Lesson 1: Who We Are—Creating a Character Snapshot from Wonder

Length: 40 minutes

Materials Needed

• A copy of Wonder by R. J. Palacio
• Notebook or character-profile worksheet
• Pencil, colored pencils, or markers
• Sticky notes or index cards
• Optional: digital document or drawing tool
• Optional: a simple character-traits word bank

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to:

• Identify at least four character traits using clear, specific words.
• Describe important relationships between a character and other people.
• Identify problems and feelings the character experiences.
• Support character ideas with at least three pieces of evidence from the novel.
• Explain how a character’s experiences help show the theme “Who we are.”

Success Criteria

A successful character snapshot:

• Names the character and gives useful background information.
• Uses precise traits, such as thoughtful, brave, lonely, or loyal, rather than only “nice” or “bad.”
• Describes at least two relationships and explains why they matter.
• Identifies problems and feelings connected to those problems.
• Includes at least three accurate references to events, actions, thoughts, or dialogue from the novel.
• Connects the character to the idea of who they are on the inside and how others see them.

Key Vocabulary

• Character trait: A quality that describes what a character is like on the inside.
• Evidence: Details from the story that support an idea.
• Relationship: The way two characters are connected.
• Problem: A challenge or conflict a character faces.
• Feeling: An emotion a character experiences.
• Character snapshot: A short profile that shows who a character is through traits, relationships, problems, feelings, and evidence.

Introduction: Hook and Objectives—5 Minutes

1. Ask: “Can people see everything about who we are just by looking at us?”
2. Invite the learner to think silently, then share a response. The learner may speak, write, or draw an answer.
3. Explain: “Today we will look closely at a character from Wonder. We will collect evidence to understand the character’s traits, relationships, problems, and feelings. We will also think about the difference between how someone may appear and who they really are.”
4. Show the success criteria and explain that strong readers do not simply guess what a character is like. They prove their ideas with details from the story.

Body: Content and Practice

I Do: Model How to Build a Character Idea—8 Minutes

Choose a character the learner knows well, such as Auggie, Via, Jack, Summer, or another important character. Model the following process without copying a long passage from the novel:

1. Notice an action, thought, feeling, or event.
   Example: “This character chooses to include someone who is being left out.”
2. Name a precise trait.
   Example: “This suggests the character is compassionate and brave.”
3. Explain the evidence.
   Example: “The choice shows compassion because the character notices another person’s feelings. It shows bravery because the character acts kindly even when other people may disagree.”
4. Connect the idea to the theme.
   Example: “This helps show that who we are is revealed by the choices we make, not only by what other people notice about us.”

Model a short profile using this structure:

Trait: Courageous

Evidence: The character faces a difficult social situation instead of giving up.

Explanation: This shows courage because the character continues even while feeling worried.

Theme connection: The character’s actions reveal an inner strength that others may not notice at first.

Quick check: Ask, “What is the difference between a trait and a feeling?” Guide the learner toward this answer: a trait is a more lasting quality, while a feeling is an emotion that may change.

We Do: Evidence Detective—12 Minutes

Work together to investigate one character. The learner may choose the character, or choose from the following:

• Auggie
• Via
• Jack Will
• Summer
• Julian
• Another character approved by the teacher or homeschool adult

Use the following questions. Record answers in a chart.

After each answer, use the sentence frame:

“I think the character is __________ because __________. This matters because __________.”

Formative assessment: Ask the learner to underline the exact event, action, thought, or conversation that supports each idea. If the learner gives only a general opinion, ask, “What happened in the story that makes you think that?”

You Do: Create a Character Snapshot—12 Minutes

The learner creates a one-page character snapshot. They may write, type, draw, or combine words and pictures.

Include the following sections:

1. Character name and role: Who is this person in the story?
2. Four traits: Use specific words and explain each one briefly.
3. Two important relationships: Name the people and describe how they affect one another.
4. Problems: Identify at least two challenges the character faces.
5. Feelings: Explain how the character feels about those challenges.
6. Three pieces of evidence: Record the chapter or story event connected to each idea. Short notes or paraphrases are sufficient.
7. Theme statement: Complete the sentence: “This character shows that who we are __________.”

Offer creative choices:

• Create a profile card with labeled boxes.
• Draw a character silhouette and place evidence inside it.
• Make a “character social profile” with sections for traits, connections, challenges, and inner thoughts.
• Record a one-minute audio explanation while showing the written evidence.

Feedback and Revision—3 Minutes

Use two stars and a wish:

• Star: One trait supported especially well by evidence.
• Star: One thoughtful connection to a relationship, problem, or feeling.
• Wish: One place where the learner could add clearer evidence or explanation.

Conclusion: Closure and Recap—5 Minutes

1. Ask the learner to complete this exit response:

   “At first, someone might think this character is __________. However, the evidence shows that the character is really __________ because __________.”

2. Review the main idea: “Character traits are not random guesses. Readers use actions, thoughts, feelings, relationships, and problems as evidence.”
3. Preview the next lesson: “Next time, we will examine how a character’s problems affect their thoughts, feelings, and choices.”

Differentiation and Adaptations

• Support: Provide a trait word bank, sentence starters, a completed example, and a list of important story events.
• Support: Allow the learner to discuss ideas orally before writing.
• Support: Reduce the task to two traits, one relationship, one problem, and two pieces of evidence.
• Extension: Compare how two characters might describe the same character differently.
• Extension: Explain whether a character’s trait changes or becomes easier to see over the course of the novel.
• Accessibility: Use speech-to-text, typing, drawing, audio responses, or a read-aloud version of selected chapters.

