Open the Crenshaw Book Club by practicing identifying the theme of a popular children's story that students are familiar with. Then, provide the broad category of friendship for readers to follow as they read and look for ways author Katherine Applegate share her message throughout the story.

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Meeting 2

An important step in learning to determine the theme of a story like Katherine Applegate's Crenshaw, is identifying the main ideas and supporting details. Students will work on this skill using a graphic organizer that will help them track their thinking.

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Meeting 3

While following friendship throughout Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate, readers will find it helpful to look at the relationships between Jackson and Crenshaw and Jackson and Marisol. Paying attention to these relationships and the characters' thoughts, dialogue, and actions will help students begin to formulate a specific theme related to friendship.

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Meeting 4

This Crenshaw Book Club focuses on how author Katherine Applegate woven her theme of friendship into the plot of the story. Readers will be able to explore how this is done using the "story within a story" of the first time Jackson's family became homeless.

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Meeting 5

Now that students have progressed further into Katherine Applegate's Crenshaw, it is time to revisit the main ideas and supporting details that they have been tracking. Students will be able to identify some common main ideas related to friendship that are supported by the text. These main ideas will help shape their thinking when it comes to determining a theme in the final meeting.

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Meeting 6

The final Book Club meeting for Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate provides an opportunity for readers to showcase their learning related to determining theme. Students will use their creative side to create a book poster that illustrates a theme found in the book.

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The first page of Asking Questions with A Bad Case of Stripes

Vocabulary Connections with Crenshaw

This set of vocabulary development resources for Crenshaw highlights the words that are most important for students to know and understand while reading the book. Through engaging in fun word games, matching words to definitions, and practicing how to categorize words, students will develop the vocabulary necessary to comprehend this story and many others.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

L.4.4a,L.4.5c,L.4.6

TEKS Alignment

4.7E,4.7F,4.3A,4.3B

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Focus Assessment and Rubric

Use this six-question assessment to determine whether or not students understand the key concepts associated with Theme.

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Comprehension Assessment with Crenshaw

This 9 question Common Core aligned assessment can be used to determine students' overall comprehension of Crenshaw and their mastery of the Common Core State Standards.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

TEKS Alignment

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Management Resources - Spanish

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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About the Book

Title: Crenshaw

Author: Katherine Applegate

Genre: Fantasy

Themes: Perseverance, Family, Friendship

ISBN: 9781250080226

Publisher's Summary:

Jackson's family is going through a difficult time—they're struggling to pay the bills, and the threat of losing their home looms ever closer. In the midst of these challenges, Jackson, a thoughtful and scientifically-minded boy, is surprised by the return of his imaginary friend: Crenshaw, a giant, outspoken, and whimsical black-and-white cat. Crenshaw reappears just when Jackson needs comfort the most, offering support as Jackson tries to make sense of his family's hardships.

Crenshaw explores complex themes such as homelessness, poverty, and the resilience required to face tough realities. Through Jackson's eyes, students can empathize with the emotional impact of financial insecurity and the importance of honesty and communication within families. The story delicately balances the seriousness of these issues with moments of humor and magic, making it accessible and deeply moving for young readers.

Katherine Applegate's novel provides an excellent starting point for classroom conversations about empathy, compassion, and the role of imagination in overcoming adversity. The presence of Crenshaw, never fully explained as real or imaginary, allows students to consider how children cope with stress and uncertainty. This book is a powerful tool for fostering understanding and resilience in the classroom, making it a meaningful addition to any teacher's library.

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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for Crenshaw