Test Your

Wimpy Kid
Knowledge
Check the box for True or False, following the questions. When you’re done, check the answer key at
the end of the packet.

1. All the boys in Greg’s class do their book reports on the TRUE FALSE
Underpants Bandits series.

2. When Mom was pregnant with Greg, she used to read him
TRUE FALSE
David Copperfield.

3. During Greg’s first year of middle school, an eighth grader

TRUE FALSE
tricks him into paying $5 for a bathroom pass.

4. To stay warm when he skips swim practice, Greg wraps

TRUE FALSE
himself in toilet paper.

5. Rowley thinks he has become a man when he gets a

TRUE FALSE
girlfriend.

6. Rodrick thinks George Washington wrote To Kill a

TRUE FALSE
Mockingbird.

7. One of Uncle Gary’s many temporary jobs is as a test

TRUE FALSE
subject for a company that makes pepper spray.

8. Greg has a pen pal from Germany. TRUE FALSE

9. After a police officer comes to speak at school, Rowley

TRUE FALSE
and Greg decide to open their own detective agency.

10. One year for Christmas, Rowley gives Greg a Big Wheel. TRUE FALSE

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
11. Manny loves to put Bitter Apple Spray on everything he TRUE FALSE
eats.

12. The Heffleys discover a family of squirrels living in their

TRUE FALSE
boat.

13. Dad does all of his shopping at the pharmacy. TRUE FALSE

14. Greg nicknames the family they keep bumping into on TRUE FALSE
their road trip The Beardos.

15. The most popular guy in Greg’s class is Bryce Anderson. TRUE FALSE

16. Uncle Joe’s dog is named Rebel. TRUE FALSE

17. Greg’s Net Kritterz pet is a chihuahua. TRUE FALSE

18. Greg isn’t allowed to go to Jordan Jury’s party because

TRUE FALSE
it’s the same day as Uncle Gary’s wedding.

19. Rowley breaks his arm after Greg knocks him off his bike TRUE FALSE
with a snowball.

20. The inspirational pop singer that Greg’s school hires for TRUE FALSE
their assemblies is named Joshie.

21. When playing “I Must Confess,” Rodrick admits he once TRUE FALSE
spray painted a neighbor’s house.

TRUE FALSE
22. The graphic novel Mom gets signed for Greg is called
Tower of Druids.

23. Greg digs up the time capsule he and Rowley buried TRUE FALSE
because he wants money to buy candy.

24. Greg and Mr. Nern play chess during recess. TRUE FALSE

25. Mrs. Heffley invented the legend of Silas Scratch. TRUE FALSE

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Answer Key
test your wimpy Crossword
kid knowledge puzzle
1. True Across

2. False 3. Reading

3. False 6. Slick

4. True 8. Lil’ Cutie

5. False 10. Snruples

6. False 13. Alfrendo

7. True 15. Diary

8. False 16. Peachy Breeze

9. True 17. Meckley

10. True 18. Meemaw

11. True 20. Morons

12. False 21. Bubby

13. True down

14. True 1. Freckle
15. True 2. Jolly
16. False 4. Women
17. True 5. Tattler
18. True 7. Attendance
19. False 9. Iron
20. False 10. Superhero
21. False 11. Squirm
22. True 12. Cheese
23. True 14. Ladybug
24. False 19. Corny’s
25. False

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
 WHAT’S YOUR DRAWING STYLE?
Greg and Rowley have different drawing styles. If you were going to draw
them, how would you do it? Add your image to the panel below.

GREG’S ILLUSTRATION ROWLEY'S ILLUSTRATION

’ S ILLUSTRATION

wimpykid.com #WimpyKid #AwesomeFriendlyKid

© 2020, Wimpy Kid, Inc. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID™, DIARY OF AN AWESOME FRIENDLY KID™ and ROWLEY JEFFERSON’S JOURNAL™ and the design of the work’s jacket is trade dress of Wimpy Kid, Inc. and are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 Wimpy Kid
Around the
World
The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has been published in 49 different
languages, but it’s not called Wimpy Kid everywhere. Can you guess
which country calls Greg a loser? Here are eight titles of Diary of a
Wimpy Kid in languages other than English. See if you can
correctly draw a line from the language to its Wimpy Kid title.

Spanish

Slovakian

Dutch

Latvian

Polish

Arabic

Estonian

Finnish

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Answer Key
Wimpy kid around the world

Spanish

Slovakian

Dutch

Latvian

Polish

Arabic

Estonian

Finnish

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
Wimpy Kid Game Show
It’s way easier than you might think to set up and
play a TV-style trivia game that provides some
memory-teasing fun.

PREP
What you’ll need:
• Some clear wall space
• Printout (or handwritten index cards) of
trivia questions and answers (see below for samples)
• Sticky notes (a variety of colors would be nice, but is not necessary)
• Large sheet of construction paper or poster board
...oh, and of course some questions. See below for some samples.

PLAY
Divide the group into two teams, each of which should appoint an official “spokesperson” who delivers
the final answer on behalf of the group. Write the trivia questions on sticky notes and arrange them
in categories on a hanging sheet of paper or poster board. Clearly mark the category headings and
display point values. Cards should be placed in ascending order from top to bottom, in vertical columns
under the headings. The board should resemble a “Jeopardy!” board. Flip a coin to decide which team
chooses the opening question. Let the team with the first raised hand get the first shot at answering
that question, and let the other team try to answer it if the first team gets it wrong. As teams answer
questions correctly, they get to keep the sticky notes. At the end, tally up the final score by adding the
point values on the sticky notes.
(Tip: You can write the answers right on the back of the sticky notes—if they won’t show through.)

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

THE PROBLEM WITH PARENTS

100 What type of money does Mrs. Heffley use to try to bring Greg and Rodrick closer
together? (Mom Bucks)

200 What does Mrs. Heffley use to keep track of both Greg and the pig?
(a GPS chip)

300 What outdoors group brings Greg and his father together in The Last Straw?
(Boy Scouts)

400 What does Greg’s Dad ask him to do every morning to try to make him more responsible?
(wake himself up)

500 What is the name of the magazine that gives Mom the idea to go on a family road trip?
(Family Frolic)

5
HEFFLEY FAMILY HISTORY
Who gets married for a fourth time?
100 (Uncle Gary)

Who are Gretchen, Audra, Veronica, and Cakey?

200 (Greg’s Mom’s sisters—Greg’s aunts)

Who writes handwritten letters—and always expects one in return?

300 (Gammie Heffley)

400 What kind of animal does Manny win while on their family road trip?
(a pig)

500 What did Greg lose on a beach vacation when he was younger?
(Tickles, the stuffed animal)

BULLIES, RIVALS, AND MORONS

What do the Whirley Street kids throw at Rowley and Greg?
100 (snowballs)

200 Who forms a couple with Abigail immediately after she is Greg’s date for the
Valentine’s Day dance? (Rowley)

300 Whom does Greg bully by getting kids to pretend he’s invisible?
(Chirag)

400 What annoying character and pint-size bully must Greg babysit?
(Wesley Stringer)

500 What nickname does Greg give the family they keep running into while on their road
trip? (The Beardos)

RANDOM GROSS THINGS

100 What does Greg have on his pants that embarrasses him at church?
(chocolate)

200 What does a pulled fire alarm cause students to avoid while in school?
(washing their hands/going to the bathroom)

300 What does Julian eat to make himself sick enough to leave camp early?
(deodorant)

400 When Greg falls asleep in the closet of the motel room in The Long Haul, what is the
source of the awful smell he breathes in all night? (Rodrick’s dirty shoes and socks)

500 Why do some kids pay Nolan a dime at lunchtime?

(to smell the French fries on his breath)

6
 Learning doesn’t take place only in classrooms. It can happen at home,
in a library, a bookstore, or an afterschool program—anywhere, really.
So we’ve developed

THE

MOVIE DIARY
Teaching Guide

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Correlated to Standards and Benchmarks!