Lesson 2: How Problems Shape Thoughts, Feelings, and Choices in Wonder

Length: 40 minutes

Materials Needed

• A copy of Wonder by R. J. Palacio
• The character snapshot from Lesson 1
• Notebook or cause-and-effect organizer
• Pencil, colored pencils, or markers
• Sticky notes or index cards
• Optional: digital document, slide, or voice-recording tool
• Optional: feeling-word bank

Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, the learner will be able to:

• Identify a problem or conflict faced by a character in Wonder.
• Explain how the problem affects the character’s thoughts and feelings.
• Explain how those thoughts and feelings influence the character’s choices.
• Use at least three pieces of evidence from the novel to show a cause-and-effect relationship.
• Explain how the character’s choices connect to the theme “Who we are.”

Success Criteria

A successful explanation:

• Clearly names the problem.
• Explains what the character thinks because of the problem.
• Explains what the character feels because of the problem.
• Describes a choice the character makes.
• Uses linking words such as because, therefore, as a result, and this leads to.
• Explains what the choice reveals about the character’s identity, values, or growth.

Key Vocabulary

• Conflict: A problem or struggle in a story.
• Cause: Why something happens.
• Effect: What happens because of something else.
• Decision: A choice a character makes.
• Motivation: The reason someone acts or makes a choice.
• Perspective: The way a person understands or views a situation.

Introduction: Hook and Objectives—5 Minutes

1. Present this scenario: “Imagine that people make unfair guesses about you before they get to know you. How might that affect your thoughts, feelings, or choices?”
2. Invite the learner to create a quick three-part response:
   • Thought: What might the person think?
   • Feeling: What might the person feel?
   • Choice: What might the person do?
3. Explain: “Today we will trace this same chain in Wonder. We will examine how a problem can affect a character’s thinking and feelings, and how those changes can influence choices.”
4. State the central idea: “Problems do not completely define who we are, but they can test our values and reveal our character.”

Body: Content and Practice

I Do: Model the Thought–Feeling–Choice Chain—8 Minutes

Model a general example based on the type of conflict found in the novel. Do not copy a long passage.

Explain the difference between a weak and strong answer:

• Weak: “The problem made the character sad.”
• Strong: “Because the character worries about being judged, they begin to think that others may not accept them. This makes them feel anxious, which affects their decision to avoid or face a difficult situation.”

Model the use of evidence:

1. Name the event or problem.
2. Describe the character’s thought or belief.
3. Name the feeling shown.
4. Identify the choice that follows.
5. Explain what the choice reveals.

Quick check: Ask, “Which comes first in the chain: the problem, the feeling, or the choice?” Then ask, “Can a character have more than one feeling about the same problem?”

We Do: Build a Cause-and-Effect Chain—12 Minutes

Choose one important problem from the character snapshot in Lesson 1. Work together to complete the organizer.

Use these discussion prompts:

• “What makes you think the character felt that way?”
• “How might the character have acted if the problem had not happened?”
• “Did the character make the best choice? Why or why not?”
• “What values influenced the choice?”
• “How did the choice affect another person?”

Formative assessment: Have the learner point to or explain one piece of evidence for each of these: the problem, the feeling, and the choice.

You Do: Create a “Problem to Choice” Explanation—11 Minutes

The learner chooses one character and one important problem from Wonder. They create either a written explanation, comic strip, flowchart, mini-presentation, or audio response.

The response must include:

1. The character and problem.
2. At least two thoughts connected to the problem.
3. At least two feelings connected to the problem.
4. One important choice the character makes.
5. Three pieces of evidence from the novel, recorded as brief notes or paraphrases with chapter references when possible.
6. A theme statement explaining what the choice shows about who the character is.

Provide this writing frame if needed:

“The character faces the problem of __________. Because of this, the character thinks __________ and feels __________. These thoughts and feelings influence the choice to __________. This choice affects __________. It shows that the character is __________ and helps develop the theme ‘Who we are’ because __________.”

Offer a creative option:

• Draw five connected boxes labeled Problem → Thought → Feeling → Choice → Result.
• Add a final box labeled What this shows about who the character is.
• Use arrows and color coding to show cause and effect.

Peer or Adult Feedback—2 Minutes

The learner reads or presents the explanation. The listener responds with:

• “Your clearest cause-and-effect connection is __________.”
• “One piece of evidence you explained well is __________.”
• “You could make your explanation stronger by __________.”

Conclusion: Closure and Recap—2 Minutes

1. Ask the learner to answer: “How can a problem reveal who a person is without completely defining that person?”
2. Review the chain: Problems can influence thoughts; thoughts and problems can influence feelings; thoughts and feelings can influence choices; choices can reveal values and character.
3. Have the learner state one final takeaway: “In Wonder, I learned that who we are is shown by __________.”

Assessment

Formative Assessment

• Check whether the learner can distinguish a problem, thought, feeling, and choice.
• Ask the learner to support each claim with a story event.
• Listen for cause-and-effect words such as because, therefore, and as a result.
• Give feedback during the organizer and allow time for revision.

Summative Assessment: Problem-to-Choice Response

Score each category from 1 to 4:

Differentiation and Adaptations

• Support: Use a pre-drawn flowchart and offer feeling cards with words and symbols.
• Support: Allow the learner to focus on one problem, one feeling, and one choice before adding more detail.
• Support: Discuss each section aloud and use speech-to-text or an audio recording.
• Extension: Compare two characters who face similar problems but make different choices.
• Extension: Explain whether the character’s choice changes another character’s thoughts or feelings.
• Extension: Write an alternative choice the character could have made and predict how the story might have changed.
• Accessibility: Permit drawing, oral storytelling, typing, role-play, or a digital presentation instead of a handwritten response.