Warm Up

Wayside School is not normal; from the teachers to the students

and the way it is built. Create your own school that is anything
but ordinary. Include the building design and the types of
students and teachers. Be descriptive and be creative.

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Comprehension Check
Chapter 1
Mrs. Gorf
1. What was the children's problem?
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2. How did they solve it?

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. How does Mrs. Gorf feel about her job and children?
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. What does she do about it?
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. What do you think happened to Mrs. Gorf?
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. What do you think the next teacher on the thirtieth story is going to be like?
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Chapter 2
Mrs. Jewls

1. Compare and contrast Mrs. Jewls with Mrs. Gorf.

2.How does Mrs. Jewls react when she sees the students? Why?
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3. How do the children respond?
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4. Why do you think Mrs. Jewls compared them to monkeys?
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5. What do you think of Mrs. Jewls? Would you like to have her as a teacher? Why or why not?
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Chapter 3

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 Joe

1. How does Mrs. Jewls end up contradicting herself?

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. Why is it important to know how to count?
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3. How would you teach Joe to count that was different from how Mrs. Jewls taught him? Do you
think it will work? Why or why not?
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Chapter 4
Sharie

1. Why does Mrs. Jewls let Sharie sleep in class?

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2. Should Sharie be allowed to sleep in class?
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3. What would your teacher do if you fell asleep in class?
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4. If you fell asleep in class, like Sharie does, do you think they would let you keep sleeping like Mrs.
Jewls does? Why or why not?
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Chapter 5
Todd

1. Todd tells the robbers that “Knowledge is much more valuable than money” Do you agree with
him? Why?
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2. Why does Todd always get sent home on the kindergarten bus?
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3. Is it fair? Why or why not?
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4. How could he solve his problem?
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Chapter 6
Bebe

1. Based on the chapters you have read so far, what perspective is this story told from –Teacher’s or
the imagination of students? After answering that question, do you think Todd really never does
anything wrong, or is that just how he sees it?
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2. Mrs. Jewls tells Bebe and Calvin that art is judged by the quality of the art, not the quantity of the
art. Is Mrs. Jewls right or are Calvin and Bebe right?
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3. How would you define “art?” Explain your definition of ‘art’.
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Chapter 7
Calvin

1. What was Calvin's problem? How did he solve it?

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2. Was it a good solution? Why or why not?
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3. Have you ever been confused about why teachers have you do something? Give an example. Do
you think they are just making you do it because you do not want to or because it is important?
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Chapter 8
Myron

1. In the first paragraph it says: “Other presidents were good speakers. Myron was even better. He
was a good listener” Do you think it is more important to be a good speaker or a good listener? Why?
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2. How are Myron's ideas of what a class president should do different from Mrs. Jewls' idea?
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3. What would you expect a class president to do?
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Chapter 9
Maurecia

1. Would an ice cream flavor based on a person be a good idea? Why or why not?
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2. What ice cream flavor would you be?
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3. Mrs. Jewls has a unique solution for Maurecia's problem. What is the problem? How is it solved?

Problem SOLUTION

Chapter 10
Paul

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1. Did Leslie make the right choice by yelling the third time? Why or why not?
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2. The pigtails talk Paul into doing something that he shouldn't do. What should Paul have done?
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3. Were Leslie’s pigtails really telling Paul to pull them? Why did the author make it seem like the
pigtails were telling Paul to pull them?
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3. What would your hair say if it could talk?
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Chapter 11
Dana

1. Before reading Chapter 11, only look at the picture. What do you think is the problem? And, how
do you think it will be solved?
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2. How was arithmetic used to solve Dana's problem?
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3. Do you think the same solution would work for you?
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Chapter 12
Jason

1. Did Jason deserve the gum on is chair? Why or why not?

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2. Jason seemed to think that the solutions were worse than the problem. Was he right? How?
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3. When students get in trouble at school, should their punishment be to leave school early? Do you
think students will behave better or worse? Why?
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Chapter 13
Rondi

1. How does Rondi feel about people liking the things she does not have?
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2. Why do you think she feels that way?
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3. Why was Rondi so upset? Do you think it was fair for Rondi to get in trouble when she did not
really do anything? Why did Mrs. Jewls write her name on the board if Rondi did not really do
anything?
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Chapter 14
Sammy

1. Before reading Chapter 14, look at the picture. What or who do you think is under all of those coats
and why does it smell?
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2. What kind of person is Sammy? Describe his appearance and personality.
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3. If you were trying to play a prank in your classroom, what would you?
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Chapter 15
Deedee

1. Describe the problem and the solution in the story.

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2. What do you think will probably happen with Deedee's problem in the future?
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3. Have you ever had a problem like DeeDee’s? Share.
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Chapter 16
D.J

