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Wonder: R.J. Palacio

This document provides an overview of a novel study guide for the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It includes suggestions for implementing the study, a list of skills addressed, a synopsis of the book, and a biography of the author. The study guide is designed to be used flexibly and covers various chapters through activities related to vocabulary, comprehension, creative thinking, and art.

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Swati Rai
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© © All Rights Reserved
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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
589 views

Wonder: R.J. Palacio

This document provides an overview of a novel study guide for the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio. It includes suggestions for implementing the study, a list of skills addressed, a synopsis of the book, and a biography of the author. The study guide is designed to be used flexibly and covers various chapters through activities related to vocabulary, comprehension, creative thinking, and art.

Uploaded by

Swati Rai
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 89

Wonder

By

R.J. Palacio

A Novel Study
by Nat Reed
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio

Table of Contents

Suggestions and Expectations 3

List of Skills 4

Synopsis / Author Biography 5

Student Checklist 6

Reproducible Student Booklet 7

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.

Copyright © 2016 Nat Reed


Revisions Completed in 2022
All rights reserved by author.
Permission to copy for single classroom use only.
Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.
Not for public display.

2
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio

Suggestions and Expectations

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:

1. Before You Read


2. Vocabulary Building
3. Comprehension Questions
4. Language and Extension Activities

A portfolio cover (p.7) as well as a Checklist (p.6) are included so that students may
track of their completed work.

Every activity need not be completed by all students.

Links with the Common Core Standards (U.S.)


Many of the activities included in this curriculum unit are supported by the Common Core
Standards. For instance the Reading Standards for Literature, Grade 5, makes
reference to
a) determining the meaning of words and phrases. . . including figurative language;
b) explaining how a series of chapters fits together to provide the overall structure;
c) compare and contrast two characters;
d) determine how characters … respond to challenges;
e) drawing inferences from the text;
f) determining a theme of a story . . . and many others.

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.

3
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio

List of Skills

Vocabulary Development

1. Locating descriptive words/phrases 8. Use of singular / plural nouns


2. Listing synonyms/homophones 9. Listing compound words
3. Identifying/creating alliteration 10. Identifying parts of speech
4. Use of capitals and punctuation 11. Determining alphabetical order
5. Identifying syllables 12. Identification of root words
6. Identify anagrams 13. Identify/create similes
7. Identify personification 14. Identification of a cliffhanger

Setting Activities

1. Summarize the details of a setting

Plot Activities

1. Complete a time line of events 3. Identify the climax of the novel


2. Identify conflict in the story 4. Five W’s Chart

Character Activities

1. Determine character traits 3. Relating personal experiences


2. Protagonists/antagonists 4. Comparing two Characters

Creative and Critical Thinking

1. Research 5. Conduct an interview


2. Write a newspaper story 6. Write a description of personal feelings
3. Write a letter to a friend 7. Write a book review
4. Complete an Observation Chart 8. Complete a KWS Chart

Art Activities

1. A Storyboard 3. Design a cover for the novel


2. Create a collage 4. Design an Information Card

4
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

I live in NYC with my husband, two sons, and two


dogs. For many years, I was an art director and book
jacket designer, designing covers for countless well-
known and not so well-known writers in every genre of
fiction and nonfiction. I always wanted to write, though.
I kept waiting for the perfect time in my life
to start writing, but after more than twenty years of
designing book jackets for other people, I realized
that the perfect time would never really present itself.
It's never the perfect time to start writing a book. So
I decided to just go for it. Wonder is my first novel.
And no, I didn't design the cover, but I sure do love it.

Courtesy of the author's website: http://rjpalacio.com/author.html

5
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio

Student Checklist

Student Name

Assignment Grade / Level Comments

6
Wonder

By R.J. Palacio

Name:

7
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio

Part I – Ordinary to The Performance Space

Before you read this section:


The protagonist in most novels features the main character or “good guy”. The protagonist
of Wonder is grade five student, Auggie, a boy who has already faced many difficult
challenges in his young life. Think back on some of your favorite characters from past
novels you have read. What do you think makes for an especially interesting protagonist?

Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list to complete each sentence.

intricate exaggerate incubator obnoxious


percussion anomaly imitate hindsight

1. Ralph didn't think it was funny when Jon began to _______________ the way he
talked.

2. Do you know if the drums are considered a _________________ instrument?

3. We watched the chicks hatch in Mrs. Tubman's _________________.

4. William was so _________________ that he was asked to go home by Hilda's mom.

5. The doctor referred to Auggie's cleft palate as a small __________________.

6. The jigsaw puzzle was far too _________________ for my little brother to complete.

7. In _________________ it probably wasn't a good idea to leave the children alone.

8. Jason has been known to _________________ when describing his adventures at


camp.

8
Questions

1. What is the setting of the chapter entitled Paging Mr. Tushman?

2. Match each name with the proper description:

1 Auggie A Big sis.


2 Mr. Tushman B Blond guide with green crocs.
3 Charlotte C A bit of a jerk.
4 Nate Pullman D Urged Auggie to talk more.
5 Jack Will E The protagonist.
6 Via F Director of the middle school.
7 Julian G Dad.

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.

10
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.

B. Personification is giving human qualities to something that is not


human. In this section of the novel the author writes, … Mrs. Garcia's eyes
dropped for a second. In this sentence Mrs. Garcia's eyes are given
human characteristics (her eyes seem to drop of their own accord).

a) Why do you think personification is a literary device used by many authors?

b) Create your own example of personification.

c) Rewrite the above sentence about Mrs. Garcia's eyes without changing the overall
meaning so that her eyes are no longer personified.

11
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.

12
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?

13
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

The Acrostic Poem


Now create your own Acrostic Poem on a subject featured in this novel. Your poem must
have at least four lines (and doesn't need to rhyme).
Title: _______________________________________________

14
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

15
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part II – The Deal to The Summer Table

Before you read this section:


In the coming chapters Auggie faces a difficult new experience, attending school for the
first time. Think back on a difficult new experience that you once faced. Describe the
experience and how it made you feel. Why do you think such experiences are so difficult?

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

16
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. ___.

CAIRN CLIPBOARD CLEFT ELECTIVES SURGERIES CAFETERIA


JULIAN CHARLOTTE NOTEBOOK VISITOR AGE FRAMERS
AUGUST GARCIA AWESOME NT PETOSA ERN
POT WO ACES ISTER ATE ABBA
INVENT AIMED SCIENCE ATARI SAID NOONTIDE
BRAT EXCEPTION OF TWEET EN EVER
CASTING BUNSEN SEEK ET BARBIE TUSHMAN
CAROL GI IMAGES ETAL NET OBI
ME MINTS ON OBESE SPAM EGG
CM ETON AGENT PRECEPT ID REID
AE TO GG ONE RN

17
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?

4. Auggie thought that his homeroom teacher looked exactly like


__________________ from Star Wars Episode IV.

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?

6. According to Mr. Browne, a precept is a ______________________________


______________________________.

7. Why do you think that Auggie decided at the end of the chapter, Choose Kind,

that he was going to like school?

8. What literary device is the following an example of: Their eyes and whispers kept
bouncing over me? _______________________

18
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.

19
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 moo of a cow.

The sound of an
avalanche.

From your imagination

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 ...

In this example what two things are being compared?

Invent your own similes comparing the following items with something from your
imagination:

a) The sound of a clap of thunder.

b) your own example

20
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.

The Diamante Poem


The diamante poem has a distinct form and a distinct shape. Directions for creating one is
as follows:

Line 1 - Noun or subject – one word.


