Who We Are: Well-Being, Choices, and Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Class: 5   |   Format: Homeschool   |   Length: Two lessons of 40 minutes each

Materials Needed

• Wonder by R. J. Palacio, or teacher-selected excerpts from the first part, “August”
• Notebook or reading journal
• Pencils, highlighters, and sticky notes
• Printed jigsaw reading sections or digital copies of the selected excerpts
• Vocabulary and emotion cards, prepared by the teacher or learner
• “Well-Being Choices” chart
• Character perspective chart
• Optional: timer, colored pencils, audio version of the text, and a digital mind-mapping tool

Transdisciplinary Theme

Who We Are: Exploring identity, relationships, feelings, and how our choices can affect our own well-being and the well-being of others.

Central Idea

Our choices, words, and actions can influence the well-being of ourselves and the people around us.

Key Questions

• How do our choices affect our well-being?
• How can we understand what another person may be feeling?
• How do characters show courage, kindness, or resilience?

Learning Objectives

By the end of the two lessons, the learner will be able to:

• Identify and explain at least eight vocabulary words from the first part of Wonder.
• Summarize an assigned section using the characters, setting, problem, important events, and message.
• Identify at least four emotions experienced by Auggie or another character and support each emotion with evidence from the text.
• Explain at least two themes connected to identity, kindness, courage, belonging, or well-being.
• Discuss how a character’s choice affects well-being, using evidence from the novel.
• Share ideas clearly during a jigsaw discussion and listen respectfully to another perspective.

Success Criteria

I can:

• Retell the important events in my assigned section without telling every small detail.
• Use new vocabulary correctly in a sentence.
• Name emotions and explain what caused them.
• Use evidence from the text by referring to a specific event, action, or quotation.
• Explain how a choice affects a character’s well-being.
• Ask or answer a thoughtful question about the reading.

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Lesson 1: Meeting Auggie and Exploring Well-Being

Time: 40 minutes

Lesson Focus

Introducing Wonder, building background knowledge, and preparing for a jigsaw reading of the first part, “August.”

Introduction: Hook and Objectives — 7 minutes

1. Ask the learner to respond in a notebook:

Imagine that you are starting at a new school where nobody knows you. What might help you feel safe, confident, and included?

Invite the learner to share ideas or create a quick drawing showing “a welcoming school.”

Introduce the central idea: “The choices we make can improve or harm well-being. Well-being means feeling safe, healthy, respected, connected, and able to cope with challenges.”

Show the book cover and ask:

• What do you notice?
• What might the title Wonder mean?
• What questions do you have about the main character?

Share the objectives in student-friendly language: “Today we will meet Auggie, learn important vocabulary, and prepare to investigate how choices affect feelings and relationships.”

Vocabulary Preview: Notice, Predict, Connect — 8 minutes

Introduce vocabulary that may appear in the selected reading. Adjust the list to match the exact excerpt being used.

Word	Student-Friendly Meaning	Quick Connection
appearance	The way someone or something looks	Can appearance affect how people treat someone?
ordinary	Usual or not special in a particular way	Is being different the same as being less important?
unique	One of a kind; different from others	What makes each person unique?
anxious	Worried or nervous about what may happen	What situations can make someone anxious?
hesitate	To pause because you are unsure	Why might someone hesitate before speaking?
stare	To look at someone for a long time	How might staring affect another person?
adapt	To change or adjust to a new situation	How might Auggie adapt to school?
compassion	Caring about someone’s difficulty and wanting to help	What does compassion look like in action?

Activity: Ask the learner to sort the words into three groups: “I know it,” “I partly know it,” and “It is new to me.” The learner then chooses three words and writes a prediction about how each might connect to Auggie’s experience.

Mini-Lesson: Reading Through Different Lenses — 7 minutes

Explain that readers can examine a story in several ways:

• Plot lens: What happens?
• Emotion lens: How do the characters feel? What causes those feelings?
• Choice lens: What does a character choose to do or say?
• Well-being lens: Does the choice help or harm safety, belonging, confidence, or relationships?
• Theme lens: What larger message can we learn from the events?

