The Homework Machine

by Dan Gutman

A Novel Study by:

 Who is Dan Gutman?
Use the internet and other resources to research the author of The Homework Machine, Dan Gutman.

Before Researching
1. What do you already know about Dan Gutman?

2. What do you want to find out about Dan Gutman?

After Researching
3. What have you learned from your research?

4. Where did you get your information?

 Date:

Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 1 - 2
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.

ordeal
Definition:

discrimination
Definition:

incompetence
Definition:

hospitable
Definition:

modified
Definition:

ballistic
Definition:
 Date:

Vocabulary Study
Chapters 1 - 2
Match Up

Match the words in the left column to their definitions in the right column.

ordeal • • unfair judgment

discrimination • • made or caused a change
incompetence • • lack of ability or skill
hospitable • • friendly and welcoming to guests
modified • • a severe or trying experience
ballistic • • extremely agitated or irrational

Fill in the Blank

Complete each sentence by filling in the blanks with the provided vocabulary.

ordeal discrimination incompetence hospitable modified ballistic

1. Jacob faces from his classmates just because he can’t speak

English very well.

2. Mrs. Gomez was very toward her new neighbors.

3. My parents went when I lost my phone again.

4. Our camping trip turned into an when a storm rolled in.

5. Jan revealed her when she failed to complete the test.

6. Philip his exercise routine so he could build more muscle.

Describe the last time you went ballistic. Why did you have this reaction?
 Date:

Understanding the Story

Chapters 1 - 2

Multiple Choice
1. Based on his writing assignment about 2. Which student developed
the Ten Commandments of Homework, the homework machine?
how does Snik feel about doing homework?

(a) It is enjoyable. (a) Judy.

(b) It is a valuable part of learning. (b) Kelsey.
(c) It is a social activity. (c) Brenton.
(d) It should be banned. (d) Snik.

Short Answer
3. List at least three ways in which Brenton is different from his classmates.

Long Answer
4. Describe how the homework machine works, according to Brenton in Chapter 2.

Based on what you have read so far, why do you think that Snik, Kelsey,
Judy, and Brenton are giving statements to the police?
 Date:

Chapter Summary
Chapters 1 - 2

1. If you were to give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?

2. What happens in these chapters?

3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?

4. What new words did you learn 5. Draw a picture of something you think
in these chapters? represents these chapters.
 Date:

Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 3 - 4
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.

deface
Definition:

reputation
Definition:

intrigued
Definition:

gravitated
Definition:

accumulating
Definition:

compiling
Definition:
 Date:

Vocabulary Study
Chapters 3 - 4
Which Word?

On the provided lines, write the matching vocabulary word for each definition.

deface reputation intrigued gravitated accumulating compiling

1. Curious; interested.

2. Putting together (documents) into one book or work.

3. The general opinion or view of a person by a group.

4. Moved by a natural force.

5. Gathering or collecting into a mass.

6. To mar or ruin the surface of.

Make a sentence for each word below.

1. Deface:

2. Reputation:

3. Intrigued:

4. Gravitated:

5. Accumulating:

6. Compiling:
Scan the list of adjectives below. Circle four adjectives that best describe Brenton.

Intelligent Cool Popular Selfish

Confident Kind Helpful Curious

 Date:

Understanding the Story

Chapters 3 - 4

Multiple Choice
1. What does Snik offer to give Brenton if 2. In Chapter 3, what do the four students
Brenton will let him use the homework machine? nickname the homework machine?

(a) Money. (a) Doris.

(b) Baseball cards. (b) Pat.
(c) Chess lessons. (c) Belch.
(d) His friendship. (d) Lurch.

Short Answer
3. In Chapter 3, how does Judy react when she first sees Kelsey’s pink hair? Why does Judy change
her mind?

Long Answer
4. What is “red socks day”? Explain how and why the day came about.

If you were part of the D-Squad with Brenton, Snik, Judy, and Kelsey,
would you use the homework machine? Why or why not?
 Date:

Chapter Summary
Chapters 3 - 4

1. If you were to give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?

2. What happens in these chapters?

3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?

