COMMON CORE CLASSROOM READY GUIDE

978-0-316-10169-1

Common Core ConnectionsFifth Grade Focus

LITTLE, BROWN/ Genre: School Stories, Humor
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life
by James Pat ter son
Many books can meet most, if not all, Common Core State Standards
(CCSS). However, we have found that some books speak strongly to a few
Standards. This one-page applications guide connects a focused text as the
CCSS as written for fifth graders, leaning on this texts literary strengths.

KEY DETAILS AND IDEAS

RL.5.1, RL.5.2
Ask students to identify some of the challenges Rafe faces in Middle School: The Worst Years of My
Life; then ask them to find the places in the text where he meets those challenges. Ask them to record
their findings on a chart like this one:

Rafes Challenge

Rafes Solution

Pg. #s

Rafe doesnt have any

friends in middle school.

Rafe talks to Leo.

13 - 15

RL.5.1, RL.5.2
Encourage students to find as many struggles and solutions as they can and to try to find a pattern in
the way Rafe solves problems. Use this information to help students develop a theme statement for
the book that incorporates evidence supporting their selection.
RL.5.2
Use the chart from the first activity to help students write a brief summary of the book. First, ask
students to arrange the information on the chart in the order it takes place in the book. Next, ask
students to identify which of these events are the most important parts of the book (for example,
Rafes overall struggle with Bear is more important to the summary of the book than his difficulty
obtaining enough soda to replace the stolen cans). Use this activity to help students write a concise
(5 7 sentences) summary of the book.
RL.5.1, RL.5.3
Ask your students to choose two events from the chart they made and compare and contrast Rafes
reaction to the problems using a Venn Diagram. Encourage students to cite specific details about the
situations that are similar and different. Discuss how students can use this information to understand
Rafes character more fully.

COMMON CORE CLASSROOM READY GUIDE

CRAFT AND STRUCTURE
RL.5.4
Rafe makes frequent use of similes and metaphors to describe how he feels about other characters in the
book. Help students identify examples of similes and metaphors in the text (pg. 57: the rest of the year
will be about as much fun as a case of never-ending diarrhea; pg. 69: You know those vampire stories
where the new guy doesnt want to drink anyones blood until he gets a taste of it? Then all he can
think about is blood, blood, BLOOD?). Discuss with students why the authors used figurative language
in these spots. Then, look at some of Rafes drawings together and ask students to use figurative
language to describe what they see (the spreads beginning on pg. 71 are great for this activity).
RL.5.5
Laura Parks illustrations are an essential part of the story in this book. Some chapters rely heavily on
the illustrations; in fact, some chapters are only illustrations. Ask students to choose a chapter told in
illustrations (Chapter 42, pg. 167, for example) and compare and contrast it with a chapter told in text
(Chapter 43, pp. 168 169, for example). Why did James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts choose this
structure? What effect does it have on the story and how you read it?
RL.5.6
Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life is told entirely from Rafes point of view. Discuss how parts
of the story would be told differently if another character were relating them. Look at a scene like the
one where Rafe rewrites lines from Romeo and Juliet (pp. 58 61) and ask students to retell the scene
from Donatellos or Jeanne Gallettas perspective. Discuss the effects of changing the point of view on
the narrative. Encourage students to select other scenes and repeat the activity on their own.

INTEGRATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS

RL.5.7
Choose a chapter or scene that relies heavily on illustrations to the story and ask students to consider how
these chapters influence the tone of the book. Start with chapter 4; ask students to look closely at the details
in the picture on pp. 18 19. What is the mood of the assembly? How does Rafe feel about it? Ask students to
repeat the activity with other scenes in the book (the spreads beginning on pg. 71 are great for this activity).
RL.5.8
The middle school years can be difficult for students. Many authors, including James Patterson,
choose to present the struggles humorously to make them seem more surmountable to young
readers. Find a title with themes like those in Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life (try I Funny:
A Middle School Story by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein) and ask your students to compare
how the authors created stories with similar themes using different premises.

FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS
RF.5.3, RF.5.4
Encourage your students to read Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life aloud. As students read,
monitor for fluency and comprehension.
RF.5.4
Obtain a copy of the audiobook of Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life. Ask students to read
along with the print copy as you play the audio. Discuss how the narrators intonation and style
influence how students visualize the text.
This guide prepared by Tim Jones.