A Novel Unit

Prepared for the

Scholastic Inc., edition 1984
Printing December 2006

Each student in Ms. Rooney's room celebrates the

December holidays by being a secret pal to a classmate.

Name ___________________________
Before reading Chapters 1 3 study these
Vocabulary Words

Name ___________________________

Sighed, spirit, patent, menorah,

Hanukkah, bunching, diet, wreath,
cigar, blackboard

Name ___________________________
Questions for Chapters 1 3, pages 1 - 23
1. What did Dawn ask Emily while the class was in line to ride the fire truck?
____________________________________________________________
2. Why was Emily jealous of Dawn Bosco?
____________________________________________________________
3. What did Emily think about Jill?
____________________________________________________________
4. What did Emily want to do in the fire truck?
____________________________________________________________
5. What did Emily decide to do for her secret friend?
____________________________________________________________
6. Why did Dawn draw the picture of Emily with the green stain on her pants?
____________________________________________________________
7. Emily judged Jill based upon what?
____________________________________________________________
8. Why was Ms. Rooneys class waiting to go outside on the first day of December?
____________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Questions for Chapters 1 3, pages 1 23 continued
9. What clue suggested that Jill probably didnt have friends in the class and
was treated badly by the other students?
____________________________________________________________
10. Jill always looked like she was going to do what?
____________________________________________________________
11. What did Ms. Rooney have her class do to teach about the importance
of being kind to others?
____________________________________________________________
12. What did Emily hope no one would notice about her almost-new pink sweatsuit?
____________________________________________________________
13. Who was the only person left for Emily to pick as her secret friend after
she turned down Dawn?
____________________________________________________________
14. What did Emily think about Jill? What was wrong about Emilys thoughts?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Theres a famous saying that a picture can be worth
a thousand words. Now, Im not asking for a thousand
words just a sentence or two describing what is going on in these pictures.
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________

Name ___________________________
Hanukkah: Jews celebrate Hanukkah to commemorate
the Miracle of the Oil. The Hebrew word Hanukkah means
"dedication". Over 2000 years ago, in 165 BC, the Jews in Judea rebelled
against their Syrian ruler, Antiochus, because he insisted that all Jewish
people must worship Greek Gods. After three hard years of fighting, the
Jews defeated Antiochus and, to celebrate, they restored the Temple of
Jerusalem - which had been taken over by the Syrians - and rededicated it
to their God. Complete this activity to learn more about Hanukkah. A
dictionary will help you.

Name ___________________________
Vocabulary for Chapters 4 -6, pages 24 48

A student given the task of helping to

The fastest pace of a horse, in which

all four feet are off the ground at the
same time.

Name ___________________________
Vocabulary for Chapters 4 -6, pages 24 48
Choose 6 of the new vocabulary words to write six
sentences. Each sentence must begin with a different word and be
capitalized, underline the new vocabulary word, use proper punctuation, and
have at least 5 words or more.

1. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Questions for Chapters 4 -6, pages 24 48
1. What did Emily notice about Jills red bows?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. Emily gave Jill two pictures, what were they pictures of?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. How did Emily feel about Jills reaction to the pictures?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4. How did Emily think Jill would feel when she saw the pictures on her seat?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5. Who did Emily think needed the spirit of giving?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
6. Why didnt Emily want anyone to see her cry?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Questions for Chapters 4 -6, pages 24 48 continued
7. Why was Emily concerned when she didnt find anything in her desk?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
8. Who did Emily think had chosen her as a secret friend?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
9. What was Emily's purpose for giving Jill the pictures?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
10. What did Ms. Rooney bring in baggies for her students to use as
decorations for their boxes?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
11. What did Mrs. Avery do when Emily got up in the middle of a song and
didnt explain why?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Questions for Chapters 4 -6, pages 24 48 continued

12. What did Emily and Dawn do while singing "Rudolph the Red-nosed
Reindeer"?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Bonus Question: What was the first present Emily gave to Jill, her secret
friend? What did Emily hope Jill would learn from the present? Was this a
thoughtful present? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Contractions, Chapters 4 6
Contractions: A shortened form of a word or group of words, with the
missing letters usually marked by an apostrophe ().
Examples:
I've --- I have --- Example: I've worked here for many years.
You're --- You are --- Example: You're joking!
She'll --- She will --- Example: She'll be at the meeting.
Find ten different contractions in chapters 4 to 6, pages 24 to 48. Write the
contraction, the page where you found it, and the two words that came
together to make the contraction.

CONTRACTON
Youre

PAGE
pg 24

THE WORDS IT IS MADE FROM

you are

1. _________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________
7. _________________________________________________________
8. _________________________________________________________
9. _________________________________________________________
10. ________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Vocabulary for Chapters 7 9, pages 49 - 75

Name ___________________________
Vocabulary for Chapters 7 9, pages 49 - 75
Choose 6 of the new vocabulary words to write six
sentences. Each sentence must begin with a different word and be
capitalized, underline the new vocabulary word, use proper punctuation, and
have at least 5 words or more.

1. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
6. ___________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Questions for Chapters 7 9, pages 49 75

1. Dawn said that giving presents was more important that getting them.
Why was Emily mad when Dawn said this?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
2. What did Emily find when she reached for her rubber unicorn?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
3. Why did Jill have only three red ribbons for her four braids?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
4. What did Emily find in her desk when she began to draw pictures on her
blue ball?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
5. Why was Emily angry at Dawn about the cookies?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Questions for Chapters 7 9, pages 49 75 continued
6. Emily said Jill looked pretty when Jill did what?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
7. Emily told Jill that her bows were pretty. How do you know that Emily
didn't mean what she said?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
8. What did Emily find at home to give to Jill?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
9. Who had been giving secret presents to Emily all along?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
10. Dawn decided not to write a note telling Jill to try a diet. Why did she
decide not to do this?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Questions for Chapters 7 9, pages 49 75 continued
11. Who received the cookies that Emily and her mother made?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
12. When did Emily and Jill laugh together?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
13. What was Emilys last secret present for Jill?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________

Bonus Question: Rooneys class talked about the spirit of giving. Would
you know the Christmas Spirit if you saw it? It is fast becoming an
endangered species in our culture today. We corrupt it without meaning to,
with questions like, What do you want for Christmas?
Yet the true spirit of Christmas is a spirit of giving it is evidenced best in a
generous heart. It shines out with amazing clarity in the lives of those who
possess it.
What did Rooneys class do in the spirit of giving? Is your Christmas Spirit
one of giving or receiving? Who in this story has the gift of giving and who
has the need to receive? How do you fell about that? What kinds of thing
can you do for others in the spirit of giving?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Name ___________________________
Final Review pg. 1
1. What did Emily finally decide to do with her macaroni box?
a. Give it to Dawn
b. Keep it for herself
c. Give it to her mother
d. Give it to Jill
2. What did Emily receive from her secret friend?
a. A picture of three girls
b. Homemade cookies
c. A red crayon
d. Both a and c
3. Who received the cookies that Emily and her mother made?
a. Dawn
b. Beast
c. Jill
d. Emily ate them herself.
4. Who did Emily think had chosen her as a secret friend?
a. Jill
b. Beast
c. Dawn
d. Matthew
5. Why did Mrs. Avery send Emily back to the classroom?
a. Emily was singing too loudly.
b. Emily got up in the middle of a song.
c. Mrs. Avery wanted Emily to get the Christmas music.
d. Mrs. Avery wanted Emily to get the Christmas tree.
6. How did Emily get back at both Dawn and Jill?
a. Emily didnt give Jill and Dawn enough glue for their boxes.
b. Emily didnt pick Jill or Dawn to be her secret friend.
c. Emily gave Jill and Dawn fewer decorations for their boxes.
d. Emily only gave Jill and Dawn one ornament each.

Name ___________________________
Final Review pg. 2
7. Which of the following was NOT a reason why Emily wanted to be at the
front of the fire truck line?
a. She wanted to ride in front with the firefighter.
b. She wanted to share the front seat with Jill.
c. She wanted to wear the big black fire hat.
d. She wanted to ring the siren.
8. Which of the following was an example of Emilys selfishness?
a. Emily was upset about Dawns rude picture; Emily didnt think her
pictures to Jill were rude.
b. Emily thought Dawn was unfair for only giving her one star; Emily
only gave Dawn one star.
c. Emily didnt want to pick Jill as her secret friend; Emily thought about
picking herself.
d. All of the above.
9. Emily thought of Jill as what?
a. A fat crybaby
b. A skinny crybaby
c. A shy girl
d. A loud joker
10. Emily judged Jill based upon what?
a. Jills popularity
b. Jills intelligence
c. Jills race
d. Jills weight

Name ___________________________

Crossword Final Review

page 2

A student given the task of helping to

Keep order within a school.
The fastest pace of a horse, in which
all four feet are off the ground at the
same time.

Name ___________________________
Sequence: tells you the order in which things
happen or come. The following synopsis of December
Secrets is out of sequence. Number the sentences in the correct order to
tell the story properly.

_____ Because she was the last one to pick, Emily is stuck with fat Jill
Simon.
_____ Jill is the class crybaby, and Emily makes up her mind she will make
Jill happier -- and thinner.
_____ This month everyone in Ms. Rooney's room has chosen a special
person to be kind to.
_____ December is a time for gift giving.
_____ All the kids are happy with their secret friends except Emily Arrow.
_____ Just before Christmas the secrets are told, and Emily learns what
being a special friend really means.
_____ At the same time Emily's getting lots of super presents herself -- and
she's almost sure they're from Dawn Tiffanie Bosco, who's been mean to
her.