Lesson Plan: G-Man Learning to Fly/Cape Crisis

Fun. Fun. And more fun! Chris Giarrusso’s G-Man series is a fun read for kids and adults alike. In fact, G-Man and his friends made me feel nostalgic for my own childhood, for the characters are so well-written and thoroughly dynamic that I too believe – just as they do – they are real, live superheroes. Full of imagination and positive, exciting adventures, G-Man is sure to
engage young adult readers on a variety of topics; from family loyalty and sibling rivalry, to bullying and true friendship, to good and evil, this series hits on all the key young adult character and caring education themes so integral to young adult education. 

Centered on the young and aspiring young adult superhero to be Mikey G (aka, G-Man), Giarrusso’s G-Man series is set in a neighborhood full of hopeful school-aged superheroes. But with his friends Billy Demon, Sparky, Tan Man, and Suntrooper making up G-Man’s aspirant league of superheroes in the making, G-Man and his league are not without enemies. Most pressing and intimidating, G-Man’s own brother, Dave (aka, Great Man). And where do G-Man and Great Man get their familial powers? It’s simple. After reading about the significance of superhero capes, Mikey simply asks his mom where to find the family’s magic blanket. “Check the hall closet,” mom responds. And without missing a beat Mikey finds the blanket and cuts out his new superhero cape. Now able to fly, Mikey takes off to the park to join his friends.

Meanwhile, still at home, Dave is in trouble for walking on dad’s freshly cut lawn. Frustrated and perhaps also a little jealous of his brother’s new superhero ability to fly, Mikey goes inside only to find the scraps of the family’s magic blanket shredded and spread all over the floor. Temper flaring, Dave yells, “Ma! Mikey ruined the magic blanket! He cut it to shreds!” With a scrap of the magic blanket in hand, however, Dave’s temper is quelled into silence, for his whole body begins to levitate, and he suddenly realizes that he can use the scarps to make a magic superhero belt.

Meanwhile, across town, and at the local playground, G-Man has been shot down out of the sky. Will Dave rise to the occasion and use his powers to help his brother recover and put a stop to this new, unknown neighborhood villain? Or will Dave team up with this new and aspiring super-villain?

Teachers, librarians, and students will simply have to read G-Man: Learning to Fly and G-Man: Cape Crisis to find out more, for this epic family struggle between good and evil is expertly played out in Giarrusso’s young adult G-Man series. 

English Language Arts Elements of Story

Plot: a collection of short and ongoing comic stories centered on G-Man and his older brother,Great Man, this series spotlights all the adventures and mishaps that might come with being a young adult superhero or super villain in the making

Setting: G-Man and Great Man’s home, their neighborhood and surrounding town, their local park, their school Major Characters: G-Man, Great Man, their parents, Billy Demon, Tan Man, Sparky, Suntrooper, Kid Thunder, Evergreen, Mr. Skullboy 

Themes: Friendship, Family, Adventure, Good and Evil

Literary Pairing Suggestions: Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Bone by Jeff Smith, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Teen Titans by DC Comics, Star Wars by George Lucas, Amulet by Kazu Kibuishi

Some Teaching Recommendations For 4th – 8th grade Teachers and Librarians
Suggested Alignment to the IRA /NCTE Standard(s):

1. Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works. 

2. Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.

3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate and appreciate texts.

4. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes. 

Recommended Grade Levels: 4th – 8th grade
Suggested Guided Reading Lesson Plan:
Before Reading
An engaging before reading strategy for students in 4th through 8th grade can be one that involves prediction. With a blank piece of paper and a writing utensil in hand, ask students to take a book walk (leaf through the text) through G-Man. As they look through the text, instruct students to write down any predictions they may have about what might happen in this series of mini-comics.

IRA/NCTE standard alignment: 1, 2, and 3.
During Reading
As students prepare to read the entire text, ask them to choose three of their more interesting/plausible predictions. Next, ask them to make a three-column table of these predictions.

Example:
Prediction # 1
(add brief description)

Prediction # 2
(add brief description)

Prediction # 3
(add brief description)

As they read through the text, ask students to keep notes in the table. While reading, they should ask themselves:
· Was my prediction accurate or inaccurate?
· How do I know? (encourage students to list specific details from the story, quotations, drawings, and / or page numbers)

IRA/NCTE standard alignment: 1, 2, and 3.
After Reading
After reading, ask students to review their tables and write a paragraph for each of their predictions. These paragraphs should contain the following information:
· Identify and describe the prediction
· Was the prediction accurate and/or inaccurate?
· What evidence supports your thinking?

Finally, ask students to share and discuss their paragraphs with the rest of the class.

IRA/NCTE standard alignment: 1, 2, 3, and 5
*NCTE/IRA. (1996). Standards for the English Language Arts. Urbana, IL: NCTE.