Line 2 – Two adjectives that describe Line 1.
Line 3 – Three 'ing words that describe line 1 (i.e. playing).
Line 4 – Four nouns – the first two are connected with Line 1, the last two are connected
with Line 7.
Line 5 – Three 'ing words that describe Line 7.
Line 6 – Two adjectives that describe Line 7.
Line 7 – One noun synonym for the subject.

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: _________________________________________

21
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part III – One to Ten to Names

Before you read this section:


Most good novels need to have a really effective antagonist (bad guy) – someone you
really love to hate. Who do you think would qualify as the novel's antagonist? Why?

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.

1 gloom murkiness consolidate dark

2 contagious calibrated infectious spreading

3 eventual inevitable ultimate provisional

4 disconnection coincidence accompaniment concurrence

5 hysterical frenzied vehement indifferent

6 mortality immortality fatality lethality

22
Questions
Cloze Call

Complete the following exercise filling in the correct words from the Word Box.

hard mortality plastic cheese bowling


evites contagious RSVP braid birthday
kill cry deeds nice precept
Beast unicorn stare tombstone Scream

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

if he could have a __________________ party. Auggie's mom sent _________________

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

Bleeding ___________________ instead of Boba Fett. When he got to the classroom he

heard Jack tell Julian that if he looked like Auggie he would _________________ himself.

23
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.

Words Beginning With S Alphabetical Order


1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

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.

24
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.

25
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio

Part IV – A Tour of the Galaxy to Breakfast


Before you read this section:
Friends show their love in times of trouble, not in happiness. (Euripides)

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.

COLUMN A CORRECT MEANING COLUMN B


1. shuttle a. fantastic
2. cosmos b. disaster
3. incredible c. frustrate
4. disproportionate d. a vegetable
5. catastrophe e. commute
6. apparition f. too large or too small in comparison
with something else.
7. exasperate g. a vision
8. cauliflower h. the universe

26
Questions

Indicate whether the following statements are True or False.

1. Part Two of the novel switches to Via's perspective.


True or False
2. Mrs. Pullman's family came from Argentina.
True or False
3. Via was able to get a glimpse of how other people saw Auggie
True or False
after spending four weeks away from him at summer camp.
4. Auggie had a piece of his hip bone surgically implanted into his
True or False
lower jaw.
5. Via's full name is Victoria.
True or False
6. Even though she hated it, Via knew that people often referred to
True or False
her brother as being deformed.
7. Of Via's two best friends, Ella and Miranda, Ella was always the
True or False
sweetest to Auggie.
8. When Via started high school she drifted apart from Ella and
True or False
Miranda.
9. Auggie's mom typically made him a peanut butter sandwich on
True or False
whole wheat bread which was soft enough for him to chew.
10. Auggie came to Miranda's defense when she was dissed by
Via. True or False

What do you think?


Via's dad tells Mrs. Pullman that Via should be able to take the subway because she is
reading War and Peace. Why do you think he decided that Via's ability to read this novel
meant she should be able to take the subway by herself? Do you think this judgment call
is the right one? Please defend your response.

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.

Singular Noun Plural Noun


surgery
stomach
beach
party
bus
breath
hair
baby
subway
boa

B. Rewrite the following sentences putting in the correct capitalization and punctuation.

via ella and miranda had been friends for years

Are you going to the st louis cardinals game on friday

come here auggie mr. tushman ordered

28
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.

29
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:

30
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part V – Genetics 101 to Time to Think

Before you read this section:


Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough. (Og
Mandino)
Auggie proves in this section that he is a very determined person. Besides determination,
what other factors might be important in order for one to achieve success?

Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list that means the same as the underlined word(s).

mutation inheritance dominant defective accustomed


impression procedure momentarily flabbergasted confront

Jasmine thought for an instant that her mother had come


1
home early.
I had the feeling that Georgia was going to be on holidays
2
for the entire month.
After spending a day in the building we were used to the
3
noise of the subway.
The endowment I received from my uncle was not as large
4
as I thought it might be.
The scientists were astonished by the change they
5
observed in the cells.
It wasn't long before the two boys discovered that their
6
new bicycles were imperfect.
What plan of action do you think the president will
7
recommend?
Wyatt Earp decided that the best way to handle the bully
8
was to challenge him.
Kelly's mother is a very controlling person.
9
“I was really puzzled by the answer Pierre gave me,” the
10
teacher admitted.

31
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.”

3. Both of Auggie's parents carried the mutant gene which


made war on his face. True or False

4. Explain the title of the chapter, Out with the Old.

5. Why was Halloween a sad time of the year for Via?

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?

32
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.

Think of two more examples of homophones and use each in a sentence


showing the meaning of each word quite clearly.

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.

33
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.

34
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.

Line 1 is one word. Santa


Line 2 is two words. Saint Nick
Line 3 is three words. Long white beard
Line 4 is four words. Christmas Eve present-giver
Line five is one word. Jolly

Character 1 _______________

____________________

______________________________

______________________________________

____________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Character 2 _______________

____________________

______________________________

______________________________________

____________________________________________

______________________________________________________

35
Extension Activity

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

Use the three boxes to describe and illustrate the beginning, middle and
conclusion of this section.

Beginning Picture: Beginning:

Middle Picture: Middle:

Concluding Picture: Concluding:

36
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio

Part VI – Weird Kids to The Egyptian Tomb

Before you read this section:


The greatest gift of life is friendship. (Hubert Humphrey)
What do you consider the greatest gift of life? Why?

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!

plague jackal platoon syndrome


register artifact caption illuminate

1. Do you think that you could write a more creative ________________ for that
cartoon?

2. The most ancient _________________ in the museum is the Egyptian mummy.

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 __________________.

5. One of the most dangerous animals of Ethiopia is the _________________.

6. A _________________ is a military unit composed of more than two squads.

7. It took a second for my question to even _________________.

8. One in every 691 babies in the United States is born with Down
__________________ – about 6,000 each year.

37
Questions

1. From whose perspective is Part Three of the novel written?


_____________________

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?

___________________ __________________

38
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:

a) read the clue in the right-hand column.

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.

Word Anagram Clue


face A small restaurant.
strange Silicate minerals (gemstones).
told An unintelligent person.
The Egyptians of the pyramids would be
instance examples of this.
swing Vital parts of a bird.
swore Of poorer quality.

39
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.

Character Strengths Weaknesses Your Personal A Category of


Feelings About your Choosing
Him/Her ___________

40
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part VII – The Call to Season's Greetings

Before you read this section:


Creative chapter titles can really add to a good story. R.J. Palacio comes up with some
very imaginative titles for her chapters in this novel, including those she selected for this
section. Your task is to return to this question after you have read Part Three of the novel
and see if you can create a new title for one chapter which reflect the contents. (You may
wish to work with a colleague on this question to brainstorm some possibilities.)

Old Title: _________________________ New Title: _____________________________

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:

ASTRONAUT SYMPATHETIC DISAPPOINT EXPLANATION XIMENA


PLAGUE EGYPTIAN BULLETIN CONDITIONER BURIAL
SKELETON DETENTION IMPATIENT EXPULSION OPERA

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

41
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?

4. List two ways that Auggie proved to be a good friend to Jack.

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?

42
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.

Nouns Verbs Adjectives

43
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.

44
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:

3 Things I Learned While Reading

2 Interesting Facts

1 Question I Still Have

45
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part VIII – Letters, Emails... to The Boyfriend

Before you read this section:


Spoiler Alert! In the coming chapters one of the characters is shunned by many of the
people in his/her class. Why do you think this might be a really horrible thing for a person to
go through?

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

46
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.

2. Describe how Julian got back at Jack.

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.

47
6. Who do you think is a better student, Auggie or Jack. Why?