The instructional content of this Teaching Guide is aligned with
� NCTE’s Definition of 21st-Century Literacies
� NAMLE’s Core Principles of Media Literacy Education
� The Film Foundation’s National Film Study Standards
� McREL’s Viewing Standards and Skills
 Discussion Guide
Use the exercises below to recall and reflect upon the wealth of information and ideas in The
Wimpy Kid Movie Diary. Although some students may have already seen these movies, doing so is
by no means a prerequisite for joining the conversation. The questions themselves are organized
in ascending order according to Bloom’s Taxonomy—although you’ll notice that its highest level,
Creating, is covered in the activities in the following pages.

Remembering
Activate Prior Knowledge: To kick things off, consider having volunteers provide background on
the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by recounting key story elements such as its plot, setting, and main
characters. Then follow up by having them “narrate” the movie stills that appear throughout The
Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, such as those in the “Page to Screen” section. (p. 152, 224, 242)
Identify: What changes, additions, or deletions were made in adapting the Wimpy Kid books? What
were the reasons? For example, why was the Sweetheart Dance created, why was the scene of Greg
chasing the kindergartners replaced, why did the filmmakers decide to set the first scene of Diary of
a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules in a roller rink, and why did they seemingly skip over The Last Straw and
go straight to Dog Days for the third film? (p. 110, p. 128, 198–199, 216–217)
Recall: Who are Zach Gordon, Thor Freudenthal, and David Bowers, and what were their
contributions to the films? (pp. 14, 18, 197, and throughout) Why did it make sense to cast twins for
the role of Manny? (pp. 36–37) How did the filmmakers get them to cooperate during the school
play scene? (pp. 108–109) Name events and conditions that needed to be “faked” during the movies’
production. (e.g., pp. 122-124, 126-131, 208-209, 231, 236-237)

Understanding
Clarify: What’s the difference between film and
video, or a film camera and a video camera? (p. 117)
Practice Visual Literacy: What aspects of the
images of Fregley’s home on pages 140–141 might
make viewers share Greg’s discomfort? (Prompt
students to note props, lighting, and set design.)
Describe: Creating effective movie illusions often
requires more than a single filmmaking element.
Select an example, such as the “fake snow” or “fake
ants” or one of the action scenes with the boys, and
describe how props, special equipment, and acting
work together to create movie magic. (p. 127, 241, pp.
202–203)
Connect: Think about the crucial job of the film editor. (pp. 174-177) How is it like or unlike other
forms of editing that you know?

2
Applying
Distinguish: Review the role of storyboards in making a movie.
(pp. 45, 100, 184) Then have students compare them to comics,
citing both how they’re similar (they tell stories in a series of
sequential panels) and how they’re different (storyboards include
arrows to indicate movement and don’t include word balloons).
Share: Select one or more aspects of the filmmaking process
discussed in the book (casting, story adaptation, set design)
and invite students to share their opinions about them in terms
of other movie adaptations with which they’re familiar. What
creative choices make more sense to them now that they’ve read The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary?
What choices are now more puzzling?
Interpret/Apply: The importance of an authentic-looking and true-to-the-book set is a major theme
in The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary. (pp. 26–27, 52–71, 132–141, 162-169, 198, 204–207, 226–229) Have
students examine its many photos, perhaps in conjunction with revisiting the original descriptive text
from the book series, and interpret the items shown, determining why they were included. What
other details would they add to the school or the characters’ homes? Encourage students to think
like a “location scout” by identifying spaces in their own school or community that would be a good
fit for filming a Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie or any other fictional text suitable for screen adaptation.

Analyzing
Categorize: How is this book different from other titles in the Wimpy Kid series? Help students
grasp the fact that, though the books share a first-person “diary” format, The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary
is an example of nonfiction. Therefore, in addition to cartoon-style drawings, it also features photos
and other graphics that document real-world people, places, and things.
Draw Conclusion: What does the author mean by stating that the filmmakers got to “lower their
standards” by making the “It’s Awesome to Be Me” video? And did they really lower their standards,
or did they just apply their skills in a different way? (pp. 116–117)
Decide: Review with students the movie credits that appear on pages
248–249. Then ask students which job they’d most like to have, either
in the case of this particular movie or as part of an ongoing career, and
ask them to explain why. If faced with a lack of variety in the responses,
consider having students rank their first three choices, so that as a group
you can discuss general trends, such as which jobs are the most or least
popular. Revisit job descriptions such as those for line producer (p. 44),
editor (pp. 174–177) Foley artist (p. 178), and animator (pp. 180–183) as
needed.
Extend: You can both extend learning and activate prior knowledge by
asking students what other movie jobs they’re familiar with. Screen a
“closing credits” sequence for students or reproduce a “cast and crew”
page from the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com), defining
terms as necessary. For example, you could explain that a “gaffer” is an
electrician and that a “key grip” is in charge of moving camera tracks
and other important equipment. Ask students how people in such positions might interact with set
designers, cinematographers, and others.

3
 Evaluating
Consider: Explore the concept of characterization
by discussing the search for an actor to play Greg,
as recounted on page 16. Do characters always need
to be likable? What happens if a character is “too
nice”—does the movie run the risk of not appealing to
a certain audience segment?
Reflect: What part of making movies is the most challenging? Rewarding? Frustrating? Be sure to
point out that while of course there are no “right answers” to such questions, students should still
support their responses with specific evidence from the book.

4'-11 1/4"
2'-10 3/4"

6"
1'-6"
1'-0"

SIDE VIEW
2
Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0"
8'-7 1/4"

5'-5"
10'-1 1/2"

2" 5"
2'-10 3/4"

2"
1'-2 1/4" 4"

FRONT VIEW
3 Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0"

3'-8"

5'-3 1/2"

6'-4"
2'-10 3/4"
2'-6"
1'-8 1/4"

PLAN VIEW
1
Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0"

BACK VIEW
4 Scale: 1/2" = 1'-0"

Debate: Aside from excitement, what are some feelings Jeff Kinney might have experienced when
Hollywood initially expressed interest in Diary of a Wimpy Kid? To fuel discussion, review the
various ideas for the movie that are presented on page 8. Use Kinney’s case as a springboard to
debate the pros and cons of cinematic adaptation in general. What decisions might anger fans or
creators of the source material? If you were an author, would you be open to giving total creative
control to others if that was a requirement for your book becoming a movie?
Practice Critical Thinking: Challenge students to voice an opinion about the test-screening
process. (pp. 184–185) Does getting feedback in this way alter the process or purpose of
filmmaking—making it less artful, for example? Or is test screening just a way of getting valuable
input for movies, which, after all, are always developed with an audience in mind? Who do you
think is usually invited to test screenings, and what is the “target audience” for Diary of a Wimpy
Kid and its sequels?
Decide: Explore the page-to-screen process with a reminder that Dog Days was based upon parts
of books 3 and 4 (p. 216). What storylines of later books might be combined into a single movie?
Make sure students identify the area of overlap—is it theme, setting, or something else?

4
 Awesome Activities
Reinforce and apply learning through these group-based and independent projects.

Casting Call
Connect writing in the “response to literature”
mode to the performing arts and students’
newfound knowledge of the movie-making
process. Create your own casting call ads using
the model provided on page 17, which is a form
of character profile, or, better yet, have students
compose them. These can serve as benchmarks
for assessing auditions. (pp. 16–18) Students can
write their own monologues, choose a passage
from one of the Wimpy Kid books, or work in
pairs, auditioning with a scene of dialogue instead.
You can act as the casting director—or students
can do this themselves, voting on those who aren’t
in direct competition with them. To prepare for
this activity, or as an alternate form of assessment,
have students write essays about their characters
just as the film actors did. (pp. 24–25)

Glossing It Over
The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary contains many “content area” vocabulary words that are specific to
filmmaking, media, and the arts. Students should be familiar with many of them, but since others
are not defined in the text, you can create a “Glossary of Filmmaking” by working as a group. Have
students identify the words that deserve entries, or assign them yourself using the following as
examples:

 live-action  score
 exec/executive  special effects
 crane shot  studio
 choreographer  footage

REBOOT ME
As new books are published and new fans discover the series, it’s conceivable that a reboot of
the film franchise will one day be produced. Have students draw upon their outside-of-school
knowledge and their media literacy skills to propose what this should look like. Who should star
or direct? Should the tone or approach be different? Why?