Model: Read a short, teacher-selected passage or event from the assigned reading. Think aloud:

“I notice that the character is facing a new situation. The event may cause anxiety because the character does not know what to expect. If another person responds with kindness, that choice may support the character’s well-being by helping him feel less alone.”

Quick check: Ask, “What was the event? What emotion did it create? What choice affected the situation?”

Jigsaw Reading Preparation — 12 minutes

Divide the selected first part into three or four manageable sections. For a homeschool student, the learner can take one section and the adult can model or summarize the other sections. If more learners are available, each person or pair receives one section.

Give each reader a Jigsaw Investigation Card:

1. Read your section carefully.
2. Underline one important event.
3. Circle unfamiliar or interesting words.
4. Write down two emotions experienced by a character.
5. Record one important choice and its effect.
6. Write one question that another reader should discuss.
7. Choose one sentence or brief phrase that seems important. Do not copy long sections; record the page or paragraph reference instead.

Jigsaw role options:

• Summarizer: Explains the main events.
• Word Detective: Explains interesting or challenging vocabulary.
• Emotion Investigator: Identifies emotions and evidence.
• Well-Being Connector: Explains how a choice affects a character.
• Question Leader: Asks a discussion question.

Independent Reading and Notes — 5 minutes

The learner reads the assigned section silently or listens to an audio version while following the text. The learner completes the investigation card. Encourage the use of sticky notes or color coding:

• Blue: important event
• Yellow: vocabulary
• Pink: emotion
• Green: choice or theme

Closure and Exit Ticket — 1 minute

Complete the sentence:

“One thing I understand about Auggie so far is ________. One question I still have is ________.”

Formative Assessment for Lesson 1

• Listen for accurate vocabulary predictions.
• Check whether the learner can identify an event, emotion, and choice.
• Review the jigsaw investigation card before Lesson 2.

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Lesson 2: Jigsaw Discussion—Emotions, Choices, and Themes

Time: 40 minutes

Lesson Focus

Sharing interpretations of the first part, developing vocabulary, and connecting the story to well-being and personal choices.

Introduction and Retrieval Warm-Up — 5 minutes

1. Ask the learner to recall three facts about Auggie and one question from Lesson 1.
2. Play “Vocabulary Charades”: Choose three vocabulary words. The learner acts out or draws each word while the adult guesses. Then use each word in a sentence related to the novel.
3. Restate the learning goal: “Today we will teach one another about our sections and use evidence to explore emotions, choices, and themes.”

Jigsaw Sharing: Home Groups — 12 minutes

In a classroom, learners from different reading sections form mixed groups. In a homeschool setting, use the following alternatives:

• The learner teaches the adult about the assigned section while the adult uses prepared notes for the other sections.
• The learner records a short “book expert” presentation and then listens to or reads the adult’s response.
• The learner teaches a family member, stuffed animal, or imaginary class and answers follow-up questions.

Each reader has two minutes to share using this structure:

1. Headline: “The most important event in my section was…”
2. Vocabulary: “Two useful words are… They mean…”
3. Emotion: “A character may feel… because…”
4. Choice: “The character chose to… This affected well-being by…”
5. Question: “What do you think about…?”

Listener responsibility: Each listener must ask one question, make one connection, or respectfully add another idea.

Discussion Strategy 1: Emotion Thermometer — 6 minutes

Draw a thermometer from 1 to 5, where 1 means “slightly affected” and 5 means “strongly affected.” Choose two or three events from the reading.

1. The learner places each event on the thermometer.
2. The learner names the emotion connected to the event.
3. The learner explains the evidence: “I think the character felt ______ because ______.”
4. Discuss whether two people might experience the same event differently.

Emotion vocabulary bank: nervous, hopeful, embarrassed, lonely, curious, frustrated, proud, relieved, confused, excited, disappointed, determined, accepted, uncomfortable, grateful, brave.

Discussion Strategy 2: Choice-and-Consequence Path — 6 minutes

Create a simple flow chart:

Choice → Immediate Effect → Possible Long-Term Effect on Well-Being

For example, the learner may analyze a character’s decision to speak, remain silent, include someone, avoid someone, tell the truth, or show kindness.

