Wonder: R.J. Palacio
Wonder: R.J. Palacio
By
R.J. Palacio
A Novel Study
by Nat Reed
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Table of Contents
List of Skills 4
Student Checklist 6
Answer Key 83
About the author: Nat Reed was a member of the teaching profession for more than 35
years. He was a full-time instructor at Trent University in the Teacher Education Program
for nine years. For more information on his work and literature, visit novelstudies.org.
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
This 90 page curriculum unit can be used in a variety of ways. Each chapter of the novel
study focuses on several chapters of Wonder and is comprised of these different activities:
A portfolio cover (p.7) as well as a Checklist (p.6) are included so that students may
track of their completed work.
Themes and topics which may be taught in conjunction with the novel include overcoming
serious personal challenges, the importance of friends and family, perseverance and
personal growth, kindness and courage.
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
List of Skills
Vocabulary Development
Setting Activities
Plot Activities
Character Activities
Art Activities
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Synopsis
August (Auggie Pullman) was born with a facial difference that prevented him from
going to mainstream school – until now. He's about to enter fifth grade at Beecher Prep,
and if you've ever been the new kid, then you know how hard that can be. The thing is
Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new
classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances? [The Publisher]
Author Biography
R.J. Palacio
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Student Checklist
Student Name
6
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Name:
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list to complete each sentence.
1. Ralph didn't think it was funny when Jon began to _______________ the way he
talked.
6. The jigsaw puzzle was far too _________________ for my little brother to complete.
8
Questions
3. What evidence do we find of Auggie's sense of humor in the chapter entitled, Jack,
Will, Julian and Charlotte?
4. What was there about Auggie's appearance which made it difficult for him to go out
in public?
5. If Auggie was a new student in your class, what do you think would be the best way
to make him feel welcome?
9
6. Do you think Auggie's parents should have homeschooled him until he started grade
five or should they have enrolled him at Beecher Prep earlier? Give one reason
defending their decision and one reason why you think it was a mistake.
Good choice
Mistake
7. At least three people that Auggie meets in these chapters drop their eyes
immediately after being introduced to Auggie. Why do you think that Auggie notices
this behavior? How does Auggie feel about this behavior?
8. Think of four adjectives which you think accurately describes the character and
personality of Auggie.
9. What is your impression of the three students that gave Auggie the tour? Do you
think Mr. Tushman's choices were wise? Please defend your answer.
Good to Know
Mandibulofacial dysostosis or Treacher-Collins syndrome is a rare
disorder characterized by facial deformities such as absent cheekbones,
downward-slanting eyes, a small lower jaw, drooping part of the lateral
lower eyelids, and malformed or absent ears and hearing loss. Treacher-
Collins syndrome is found in about one in 50,000 births.
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Language Activities
A. Exaggeration
Exaggeration in a literary device defined as a statement that represents something as
better or worse than it really is. We find an example of this in Part 1: And then all of a
sudden she let out the biggest, loudest, smelliest fart in the history of farts.
Think of an exaggerated way of describing the following
The caw of
a crow.
A tree blown
over in the wind
Your choice.
c) Rewrite the above sentence about Mrs. Garcia's eyes without changing the overall
meaning so that her eyes are no longer personified.
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C. Sequence Chart
Choose what you consider to be the six most important events in this section. In each of
the six boxes below list the six events that you have chosen, describing what happened
and telling why you consider this to be an essential part of the story.
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D. 5 Ws and an H.
Choose an event from this section that you thought was really important and/or exciting.
Using facts that you gleaned from reading about this event, fill in the balloons below,
summarizing what you learned.
WHO? WHAT?
WHERE?
WHEN?
HOW?
WHY?
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E. An Acrostic Poem
There are many forms of poetry available to the aspiring poet other than the rhyming poem.
An ACROSTIC poem is one example. In an acrostic poem the first letters of each line are
aligned vertically to form a word. The word often is the subject of the poem. Here is an
example written by the acclaimed poet, Atrocious Halitosis:
The Firefly
Freaky-looking
Itches me when I touch
Restless at night
Early or late
Fearless
Little
Yellowfly
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Extension Activity
Storyboard
A storyboard is a series of pictures that tell about an important event in a
story. A storyboard can tell the story of only one scene - or the entire novel.
Complete the storyboard below illustrating the events described in the first
section of Wonder. You may wish to practice your drawings on a separate piece of paper.
1 2
3 4
5 6
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part II – The Deal to The Summer Table
Vocabulary:
Many of the words in this Crossword Puzzle are from Parts I and II. Use the words in the
box to complete the puzzle.