5
Table Read
Enhance your creative writing unit by having students conduct a table read (p. 32) as part of the
revision stage of the writing process. Peer actors can be assigned parts, including “narrator,” and
read aloud from prose compositions, original dramatic scenes, or skits. Or use this table read in
conjunction with the “You’re the Screen Writer” activity on pages 10 and 12 of this Guide.

A “Living” Trailer
As The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary shows, writing, preparing for, and shooting a film or video—even
a short one—can be a lot of work, often more than is feasible in most educational settings.
However, you can get students to work with many of the same creative elements—casting, script
development, props, set design, staging, and music—in the form of a trailer. In fact, you don’t even
need to make a video trailer. Instead, guide students to put on a live performance that runs only
a couple of minutes; a visible narrator can deliver the text one usually hears in voice-over while
other students act out the dramatic parts or supply sound effects. The subject of the trailer can
be a book that students wish were made into a movie, an imagined sequel to an existing movie,
or their own creative writing. Regardless of the basis for their trailers, make sure they approach
the project from a media-literate perspective by considering their target audience, grabbing its
attention, using persuasive language, and so on.

6
Poster Workshop
Combine media literacy with some graphic arts fun
by having students design original movie posters.
This potentially cross-curricular activity can take
just a few minutes or considerably longer, depending
on the size of the poster and the extent to which
students revise it with visual details and multiple
drafts. It’s your choice. You can emphasize a basic
design that demonstrates understanding of movie
marketing techniques, or a finished product suitable for
displaying in the classroom or other public area.
Introduce the Concept. Revisit the text on
pages 186–187 and stimulate critical thinking
with questions such as:
 What posters have actually made you want to see a
movie? Why?
 Why do you think the poster shown was revised
from the first version to the second?
 What features make a movie poster effective? Are these
different from other types of posters or advertisements?
 How do posters grab a consumer’s attention?

Identify Key Elements.

 A central image is critical—that’s what people see first,
before they read any text.
 A catchy tagline delivers a quick, memorable idea. Point out
how the final poster for Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a playful
variation on a catchphrase from the book that fans would
instantly recognize.
 Main credits are usually provided at the bottom
of every one-sheet. When adding credits to their
posters, have students call out important information
only, such as the studio, director, and the stars.

Create the Poster! First, help students choose a movie—

rather than a familiar one, encourage creativity by having
them select an upcoming release or even a wholly imagined
film. Then, students can work individually, with partners,
or in small groups to plan and sketch their posters before
working on the final product. Remind them to include the
key elements discussed above, and, if the film is based upon
a popular book or other property, to highlight this fact.

7
Sequel-Mania
New Movies, New Faces

Movie sequels usually mean seeing new faces up on the screen. In fact, casting decisions about
upcoming sequels are often hotly discussed issues among fans—who will play the new villain or
the new love interest? Use this engaging topic as a springboard for a more far-ranging exploration
of both acting and casting and how the two are distinct. The latter must of course take into
account a given performer’s skill at the former, but also consider factors such as physical
resemblance, as well as the box office ‘bankability’ of a particular actor.
Think of a popular movie that as yet has no sequel (if that’s possible!). Or use a hypothetical
screen adaptation of a TV series or novel—even a book drawn from your class reading. Then list
the main characters on the board and have students nominate and then vote on actors to fill
these roles. Help them understand that casting directors and producers often try to create a
balance of veteran “name” actors and talented newcomers.
If selecting a sequel that all students can easily discuss is too challenging, consider using a
“reboot” instead. For example, if the Harry Potter series were to start again from scratch with
younger actors, who would be a good fit for playing its trio of main characters? Or what stars of
stage or screen should become the latest incarnation of a famous comic book character? Why?
Encourage students to cite evidence, such as an actor’s past performance in a similar role.

What Matters Most?

Movie fans enjoy few things as much as debating the merits of the many sequels that are
released each year. However, rarely do they engage in in-depth conversations about the criteria
they use for judging these sequels against the original films. You can encourage higher-order
analytical thinking and meta-cognition about media by having students prioritize the filmmaking
elements on which they base such evaluations.
First, create a T-chart with headings for two installments in a successful film franchise (e.g., Diary
of a Wimpy Kid, Spider-Man). Under each film, list the elements that a class consensus identifies
as it “winning” relative to the other film—acting, set design, action, costumes, humor, music,
camerawork, visual effects, and so on. Then challenge students to explain why some elements
seem to count more than others when evaluating the films overall. If time permits, consider
having students, either individually or collectively, assign a weighted point value for each of these
items, which can be revisited when comparing any two films in the future.

8
Order It
Assess understanding of the creative and technical processes outlined in The Wimpy Kid Movie
Diary by having students sequence the steps presented in the book. Simply make photocopies
of this page and cut out the filmmaking tasks or events below (which are presented in their
correct order). Then have students work in pairs or small groups to order them. If they believe
that some steps can be done concurrently, they can place them side by side—but they should be
prepared to explain why. If you wish, you can make the activity more competitive by providing
a time limit, and you can make it more challenging by providing additional tasks mentioned in
the book. For extra credit, have students group the items into the categories of pre-production,
production, and post-production.

Select Book Craft Services

for Adaptation Provides Snacks

Pitch Ideas
for Screenplay The Movie Wraps

Draft
Screenplay Edit Film

Audition
Leading Actors Test Screening

Build Sets, Movie Premiere

Create Props

9
 USING THE REPRODUCIBLE PAGES
Pages 11 and 12 of this guide are student worksheets
that you can copy and distribute; they can be used as
assessment or as part of direct instruction.

Who Does What?

Understanding collaboration is at the heart of
understanding filmmaking itself. To reteach or
review various key jobs in the process, reproduce
and distribute the matching-style activity on page 11
of this Teaching Guide.
Answer Key: 1E; 2G; 3B; 4A; 5F; 6I; 7D; 8H; 9C; 10J

You’re the Screenwriter

Reproduce and distribute the annotated screenplay on page 12 of this Teaching Guide. Draw
attention to screenwriting conventions such as using all caps to introduce characters and
describe shots, or using abbreviations such as “SUPER” for “superimpose.” You can use this
professional model from page 11 of The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, as well as the one on page 13,
to introduce screenwriting in a general way, or as exemplars for student writing. If the latter,
have them write a single script page as well. Suggested prompts: rewrite this opening scene;
write the continuation of this scene; flesh out the scene described in the cartoon below; write
an opening scene for an original movie idea or one based on a favorite book.

10
 Name Date

Who Does What?

Draw a line to connect each filmmaking job with its correct description and an image that illustrates it.

1. Acting Coach A. Creates “wireframe” version of a drawing

2. Director B. “Doubles” for a lead actor in some scenes

3. Stunt Person C. Creates the “world” of the film

4. Animator D. Runs the audition process

11
5. Line Producer E. Helps keep young stars prepared

6. Costume Designer F. Is in charge of the shooting schedule details

7. Casting Director G. Decides on a filmmaking style for a movie

8. Composer H. Writes a film’s score

9. Set Designer I. Creates a wardrobe to match each character

10. Extra J. Walks through the background of a scene

 Name Date

Model Script Page

Each scene starts with a “slugline”
that states where it takes place.
INT. GREG’S BEDROOM 1 What do you think “INT.” means?
BLACK SCREEN. Soft breathing.