4. What new words did you learn 5. Draw a picture of something you think
in these chapters? represents these chapters.
 Date:

Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 5 - 6
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.

damper
Definition:

grim
Definition:

addicted
Definition:

insisted
Definition:

stimulate
Definition:

shunned
Definition:
 Date:

Vocabulary Study
Chapters 5 - 6
Match Up

A synonym is a word that means the same as another word. For example, happy and joyful are synonyms.
Match the vocabulary words with their synonyms!

damper • • demanded
grim • • stern; morbid
addicted • • provoke; encourage
insisted • • dependent; attached
stimulate • • ignored
shunned • • downer

Circle the word which works best in each sentence.

1. Beth’s expression looked ( grim / shunned ) after she received the bad news.

2. After Patrick tattled on the boys, they ( insisted / shunned ) him for the rest of the week.

3. Rachel and her friends ( addicted / insisted ) that the new girl join them at their lunch table.

4. Callie puts on so much lip gloss each day that her friends joke she is ( addicted / grim ) to it.

5. When Amber’s brother dropped the birthday cake on the ground, it put
a ( stimulate / damper ) on the celebration.

6. Grandpa enjoys doing crossword puzzles because he believes they ( stimulate / damper )
his mind.

What do you know so far about the character called “Milner”? Create
a back story for this character that explains why he might be trying to
contact the D-Squad.
 Date:

Understanding the Story

Chapters 5 - 6

Multiple Choice
1. When Snik’s dad is sent overseas, what 2. In Chapter 6, what is the message that
game does Snik play with him through e-mail? Ronnie writes on the boys’ bathroom wall?

(a) Checkers. (a) “D-Squad has a Homework Machine.”

(b) Chess. (b) “D-Squad are Losers.”
(c) Backgammon. (c) “D-Squad are Cheaters.”
(d) Scrabble. (d) “D-Squad use Belch.”

Short Answer
3. In Chapter 6, why does Judy start to worry when Miss Rasmussen changes their seating chart?

Long Answer
4. Explain two good things and one bad thing that are happening to the members of the D-Squad
as a result of using Belch.

Which D-Squad member would you most like to have as a friend? Why?
 Date:

Chapter Summary
Chapters 5 - 6

1. If you were to give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?

2. What happens in these chapters?

3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?

4. What new words did you learn 5. Draw a picture of something you think
in these chapters? represents these chapters.
 Date:

Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 7 - 8
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.

intersecting
Definition:

intentional
Definition:

irrationally
Definition:

rebelling
Definition:

ambushed
Definition:

distraught
Definition:
 Date:

Vocabulary Study
Chapters 7 - 8
Match Up

Match the words in the left column to their definitions in the right column.

intersecting • • attacked unexpectedly

intentional • • done on purpose
irrationally • • resisting authority or control
rebelling • • deeply agitated
ambushed • • crossing, as lines or wires
distraught • • without reason

Fill in the Blank

Complete each sentence by filling in the blanks with the provided vocabulary.

intersecting intentional irrationally rebelling ambushed distraught

1. My older brother is by staying out past his curfew.

2. MacKenzie and I wore the same shirt to school today. It wasn’t ,

just a funny coincidence.

3. Mary was when her pet lamb went missing.

4. Henry is afraid that monsters are hiding in his room.

5. The roads created a checker pattern on the map.

6. My brothers me with snowballs when I walked out

of the house.

Imagine that you are Miss Rasmussen. On the back of this paper, write
a short letter to the principal explaining why you suspect that certain
students in your class might be cheating. Use at least one vocabulary
word in your letter.
 Date:

Understanding the Story

Chapters 7 - 8
Multiple Choice
1. When the D-Squad is moving 2. In Chapter 8, which member of the
Belch to Snik’s house, what strange D-Squad admits to leaking information
thing does Kelsey notice about Belch? about the homework machine?

(a) The computer screen stays lighted. (a) Brenton.

(b) The computer was never plugged in. (b) Snik.
(c) The computer feels very hot. (c) Kelsey.
(d) The computer’s little red light (d) Judy.
does not go out.

Short Answer

3. In Chapter 7, why does the D-Squad move Belch to Snik’s house?

Long Answer
4. In Chapter 7, why does Brenton need to rewrite part of Belch’s computer software? How does
Brenton feel about doing this?

In Chapter 8, Judy begins to notice that there are many official-looking

men in suits hanging around the neighborhood. Who do you think these
men might be?
 Date:

Chapter Summary
Chapters 7 - 8

1. If you were to give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?

2. What happens in these chapters?

3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?

