Never Say a Mean Word Again is an award-winning picture book by Jacqueline Jules. We love picture books for all ages. Use them as read-aloud or read-together books for younger grades and as a jumping off point for multiple subject areas with older students. Find lesson plans below for elementary, middle school, and high school.
In this book, Samuel, the son of the grand vizier of Granada in medieval Al-Andalus, has an altercation with Hamza, the son of the tax collector. Hamza loses his temper and responds with unkind words.
“Make sure Hamza never says a mean word to you again,” says Samuel’s father.
This sets off a story about problem-solving as Samuel tries to figure out what he can do to make sure that Hamza never says a mean word to him again. He comes up with a variety of plans, but in the end he makes friends with Hamza, so Hamza is never again moved to be unkind to him.
Critical Thinking
Grade Level: elementary
Objectives:
- Students will be able to identify and discuss the consequences of saying mean words.
- Students will develop empathy by putting themselves in the shoes of the characters in the book.
- Students will create a classroom culture of kindness by brainstorming ways they can show kindness to others.
Materials:
- Never Say a Mean Word Again by Jacqueline Jules
- Whiteboard and markers
- Chart paper and markers
- Sticky notes
- Pencils and paper
Procedures:
Introduction:
- Begin by asking students if they have ever said something mean to someone else. How did it make them feel? How do they think it made the other person feel?
- Explain that today we will be reading a book called Never Say a Mean Word Again by Jacqueline Jules. This book is about two boys who learn a lesson about kindness and mean words.
Body:
- Read the book aloud to the class.
- After the reading, ask students to reflect on how Hamza’s words affected Samuel. Write their responses on the whiteboard.
- Have students pair up and discuss how they would feel if they were in the shoes of one of the characters in the book.
- Bring the class back together and ask students to share what they talked about with their partners. Record their responses on chart paper.
- Brainstorm as a class ways they can show kindness to others. Write their ideas on chart paper.
- Have each student write down three things they can do to show kindness to others. Collect the worksheets for future reference.
Closure:
- Remind students that the words they use can have a big impact on others, and that choosing kind words can make a big difference.
- Encourage students to try out the ideas they brainstormed for showing kindness to others.
Assessment:
- Observe student participation in discussions and group work
- Evaluate the quality of the ideas shared during the brainstorming session
- Review student worksheets for individual reflections on ways to show kindness to others.
Writing
Grade Level: middle school
Objectives:
- Students will understand that real world events can inspire artistic interpretations.
- Students will understand the real world event that inspired Never Say a Mean Word Again by Jacqueline Jules.
- Students will write a story based on a real world event.
Materials:
- Never Say a Mean Word Again by Jacqueline Jules.
- Paper
- Pencils
Procedures:
Introduction:
- Ask students what they know about medieval Spain, the setting of the picture book. As a class, create a KWL chart on the subject.
- Tell students that they will use a picture book as an example to prepare for a creative writing assignment.
Body:
- Read the book aloud to the class.
- Tell students that Jacqueline Jules was inspired to write the book by a story about a poet, Samuel Ha-Nagid. Read the Author’s Note at the end of the book, looking up any words that are unfamiliar.
- As a class, compare the event (Ha-Nagid’s finding an alternative to punishing someone who insulted him) with the story told in the picture book.
- Complete the KWL chart.
- Ask students to think about real-world events they have learned about in class and to choose one to inspire a story.
- Have students write a short story, with an Author’s Note describing the event they chose as their inspiration.
Closure:
- Ask a few students to read their stories aloud to the class.
- Encourage students to say what they enjoyed about the stories.
Assessment:
- Observe student participation in discussions and group work.
- Evaluate the quality of the stories.
- Evaluate the clarity of the Author’s Notes.
Social Studies
Grade Level: high school
Objectives:
- Students will understand that Al-Andalus was part of medieval Europe.
- Students will be able to place Al-Andalus in space and time.
- Students will identify aspects of the culture of Al-Andalus.
Materials:
- Never Say a Mean Word Again by Jacqueline Jules.
- Computers with internet access
- Whiteboard and markers
- Paper for notes
- Pencils
Procedures:
Introduction:
- Explain that Al-Andalus was the name of a Muslim civilization on the Iberian peninsula, which is now the modern country of Spain. In the year 711, people from North Africa traveled into what is now Spain. They conquered the Visigoths and ruled much of Spain until in 1492 Queen Isabella of Castile conquered them. These people, who were Muslim and probably from the Roman province of Mauretania, are often called Moors. This is not a very accurate or respectful term, but it might be one that is familiar to students.
- Tell students that they will examine aspects of the culture of Al-Andalus. They will begin with a picture book, Never Say a Mean Word Again by Jacqueline Jules.
Body:
- Read the book aloud to the class.
- Ask students to look closely at the illustrations. Notice the names of the characters and the jobs mentioned. Ask students to identify elements that remind them of Europe and elements that remind them of the Middle East or the Arab world.
- Divide students into groups and have them read one of these online resources about Al-Andalus:
- Who Were the Moors? from National Geographic
- History of Al-Andalus
- Cities of Light, an extensive resource
- Have student groups present what they learned from their resource to the class.
- As a class, find Al-Andalus on a world map.
- Revisit the picture book and see whether students now notice the European countryside, the geometric designs reminiscent of Arabic art, and the influences of both cultures on the architecture.
Closure:
- As a class, choose some dates from Al-Andalus to add to the class timeline.
- Encourage students to think about ways cultures influence other cultures.
Assessment:
- Observe student participation in discussions and group work.
- Evaluate the quality of the ideas shared during the reports.
- Recognize students’ increased ability to identify the Middle Eastern influences on the illustrations of the picture book.