7. According to Justin, Creole is the kind of music they play in Alabama. T or F

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.

Sight Sound Touch Taste Smell

48
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.

49
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.

VIEW POINTS THOUGHTS/ IMPACT REFLECTIONS


FEELINGS

50
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

Part IX – Olivia's Brother to The Universe

Before you read this section:


We have met some very interesting characters to this point in the story. Which of the
people have you found the most interesting – and why? (To make this question even more
challenging – choose a character other than Auggie!)

Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list that means the same as the underlined word(s).

anomaly overprotective neglectful confident


unison defensive monologue fragile

Everyone in the audience found the comedian's soliloquy to


1
be hilarious.
He developed an assured stage presence only after years of
2
practice.
The two sisters sang the national anthem together.
3
My aunt's excessive attention began to irritate me.
4
Via was very protective of her younger brother.
5
Peter was very careless in the way he carried out his
6
responsibilities at the golf course.
The expensive urn was very delicate.
7
What happened to Auggie was abnormal and happened
8
only rarely.

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.

53
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.

8. Why did Via think she was an awful person?

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.

Wouldn’t it be great if a series of collectors cards were issued celebrating these


accomplished people? Design a card for one of the exceptional people from the above list
(or another approved by your teacher). The front of the card should feature a colored
picture of the individual, and the back should include at least three interesting facts about
him or her, i.e. personal facts, accomplishments, etc .

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.

Caviar Words Peanut Butter Words

D. Open Ended Questions About The Novel.


Finish the following statements about what you learned from reading our novel so far.

1 I learned that

2 Now I am curious about

3 Something this reminds me of is

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

Before you read this section:


Pets can be a wonderful addition for most families. First choose a particular animal as the
pet and then think of one advantage and one disadvantage for having a this particular
animal for a pet.

Your choice of animal for a pet:

Advantage

Disadvantage

Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list to complete each sentence.

sarcastic random exaggerate bionic


taciturn ovation hysterical understudy

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.

3. Not everyone enjoys someone who is __________________ all the time.

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.

8. Calvin will usually ____________________ when he tells one of his stories.

58
Questions

1. Explain why the author entitles one of the chapters North Pole.

2. By the end of March only ______________ and ______________ were on


Julian's side.

3. Why wasn't Auggie able to wear normal hearing aids?

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?

59
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?

Why do you think it is so popular with writers like R.J. Palacio?

B. Try to reassemble the word parts listed below into ten compound words found in
these chapters of Wonder.

body band boy ear stair


way phones sheet out under
work thing side study any
way head some every friend

60
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:

61
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:

We hold these truths


to be self-evident!
That ALL men
are created equal

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

Part XI – Camp Lies to After the Show

Before you read this section:


Self-sacrifice is defined as the giving up of one's own interests or wishes in order to help
others or to advance a cause. Describe a time in your own life or a friend's when you self-
sacrificed your own best interests to help out your friend. Why do you think a person would
self-sacrifice for another person?

Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list that means the same as the underlined word(s).

popularity pathetic unsympathetic extraordinary


decorator unacceptable mayhem bittersweet

Everyone knew just how special David's ability as a tennis


1
player was.
Maria decided she wanted to be a designer when she
2
finished school.
There was absolute chaos and confusion when the
3
firecrackers went off.
That sort of behavior won't be tolerated.
4
The excuse she gave for being absent was so feeble.
5
When we told her that we couldn't attend her birthday
6
party she started acting very aloof.
Jenny's esteem couldn't be higher at this moment.
7
There was something good and something bad about
8
winning that award.

63
Questions

Indicate whether the following statements are True or False.

1. Part Seven of the novel is told from Miranda's point of view.


True or False

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

4. Although Miranda missed Via's friendship, she had always thought


True or False
that Via's family was a bit strange and hard to take.
5. Miranda's mother couldn't attend opening night because she was ill.
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.