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22
23 24 25
26 27 28 29
30 31 32
33 34 35 36
37 38 39 40 41
42 43
44 45 46 47 48 49
50 51 52 53
54 55 56
57 58
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Down Across
1. An eating place. 3. A choice of workshops.
2 Length of time a person has lived. 7. The novel’s protagonist.
3. Extraterrestrial. 9. Create or design.
4. Used for holding papers. 12. Off – missing an f.
5. Guest. 13. Tasty treats.
6. Children's author, Edith Nesbit. 15. Used by a fisherman.
8. Operations. 17. A general rule or principle.
10. Special case; abnormality. 19. Cards in a deck.
11. Director of the middle school. 20. A college near Windsor, England.
12. … is the loneliest number. 22. Homonym of eight.
13. __, myself and I. 23. Quite overweight.
14. New Testament. 24. Canadian author, __ Mitchell.
16. A homophone of too and two. 25. Unwanted email.
18. ___ palate. 26. Misbehaving kid.
21. Often it is spiral bound. 27. They put frames around pictures.
22. Absolutely fantastic. 30. The Danube River.
28. Classmate of Auggie's. 31. Human-made pile of stones.
29. One of Auggie's favorite subjects. 33. A famous doll.
32. Registered Nurse. 34. Identification.
33. ___ burner. 35. Part of a Japanese kimono.
38. Sighted a gun. 36. Not off.
39. Assigning roles to actors. 37. Spoke.
41. He isn't very nice. 39. Centimeter.
42. Auggie's homeroom teacher. 40. Sea eagle.
46. Secret ___. 42. Rhymes with knot.
47. Governor General. 43. Arts and Entertainment.
49. A game system. 44. Look for.
50. Kind of like etc. 45. Pictures.
53. Happily __ after. 48. Christmas ___.
51. Sometimes eaten at breakfast.
52. A posting on social media.
54. Around 12:00 o'clock.
55. American soldier.
56. Swedish rock group.
57. Auggie's friend.
58. Mrs. ___.
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Questions
1. Auggie's sister, Via, was to start school at ____________ High School in the fall.
2. Auggie's mom basically says that Julian is a phony. Why did she think this?
3. What did Via tell Auggie to help him feel more comfortable about going to school
on the first day?
5. How was Julian being mean when he asked Auggie if he liked the Darth Sidious
character from Star Wars? How did Auggie know that Julian was being mean by
asking the question?
7. Why do you think that Auggie decided at the end of the chapter, Choose Kind,
8. What literary device is the following an example of: Their eyes and whispers kept
bouncing over me? _______________________
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9. What two things made Auggie's cafeteria experience especially stressful?
1.
2.
10. Describe your impression of Summer. Why do you think she decided to sit with
Auggie?
Language Activities
A. Copy out any three sentences from these chapters and underline the nouns.
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B. Alliteration
The author seems to enjoy using alliteration – a literary device where the
author repeats the same sound at the beginning of several words. An
example from these chapters is I love Ping-Pong.
Using your imagination, create your own examples of alliteration from the
following topics. Each example must contain a minimum of three words.
The sound of an
avalanche.
C. A simile is a comparison using the words “like” or “as”. We find an example of this in
these chapters: … the right side of his desk was kind of like a wall ...
Invent your own similes comparing the following items with something from your
imagination:
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D. The Diamante Poem.
There are many forms of poetry available to the aspiring poet other than the
rhyming poem. One of the forms of poetry that is the most fun to tackle is
the Diamante poem.
Following the above instructions, try your hand at writing a diamante poem using an idea,
event or character from the past chapters as your inspiration.
Title: _________________________________________
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part III – One to Ten to Names
Vocabulary:
In each of the following sets of words, underline the one word that does not belong. Then
write a sentence explaining why it does not fit.
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Questions
Cloze Call
Complete the following exercise filling in the correct words from the Word Box.
After school when Auggie's mom asked him how the kids were he told her that everyone
was ______________. When his mom asked about Summer he said that they were like
Beauty and the ________________. That night Auggie cut off the little
_________________ on the back of his head. That night when his mom was reading The
Hobbit to him, Auggie started to ________________. Auggie found the rest of September
_________________. The other students avoided him almost as if his face was _________.
Auggie had to admit that if a Wookiee started going to his school he would probably
_________________ at him a bit. In Mr. Roche's class Auggie told Jack that his face
looked the way it did after ___________________ surgery. Mr. Browne's _____________
for October was, Your ________________ are your monuments. This had been written on
a _______________________ in ancient Egypt. Mr. Browne told them that the things we
do outlast our _________________. For his __________________ Auggie asked his mom
out to everyone in Auggie's class plus Summer. The only person who didn't ___________
was Julian. Summer told Auggie that she was dressing up as a ______________ for
Halloween. The other students were so reluctant to touch Auggie he figured he was like a
moldy old piece of ____________________. For school Auggie decided to dress up as the
heard Jack tell Julian that if he looked like Auggie he would _________________ himself.