SUPER: “SEPTEMBER” is scrawled across the screen

in Greg’s handwriting. Then BLINDING LIGHT.
This means “off-screen.”
RODRICK (O.S.) Another good term to know
Greg. is “VO,” for voice-over.
Stands for “point-of-view.”

GREG’S POV: we find RODRICK HEFFLEY, an

insolent sixteen-year-old, in our face. How will what the audience has
Rodrick is dressed for school. seen so far make it feel?

RODRICK (CONT’D)
Greg!
“Line directions” always
accompany the dialogue.
GREG
(half asleep)
What?

Rodrick shakes GREG HEFFLEY, 12, awake in his twin bed.

RODRICK
Stage directions are always What are you doing? Get
set off from the dialogue. up! Mom and dad have been
calling you for an hour.
You’re gonna be late for
Movies try to establish characters
quickly. If this were the first time your first day of middle
you encountered these characters, school.
what would your impression of
It’s okay to spell words the way
them be so far?
you want actors to pronounce
GREG them. What might be another
What? example of this?

Greg looks over at his clock. It reads 8:01AM

12
 Differentiated Instruction

Wherever possible, use the numerous visuals in the book to scaffold comprehension, but don’t
assume that students will always “get” the main idea in the Jeff Kinney cartoons, which can
require that readers draw upon specific background knowledge to draw conclusions or make
inferences. Also, take time to go over graphics that include text that might be small or difficult
to read. (pp. 3–5) Support students who may find all the subject-specific vocabulary challenging
by reminding them to use a word’s more common definition as a clue to its meaning in the
context of filmmaking. Such words include “extra” (p. 96), “frame” (p. 98), “double” (p. 118),
“composite” (p. 123), “dailies” (p. 150), and “take” (pp. 154–155).

English Language Learners

The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary is written in an accessible, almost conversational style that most
students will find inviting. However, you may need to help ELLs with the resulting idioms, which
include: “pitch” (p. 10), “over the edge” (p. 110), “shot down” (p. 111), “break-dances” (p. 117),
“over-the-top” (p. 118), “strike a deal” (p. 132), “wrap/wrapped” (p. 170), “cut loose” (p. 171), and
many more. You may also want to foster oral language development by presenting the textless
stills that appear on pages 190–195 and having students describe what they depict.

Advanced Students
Provide enrichment opportunities that leverage these students’ increased knowledge of the
filmmaking process. Examples include taking on leadership roles in the many projects suggested
in this Guide or writing critical pieces about specific movies that analyze their strengths and
weaknesses according to the creative variables outlined in the book. You might even want to
help these students create a weekly or monthly podcast that includes spoken reviews of
current releases.

13
 Extension Ideas
Radio Drama
Build upon the book’s section on Foley art (p. 178) by having students script, perform, and
produce old-style radio dramas, the kind in which sound effects play a significant role. Free and
easy-to-use software, such as Audacity, can make the editing process painless and fun.

Cross-Curricular Collaborations
Work with a drama, visual arts, shop, or science teacher on the production of a short video. While
students can work on the script under your guidance, other educators can inspire students to be
as creative as the propmaster in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie. (pp. 142–147, 207)

Contests
Stimulate creativity and enhance media literacy by having groups or individuals tackle the
following projects:
Stage a “deleted scene.” Screen DVD examples of extended/deleted scenes, and then invite
students to script, rehearse, and perform original scenes that could have conceivably been
part of a major Hollywood film.
Transform the real world into a set. Using the details in The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary as
models, students can construct their own sets from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series or from
other books. The sets students create can be used for a performance piece, a party, or to
celebrate a particular holiday or occasion.
Hold a “pitch fest.” Enhance writing and speaking skills by having students work in teams
to pitch you, or a panel of “executives” made up of other adults, a movie idea. Encourage
them to use persuasive language but also to include plenty of specifics, drawing upon their
knowledge of how movies are produced and marketed.

Journal Writing
Have students keep a “diary” that traces the history of a collaborative project much like Jeff
Kinney does in his book. The topic can be a school play, a research/science project, a community
service project, or even a trip. Provide guidelines and coach students to use the writing skills they
have developed in terms of expository, anecdotal, and autobiographical texts.

Further Resources
 The Core Principles of Media Literacy: https://namle.net/publications/core-principles/
 The educational projects of The Film Foundation: http://www.film-foundation.org
 Two middle-grade programs that teach movies and media literacy: Holt McDougal’s
 MediaSmart and Pearson Education’s Media Studio.

Conceived and written by Peter Gutiérrez, a media literacy Spokesperson for the National Council of Teachers of
English (NCTE) and a former board member of the National Association for Media Literacy (NAMLE). His professional
development book The Power of Scriptwriting! is available from Teachers College Press.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid motion picture elements copyright © 2010, 2011, 2012 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.
The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary (excluding motion picture elements) copyright © 2010, 2011, 2012 Wimpy Kid, Inc. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®,
WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
 Crossword Puzzle
Try your hand at the questions below to test your Wimpy Kid knowledge.
Check your answers at the end of the packet.
1

2 3

4 5

8 9

10 11

12 13 14

15

16

17 18

19

20

21

Across DOwn
3. Mom starts the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ is Fun group. 1. Fregley has a secret _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
6. Rowley signs yearbooks as _ _ _ _ _. 2. The nickname Greg is stuck with at the lock in is
8. Greg’s least favorite comic is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. “_ _ _ _ _ Greg.”

10. Manny’s favorite TV show is called The 4. Rodrick has to say: “I’m sorry _ _ _ _ _.”
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. 5. The newspaper Greg and Rowley create is called the
13. The name of Greg’s realistic doll for boys is Baby Neighborhood _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _. 7. An embarrassing award Greg wins, and really hopes
15. “First of all, let me get something straight: This is a he doesn’t win again is the perfect
journal, not a _ _ _ _ _.” _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ award.
16. “Could your child be the next _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 9. “Whatever you do, don’t go downstairs and touch
Kid?” the _ _ _ _.”

17. The leader of the Mingo clan is named 10. Greg and Rowley attend the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _. Training Academy.
18. _ _ _ _ _ _ accidentally put her engagement ring in 11. When Greg was nine, he kept an inchworm as a pet
a plastic egg. and named him _ _ _ _ _ _ the Worm.
20. “I’ll be famous one day, but for now I’m stuck in 12. No one wants to get the _ _ _ _ _ _ Touch.
middle school with a bunch of _ _ _ _ _ _.” 14. For his birthday, Greg receives a _ _ _ _ _ _ _
21. Manny’s nickname for Greg is _ _ _ _ _. cellular phone.
19. The restaurant the Heffleys usually go to is
_ _ _ _ _ _ Family-Style Restaurant.

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 JOURNAL A DAY
If you had a journal like Rowley Jefferson, what would you write or draw in it?
Use the space below to create a journal entry about a fun day in your life!
Be sure to add a drawing in the box to go with your words.

WHAT AN
AWESOME
DAY!

Visit WimpyKid.com to learn more about all of the and books

from #1 international bestselling author Jeff Kinney!
wimpykid.com #WimpyKid #AwesomeFriendlyKid #AwesomeFriendlyClassroom ™ and © 2007-2021, Wimpy Kid, Inc.
 CREATE YOUR OWN
Adventure awaits Roland and his best friend, Garg the Barbarian, as they embark on a
journey of epic proportions in Rowley Jefferson’s Awesome Friendly Adventure.
Now it’s your turn! Write your own hilarious, awesome friendly adventure story
starring Roland and Garg the Barbarian using the prompt below.

Once upon a time in a land far away there lived a boy

named Roland. And Roland was a very good boy.