Character Trait 1 Trait 2 Trait 3


Justin
Zack
Miranda

64
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:

What I Know What I want to Learn Possible Sources

65
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?

Who was there?

Why did it happen?

When did it happen?

Where did it happen?

66
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?

E. My 02¢ About Part XI.


What I Liked Best:

I Didn't Like The Part:

I Didn't Like It Because:

67
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio
Part XII – The Fifth… to Home

Before you read this section:


Many of the issues in this novel are resolved in the coming chapters. Predict how you think
the novel will end.

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.

a) blocked b) fouled c) separated d) calcified

2. Everyone was astonished when the army began to retreat.

a) withdraw b) attack c) dig in d) waffle

3. “Would I get electrocuted?”

a) manhandled b) voted in c) shocked d) double-downed

4. We rappelled up some ginormous trees.

a) humungous b) ancient c) catastrophic d) favorable

5. Try to be as specific as possible when responding to our questions.

a) loquacious b) ridiculous c) creative d) exact

6. We got up and kind of hopscotched over the kids.

a) taped b) ran c) tripped d) jumped

68
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 A people are often high-achieving "workaholics" who multi-task, push


themselves with deadlines, and hate both delays and indecision.

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.

Which personality type do you think Auggie is?

Be sure to defend your answer.

2. From what movie do you think the author got the idea for the chapter title, “The
Woods Are Alive”? Explain why.

3. Write a brief synopsis of Auggie's nature retreat.

69
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?

6. Think of three appropriate adjectives which would describe Eddie's


personality/character.

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”.

• A neat website is the Children's Craniofacial Association ~ www.ccakids.com

70
Language Activities

A. Copy out any two sentences from these chapters and underline the adjectives.

B. Comparing Two Characters from the Novel


Using the Venn Diagram below compare Auggie with one other character from the novel.
Be sure to include physical traits as well as personality traits. Remember that any
characteristics these two people share should be placed in the middle of the two circles.

Auggie __________

71
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

72
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.

Write a story pyramid following these instructions.

Line 1: One word, stating the name of the main character


Line 2: Two words, describing this character
Line 3: Three words, describing the setting for a part or all of this section
Line 4: Four words, stating a problem faced in this section
Line 5: Five words, describing one event from this section
Line 6: Six words, describing a second event from this section
Line 7: Seven words, describing a third event from this section
Line 8: Eight words, describing another character from this section

73
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.

74
Wonder
By R.J. Palacio

Part XIII – Bear to the end

Before you read this section:


Which event in the novel did you enjoy the most? Why?

Vocabulary:
Beside each word in Column A write the correct synonym or definition from Column B.

COLUMN A CORRECT MEANING COLUMN B


1. monumental a. principle; rule
2. portrait b. disclosure
3. assume c. large light fixture
4. precept d. picture
5. attribution e. cosmic
6. chandelier f. change
7. transition g. take for granted
8. revelation h. something ascribed or credited

75
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?

76
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.

77
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 –

10. Auggie's Dad -

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.

Check out some of the clips featuring this novel on YouTube.


(Including the author reading a chapter from the novel.)

78
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

79
D. Further Activities
With a partner or small group complete the following.

a) Recreate an event from the story.

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.

b) Create a book trailer.

Check out a couple of YouTube videos featuring trailers for popular


novels. Create a script for the trailer. (If there's time, create a few stage
props.) Record the trailer and play the recording to the class.

c) Rewrite an ending to the story.

With a partner create a new ending to the story. Make sure your story
is exciting and believable and contains the appropriate details.

d) Pretend you are a character and interview the other characters.

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.

e) A book advertisement on the school PA.

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.

80
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.

81
B. Collage
Make a collage from magazine pictures illustrating a scene from the novel, or
events and characters from the entire novel.

