~ A Novel Study ~

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

- Rodrick Rules
By Jeff Kinney
A Novel Study
By Nat Reed
1
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
~ Rodrick Rules
By Jeff Kinney
Table of Contents
Suggestions and Expectations ... 3
List of Skills .... 4
Synopsis / Author Biography ........ 5
Student Checklist .. 6
Reproducible Student Booklet .... 7
Answer Key .... 44
About the author: Nat Reed has been a member of the teaching profession for more
than 30 years. He is presently a fll!time instrctor at "rent #ni$ersity in the "eacher
%dcation &rogram. He is the athor of more than 60 crriclm nits.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
~ Rodrick Rules
Suggestions and Expectations
his curriculu! unit can be used in a "ariety of ways# Each chapter of the no"el study
focuses on a part of a chapter $%onth& of Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules and is
co!prised of four different acti"ities'
Before (ou Read
)ocabulary Building
Co!prehension *uestions
Acti"ities
A principal expectation of the unit is that students will de"elop their skills in reading+
writing+ listening and oral co!!unication+ as well as in reasoning and critical thinking#
Students will also be expected to pro"ide clear answers to ,uestions and well-
constructed explanations# .t is critical as well that students be able to relate e"ents and
the feelings of characters to their own li"es and experiences and describe their own
interpretation of a particular passage#
A strength of the unit is that students can work on the acti"ities at their own pace#
E"ery acti"ity need not be co!pleted by all students# A portfolio co!er is included $p#/&
so that students !ay organi0e their work and keep it all in one place# A Student
C"ecklist is also included $p#1& so that a record of co!pleted work !ay be recorded#
T"emes which !ay be taught in con2unction with the no"el include hu!or+ growing up+
fa!ily+ !aking difficult choices+ friendship and loyalty+ peer pressure and confor!ity#
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
~ Rodrick Rules
#ist of Skills
$ocabulary De!elopment
1. (ocating descripti$e )ords * phrases +. #se of singlar * plral nons
'. (isting synonyms*homophones ,. (isting compond )ords
3. -dentifying * creating alliteration 10. -dentifying parts of speech
4. #se of capitals and pnctation 11. .etermining alphabetical order
5. -dentifying syllables 1'. -dentification of root )ords
6. -dentify foreshadowing. 13. -dentify*create similes
7. #se of e/pressions 14. -dentify analogies.
Setting %cti!ities
1. 0mmari1e the details of a setting
&lot %cti!ities
1. 2omplete a sequence chart of e$ents 4. 2omplete a 5 W's Chart
'. -dentify conflict in the story 5. -dentify the clima/ of the no$el.
3. &redict pcoming e$ents 6. 2reate a synopsis
C"aracter %cti!ities
1. .etermine character traits '. Relating personal e/periences
Creati!e and Critical T"inking
1. Research 5. 2ondct an inter$ie)
'. 3rite a ne)spaper story 6. 3rite a description of personal feelings
3. 3rite a letter to a friend 7. 3rite a boo4 re$ie)
4. 2omplete an 5bser$ation 2hart
%rt %cti!ities
1. 6 0toryboard 3. .esign a co$er for the no$el
'. 2reate a collage 4. 2reate a comic strip
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
~ Rodrick Rules
Synopsis
3reg 4effley is trying desperately to !ake his !ark at school and cope with the perils of li"ing
in the highly de!anding and co!petiti"e world of %iddle School# Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Rodrick Rules' continues the !isad"entures of 3reg as he copes with swi!!ing lessons5 spending
the weekend with his grandfather5 co"ering up for his brother+ Rodrick5 and tolerating the
peculiar tastes of his best friend+ Rowley#
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Rodrick Rules continues the hu!orous and engaging story of an
i!aginati"e con-artist+ and so!e of the hard-won lessons he learns as he charts a troubled
course through !iddle school#
A co!plete su!!ary can be found on the website
http'//www#bookrags#co!/notes/aiw/S6%#ht!l
%ut"or (iograp"y - Jeff Kinney
Jeffrey Patrick Kinney was born in College Park, Maryland in 1971. Jeff Kinney is a full-time
online game designer, as well as te autor of te immensely !o!ular Wimpy Kid books. Jeff
also de"elo!ed te Poptropica website for kids #tt!$%%www.!o!tro!ica.com%&
Jeff Kinney attended te #ni$ersity of 7aryland at 2ollege &ar4 in the early 1,,0s. -t )as here
that he de$eloped the comic strip Igdoof for the college ne)spaper. 6lthogh he )as
nsccessfl in getting his comic strip syndicated8 his )riting career got off to a tremendos start
)ith the pblication of Diary of a Wimpy Kid in '007. 0ince then he has had three additional
no$els 9inclding .iary of a 3impy :id; Rodric4 Rles< in the series pblished as )ell as a do!
it!yorself boo4. -n '00, :inney )as named one of Time maga1ine=s 100 >7ost -nflential
&eople> in the )orld.
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
~ Rodrick Rules
0tdent 2hec4list
Student 7a!e;
6ssignment ?rade * (e$el 2omments
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Diary of a Wimpy Kid
~ Rodrick Rules
By Jeff Kinney
7a!e'
7
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
~ Rodrick Rules
3
September - &art )
(To 2nd Tuesday - p.33)
(efore you read t"e c"apter'
Ho) might it be a disad$antage to be a )imp in elementary or middle school.
$ocabulary
2hoose a )ord from the list to complete each sentence.
disaster destined potential concept @ality
s4impy hypothermia ci$il decoy critical
1. 3hen 0ara fell throgh the ice on the ri$er she almost perished from AAAAAAAAAAAAA.
'. -t is AAAAAAAAAAAA that e$eryone on board the ship has a life Bac4et handy.
3. "he collapse of the to)er )as the )orse AAAAAAAAAAA the to)nspeople e$er e/perienced.
4. "he t)o dc4 hnters placed a life!li4e AAAAAAAAAAAAA ot on the pond and then retreated to
the shoreline.
5. - did not e/pect the meal to be so AAAAAAAAAAAAAA8 considering the price - paid.
6. 7y grandmother predicted that - )as AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA for greatness.
7. 6ll of the scots agree that "ommy had the most AAAAAAAAAAAAA of all the players on the
ball team.
+
8. >-f yo can=t be AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA to yor brother8 Ramona8 then please remain @iet8> her
mother sggested.
,. "he AAAAAAAAAAA that all men are created e@al is important to consider.
10. "he company based its sccess on manfactring prodcts of high AAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

