1. Rules
By Cynthia Lord

2. Warm up: Who is your favorite character in Rules. Explain
Warm up: Who is your favorite character in Rules? Explain. (Please answer on a Post-it Note)

3. Setting
Time and place of the story

4. Setting
Maine
Summer time
Present Day

5. Main Character
Person or animal the story is mainly about

6. Main Character Catherine 12 years old Likes to draw
Has two guinea pigs

7. Characters
People or animals in the story that interact with the main character

8. Characters David Kristi-girl who moved into the house next door
Catherine’s brother who is autistic
Kristi-girl who moved into the house next door
Catherine wants to be her friend
Jason-in a wheelchair and uses a communication book
Catherine becomes friends with Jason but is embarrassed by him at first
Catherine’s parents- busy with David and work
Ryan-Bullies David

9. Autism
Causes kids to experience the world differently from the way most other kids do.
If someone has autism, his or her brain has trouble with an important job: making sense of the world.
Kids can be mildly affected by autism, so that they only have a little trouble in life, or they can be very affected, so that they need a lot of help.

10. Autism
It's hard for kids with autism to talk with other people and express themselves using words.
What does David do when he can not express himself?
David uses quotes from Frog and Toad

11. Autism
Normal sounds may really bother someone with autism — so much so that the person covers his or her ears.
What noise upsets David?
Catherine’s guinea pigs’ squeals upset David.

12. Autism
Kids with autism often can't make connections that other kids make easily. For example, when someone smiles, you know the smiling person is happy or being friendly. But a kid with autism may have trouble connecting that smile with the person's happy feelings.
Which character is mean to David but David does not understand that this character is a bully?
Ryan

13. David struggles with the word late. How is this shown in the book?
Autism
A kid who has autism also has trouble linking words to their meanings. Imagine trying to understand what your mom is saying if you didn't know what her words really mean.
David struggles with the word late. How is this shown in the book?
Rule: Late does not mean not coming. David gets upset when he is waiting for his dad to take him to the video store and his dad comes home late from work.

14. Autism
Therapist can help kids with autism learn social skills, speech, acceptable behavior, and motor skills.

15. Communication Book

16. Conflict
Problem in the story

17. Conflict
Catherine tries to form a friendship with Kristi.
Catherine struggles to accept David and Jason

18. Resolution
Part of the story where the problem is solved

19. Resolution
Catherine decides she does not need to be friends with Kristi and Kristi can be friends with Ryan
Catherine accepts Jason as her friend and is not embarrassed by him
Catherine learns to accept David as a unique individual

20. Theme
Message or moral of the story

21. Theme There are flaws in all of us.
We should accept others even if they are different.

22. Review
Who is the main character?
Jason
David
Catherine
Kristi

23. Review What is the setting of the story? Maine in the summer
New Jersey in the fall
Massachusetts in the winter
New York in the spring

24. Catherine tries to form a friendship with Kristi.
Review
What is one conflict in the story?
Catherine tries to form a friendship with Kristi.
Catherine struggles to accept David and Jason

25. Review There are flaws in all of us.
What is a theme for the story?
There are flaws in all of us.
We should accept others even if they are different.

26. Review What is the title of David’s favorite book? Harry Potter Crash
Frog and Toad are Friends
Maniac Magee

27. Review
What are Catherine’s parents occupations?

28. Open-ended Question
Catherine creates rules to help David in various social situations.
Identify a time in Rules when David’s autism affects his behavior.
Describe how Catherine’s rules change or influence David’s behavior.
Use details and examples to support your response.