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Language Activities
A. Choose ten words that begin with the letter s from these chapters and place them in
the left-hand column. Then write the list of words in alphabetical order.
B. The word “lock” (found in this section) can be used as a noun or verb, depending on
the sentence. Use your imagination and write sentences to illustrate how this word can be
used as both a noun and a verb.
LOCK
Noun
Verb
C. Choose ten words from these chapters with two or more syllables. Indicate the
syllables by drawing a line between each syllable. Example: good / bye.
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D. Talk Show
With two or three other students prepare to participate in a television or radio talk show
featuring characters from these chapters. Choose an interesting character from the book (it
doesn’t necessarily have to be Auggie). Prepare about a half-dozen questions to ask and
possible answers.
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Do you agree with the above quote? Please explain your answer.
Vocabulary:
Beside each word in Column A write the correct synonym or definition from Column B.
26
Questions
27
Language Activities
A. Write the plural of the following nouns from these chapters. Careful – you may wish to
consult a dictionary for some of these words.
B. Rewrite the following sentences putting in the correct capitalization and punctuation.
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C. Interview
Interview at least three other students for their views of this novel so far.
(Try to get both positive and negative comments.) Write a brief report
putting these views together.
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D. A Solution to a Problem
Choose one major event from the past few chapters which presents a problem for one of
the characters, then complete the following chart using information from the novel.
Characters:
Setting:
Problem:
Solution:
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part V – Genetics 101 to Time to Think
Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list that means the same as the underlined word(s).
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Questions
1. Research: Via mentions that Poppa's grandparents fled the pogroms in Russia
and Poland. Using resources in your school library or on the Internet investigate
the meaning of pogroms and record your results below.
2. What do you think Via means at the end of the chapter entitled The Punnett
Square when she says, “Countless babies who'll never be born, like mine.”
6. Explain how Via performed the role of therapist so successfully in the chapter
Trick or Treat.
7. Why was Auggie so upset that Via and Miranda were no longer good friends?
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Language Activities
A. Homophones
This section includes a number of examples of words that have
homophones. Examples of homophones include horse – hoarse and way
– weigh. Two words are homophones if they have the same
pronunciation but different meanings, origins, or spelling.
Example 1
Homophones Sentence
1
2
Example 2
Homophones Sentence
1
2
B. Copy out any three sentences from these chapters and underline the verbs.
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C. What’s It All About, Auggie?
We have already read about some rather unusual topics in our novel: Halloween, Star
Wars, pogroms, Brazil, mandibulofacial dysostosis, Leo Tolstoy (author of War and
Peace), dachshunds, New York City, etc. Your task is to choose an interesting topic from
the novel, then use the chart below to create a research organizer. Place the topic in the
middle balloon, then in the connecting balloons choose subtopics which would help you to
do a thorough investigation of the topic. For example: if your main topic is dogs, subtopics
might include breeds, diet, lifespan, grooming, etc.
5. 1.
Main Topic
2.
4.
3.
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D. Cinquain Poems
A Cinquain poem has five lines and most often does not rhyme. Write two Cinquain poems
describing two of the characters from Wonder using what you know about them from this
novel. With your teacher's permission you may wish to collaborate with a colleague in the
creation of these poems.
Character 1 _______________
____________________
______________________________
______________________________________
____________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Character 2 _______________
____________________
______________________________
______________________________________
____________________________________________
______________________________________________________
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Extension Activity
Use the three boxes to describe and illustrate the beginning, middle and
conclusion of this section.
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list to complete each sentence. Careful – some words may fit in
more than one sentence, but each word has only one true home!
1. Do you think that you could write a more creative ________________ for that
cartoon?
3. I am sure that even though the flashlight is quite tiny it will still ____________ the
cave.
4. More than forty people from our town died of the __________________.
8. One in every 691 babies in the United States is born with Down
__________________ – about 6,000 each year.
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Questions
b. Why do you think it might be interesting to read about events from this particular
person's perspective?
2. Why did Summer sit with Auggie to start with? Why did she continue to sit with him?
3. Why do you think Summer left Savanna's party early? What did you learn about her
from this event?
4. Why did Auggie think that Summer was sitting with him?
5. How did Auggie feel about Summer's idea of people getting to a “do-over” in the
afterlife? Why did he feel this way?
