I first read the book Wonder while on vacation at the beach. I just couldn’t put the book down, so I ended up spending a good bit of the day sitting under an umbrella reading. Through laughter and tears, I followed Auggie through his fifth-grade year. My first impression was that Palacio was a fantastic writer. Her storytelling is spot on. I knew right away that I would read this book with my students during the upcoming year. The lessons taught . . . . acceptance, anti-bullying, friendship, being kind . . . . are so valuable. All students need to experience them through a good book. So, I went home and begin creating a Wonder Novel Study.
Activities for your Wonder Novel Study
Wonder Novel Study Samples
If you would like to try out Wonder novel study you can check it out here.
This sample includes the following:
- vocabulary practice
- comprehension questions for Chapters 1-8
- constructed-response questions
Once I began creating a unit for the book, I began to love the book Wonder in new ways. The author brilliantly included so many teachable moments.
Here are just a few:
Perspective
The book changes viewpoints from Auggie to Auggie’s friends, sister, and sister’s boyfriend. The reader experiences the same event through the eyes of different characters. Writing from different viewpoints was so clever! (By reading this book with my students, one difficult Common Core Skill could be crossed off the list. LOL!!)
This constructed response question is included in the sample.
The 5th Grade Year
Auggie’s fifth-grade class has events that are typical for this age group such as an Egyptian exhibit, science fair, and nature retreat. While teaching this book, cross-curricular activities are easy to incorporate.
Precept Printables
Palacio creates a language arts teacher, Mr. Browne, who has the students write on a monthly precept. These thought-provoking statements really make the reader think. FANTASTIC!
Discussion Questions
Get the precepts and discussion questions here. This handout is different from the unit sample.
Epigraphs and Cultural References
Each of the eight parts of Wonder begins with an epigraph. They serve as a foreshadowing of what is to take place in the part as well as getting the reader to think in a specific direction. Many of these are songs from popular culture.
I placed all the epigraphs on web pages for easy viewing.
The book contains references to songs, events in Star Wars, and other events in current pop culture. This makes the book feel real as if you are a part of the story. Here is a link to many of the pop culture references in Wonder including movie clips, songs, and photos.
Anchor Chart
I created this anchor while reading Wonder with my students. It pairs with a constructed response question.
This printable (that pairs with the anchor chart) is included in the unit sample. If you missed the link above, here it is again.
Wonder Movie
A movie based on the book hit theaters in 2017.
See the product that inspired this post.
This novel study for the book Wonder by R. J. Palacio contains vocabulary, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, activities, and skill practice.
2 comments
Hi,
I loved your unit of study on Wonder. This site was even more amazing because this is my friend’s nephew in the video. I kept telling my students that Nathaniel may be up for the lead in the movie, this was an incredible find. Thanks for all of your hard work.
SIncerely,
Colleen Hanzl
Author
You’re most welcome! I hope he gets the part!