My Name Is Maria Isabel

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My Name Is Maria Isabel

• By Alma Flor Ada
• Illustrated by K. Dyble Thompson
• American Bookseller
• Pick of the List

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Genre Focus Realistic Fiction

• Realistic characters and events come to life in
  a fictional plot

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Selection Summary

• New in school, Maria Isabel doesnt respond
  when her teacher calls her Mary and so she will
  miss out on the Christmas pageant. After much
  worry, she finally explains the importance of her
  family name to her teacher in an essay, and the
  teacher asks Maria Isabel to participate.

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Key Vocabulary
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Attentively- with attention or alertness

• The class listened attentively as the student
  spoke.

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Disappointed- feeling like things didnt go the
way you wanted

• The girl was disappointed that she couldnt go
  to her friends house.

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Misunderstanding- a failure to understand

• A small misunderstanding can cause some serious
  problems.

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Nervously- with concern, worry, or fear

• The man nervously paced around the room waiting
  to hear if he got the job.

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Troublesome- causing problems

• The diver knew he was in a troublesome situation.

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Latkes- potato pancakes eaten at Hanukkah

• The chef was busy flipping the latkes for the
  familys breakfast.

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Pageant- a play based on events in history

• Everyone who saw the pageant thought it was a
  huge success.

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Menorah- a candlestick with 9 branches used
in Jewish worship

• Each day the family lit another candle on the
  menorah.

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Strategies and Skills Maria Isabel has a
difficult problem to solve. As you read, stop
several times to predict what you think she will
do next. Then predict what you think the results
will be.
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Comprehension Skill FocusPredicting Outcomes

• Good readers are always thinking as they read.
  They note details as they read so they can
  predict what might happen next. Youre going to
  complete a prediction chart to develop this
  skill.

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Prediction Chart
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Prediction Chart
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Enjoy reading Selection 1.

• Check out www.eduplace.com for more activities
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