6. What two word hint did Summer give Jack about why Auggie was mad at him?
___________________ __________________
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Language Activities
A. Beside each of the following words from these chapters, write its root word.
sitting mummies
really having
hopefully Egyptian
basically batted
B. Anagrams
An anagram is a word that is formed by changing the order of the letters
of another word. For example, the letters in the word PAN can also form
the word NAP. Follow these directions to form the anagrams:
b) Using the word in the left-hand column move the letters around in any order, but you
must use all the letters.
Each of the words in the left-hand column are found in this section of our novel.
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C. What a Bunch of Characters!
The novel has featured a cast of memorable characters. Choose up to six
of your favorite characters from Wonder and complete the chart below
with details for each one.
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part VII – The Call to Season's Greetings
Vocabulary:
Solve the following word search puzzle using the words from the Word Box. Remember –
the words can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal, forward or even backward!
Word Box:
S Q W E T N I O P P A S I D C
N Y R T N I T E L L U B S T O
O O M R T O A I N E M I X U N
I P M P Y U I O I O A B T A D
S E N U A Q I T H N G U N N I
L R B H Y T A G A F H R E O T
U A V G N W H I J N J I I R I
P X C E T E T E K D A A T T O
X Z T F R P S F T S K L A S N
E E X C Y V B N M I L R P A E
D E U G A L P D L A C T M X R
S K E L E T O N P O I U I Y E
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Questions
1. Why was Jack reluctant to agree to help Auggie feel welcome at his new school?
2. Why do you think Veronica made Jack and Jamie leave right after Auggie sat
down beside them?
3. What made Jack change his mind about helping Auggie adjust to his new
school?
1.
2.
5. Not being friends anymore with Auggie is good for Jack because he got to hang
out with a lot more kids. What were the two reasons he listed for why it was bad?
1.
2.
6. In the chapter entitled, Private School, what was it that embarrassed Jack?
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7. Describe the circumstances when Jack finally realized why Auggie was made at
him.
8. Why did Jack punch Julian in the mouth? What were the repercussions?
9. What had Julian's mom done with his class picture? What do you think this
incident says about what she considers to be very important in life?
Language Activities
A. Find three examples of the following parts of speech from these chapters.
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B. A Letter to a Friend
Imagine Auggie decided to take a few minutes following the events
described in these chapters to write a letter to Christopher, whom he
still likes but is attending another school. Use your imagination to put
yourself in Auggie's place and then create such a letter letting your
friend know something of the experiences which he has endured since
beginning school at Beecher Prep, and his feelings. Your letter should
be at least a half-page in length and follow the proper format of a friendly
letter.
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C. The 3 – 2 - 1 Activity
We are at about the half-way point in the novel, so it is time for a little review. Complete the
following activity by filling in the required information in the boxes below.
Title:
Author:
2 Interesting Facts
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part VIII – Letters, Emails... to The Boyfriend
Vocabulary:
Write a sentence using the following words from Part VIII. Make sure that the meaning of
the word is clear in your sentence.
warranted
confident
impressionable
abundance
inclusion
protocol
inkling
stringent
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Good to Know – Zydeco Music
We learn that Justin enjoys playing in a zydeco band. Zydeco music blends blues, rhythm
and blues and is popular in parts of the southern United States. Usually with a fast tempo
and dominated by the button or piano accordion and a form of a washboard known as a
rub-board or scrub-board. Zydeco music was originally created at house dances, where
families and friends gathered for socializing.
Questions
1. What concern did Melissa Albans raise with Mr. Tushman in her email? Describe
how you felt when you read about her concerns.
3. Why didn't Savanna's group stay neutral instead of siding with Julian?
4. Why didn't Jack sit with Auggie on the first day of school?
5. Do you think that Charlotte's mom is right when she said that kids were too
young to be dating in grade five? Please defend your answer.
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6. Who do you think is a better student, Auggie or Jack. Why?
Language Activities
A. Observation Chart
Wonder is a novel filled with sights and sounds. Look back over the novel
and get as many examples of the five senses as you can, then list them in
the chart below with a brief description about where each was found.
You may wish to choose your examples from one particular scene, or
include a number of different scenes.
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B. Musical Instruments
In the chapter entitled, The Boyfriend, we learn that Justin plays a fiddle.
There are, of course, many musical instruments that one might learn how
to play. As well as the fiddle these include guitar, mandolin, banjo,
piano, trumpet, clarinet, flute, tuba, ukulele, cello, saxophone, viola
and many many more. Select an instrument from the above list (or
another approved by your teacher), then investigate this particular instrument and record
your results below. You might include facts regarding its origin, how one is constructed,
famous people who play it, its use (i.e. orchestras, rock groups, etc.), and other points of
interest.