82
Answer Key
Part I

Vocabulary:

1. imitate 2. percussion 3. incubator 4. obnoxious 5. anomaly


6. intricate 7. hindsight 8. exaggerate

Questions:

1. In Mr. Tushman's office at Beecher Prep school.


2. 1–E 2–F 3–B 4–G 5–D 6–A 7-C
3. Answers will vary (i.e. He asks Mr. Tushman if they called him Mr. T).
4. Answers will vary (i.e. He was born with a number of facial anomalies: his eyes were
drooping and low on his face; his ears were oddly shaped; he had a very small chin,
etc.)
5. Answers will vary.
6. Answers will vary.
7. Answers will vary (i.e. They find his appearance to be a bit unsettling. Auggie is hurt
by
this behavior.)
8. Answers will vary.
9. Answers will vary.

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:

1. consolidate 2. calibrated 3. provisional 4. disconnection 5. indifferent 6. immortality

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:

1–e 2–h 3–a 4–f 5–b 6–g 7–c 8–d

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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

A. surgeries – stomachs – beaches – parties – buses or busses – breaths – hair or hairs –


babies – subways - boas

C. Via, Ella and Miranda had been friends for years.


Are you going to the St. Louis Cardinals game on Friday?
“Come here, Auggie,” Mr. Tushman ordered.

Part V

Vocabulary:

1 – momentarily 2 – impression 3 – accustomed 4 – inheritance 5 – mutation


6 – defective 7 – procedure 8 – confront 9. dominant 10. flabbergasted

Questions:

1. An organized massacre of a particular ethnic group, in particular that of Jews in


Russia or eastern Europe.
2. Answers will vary (i.e. She plans not to have a family).
3. T.
4. Via is no longer close with her former friends, Miranda and Ella.
5. Her grandmother died the night before Halloween four years earlier.
6. She got Auggie to talk about his problem and express his hurt to her.
7. He liked Miranda because she had always been nice to him.

Part VI

Vocabulary:

1. caption 2. artifact 3. illuminate 4. plague 5. jackal 6. platoon 7. register 8. syndrome

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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

A. sit – real – hope – basic – mummy – have – Egypt - bat


B. cafe – garnets – dolt – ancients – wings – worse

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:

1 – monologue 2 – confident 3 – unison 4 – overprotective 5 – defensive


6 – neglectful 7 – fragile 8 – anomaly

Questions:

2. Answers will vary.


3. F.
4. Answers will vary.
5. Answers will vary.
6. Playwright: Thornton Wilder. Male Lead: George.
7. He threatens Julian and a couple of his friends if they mess with Jack again.
8. She called Olivia, Mia, which only her family called her. She showed Justin a picture
of Auggie in the astronaut helmet.
9. She hadn't told her parents about the play.

Part X

Vocabulary:

1. ovation 2. bionic 3. sarcastic 4. understudy 5. random


6. hysterical 7. taciturn 8. exaggerate

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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

B. everybody – stairway – worksheet – anyway – headband – earphones – something –


boyfriend – outside – understudy

D. Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and
obstacles vanish.

Part XI

Vocabulary:

1 – extraordinary 2 – decorator 3 – mayhem 4 – unacceptable 5 – pathetic


6 – unsympathetic 7 – popularity 8 – bittersweet

Questions:

1 – T. 2 – T. 3 – F (A varsity jock). 4 – F. 5 – F (She had this thing at work).


6 – F (She said she was ill). 7 – F (One). 8 – T. 9 – F (Major Tom). 10 – T.

Part XII

Vocabulary:

1. separated 2. withdraw 3. shocked 4. humungous 5. exact 6. jumped

Questions:

1. Answers will vary.


2. The Sound of Music. The title song from the movie begins, “The Hills are Alive with
the sound of music.”
3. Answers will vary.
4. When Auggie was bullied his friends rallied around him.
5. Jack, Reid, Tristan, Pablo and Nino.
6. Answers will vary.

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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:

1–e 2–d 3–g 4–a 5–h 6–c 7–f 8–b

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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