*uestions
1. .escribe the reaction of ?reg=s brother8 Rodric48 to ?reg )riting in a Bornal.
'. 3hat is the setting for mch of )hat happens on the opening day 97onday< of ?reg=s diaryC
3. Ho) did ?reg get off to a rather roc4y start at his first s)imming meetC
4. ?reg ended p )inning the AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA a)ard at the ban@et becase there
)as a AAAAAAAAA minte difference bet)een his AAAAAAAAAA race and AAAAAAAAA one.
5. Ho) did the 3ater Da11 class ma4e things difficlt for the s)im teamC
6. 3hy did ?reg )al4 home from s)imming instead of ta4ing a ride home )ith Rodric4C
7. Ho) )as ?reg affected by the 2heese "och and )hat did he do abot it.
,
+. 3hat )as ?reg=s philosophy abot ho) 4ids became the smartest in the class. ?i$e yor
reaction to this theory.
,. .ring the month of 0eptember the athor introdces a nmber of different characters. -n the
chart belo) gi$e one important piece of information abot each person.
3reg
Rodrick
%r# 4uff
%anny
3reg8s %o!
Rowley
10. 3hat made ?reg thin4 that he cold get a se$enteen!year!old girl for his pen!palC
11. Ho) had ?reg=s dad accidently embarrassed Rodric4 )hen he )as a sophomoreC
1'. .escribe ho) each boy got into the bad books of their friend=s father;
?reg
Ro)ley
10
#anguage %cti!ities
A. 2hoose ten )ords from this section )ith t)o or more syllables. -ndicate the syllables by
dra)ing a line bet)een each syllable. Example; some / time.

(+ "he athor8 Deff :inney8 enBoys sing a $ariety of literary de$ices in this no$el. 5ne sch de$ice is
onomatopoeia. 6n e/ample is E?666HFG ! the sond ?reg ma4es )hen sliding arond in the bac4 of
Rodric4=s $an. .efine onomatopoeia8 and se yor imagination to thin4 of one more e/ample of this
de$ice.
Hons; Iind t)o more e/amples of onomatopoeia from this section.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
C# &lace the follo)ing )ords from this chapter in alphabetical order.
last 9#
locked :#
land ;#
lanes <#
li"e =#
late 1#
locker /#
life >#
like ?#
letters 9@#
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D# 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.
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