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C. Perspectives.
Choose an event from this section (or earlier in the novel) that involved at least three
characters. Now consider the same incident from different perspectives and compare them
using the chart below. With your teacher's permission, you may wish to work with another
student student on this assignment.
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D. Time for a Quick Review.
a) What happened in the story so far that would probably never happen to you and why?
b) If you were __________ (choose a character from the novel), what is one thing that you
would have done differently? Why?
c) Identify two different emotions that one of the characters went through during the past
few chapters and give reasons as to why he/she felt this way.
d) If you could change one thing that has happened in the story what would it be and why?
51
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list that means the same as the underlined word(s).
52
Questions
1. Why do you think that in this section Justin doesn't use too many capital letters?
Did this make it harder to read for you?
2. Via was quite upset with Justin when he admitted that Auggie's T or F
face was a little scary.
3. Justin says that Olivia is a girl that sees everything. Why do you think Olivia is so
observant?
4. Justin says that he likes Olivia's family because they laugh a lot. Why else might
he like this family?
5. Investigate. Justin and Via are involved in the stage play, Our Town. Using
resources in your school library or the Internet find the name of the playwright of
Our Town, and the first name of the lead character played by Justin.
Playwright
Male Lead Character
6. Describe the favor that Justin does for Jack at the bus stop.
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7. In Miranda's talk with Justin she proves to him in two ways that she was once a
good friend of Via and her family. What were these two proofs?
1.
2.
Language Activities
A. Collector’s Cards
Sports Cards have been a very popular collector’s item for a number of years. A Willie
Mays 1952 Topps rookie card is worth $3000.00 today.
Melissa Albans confuses Auggie as someone with “special needs”. Mr. Tushman, however,
assures her that Auggie is neither disabled, handicapped, nor developmentally delayed,
nevertheless, as Melinda states, “the universe was not kind to Auggie Pullman.”
A number of very famous people, however, have accomplished great things while
overcoming great personal challenges in their lives. These include: Albert Einstein
(autism), Harrison Ford (depression), Wolfgang Mozart (Tourette Syndrome), Alexander
Graham Bell (dyslexia), Donald Trump (OCD), King George VI (stutterer), President F.
Roosevelt (polio), Michael J. Fox (Parkinson's Disease), Helen Keller (blind and deaf),
Richard Pryor (MS), and many others.
54
B. A News Report
Imagine you are a newspaper reporter at the time and place of Wonder.
You have the opportunity of interviewing Auggie or one of his friends or
colleagues. Write a short news article detailing one of the incidents which
Auggie has been forced to endure in the story thus far. You may wish to
brainstorm ideas with a colleague before beginning the news report.
55
C. Caviar Words
The author of this novel is noted for is her use of elegant, tasteful words.
Someone once stated that some words have the sound of caviar (rich
and elegant) and others are more are common (peanut butter words).
With a colleague come up with 6 examples of each type of word, you may
use any section of the novel to find these words.
1 I learned that
56
E. Jeopardy
Imagine you are preparing Jeopardy categories for Wonder. For the two
categories below list five answers (a.k.a. questions) for each. The answers
should get harder as the dollar value increases.
1. Characters in Wonder.
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
2. Events in Wonder.
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
57
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part X – North Pole to The Ending
Advantage
Disadvantage
Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list to complete each sentence.
1. The actors were astonished at the ________________ they received at the end of
Act I.
2. When Steve Austin had his arm amputated after an accident the doctors gave him a
___________________ arm.
4. It's hard to believe that he was once an __________________ for George Clooney.
5. We were assured that the lottery's winning number was chosen completely at
_____________________.
6. When Mandy saw her brother disappear into the cave she became _____________.
7. The old hermit lived by himself for so long that he became quite
____________________ over the years.
58
Questions
1. Explain why the author entitles one of the chapters North Pole.
4. Why didn't Via tell her parents about being involved in the play?
5. What difficult event came up immediately after Auggie's blow up at the dinner
table? How did this bring the family back together?
6. What is an understudy?
7. Describe the selfless act that Miranda did. Why do you think she did this?
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Language Activities
A. Cliffhanger
A cliffhanger is a popular device used by both writers of novels and
movies. An example of a cliffhanger is the ending of the chapter entitled,
Goodbye.
What is a cliffhanger?
B. Try to reassemble the word parts listed below into ten compound words found in
these chapters of Wonder.