Visit WimpyKid.com to learn more about all of the and books

from #1 international bestselling author Jeff Kinney!
wimpykid.com #WimpyKid #AwesomeFriendlyKid #AwesomeFriendlyClassroom ™ and © 2007-2021, Wimpy Kid, Inc.
 By Jeff Kinney

Teaching guide
Encourage self-expression, inspire student writing, spark
critical thinking, explore writing in nontraditional formats,
and much more.
based on the
first book in the
#1 bestselling
diary of a wimpy kid
series by jeff kinney
Includes:
• Assessments
• Teaching rationale
• Student reproducible
• Discussion questions
• Writing prompts
• Correlation to national and
state standards

Aligned with the Common Core State Standards and the NCTE/IRA English Language Arts Standards.

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About the Book
This book is a journal—NOT a diary—belonging
to Greg Heffley, a middle school student
struggling to navigate among the morons, girls,
and gorillas that fill his school. Greg figures he’s
around the 52nd or 53rd most popular kid this
year and soon to move up in the ranks.
Though this middle school weakling works hard
to figure out the angle that will always make
things come out best for him, Greg’s schemes
to gain popularity and status rarely seem to pay
off. Especially when it comes to dealings
with his best friend Rowley, who has Greg to thank for a broken hand and getting blamed for terrorizing a group of
kindergartners.
Throughout his journal, Greg shares all the misadventures of his middle school experience and his family life. From
wrestling in gym with a weird classmate who shouts “Juice!” when he has to go to the bathroom to being chased by
teenagers on Halloween (and losing all his candy when his father douses him with a trash can full of water) to the daily
emptying of his little brother’s plastic potty, Greg acerbically chronicles his year, from the first awkward day of school
to the last.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is the first book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. First published in 2007, the book has gone
on to achieve the status of becoming a #1 international bestseller and has been credited with helping reluctant readers
around the world fall in love with reading. The full Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, which includes nine titles as well as The
Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book and The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, has more than 150 million books in print worldwide,
and has been translated into 45 languages.

About the Author

Diary of a Wimpy Kid author Jeff Kinney was born in 1971 in Maryland and attended the University of Maryland in the
early 1990s. It was there that Jeff ran a comic strip called Igdoof in the campus newspaper, and knew he wanted to be a
cartoonist.
However, Jeff was not successful in getting his comic strip syndicated after college, and in 1998 he started writing
down ideas for Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which he hoped to turn into a book. Jeff worked on the book for six years before
publishing it online on Funbrain.com in daily installments.
In 2006, Jeff signed a multi-book deal with publisher Harry N. Abrams, Inc. to turn Diary of a Wimpy Kid into a print
series. Diary of a Wimpy Kid was released in April 2007 and quickly became a New York Times bestseller a few months
later. In 2009, Jeff was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the world.
In 2007, Jeff also created Poptropica.com, where he continues to work full time as the creative and editorial director.
Jeff lives in southern Massachusetts, where he is opening a bookstore.

Table of Contents
Why Use This Book in Your Classroom 2

Reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Your Classroom 2

Discussion Questions 5

Activities 6

Reproducible Handouts 11

Standards Alignments 15

Differentiated Instructions 16

Further Resources 16

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Why Use this Book in Your Classroom
Millions of kids are readers because of this book! Even the most reluctant readers can’t put it down. Finishing Diary of
a Wimpy Kid gives struggling readers a great sense of accomplishment.
• It is a fun, accessible read that helps you promote reflection and self-expression to students reading at all levels.
• Kids talk about this book. Reading it gives them a book in common with kids in their class, community, and around the
world. It sparks conversations about books and reading.
• It gives you a springboard to connect students to other titles in the series, in the genre and beyond.
• Kids see themselves in the book and discuss issues that affect their daily lives.
• It helps you initiate critical conversations where students critique text and images and question the status quo.
• Kids love to laugh! And while they’re reading carefully so they don’t miss a single joke, they’ll also be thinking about
how language, writing, and images communicate ideas.
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid in your classroom is a great way to meet standards and laugh with your students at the same
time.
• There are tons of resources to help you! In addition to this Diary of a Wimpy Kid teaching guide, you can also find a
teaching guide for the entire series, a teaching guide for the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies and The Wimpy Kid Movie
Diary, as well as activity packets, party kits, and event guides.

• Reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Your Classroom

Given the popularity of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, it’s likely many of your students are already familiar with the book and/
or the films. To accommodate first-time readers and those acquainted with the book, consider these approaches for
reading in the classroom. If these are new approaches for your students, introduce and explain the approach in detail
before getting started.

• Read Aloud/Think Aloud

Whether students have read it or not, having you read Diary of a Wimpy Kid aloud will give them a new experience!
Having you “think aloud” will give students insights into how to stop, think, and listen to their own thoughts as they
read.
First, read the book yourself and plan your “think aloud.” Experiment with how and where to demonstrate your
reading thought processes and comprehension strategies when you read aloud to students. Then, preview the book
with your students. Set a purpose for reading and talk about why you chose to read Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
And finally, with lots of expression, read! Read the first few entries for “September” aloud to your students. If you
have a camera in your classroom, use it to share the illustrations with your listeners as you read.

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 As you read aloud, stop and “think aloud,” modeling some
general reading strategies that will help all your students
engage with the book. Share with students the kinds of
questions you ask yourself that help you get meaning from
both the text and from the images. In passages students
might find confusing, model how you use context clues to
understand unfamiliar words, re-read unusual expressions,
etc. Also “think aloud” at passages and pictures that cause
you to laugh, pause and question or reflect.
If students continue reading the book independently,
encourage students to use the strategies you just modeled (or
any others you feel your students most need) to help them
monitor their understanding and make connections. Along
with their questions and conclusions, you might have them
note any strategies they use in a Response Journal.
If you choose to read the entire book aloud, you can
continue to “think aloud” when you feel it is appropriate.
Most important, model reading flow and really engage your
listeners!

• buddy reading
Reading pairs could include sets of independent readers who read along together or student partners who take turns
reading aloud to each other. Pairs can have the same reading ability or you can couple a more fluent reader with a
less fluent reader.
Reading buddies should each have their own copy of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, sticky notes, or a Response Journal.
Before reading begins, have student pairs meet to preview the book and note their thoughts about what they think
the book is about and whether they’ve read it before. Independent reading pairs should decide how many pages
they plan to read before meeting again. You should help read-aloud pairs decide if they should each read aloud the
same page of the book, alternate reading aloud passages or pages, read aloud together simultaneously or vary the
approach at each meeting.

As pairs meet, they should discuss and question

each other about:
• What’s going on in Greg’s life and why they
agree or disagree with how he deals with
the situations he finds himself in.
• Any similar experiences they’ve had.
• What other things they think might happen
to Greg and other characters.
• Graphic elements of the book they feel are
critical to the story.
• Their own and their buddy’s reading
process.
After finishing the book, buddies can pick one
of the Activities to complete together or develop their own reading project to share their common
reading experience.

• Book Club
A book club approach to reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid is perfect for independent readers ready to have authentic
conversations about books without assigned literature discussion roles. This means that students need to know how

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 to come up with open-ended questions to share with their group and already have some experience discussing books
in a less structured but engaging and meaningful way.
Before forming groups of four or five students, teach or review strategies for active listening and contributing
to discussions with the entire class. Brainstorm ideas about what kinds of things to talk about in a discussion of
literature and what individuals should do to prepare to participate.
At the initial meeting, students should to get to know their book club members, preview the book, negotiate what
pages they need to read by the time the group meets next and determine what preparation is expected for the first
discussion.

Encourage students to bring their own experiences and perspectives. They should see book club as an opportunity
to share their personal responses to the book and the issues addressed in it, like friendship, popularity, bullying, and
self-identity.
Because book clubs are reader response centered, having students keep a Response Journal will help support
student responsibility and ownership of the book club. Students can use their journal notes, drawings, observations,
and questions as a jumping-off point for discussions.
Give students the chance to steer their own discussions, but if they need prompting, Discussion Questions in this
guide can help foster and support discussion. After finishing the book, have students compile the best of their own
discussion questions and organize them as a discussion guide to share with future book clubs.

