Teacher’s Guide for

My Man Blue by Nikki Grimes

Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue

 

 

Pre-reading:

 

Do you know anybody who is different on the inside than what they appear on the outside? Who? How are they different than they appear?

 

Knowledge:

 

  1. How does Damon’s mom know Blue?
  2. What happened to Blue’s own son?

 

Comprehension:

 

  1. Describe Blue and Damon.
  2. Explain why Blue takes such an interest in Damon’s upbringing.

 

Application:

 

  1. How does Damon overcome fear at the park?
  2. How can you overcome your own fear of something?

 

Analysis:

 

  1. Who tells this story? How would it be different through the eyes of another character?
  2. Examine the illustrations and then describe Damon’s neighborhood. Where do you think he lives?

 

Synthesis:

 

  1. What do you think would happen if Zeke and Damon met?
  2. If Damon were to get into trouble, who would come to school do you think?

 

Evaluation:

 

  1. Which poem is your favorite? Why?
  2. Which illustration do you like best? Why?

 

 

 

 

 

Multiple Intelligence Projects for

My Man Blue by Nikki Grimes

Illustrated by Jerome Lagarrigue

 

 

Verbal/ Linguistic

 

Write a poem about a person who is important in your own life. Describe how they look but also give the reader a clue as to how they act or what they say that makes them come to life!  (Reread “My Man Blue” for inspiration)

 

Logical/ Mathematical

 

Complete the chart below on My Man Blue

 

Visual/ Spatial

 

Make a map of your neighborhood including as many details as you can about the people who live there and the places you play. Use this as inspiration for writing projects all year! Color and a key are required.

 

Body/Kinesthetic

 

Write the following scenes on slips of paper and then mime them, having students guess which poem it represents!

 

Meeting Blue

Playing hoops

Ball bounced in the street

Class bully

Asthma attack

Climbing the tree

Cooking for mom

Boxing

 

 

Musical/ Rhythmic

 

In the poem, “Class Bully” you can see kids playing jump rope in the background. Make up a rhyme of your own about Blue and Damon’s friendship, (or one about your own neighborhood) in the tradition of the jump rope rhyme. (Small groups may work best at this)

 

 

 

 

Interpersonal:

 

Write a letter to someone who has made a difference (like Blue did for Damon) in your own life. Be sure to thank them, and also include on especially important memory that you carry with you.

 

Intrapersonal:

 

Pretend that it is ten years after the book closes. Write a letter as either Damon or Blue and tell the other what is happening in your life now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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My Man Blue

by Nikki Grimes

Ilustrated byJerome Lagarrigue

 

 

 

           

 

                        Characters                                            Setting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                       MY MAN BLUE

                                                     by Nikki Grimes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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