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C. Conflict
We have already read about a number of conflicts in this novel. Conflict
is an important element in a novel. There are generally three types of conflict:
person against person; person against self; and person against nature.
Find two examples of conflict in Wonder, and tell which type of conflict each
is.
D. Eliminate the following letters from the puzzle to reveal the secret message which was
written by John Quincy Adams: Z, X, Q, J, Y, K
Q P A T I E N C E Y A N D Q Y Z Q Y K J
Z J K Z J P E R S E V E R A N C E Z Q Y
J Z X H A V E Z A J M A G I C A L J Y Z
E F F E C T Y Q Z Y J Q K Z Y Q J Y Z K
Y Q J Z Q B E F O R E J W H I C H Q X J
Z J D I F F I C U L T I E S Q Z J X K Q
K Z Y Q J Z Q Y Z J Q D I S A P P E A R
Y K A N D K K X Q K Y J K Q K J Y Q Z X
Z Y K J Z O B S T A C L E S Z Q K J Y K
Y Z Q Z Y Q J Q Y V A N I S H Y Z K J Q
Answer:
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E. Found Poetry
Found Poetry is a type of poetry created by taking words, phrases, and sometimes whole
passages from prose (like novels or short stories) and reframing them as poetry by making
changes in spacing and/or lines. An example of this might be the Gettysburg Address. Here
are the first few lines in poetic form:
The TASK. Find a picture book from your classroom or school (or public) library which is
written in prose (not poetry). By reframing the prose, create an example of found poetry for
a specific selection (i.e. 2-4 pages) of this picture book, then record your example below.
Name of
Page #'s Found Poetry
Picture Book
62
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list that means the same as the underlined word(s).
63
Questions
2. At summer camp Miranda told everyone that she had a little brother
True or False
who was deformed and that she had a dog named Daisy.
3. Miranda's boyfriend, Zack, was a drama geek.
True or False
6. Miranda pulled out of the play on opening night at the last minute
True or False
because she was upset at the director for criticizing her acting ability.
7. Via only flubbed three small parts in the play.
True or False
8. Mr. Davenport was more nervous than all of the students put
True or False
together.
9. Miranda's nickname for Auggie was Major Tim.
True or False
10. Miranda felt absolutely happy about going with Via's family for a
True or False
late-night dinner.
Language Activities
A. A number of interesting characters have already appeared in the novel. For each
person listed below think of three adjectives which would accurately describe him/her.
Consider both appearance and personality.
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B. KWS Chart
Choose a topic which is featured in Wonder In each of the columns below add helpful
details which would help someone who is researching your chosen topic.
Topic:
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C. The Five W’s Chart
Choose a major event from the novel and then complete the following chart
with the important details.
What happened?
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D. Your Favorite Genre Of Books
Wonder is usually classified as a novel for Young Readers. What genre of
books do you enjoy the most (i.e. mystery, humor, biography, romance,
fantasy, historical fiction, science fiction, poetry, etc.)? Why do you
especially enjoy this type of book?
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part XII – The Fifth… to Home
Vocabulary:
Circle the correct word that best matches the meaning of the underlined word.
1. Everyone had been worried about Auggie's feeding tube getting detached.
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Questions
1. What do you think? The author has given us quite a clear picture of Auggie by the
time we finish reading these chapters. Some psychologists believe that most people
can be categorized as either Type A personalities or Type B.
Type B people, on the other hand, live at a lower stress level and typically work
steadily, enjoying achievement but not becoming stressed when they do not
achieve. When faced with competition, they do not mind losing and either enjoy the
game or back down.
2. From what movie do you think the author got the idea for the chapter title, “The
Woods Are Alive”? Explain why.
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4. Although the nature retreat was a trying experience for Auggie, how did the
experience result in a lasting benefit for him?
5. What were the names of the five students who were in the same cabin as Auggie?
1. 2. 3.
7. What important item did Auggie lose while on the camping trip? What was his
father's attitude regarding the loss?
8. How did Auggie's mom answer him when he asked her if there were always going
to be jerks in the world? Do you agree with her?
• There are a number of really good YouTube videos about this novel.
My favorite one is called “I am Auggie Pullman”.
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Language Activities
A. Copy out any two sentences from these chapters and underline the adjectives.
Auggie __________
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C. The Eight Parts of Speech
From these chapters find at least two examples of each of the eight parts of speech and list
them in the appropriate section of the chart below.
Interjections
Nouns
Pronouns
Conjunctions
Prepositions
Adjectives
Adverbs
Verbs
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D. The Story Pyramid
The story pyramid gives the creator an opportunity to summarize points in a story using
only a certain number of words. By limiting your options in this way, it will give you the
opportunity to stretch your thinking because of the small number of words required at each
level of the pyramid. It is also a great opportunity to gather the most important information
when writing a summary.