1. Choose a quote from the chapter and describe how it relates to D.J.'s story.
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2. How do you feel when someone smiles at you? Do you usually smile, too?
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Chapter 17
John
1. John gets rid of one problem, but gains a new one. Which problem do you think is worse one to
have? Why?
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2. What other solutions might work for John?
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 Chapter 18
Leslie
1. Leslie is offered many suggestions for what she can do with her toes. Put the suggestions in order
from the best idea to the worst idea. Explain why you put them in such order.
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2. In chapter 18, Leslie is not happy with her toes. After reading this chapter, what can be learned
about valuing yourself?
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Chapter 19
Miss Zarves

1. Why is the 19th chapter so short?

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2. Do you think the 19th should be included in the story?
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Chapter 20
Kathy

1. How is Kathy “right all the time but still wrong” (pg. 84)?
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2. How does Kathy create a self-fulfilling prophecy?
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3. How would you handle someone who thought they knew everything? Do you think that Kathy is
ever going to have any friends? Why or why not?
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Chapter 21
Ron
1. Why don't the other kids want Ron to play? Are they being fair? What should they do?
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2. How does Ron respond when Louis says he doesn't play well? Why do you think he so?
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3. Why do you think Louis played on Ron’s team, even though he was bad at kickball? Do you think
Louis cared about winning? Why or why not?
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 Chapter 22
The Three Erics

1. “All three Erics had nicknames. It was better that way” Do you agree with the quote? Why or why
not?
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2. Compare and contrast the three Erics.

Eric Fry Eric Bacon Eric Ovens

Similarities

Differences

Chapter 23
Allison

1. Think of at least 3 adjectives that describe Allison. Explain why you picked each adjective.
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2. Mrs. Jewls tells Allison that children are really smarter than their teachers, is she right? Why or
why not? What do you think would happen if children taught the class instead of the teacher?
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Chapter 24
Dameon

1. Why did Dameon have to go up and down the stairs so often?

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2. What could he have done differently so he wouldn't have to?
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3. How could Mrs. Jewls have prevented Dameon from running up and down the stairs that many
times? What are some ways that the students could put their names on their pencils?
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Chapter 25
Jenny

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1. Does Jenny get to school on time?
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2. Where do you think everyone is?
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3. What would you do if you went to your class and no one was there?
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4. What does Jenny decide to do?
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5. Why wasn’t any one else in class?
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Chapter 26
Terrence

1. What does “Terrence was a good athlete but a bad sport” mean?
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2. How does Terrence show that in the story?
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3. Do you agree with what Louis does to Terrence?
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4. What would you do if someone kicked all of the balls over the fence at recess?
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Chapter 27
Joy

1. What did Joyce forget to bring to school?

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2. What did she do with Dameon’s lunch?
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3. Who does Dameon blame for eating his lunch?
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4. Why do you think that things tasted like porridge to Joy for the rest of the school year?
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Chapter 28
Nancy

1. Why didn’t Nancy like his name? Do you agree and does it matter?
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2. Why was Nancy shy and quiet?
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3. What did Mac and Nancy decide to do?
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4. What did the other kids decide to do?
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Chapter 29
Stephen

1. What was different about Stephen?

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2. Who appeared on the blackboard?
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3. What did Stephen do to Mrs. Gorf? Why?
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4. What happened to Mrs. Gorf?
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Chapter 30
Louis
1. Who is Louis?
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2. Why wouldn’t Louis allow the kids to out and play in the blizzard?
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3. Are blizzards fun?
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4. What does Louis do to entertain the kids?
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5. Why did Mrs. Gorf show up in the classroom? Why did she disappear? If the students from
Wayside School were in your classroom, what do you think they would find to be weird?
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Character Sketch
Describe each character from the story like sketching a picture.

Character Description

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Mrs. Gorf
Mrs. Jewls
Joe
Sharie
Todd
Bebe
Calvin
Myron
Maurecia
Paul
Dana
Jason
Rondi
Sammy
DeeDee
DJ
John
Leslie
Miss Zarves
Kathy
Ron
The Three Erics
Allison
Dameon
Jenny
Terrence
Joy
Nancy
Stephen
Louis

Write your name in the ribbon. Why were you named ________________? If you don’t know, please
ask your parents. Would you like to have another name? What and why would it be your name?

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Search on the different types of schools in the world. Report it to class.

Book Report

Title: __________________________ Genre: ____________________________

Author: ________________________ Illustrator: ______________________

Point of View - From what point of view is this story told?

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Characters:

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Setting:

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Plot:

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What did you like best about this story? What did you like least?

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Would you recommend this book to others to read? Why or why not?

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