"Wonder" by R.J. palacio
created by: Megan radke
For 6th/7th graders

Summary from www.goodreads.com: Born with a terrible facial abnormality, Auggie has been home-schooled by his parents his whole life, in an attempt to protect him from the cruelty of the outside world. Now, for the first time, he's being sent to a real school - and he's dreading it. All he wants is to be accepted - but can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, underneath it all?

Narrated by Auggie and the people around him whose lives he touches forever, WONDER is a funny, frank, astonishingly moving debut to read in one sitting, pass on to others, and remember long after the final page.

"You can't blend in when you were born to stand out" 

Part 1: Written response

Prompt: After reading Wonder, write a letter (or postcard) from one character to another. Make sure to think about the different characters’ perspectives and relationships. (Examples: from Auggie to Summer, Jack to Summer, Jack to Mr. Tushman and many more!)


Purpose: I would like students to be able to understand different perspectives and points of view.  This assignment will show that they understand the characters from the book on a deeper level, and that they can put themselves in their shoes.  At this point, students will have learned the structure of a letter, so they will be using this knowledge to construct this particular genre of text. 
 

Part 2: podcast

Prompt: create a news report in the form of a podcast where you interview a character from Wonder.    

Purpose: students will make connections between the book and the real world by relating it to a news report.  They will also provide insight into how they think a character from the book views specific events from the story. 

Part 3: digital storytelling

*note: all of the video clips I had recorded of the class could not be imported into imovie because they were in .mp4 format.  I therefore had to use my roommates to act as multiple people. 

Prompt: create a commercial or PSA that discusses or fights for a topic that can be found in "Wonder". 

Purpose: in this book, there are many relevant issues brought up from bullying within schools, physical appearances, differences among people, going to middle school, disabilities, and much more. I want students to engage with the issues brought up in a real world context.  This project will require students to think about elements of genre, and how they will communicate with the audience since the mode is a commercial. 


Song: Not About Angels by Birdy

Part 4: infographic

Prompt: make an infographic that investigates the issue you discussed in your digital commercial or PSA.  Provide evidence and data to prove your point. 

Purpose: for this project, students will research and further investigate the issue they talked about in Part 3.  The evidence and research they find will further support their commercial and their argument.
















Text set that includes "Wonder"