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Extension Activities
A Comic Strip
This activity is especially for students with an artistic flair or who love comic books! It
can be done for any event up to this point in the story. The first step is to decide on the
length of your comic strip (6 to 9 frames is suggested); next consider what events you
will include. You may wish to highlight a brief incident, or include the highlights of the
novel to this point. A quick sketch of the comic strip can first be accomplished in a
storyboard format before a final copy is attempted. The strip should include a title and
dialogue. It should be neat and imaginative.
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Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Vocabulary:
Beside each word in Column A write the correct synonym or definition from Column B.
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Questions
1. The climax of a story usually occurs at the most exciting or important point of the
plot. Where do you think the climax of this novel occurs?
2. Were you satisfied with the conclusion of the novel? Why or why not?
3. What did Auggie mean when he said that when he returned to school after the
camping trip there was a monumental shift in the way things were?
4. What excuse did Julian's parents offer for Julian not returning to Beecher Prep in
the fall? Do you think this was a wise decision for his parents to make? Why?
5. If you were asked to make a precept for yourself and your class for the coming
month, what would it be?
6. What did you enjoy most about this novel (i.e. a scene, character, issue...)?
Why?
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Language Activities
A. A Book Review
Now is your chance to share the novel with others. Write a review of
Wonder, describing in no more than one paragraph an outline of the plot,
and then in another paragraph how you enjoyed the novel (or didn’t) and
why. (Please don’t give away the ending!) This review can be posted to
a website like www.amazon.com for other readers to enjoy.
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B. Lights, Camera, Action!
Suppose Hollywood decided to make Wonder into a full-length feature movie. Who would
star in this exciting project? Now suppose you were asked to be the casting director for this
movie. Who would you cast for the principal roles:
1. Auggie –
2. Via -
3. Jack –
4. Julian –
5. Charlotte -
6. Summer –
7. Miranda –
8. Justin –
9. Auggie's Mom –
11. ______________ –
12. ______________ –
You may wish to choose Hollywood actors for this task, or for some fun, limit your choices
to people in your school (teachers and students). Beside each selection write a brief
explanation for your choice.
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C. Sequence Chart
List the main events of Wonder in the order in which they occurred.
Wonder
First
Next
Next
Next
Next
Next
Next
Next
Last
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D. Further Activities
With a partner or small group complete the following.
With a small group choose an event from the novel to act out. Create a
script including dialogue and stage directions. (If there's time, create a
few stage props.) Enact your presentation before the class.
With a partner create a new ending to the story. Make sure your story
is exciting and believable and contains the appropriate details.
With a small group of other students have the host introduce each of
three or four characters to the class with a brief description, then ask
each character two or three pertinent questions.
With a small group create a short advertisement for the novel. During
the morning announcements for the school have the students present
this advertisement. (It works best if the school library has a few copies
of the novel so interested students can borrow a copy.
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Extension Activities
A. A Book Cover
Create a book cover for Wonder. Be sure to include the title, author, and a
picture that will make other students want to read the novel.
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B. Collage
Make a collage from magazine pictures illustrating a scene from the novel, or
events and characters from the entire novel.
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Answer Key
Part I
Vocabulary:
Questions:
Part II
Vocabulary:
C A E L E C T I V E
A U G U S T L I N V E N T
O F E U M I N T S X U
N E T P R E C E P T I A C E S
E T O N G L B A T E E H
E O B E S E O W O S P A M
B R A T R F R A M E R S T A
I E I S T E R S C A I R N
B A R B I E I D O B I O N
U O S A I D C M E R N J
N P O T I A E N U
S E E K I M A G E S C A R O L
E T E E G G T W E E T I
N O O N T I D E G I V A B B A
S A N N E R N
C H A R L O T T E G A R C I A
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Questions:
1. Faulkner
2. He acted one way in front of adults and one way in front of kids.
3. She told him that everyone was nervous on the first day of school.
4. Mon Mothma
5. Darth Sidious was a character whose face was burned. After asking the question
Julian kept looking at Auggie.
6. rule about a really important thing.
7. Answers will vary (i.e. Mr. Browne emphasized being kind to others).
8. Personification.
9. Two of: No one would sit with him at first. He could tell that kids were talking about
him. He had a messy way of eating.