• Response Journal
Discuss diary and journal writing with the class. Have students offer
their ideas about what distinguishes journals, diaries, and blogs.
Ask them to share works they’ve read or know of in this genre. Ask
students to offer reasons why they or others write down their private
thoughts, how this exercise can benefit the writer and how it can
affect readers.
Tell students they will be keeping a response journal while reading
Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Students will use their journals for asking and
answering questions, noting passages or phrases of interest, making
predictions and analysis, and for reflecting and relating what they
have read to their own lives. Students should plan to draw from their
journals during book discussions.
Students may take a cue from Greg and keep their response journal in the same format as his diary. And hopefully
they’ll also be as descriptive and direct! But remind them that there’s no single right way to respond to a book, so
encourage equally varied methods of response, including writing, drawing, mapping, and charting. Work with your
students to generate prompts to ensure their responses allow them to make a personal connection to the book and
take ownership of what they’ve read.

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Discussion Questions
The questions below can be used for class or small group discussion or offered to students as reflective writing
prompts. For meaningful discussion, as students read they should note ideas they find interesting or that make them
wonder, passages they don’t understand, phrases or passages that they like, and things they question, predict, and
conclude. Students can also use their notes to develop their own questions for discussion.

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid is subtitled “a novel in cartoons.” How do the cartoons affect the story? Besides the cartoons, in
what ways do you think the book is different from other novels you have read?
• With the title Diary of a Wimpy Kid, what do you think the author is trying to tell you about Greg Heffley? How would
you define wimpy?
• What characteristics and behaviors do you associate with Greg? What characteristics and behaviors do you want
people to associate with you? Why?
• Greg writes “I’ll be famous one day, but for now I’m stuck in middle school with a bunch of morons.” Describe what
you imagine Greg thinks he’s going to be famous for.
• Do you agree or disagree with Greg’s opinions about what makes someone popular? Why or why not? How can
popularity affect someone’s behavior?
• What are the characteristics of a good friend? How do you think Rowley feels about his friendship with Greg? If
Rowley kept a journal how would he describe his interactions with Greg?
• Describe Greg’s relationship with his family. How is your relationship with your parents or your siblings similar or
different?
• Greg’s brother, Manny, calls Greg “Bubby.” Describe how Greg feels about this nickname. Does someone in your
family have a nickname for you? What is it and how did the name come about? How do you feel when you are called
by this name?
• Do you think this book is funny? Why or why not? Discuss a part of the book that made you laugh and explain why
you thought it was funny. If something similar happened in your own life or to a friend what would your reaction be?
• Why do you think the Cheese Touch got started? If you got the Cheese Touch, how would you react?
• How would you describe bullying? Are all kinds of bullying the same? Why or why not? Who gets bullied in the book?
Who does the bullying? Why?
• What form does bullying take in other books you have read? Discuss how a fictional character from a different book
deals with bullying. Compare the response of that character with a character in Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
• The Wimpy Kid series has more than 150 million books in print and has been translated into 45 languages. What about
these books makes them so popular internationally across cultures? What do you think kids in other countries love
about the books that you love too?

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Activities

Get to know Greg. He’s a character!

Understanding characterization helps students explore the feelings, thoughts,
and motivations of characters. Diary of a Wimpy Kid provides a unique way to
discuss and study characterization and point of view.
With your readers, discuss the author’s choice of point of view. What does this
technique offer the reader? Discuss the ways an author develop a character,
including the use of direct and indirect characterization. How does the point of
view affect your responses to the characters? Discuss the impact the author’s
use of first person point of view has on the reader’s understanding of and
reaction to Greg.
Get students focused on how the author brings Greg to life. Have them
generate a list of things about Greg that provide a sense of who he is,
including phrases, passages, and images that describe his physical appearance,
personality traits, and behaviors. Then have them try one of the following
activities to show just how well they know Greg. As needed, provide students
with examples and resources from the ReadWriteThink links included below.

Classroom Instructions
• Greg’s Fictional Character Profile (sample)
Imagine that you are the author and write a profile for Greg if Greg were a blogger or on social media. Using
supporting evidence from the book, write three paragraphs about Greg titled “About Me,” make a list that describes
Greg’s family and relationships, and create a list of Greg’s interests and favorites (hobbies, sports, music, television,
books, games). Be sure to also include a picture of Greg!

For a sample Fictional Character Profile, please refer to page 18.

• How to Write a BioPoem (template and sample)

Biopoem: Writing as Greg, and using supporting evidence from the book, create a Biopoem that includes his first and
last name, three or four traits, an important relationship, things he loves, feelings he has, things he’s afraid of, some of
his accomplishments, things he wants to do or see, and where he lives. A Bio poem usually follows a standard format,
but you can also include other items such as big moments, interests, and pet peeves.

For a sample Biopoem, please refer to page 19.

• Characterization Bookmark (template)

Have students further demonstrate how well they understand
Greg’s character. Ask them: How would Greg write about you,
your teacher, your family, or your friends? As Greg, write a profile,
poem or list about yourself or someone else in your life.

For a sample Characterization Bookmark, please refer to page 20.

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Greg the Writer
Greg is clear that he’s not going to write down his “feelings” in his journal. But he
does share a number of different types of writing, demonstrating that he’s quite “well-
rounded” when it comes to putting pen to paper!
With your readers, identify and discuss the types of writing found in the book—
narrative, opinion, journal, letter, lists, comics, ads, etc. Discuss the characteristics of
genre forms. How do they differ? What’s the purpose or what questions do the various
writing types help answer?
Now, put your discussion into action. Provide prompts from the book as a springboard
for students’ own opinion pieces, informative/explanatory texts, or narratives. Allow
students to choose the appropriate writing type for their task and audience.

Classroom Instructions:
“Let me just say for the record that I think middle school is the dumbest idea ever invented.” (page 3). Give an opinion
of your own about middle school and offer strong support for it in writing.
“Me and Rowley spent most of the day coming up with an awesome plan for our haunted house.” (page 53). Use text
and illustrations to develop a concept for your own haunted house or other small business.
“I thought I could just crank out my thank-you cards in a half hour, but when it came to actually writing them, my mind
went blank.” (page 138). What are the most important elements of a thank-you note? Use your imagination to write a
thank-you note for three different situations.

What’s Your Point, Greg?

Analyzing a story to come up with its themes takes higher-order thinking and good
comprehension. With your readers, identify and discuss how characters are important in
determining themes. Then talk specifically about the characters in Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
How do characters react to situations and problems? How do characters solve problems?
How do characters change emotionally over time? How are characters treated by other
characters?
Following this review of the characters, the actions they take and the settings they are in,
discuss with readers what big ideas or messages they think the author conveys. Then have
students get creative with expressing one of those themes. Ask them to identify a theme
from the book and get its point across using a different type of writing.

Classroom Instructions:
What messages did you take away after finishing Diary of a Wimpy Kid? In finding those messages, or theme, you
worked hard to discover the big ideas the author wanted to share in his book. Deliver his message in another way. Take
a theme from Diary of a Wimpy Kid and, writing as Greg, express it in:
• A comic strip
• Lyrics to Löded Diper/heavy metal song
• A campaign poster
• A letter to a friend or family member
After you have developed a product using Greg’s voice and tone, use your own voice to create the same product.
Display or have students present or perform both works without sharing which is “Greg’s” and which is their own. Can
students distinguish Greg’s voice from that of their classmates?

