If you’re looking for Because of Mr. Terupt teaching ideas, Rob Buyea’s engaging novel is a fantastic choice for exploring responsibility, empathy, and personal growth. Told through seven different student perspectives, this story shows how one teacher can change lives. Students love getting to know each narrator and seeing how their experiences overlap, collide, and connect during a year that no one will forget.
Reading Level
Lexile 560L
Interest Level
Grades 4-8
Length
304 pages
Award
E.B. White Read Aloud Award
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⭐ About the Book
Because of Mr. Terupt follows seven fifth‑grade students at Snow Hill School in Connecticut, each facing unique challenges both inside and outside the classroom. Peter is the class clown whose impulsive behavior often gets him into trouble. Jessica is adjusting to life in a new state after her parents’ divorce. Anna is quiet and withdrawn, carrying the weight of her mother’s difficult past. Luke is academically gifted and always eager to impress. Danielle struggles with confidence and the expectations placed on her by her strict, religious family. Jeffrey hides emotional pain he refuses to talk about. Lexie is dramatic, fashionable, and prone to stirring up conflict.
When Mr. Terupt becomes their teacher, everything begins to change. His creative lessons, kindness, and ability to see the good in each student help them grow in ways they never expected. But when a classroom accident leads to a crisis, the students must confront their mistakes, fears, and relationships with one another. Through alternating chapters, readers see how each child processes the event and how Mr. Terupt’s influence continues to shape them.
⭐ Book Details
| Publication Date | October 11, 2010 |
| Reading Level | Lexile 560L • Scholastic Guided Reading Level V |
| Interest Level | Grades 4–8 |
| Major Awards | Massachusetts Children’s Book Award • Connecticut Nutmeg Award • Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award • Nebraska Golden Sower Award • Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award • Maud Hart Lovelace Award • Iowa Children’s Book Award • 2011 Middle Reader Honor Book (E.B. White Read Aloud Award) |
| Length | 304 pages (approx. 92,720 words) |
| Estimated Reading Time | About 6 hours and 10 minutes (at 250 words per minute) |
| Audiobook Length | 4 hours, 10 minutes |
| Genre | Realistic fiction |
| Setting | Snow Hill School • Hospital • Homes of the main characters (Connecticut) |
| Point of View | First person, told through seven student perspectives |
| Themes | Responsibility |
| Memorable Quote | “If you love someone, you don't quit on them just because they make a mistake.” |
| First Line | “It's our bad luck to have teachers in this world, but since we're stuck with them, the best we can do is hope to get a brand-new one instead of a mean old fart.” |
Activities for Because of Mr. Terupt
Book Unit Samples
Grab your free novel study samples including vocabulary, comprehension questions, and constructed response writing prompt here.
You can get the free book unit sample by clicking the button.
Teaching Idea #1 – Theme
With so many conflicts to solve, Because of Mr. Terupt is a perfect book for teaching themes. In this activity, students complete a table by thinking about the main characters in the book. What challenge, problem, or conflict does each character go through? Add what the characters learn. In what important way does each character change? These will be the major themes in the book.
You can download the free printable here.
Teaching Idea #2 – Classroom Discussion
Characters:
- What are some of the different ways that the seven main characters interact with each other throughout the novel?
- How do these interactions change over time, and why?
- How do the characters in the novel demonstrate empathy and kindness towards each other?
- What impact do these actions have on the story and on the characters themselves?
Mr. Terupt:
- What do you think the author is trying to say about the role of teachers in the lives of their students?
- How does Mr. Terupt’s teaching style compare to other teachers in the novel?
Theme Forgiveness:
What are some of the different ways that forgiveness is demonstrated throughout the book?
What are some of the challenges that the characters face when trying to forgive each other?
Character Change:
In what ways do the characters change and grow over the course of the novel?
How do their experiences with Mr. Terupt impact their personal growth and development?
Teaching Idea #3 – Persuasive Writing
Have students write a persuasive essay on a topic related to the novel.
Possible topics include:
- Is Mr. Terupt an effective teacher?
- Do the characters learn valuable life lessons?
- Does the book accurately reflects what it’s like to be a fifth-grader?
Teaching Idea #4 – Creative Projects
- Write a sequel or a prequel.
- Create a board game based on the novel.
- Make a movie trailer for the book. Use multimedia tools like iMovie or Adobe Spark. Use images, sound effects, and music to capture the book’s main themes and attract other readers.
- Keep a personal reflection journal explaining how specific scenes in the book impact your life.
- Choose one or more characters from the book and create a portrait of them using different art materials like paint, markers, or colored pencils.
- Create a memory box inspired by the book’s theme of forgiveness. Fill it with items that represent things they have forgiven or been forgiven for.
- Create a podcast episode that discusses the book’s main themes and characters.
Teaching Idea #5 – Recreate Some of Mr. Terupt’s Projects
The students like Mr. Terupt almost immediately. He has fun and engaging projects:
- Dollar Words
- Plant Experiments
- Figuring how Many Blades of Grass the Soccer Field Has
- Visiting the Collaborative Classroom
- Celebrating Different Winter Holidays
- Class Meeting
- A Paper Chain Reward System
Teaching Idea #6 – Audible Version of the Book
You’ll find dozens of YouTube videos featuring readers of Because of Mr. Terupt.
See the product that inspired this post.
Because of Mr. Terupt Novel Study includes vocabulary practice, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