10. Answers will vary.
Part III
Vocabulary:
Questions
After school when Auggie's mom asked him how the kids were he told her that everyone
was nice. When his mom asked about Summer he said that they were like Beauty and the
Beast. That night Auggie cut off the little braid on the back of his head. That night when his
mom was reading The Hobbit to him, Auggie started to cry. Auggie found the rest of
September hard. The other students avoided him almost as if his face was contagious.
Auggie had to admit that if a Wookiee started going to his school he would probably stare
at him a bit. In Mr. Roche's class Auggie told Jack that his face looked the way it did after
plastic surgery. Mr. Browne's precept for October was, Your deeds are your monuments.
This had been written on a tombstone in ancient Egypt. Mr. Browne told them that the
things we do outlast our mortality. For his birthday Auggie asked his mom if he could have
a bowling party. Auggie's mom sent evites out to everyone in Auggie's class plus Summer.
The only person who didn't RSVP was Julian. Summer told Auggie that she was dressing
up as a unicorn for Halloween. The other students were so reluctant to touch Auggie he
figured he was like a moldy old piece of cheese. For school Auggie decided to dress up as
the Bleeding Scream instead of Boba Fett. When he got to the classroom he heard Jack tell
Julian that if he looked like Auggie he would kill himself.
Part IV
Vocabulary:
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Questions:
1 – T.
2 – F (Brazil).
3 – F (with Grans).
4 – T.
5 – F (Olivia).
6 – T.
7 – F (Miranda).
8 – T.
9 – F (American cheese).
10 - T
Language Activities
Part V
Vocabulary:
Questions:
Part VI
Vocabulary:
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Questions:
1. Summer.
b. Answers will vary.
2. She felt sorry for him. She realized that he was fun to be around.
3. Answers will vary.
4. He thought Mr. Tushman had told her to.
5. He liked the idea because he thought he might come back handsome.
6. Bleeding Scream
Language Activities
Part VII
Vocabulary:
S T N I O P P A S I D C
N Y N I T E L L U B T O
O O M O A I N E M I X U N
I P P I O B T A D
S E A I T N U N N I
L R T A R E O T
U A N H I N I I R I
P E T E A A T T O
X T P T L A S N
E E Y I P A E
D E U G A L P C M X R
S K E L E T O N I E
Questions:
1. Answers will vary (i.e. He knew who Auggie was and couldn't get over his unusual
appearance).
2. Answers will vary (i.e. She thought Jamie was going to say something
embarrassing).
3. He knew that if nice kids like Jamie could be mean to Auggie, then Auggie needed
all the help he could get settling into middle school.
4. Answers will vary (i.e. Auggie let him cheat off him; let him copy his homework once
and then lied to the teacher to keep Jack out of trouble).
5. 1. He didn't enjoy hanging out with the popular group that much. 2. He liked hanging
out with August.
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6. He found an old sled on Skeleton Hill and took it home and fixed it up. It then turned
out that Miles had abandoned it there and Julian suggested that a hobo took it.
7. Answers will vary.
8. He called Auggie a freak. He was suspended from school for the rest of the week.
9. She Photoshopped Auggie out of the picture. Answers will vary.
Part VIII
Questions:
1. She was concerned that Auggie's presence at the school was presenting a hardship
for the other students. Answers will vary.
2. He got most of the boys to give him the silent treatment.
3. Her group was going out with Julian's group.
4. He wanted a little normal time to chill with the other kids.
5. Answers will vary.
6. Answers will vary.
7. F (Louisiana)
Part IX
Vocabulary:
Questions:
Part X
Vocabulary:
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Questions:
1. Auggie states; All of those eyes are compasses, and I'm like the North Pole to them.
2. Miles, Henry
3. Auggie didn't have outer ears so they had to put the earbuds on a heavy-duty
headband that wrapped around the back of his head.
4. She didn't want Auggie to attend.
5. They found out that Daisy was really sick. Answers will vary.
6. A person who replaces an actor if he/she can't perform for some reason.
7. She said she was sick so that Via would have to take her place as the star of the
play.
Answers will vary (i.e. Via's family was there, whereas her's was not).
Language Activities
D. Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and
obstacles vanish.
Part XI
Vocabulary:
Questions:
Part XII
Vocabulary:
Questions:
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7. His hearing aids. He took it well and was just glad that Auggie was all right.
8. She said that there would be, but there were more good people than bad people and
the good people have to watch out for each other. Answers will vary.
Part XIII
Vocabulary:
Questions:
1. Answers will vary (i.e. when Auggie wins the Henry Ward Beecher Award).
2. Answers will vary.
3. Not only was Auggie accepted by almost everyone in the whole school, but he was
something of a hero.
4. They said the school wasn't a good fit for him. Answers will vary.
5. Answers will vary.
6. Answers will vary.
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