Diversity: Out of my Mind

 Title: Out of my Mind

Author: Sharon M. Draper

Copyright: 2010

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers




Reading Level: 

Fountas and Pinnell: S

Lexile: 700 L

Accelerated Reader: 4.3

A heroic, heart warming, gut wrenching, inspiring, and depressing story that is near impossible to put down and will incite every possible emotion from anger to joy.

Suggested Delivery:  independent read or small group read aloud

2 electronic resources to support/extend the text:

1. http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=35  

       This is the official website for the book. Students can look at a brief summary and watch a video about the book as well as learn what awards and recognitions the book received or read reviews from different countries about the story. There is also a page that contains study guides that students could use to monitor their comprehension while reading. This resource is also great for teachers to spark discussion after a read aloud.

2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCG6e2DifxY 

       This video is a book trailer for the novel and includes the plot as well as definitions of cerebral palsy and pictures of children who have the condition so that students can visualize the main character of the story and learn a little about the plot and major events in the story.

Key Vocabulary: 

1. Contentment- A state or feeling of happiness and satisfaction.

2. Shag Carpet- A long, thick, and rough textured carpet or rug.

3. Matinee- A performance in a theater or a showing of a movie that takes place in the

       daytime.

4. Ecology- The study of how plants and animals relate to each other and their 

        surrounding habitats. 

5. Cerebral Palsy- A condition that makes a person have impaired muscle coordination and 

        other disabilities caused by damage to the brain before or during birth.

6. Drawl- A slow, lazy way of speaking or an accent with unusually long vowel

         sounds. 

Before Reading Strategy: 

       Before reading, have a class discussion about Cerebral Palsy. Write the word on the board and then create a word web of what the students know. Once all of the students have discussed what they know, explain the condition and what it means for the person who has it as well as the family around them.

       After the discussion, have the students write a reflection on how they would feel if they could hardly move their body and were unable to communicate with the people around them. How would that effect their life? 

During Reading Strategy: 

       Have students create a character map of all the characters who appear in the story with a few of their important characteristics and their relation to Melody. This will help students follow all of the different characters and understand how they both negatively and positively affect Melody's life. 

       Once the story map is done, have students discuss and identify what impact each of the character’s had on Melody’s life. Who has the biggest impact? Was the impact of every character positive or were some negative? Why do you think the author included all the characters?

After Reading Strategy: 

       After reading, have students digest the ending of the story and talk about their feelings, connections, and thoughts about the major events that happened in the last few chapters of the book. How would they have felt if they were in Melody’s situation? What would they have done if they were one of the student’s on the quiz team? What about if they were Mr. Dimmings?

       After discussing their feelings have students write about what they would have done differently, if anything, and how they will share what they have learned about Cerebral Palsy and other mental/physical disabilities to ensure that situations like this do not happen to other kids with disabilities.

Writing activity to demonstrate inferential comprehension: 

There are multiple times in the book where the author uses the word “freedom.” Write a reflection paper about this topic that answers the following questions:

            a) What does freedom mean to you?

            b) What freedoms do you have in your life that other students may not have?

            c) What does freedom mean to Melody? What aspects of freedom does she have?

                    What aspects of freedom does she not have? 

            d) Does Melody ever receive the "freedoms" she wants?  Explain how she feels

                     when she is given a freedom that she did not have before.

            e) Describe how you would feel if you were in Melody’s situation. What would

                      you want other students to know about you? How would you want other

                      students to treat you?