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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for The Princess in Black

The cover for The Princess in Black Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources

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Use The Princess in Black by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale to turn your read aloud or small group work into a time to improve comprehension and talk about the text in purposeful ways.

Princess Magnolia wears frilly pink dresses, is the perfect hostess, and has a big secret! When the monster alarm rings, she springs into action and transforms into The Princess in Black! The big blue monster has come to eat the goats and it is up to The Princess in Black to save the day. This action-packed plot is supported by colorful illustrations making The Princess in Black an ideal text for a Book Club focused on exploring the role of illustrations.

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

Instructional Overview

The instructional overview includes instructional background for exploring illustrations, instructional objectives for each of the Book Club meetings, and a list of the materials and preparation necessary to host The Princess in Black Book Club.

Common Core State Standards Alignment

RL.2.10RL.2.1RL.2.2RL.2.3RL.2.5RL.2.6RL.2.7RF.2.3RF.2.4SL.2.1aSL.2.1bSL.2.1cSL.2.2SL.2.3W.2.8L.2.4aL.2.5aL.2.6SL.2.6

TEKS Alignment

2.8A2.6A2.6B2.6C2.6D2.6E2.6F2.6G2.6H2.6I2.7A2.7B2.7C2.7D2.7E2.7F2.1D2.8B2.8C2.8D2.9A2.9B2.9C2.10A2.10B2.10C2.10D2.10E2.13A2.13C2.13E2.13G2.1A2.1C

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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

Focus student attention on the important role of illustrations in a story with an interactive activity that has them becoming an illustrator. This first The Princess in Black Book Club meeting encourages readers to think about all the things they can learn from the story's illustrations.

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Meeting 2

The illustrations in Shannon and Dean Hale's The Princess in Black reveal information about the story's characters. This meeting shows readers how to use the illustrations to learn more about how a character feels and what the character is doing.

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Meeting 3

As students are reading The Princess in Black, they will notice that authors Shannon and Dean Hale do not spend much time describing the story's setting in the text. In order for readers to figure out where the action is taking place, they will need to pay attention to the details in the illustrations.

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Meeting 4

Careful examination of the illustrations in The Princess in Black by Shannon and Dean Hale helps the reader to understand what is happening in the story. This meeting's discussion shares with students how to better comprehend the story using the details included in the illustrations.

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Meeting 5

This final The Princess in Black Book Club meeting provides readers with an opportunity to reflect on their learning about the role of illustrations in a story through a group discussion and culminating activity. Additionally, students will be encouraged to think about how their learning could be useful to future independent reading.

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Vocabulary Connections with The Princess in Black

This set of vocabulary development resources for The Princess in Black 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.2.4a,L.2.5a,L.2.6

TEKS Alignment

2.7E,2.7F,2.3A,2.3B,2.3D

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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 the role of illustrations in a story.

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Comprehension Assessment with The Princess in Black

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

Common Core State Standards Alignment

TEKS Alignment

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Running Record with The Princess in Black

Use this Running Record to assess oral reading fluency with The Princess in Black. 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.

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

The cover for the book The Princess in Black

Title: The Princess in Black

Author: Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

Genre: Fantasy

Themes: Adventure, Laugh Out Loud

ISBN: 9780763678883

Publisher's Summary:

Princess Magnolia seems like the perfect, proper princess—she loves tea parties, fancy dresses, and doing everything expected of royalty. But she has a secret: when her monster alarm rings, Magnolia transforms into the Princess in Black, a daring superhero who rushes to protect her kingdom from mischievous monsters. In the first book of this popular chapter book series, readers are drawn into Magnolia's double life as she balances her royal duties and her thrilling adventures. The story is filled with humor and action as Magnolia sneaks away from her prim tea party with nosy Duchess Wigtower to save the day—without letting her secret slip. The Princess in Black offers a playful twist on princess stories, showing that heroes can wear both sparkly gowns and superhero capes. Its accessible text, lively illustrations, and empowering message make it an excellent choice for classroom read-alouds and independent reading alike, particularly for emerging readers who are ready for their first chapter book adventures.

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Lesson Plans and Teaching Resources for The Princess in Black