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Greg the Cartoonist
In addition to drawing laughs from readers, Greg’s graphics help students to draw inferences. Make time with your
readers to study the illustrations in Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Students need to know that the images aren’t just funny,
but are an important way of conveying meaning. Discuss with students how to infer or make inferences and why it is
important to do so. What clues do readers get from pictures that help them understand the story or the characters?
Choose an image and walk through an example from the book.
Graphic information can also help students infer the meaning of idiomatic expressions.

Check students’ familiarity with the expression “take one for the team” and share examples of how idioms work in daily
life and culture. Discuss what other kinds of information can help readers infer the meaning of idiomatic expressions.
Look together for additional examples in the book including “take him under my wing” (page 19), “mopping the floor
with him” (page 26), “caught red handed” (page 30), “take matters into my own hands” (page 89), “had this one in the
bag” (page 93), and “get out of hand” (page 193). Then give them a chance to show what meaning they draw from your
discussions on inference and idioms.

Classroom Instructions:
• Draw your own conclusion
When reading comics, you often have to infer the author’s intentions by examining the illustrations. Keep this in mind
as you create the first two panels of a comic. Without discussing your work, exchange comics with another student.
Infer what is happening in the comic and try to finish the final panel as the original author intended. Then get your
original comic back and discuss the final panel with the student who finished it. Does it make sense? Is it what you
expected or was it a surprise? Share it with the class to see if others get it or have different ideas about what the final
panel should be.

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• Back to the drawing board
Idioms are expressions that have meanings beyond the actual words used in the phrase, such as “caught red handed.”
Literally interpret some of your favorite idioms used in Diary of a Wimpy Kid and illustrate them in a Wimpy Kid-style.
Also, put each idiom and drawing on a separate page along with its figurative definition. All pages will be collected to
create an illustrated book of idioms.

Greg the Actor

Luckily for Greg, everyone who tries out for the school
play gets a part.
Have your readers take center stage with retelling
stories from Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Retelling stories
helps students order and summarize information,
make inferences, better understand plot and
characterization, and evaluate the story.
Use images from the book to prompt student retellings
and help them share what they know about various
scenes in the book, such as Halloween, wrestling, the
winter play, etc. Let students know that this is rehearsal
for some additional classroom drama! As needed,
further prepare students for Reader’s Theater and role
playing with additional exercises included in the links
below.

Classroom Instructions:
• Diary Drama
Working in small groups, choose a scene from the book
to dramatize and create a Reader’s Theater script. Plan
to perform your scene for the class or record your
performance to share with other classes.

You can also write and illustrate a poster announcing your

performance or create a theater program.

• Reader’s Theatre
Talk Show: Working in a small group, plan and put on a
talk show. Each student portrays a different character,
with one student serving as the host. Everyone in the
group should be involved in developing questions—but
not answers—for the characters.

The host will need to come up with a short biography to

introduce each character. The characters need to come
prepared to answer factual questions based on text
evidence as well as questions that express their thoughts,
feelings, personality, and values.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 9
Get to Know the Author
In addition to having a good laugh, readers of Diary
of a Wimpy Kid often have a personal, fulfilling
experience identifying with the main character.
Your readers are sure to be curious about the
person responsible for this.
Start them off with the information About the
Author in this guide. Then brainstorm together
good resources for finding credible information
about Jeff Kinney. They can use the list of sources
the class generates for these activities.

Classroom Instructions:
• “Interview” the Author
Imagine that you are writing an article for the
school newspaper. Develop questions you’d really
like to ask Jeff Kinney. We’ll compile a complete
list of questions and then work in small groups to
research answers. Groups will present answers to
the class so we can compare answers and discuss
answer sources.

• Author Luncheon
Imagine Jeff Kinney is coming to our school for lunch! We want the table to look nice so you are going to design
a place mat to honor our guest. It should feature information and illustrations that describe the author and the
characters he’s created. Look to the book for ideas for styles and materials the author and/or his characters would
appreciate. We’ll pick a day to set the table for lunch and invite everyone to come dressed as their favorite Diary of a
Wimpy Kid character. Everyone has to stay in character while we munch!

Using the Reproducible HandouTs

Sign My Yearbook Greg!
Use this open-ended activity on page 18 to extend the classroom discussion on characterization.
Have students “exchange yearbooks” and defend the comments they made as Greg using evidence from the book and
their own analysis of his character.

Caption the Comic

In coming up with captions for images, look at students’ work to see
if they were able to make sense of each picture. Do their captions
demonstrate a careful and critical look at the intentions of the illustrator?
Review as a class what information and ideas students found contained
in each image. This activity on pages 12 and 13 can also be used to discuss
the elements of comics and the different ways the author uses them in
Diary of a Wimpy Kid to express ideas.

Solutions for Tough Situations

Reviewing student answers will give you the opportunity to check comprehension and see how students have
connected with the book. Give students the opportunity to talk in small groups to compare their solutions and share
any additional problems they found they had in common with Greg. You can also use this handout in conjunction with
the What’s Your Point Greg? activity on page 14, launching discussion of how an understanding characters’ problems
and solutions are important in determining themes.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 10
Name date

Sign My Yearbook Greg!

Under each picture, add information you learned about Greg and his classmates from reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
That might include a nickname, activities, clubs, or sports they participated in, and class awards such as “class clown.”
Then, imagining that you are Greg, add comments you think Greg might make in his classmates’ yearbooks.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 11
Name date

Caption the ComiC

What’s going on here? You read the book, so you should know!
A caption is text that helps you understand the message of a picture. For each picture below, add a caption that
explains the picture. You can also add thought bubbles to explain what you think the characters are thinking about in
these situations.

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Caption the Comic, continued

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Name date

Solutions for Tough Situations

Greg has to deal with a lot of problems. Even when he causes some of them himself, he still has to fix things . . . though
sometimes that just results in more problems! If you had Greg’s problems, how would you solve them?
For each problem on the chart, write Greg’s solution and a solution of your own.

Greg’s problem his solution your solution

Protecting himself
from the cheese
touch

making sure no one

knows his nickname
“bubby”

wanting to gain
weight and get
totally bulked up

having to audition
and perform in the
school play

forgetting to get a
christmas gift for
rowley

getting dismissed
from the safety
patrols

defending himself
from the teenage
bullies

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 14
Standards Alignment
This guide is based on the IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts and is also aligned to the Common Core
State Standards (CCSS) in English Language Arts. Focus for instruction centers on Grade 5. To scaffold and support
instruction to fit your needs, please reference appropriate grade–level Common Core State Standards. The pertinent
Grade 5 standards that are explicitly built into the content follow.
Reading: Literature
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama
respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the
text (e.g., how characters interact).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as
metaphors and similes.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7
Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel,
multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
Writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1
Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3
Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and
clear event xsequences.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.8
Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize
or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Speaking & Listening
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners
on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant,
descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.5
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to
enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 15
Language
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.4
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and
content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.5
Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Differentiated Instruction
This guide describes a number of approaches to reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid that can help support students who
have difficulty with comprehension or lack appropriate vocabulary, background knowledge, or English language skills.
These approaches can also provide good modeling for interpretive reading and critical listening practice for learners at
all levels.
To further differentiate instruction for reading:
• Focus on visual scaffolding of the graphic images to facilitate reading and comprehension.
• Give English language learners explicit explanations of unknown words and idiomatic expressions using real objects,
pictures, gestures, or demonstrations.
• Plan discussion around cultural differences and culturally based assumptions to build background knowledge and
support comprehension for English language learners.
• Watch and discuss the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie after reading the book to support comprehension and provide
students with higher levels of mastery with opportunities to evaluate and analyze the book-to-film transformation.
The activities in this guide give students options for expressing what they learn about characterization, types of writing,
theme, inference, sequencing, and idioms, and provide a variety of different product options to choose from. The
activities are also designed for students to work alone or in small groups on their products and encourage students to
choose their own product assignments.

