The Wild Robot by Peter Brown combines a science fiction story involving a robot of the future with a fantasy in which animals talk. The outcome is a book that is both charming and exciting. There is no question about it; your students will love this book!
Summary
A ship with 500 crates, each carrying one robot, is caught in a hurricane. All but five of the crates sink to the bottom of the ocean. The remaining five crash on an island in the North Pacific. Four of the robots break into pieces on the shore. The otters accidentally turn on the fifth robot.
The robot named Roz discovers she is on an island free of humans. She watches and observes the animals until she learns their language. The animals think she is a monster and treat Roz as an outcast. After a while, Roz begins making friends by helping the animals with things they need.
One day Roz falls from a cliff. The broken rock falls on a family of geese killing all but one egg. Roz cares for the egg and soon becomes the mother to the gosling. Roz teaches the gosling named Brightbill using her computer knowledge.
Read The Wild Robot to see if Roz will be accepted by the animals on the island.
Activities for The Wild Robot
Book Unit Samples
This sample includes
- Vocabulary Practice for Chapters 1-5
- Comprehension Questions for Chapters 1-5
- Constructed Response Question – Point of View
Teaching Idea #1 ~ Characters
This free printable with an answer key included helps students keep track of the story. Students use the chart to write details about how Roz helps the animals on the island and then how they in return help her. After students complete the chart, it may be used to create a T-Chart to compare and contrast the animals to Roz. Each page has a new task.
Teaching Idea #2 ~ The Wild Robot Anchor Chart
Have students write a compare and contrast essay using the information on the chart. Students can compare how different animals helped Roz by detailing which animals made the most impact on saving Roz’s life.
Teaching Idea #3 ~ Peter Brown Website
Peter Brown not only wrote The Wild Robot but illustrated it as well. Visit his website to learn about the process he went through in creating the story as well as the illustrations.
Have students write an essay explaining how the illustrations in The Wild Robot help the reader better understand the story.
Teaching Idea #4 ~ Videos
These two videos show how to create robots from common household items. Students paint and then glue cardboard boxes and plastic cups together. The robots are decorated with buttons, pipe cleaners, and various other materials.
See the product that inspired this post.
The Wild Robot Novel Study includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
Visit all three blog posts.
7 comments
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I have never seen this book before! I know several kids who are OBSESSED with robots and would absolutely love this story as well as creating one out of recycled material. What a cute idea!
Julie
The Techie Teacher
Author
Hi Julie,
The Wild Robot is a great book! It was just published last April, so it’s quite new. I’m sure your students who like robots would love it.
Thank you, Gay! I can’t wait to purchase this book. I’m thinking of so many ideas for my invention unit.
This looks like such a fun book, and I can see it tying in nicely with simple machines. I will certainly pass it on to our third grade team. Thanks for sharing the samples and joining in the link up!
Carla
This looks like such a cute book! I love your anchor chart and the activities you included! Such a great way to work on compare and contrast!
So many great ideas for this cute mentor text. Thank you.
Thank you for the free graphic organizer and for sharing your wonderful ideas! I’m looking forward to checking out this book. 🙂