Ask:

• What other choice could the character have made?
• Who was affected by the choice?
• Did the choice affect safety, confidence, belonging, or relationships?
• Can a choice have both positive and negative effects?

Discussion Strategy 3: Theme Detectives — 6 minutes

Invite the learner to select two possible themes from the list below and support each with an event from the reading.

• Kindness can make people feel included.
• People are more than their appearance.
• Courage can mean facing an uncomfortable situation.
• First impressions are not always accurate.
• Our choices affect the feelings of others.
• Belonging and friendship support well-being.
• Understanding another person’s perspective can change our behavior.

Use the theme frame:

“The story suggests that ________. I think this because ________ happened, and it affected ________.”

Creative Application: Well-Being Response — 4 minutes

Allow the learner to choose one task:

• Advice note: Write a kind, practical note to a character suggesting one action that may improve well-being.
• Storyboard: Draw four panels showing a choice, its effect, and a more supportive alternative.
• Perspective diary: Write a short diary entry from Auggie’s perspective after an important event.
• Vocabulary comic: Create a mini-comic using at least four new vocabulary words.
• Kindness plan: Design three realistic actions that could help a new person feel welcome in a school, club, family, or workplace.

Summative Assessment: Mini Book Talk — 5 minutes

The learner gives a two-minute book talk about the first part of “August.” The presentation must include:

1. A clear summary of the assigned section.
2. Two vocabulary words and their meanings.
3. Two emotions supported by events from the text.
4. One character choice and its effect on well-being.
5. One theme or message.
6. One thoughtful question for the listener.

Conclusion and Reflection — 2 minutes

Ask the learner to complete the following reflection:

• “A word I learned is…”
• “An emotion I understand better is…”
• “A choice that affected well-being was…”
• “One way I can support someone else’s well-being is…”

Assessment Rubric

Criteria	Excellent	Developing	Beginning
Summary	Clearly explains the main events and leaves out unnecessary details.	Explains some important events but may include confusion or extra details.	Needs support to explain what happened.
Vocabulary	Uses at least two or more words accurately and explains them clearly.	Identifies words but needs help explaining or using them.	Needs substantial support to identify meanings.
Emotions and Evidence	Identifies emotions and connects them to specific events.	Identifies emotions but gives limited evidence.	Needs help identifying emotions and causes.
Choices and Well-Being	Explains how a choice affects a character or relationship.	Identifies a choice but gives a simple explanation.	Needs support to connect choices and consequences.
Theme	States a thoughtful theme and supports it with evidence.	States a possible theme with limited support.	Needs help identifying a theme.
Communication	Shares clearly, listens respectfully, and asks a relevant question.	Shares ideas with occasional prompting.	Needs frequent prompting to explain or respond.

Differentiation and Adaptations

Support for Learners Who Need More Scaffolding

• Use shorter excerpts and read them aloud together.
• Provide sentence starters:
  • “The most important event was…”
  • “This character felt… because…”
  • “The choice affected well-being by…”
  • “A theme may be…”
• Allow drawing, oral recording, or acting instead of completing every response in writing.
• Preteach five essential vocabulary words rather than all eight.
• Use an emotion wheel or picture cards.
• Model one complete example before independent work.

Extension for Advanced Learners

• Compare Auggie’s perspective with another character’s perspective.
• Explain how the author’s use of different narrators may affect the reader’s understanding.
• Identify a moment when a character’s intention and impact may be different.
• Write a paragraph answering: “Is a kind choice always an easy choice?”
• Find two themes that overlap and explain their relationship.

Teacher or Parent Feedback Prompts

• “Which detail from the text makes you think that?”
• “Can you explain how that choice affected someone else?”
• “What might the character have been thinking but not saying?”
• “Is there another possible interpretation?”
• “How could this idea apply to real life?”

Optional Follow-Up

Keep a Well-Being and Choices Journal while continuing to read Wonder. For each important event, record:

1. What happened?
2. What choice was made?
3. How did the choice affect well-being?
4. What emotion did it create?
5. What theme or lesson can readers learn?