4. What new words did you learn 5. Draw a picture of something you think
in these chapters? represents these chapters.
 Date:

Dictionary Detective!
Chapters 9 - 10
Using a dictionary, find the definitions for the words below.

conserve
Definition:

alternative
Definition:

marveled
Definition:

theory
Definition:

naïve
Definition:

hysterical
Definition:
 Date:

Vocabulary Study
Chapters 9 - 10
Which Word?

On the provided lines, write the matching vocabulary word for each definition.

conserve alternative marveled theory naïve hysterical

1. Displaying a lack of judgment or information.

2. A guess or idea.

3. Felt astonished; wondered at.

4. To save; to prevent waste or loss of.

5. Uncontrollably emotional.

6. A different choice or course of action.

Make a sentence for each word below.

1. Conserve:

2. Alternative:

3. Marveled:

4. Theory:

5. Naïve:

6. Hysterical:

Choose your favorite quotation from this section. Write the quotation
belowand explain why it is your favorite.
 Date:

Understanding the Story

Chapters 9 - 10
Multiple Choice
1. What happens when tourists 2. According to Miss
discover the pieces of Belch at Rasmussen, a homework
the bottom of the Grand Canyon? machine that already exists is:

(a) The D-Squad is called to the sheriff’s office. (a) The Internet.
(b) The D-Squad confesses (b) A pencil.
everything to the police. (c) A calculator.
(c) The Sheriff makes the D-Squad (d) Your brain.
clean up the pieces of Belch.
(d) All of the above.

Short Answer

3. In Chapter 10, the man named Milner finally speaks to the D-Squad. Who is Milner and why does
he want to speak to them?

Long Answer
4. In Chapter 9, why does the D-Squad need to get rid of Belch? How do they do it?

Why does Brenton refuse to help Richard Milner? If you were in Brenton’s
position, would you make the same decision? Why or why not?
 Date:

Chapter Summary
Chapters 9 - 10

1. If you were to give a title to this section of the book, what would it be?

2. What happens in these chapters?

3. What is your favorite part of this section of the book?

4. What new words did you learn 5. Draw a picture of something you think
in these chapters? represents these chapters.
 Date:

Time for a Test!

The Homework Machine
Part A – Multiple Choice
1. Brenton, Judy, Kelsey, and Snik 2. What is the main reason 3. As payment for using
are called the D-Squad because: why Brenton developed the the homework machine,
homework machine? Brenton asks the D-Squad for:

(a) They all receive Ds (a) He despises (a) Their friendship.

on their report cards. doing homework.
(b) All of their last names (b) He earns poor (b) Their kindness.
begin with the letter “D”. grades on his own. (c) Tips on being cool.
(c) All of their middle names (c) He wants to (d) Nothing.
begin with the letter “D”. save himself time.
(d) They sit at Table D in (d) He wants to be
Miss Rasmussen’s class. a famous inventor.

4. What does the 5. Why is Ronnie 6. What tragedy occurs that

D-Squad nickname suspicious of the D-Squad? affects the entire D-Squad?
the homework machine?

(a) Belch. (a) He notices that they (a) Kelsey’s dad is

all earn perfect grades. killed in an accident.
(b) Munch. (b) He notices that their (b) Snik’s dad is killed
(c) Burp. homework looks alike. in the Middle East.
(d) Lurch. (c) He notices that they (c) Brenton’s computer
always leave school together. system is stolen.
(d) He notices that their (d) The homework
homework is printed. machine stops working

7. After Brenton’s house is 8. How does the D-Squad get 9. Who is

broken into, the D-Squad rid of the homework machine? Robert Milner?
moves the homework machine: (a) They smash it
(a) To Judy’s house. with baseball bats. (a) A spy for the government.
(b) They melt it. (b) An FBI agent.
(b) To Snik’s house.
(c) They catapult it into
(c) A CIA agent.
(c) To Kelsey’s house. the Grand Canyon.
(d) They sell it for parts. (d) A marketing professional
(d) To Ronnie’s house.
 Date:

Time for a Test!

The Homework Machine

Part B – Short Answer

1. Why does Brenton leak the secret about the homework machine?

2. Why does the D-Squad get rid of the homework machine?

3. Describe one important lesson that you learned from reading this novel. How can you apply this
lesson to your everyday life?

Part C – Long Answer

1. How has Snik’s idea of “coolness” changed by the end of the novel? What causes this change?

2. How do the relationships among the D-Squad members change over the course of the novel?