Further Resources
If your students loved the lessons you planned based on Diary of a Wimpy Kid, check out these other Teaching Guides,
activity packets, and event guides available at www.wimpykid.com for more reading and learning.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series Teaching Guide
Kids can keep up with Greg as he continues to chronicle his adventures with friends, foes and family. A free series-wide
Teaching Guide and series Activity Kit are available and have great ideas for classroom games, projects, and activities.
The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary Teaching Guide
Students will learn the story of how Greg Heffley went Hollywood and, with the help of the free Teaching Guide, get
schooled in media literacy and film/media production.
The Wimpy Kid Movie Event Guide
If you’d prefer to teach to The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, this guide will help you host a party or event focusing on the
book to movie transition. This guide is the perfect tool to encourage your students to express themselves through
improv and other interactive games and activities.
The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book
Kids will find laughs as well as plenty of writing and drawing opportunities in this interactive book. It’s a great
supplement to the series and to the activities in this guide.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 16
Rachael Walker (www.belleofthebook.com) created this guide. She consults on a wide variety of educational programs
and multimedia projects with a special focus on children’s literacy and develops educational materials and reading
resources for children, parents, and teachers.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 17
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 18
How to Write a Biopoem
(Line 1) First name

(Line 2) Three or four adjectives that describe the person

(Line 3) Important relationship (daughter of . . . , mother of . . . , etc)

(Line 4) Two or three things, people, or ideas that the person loved

(Line 5) Three feelings the person experienced

(Line 6) Three fears the person experienced

(Line 7) Accomplishments (who composed . . . , who discovered . . . , etc.)

(Line 8) Two or three things the person wanted to see happen or wanted to experience

(Line 9) His or her residence

(Line 10) Last name

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Abromitis, B.S. (1994, June/July). Bringing lives to life. Biographies in reading and the content areas. Reading Today,
11, 26. Reprinted with permission of the publisher and author.

Biopoem Sample
Rosa

Determined, brave, strong, loving

Wife of Raymond Parks, mother of all children

Who loved equality, freedom, and the benefits of a good education

Who hated discrimination, loved to stand up for her beliefs, and loved to help others

Who feared that racism would continue, feared losing the opportunity to make a difference, and
feared that young people might lose opportunities to develop strength and courage

Who changed history as she accomplished great strides for equality and encouraged excellence for all

Who wanted to see love triumph and see an end to all bias and discrimination in a world in which
respect is freely given to all

Born in Alabama and living in Detroit

Parks

Copyright 2004 IRA/NCTE. All rights reserved.

ReadWriteThink materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 19
 Characterization Bookmark Characterization Bookmark Characterization Bookmark
Name: ________________________ Name: ________________________ Name: ________________________

Text Title: _____________________ Text Title: _____________________ Text Title: _____________________

As you read your text, look for items that As you read your text, look for items that As you read your text, look for items that
can be added to a list of ten about a can be added to a list of ten about a can be added to a list of ten about a
character. Remember to look for how the character. Remember to look for how the character. Remember to look for how the
character looks, how the character acts, character looks, how the character acts, character looks, how the character acts,
and how other characters in the story and how other characters in the story and how other characters in the story
react to this character. react to this character. react to this character.

p. ____________ p. ____________ p. ____________

Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________

p. ____________ p. ____________ p. ____________

Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________

p. ____________ p. ____________ p. ____________

Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________

p. ____________ p. ____________ p. ____________

Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________

p. ____________ p. ____________ p. ____________

Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________ Text Passage ___________________

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
20
A TEACHING GUIDE TO THE SERIES
Encourage self-expression, inspire student writing, spark
critical thinking, explore series fiction, and much more.

Aligned with the Includes:

Common • Assessment

Core State • Teaching rationale

Standards … and the

• Student reproducible

NCTE/IRA • Differentiated instruction

English Language • Technology and research projects

Arts Standards • Discussion questions and writing prompts

1
WHY WIMPY KID?
Beneath its effective humor and general air of kid-appealing silliness, the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
tackles themes that resonate with its readers: conformity, bullying, friendship, loyalty, self-esteem, and
the challenge of navigating the sometimes conflicting demands of family, school, peers . . . and one’s own
conscience. Like many classic comic strips, this is a series that hides its lessons well—and making them
explicit for students represents a powerful opportunity to validate kids’ love of independent reading.

Of course, the fact that this is also a phenomenally best-selling series does not, by itself, earn it a place in
classrooms and school libraries. However, because many, if not most, students will have read one or more of
the titles and already shared their enthusiasm with their friends, the popularity of Greg Heffley’s adventures
can enable you to create a reading community.

In addition, the underlying premise of the entire series—a fictional first-person account of life in middle
school told through text and “cartoons”—is one that can easily be leveraged to promote self-expression
through student writing as well as to engage reflectively and analytically with multi-modal texts.

TEACHING WITH WIMPY KID

The ideas in the following pages are intended to be adaptable to a variety of
learning contexts and environments at any time of the year. For example, the
one-page assessment (p. 8) can be used to follow up on individuals’ independent
reading, while the discussion questions (p. 4–5) can function as a blueprint
for reading circles that focus on Jeff Kinney’s work, or as a starting point for
connecting the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series to related texts by embedding it into
a preexisting thematic unit. Perhaps most promising of all is Wimpy Kid’s ability to
spark critical thinking about how narratives change in form and substance across
media—both through its comic book–like graphics and the movie trilogy that has
been made from the series.

2
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
This guide has been developed with flexibility foremost in mind. A good way to introduce any of its projects
or discussions, however, might be to have students verbally summarize the books that they have read—
reinforcing their own comprehension and filling in gaps in the
reading of others. (As memory prompts for these summaries,
brief synopses can be found at www.wimpykid.com/books). The Making Text-to-Text
Journal Writing Activity (p. 7) can be used as a central part of Connections
instruction, or as just another optional project like the ones on
the pages that follow it. Similarly, the assessment page (p. 9) can Invite students to link—in
measure the “recall” aspect of comprehension or simply serve discussion, prose, or comics—
as a diagnostic to determine student familiarity with the series. the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Regardless of how you’d like to use these resources, know that to their prior knowledge of
fiction with similar characters,
Standards Alignment is provided for handy reference at the end
settings, or themes. For example,
of this guide.
challenge them to speculate on
how characters they’re familiar
A Note on Grade Level with from middle-grade or
Experience shows that most readers for the series are in grades children’s literature would fare if
3–7 (ages 8–12). With this in mind, this guide is aimed very suddenly transplanted into the
roughly at the midpoint of this span, though the material can world of Greg Heffley. Would they
be adapted up or down to fit your needs. The CCSS correlations be friends? Foes? How might the
are, for example, made at grade 5. The writing exercises and appearance of such a character
alter the plot of one of Jeff
projects can be approached from multiple skill levels, as can the
Kinney’s novels?
discussion questions.

3
CENTRAL QUESTIONS AND WRITING
PROMPTS: EXPLORING SERIES FICTION
WITH DIARY OF A WIMPY KID
Young people interact differently with such books, frequently reading them again and again and reaching
out to other fans to discuss them. Indeed, as Victor Watson famously put it in his Reading Series Fiction,
a big part of the appeal here is that the experience of children with each new book becomes akin to
entering “a room full of friends.” With this notion in mind, you may want to explore with students what it is
that makes the Wimpy Kid cast of characters “friends” of theirs. Although deceptively simple, this line of
inquiry can lead to unexpectedly personal forms of self-reflection, which is, after all, an important goal of
literature.

The following questions, which can be springboards for whole-class or small-group discussion, or as
writing prompts for in-class or take-home assignments, can aid you and your students in this exploration.

• How “wimpy” is Greg exactly? Are the reasons that he may think he’s wimpy the same
ones that the rest of his world would agree upon?

• How does Greg’s cowardice or anxiety often prompt him to take action that is more
bold and risky than others might? Provide examples.

• Why do you think Greg is so good about keeping his “diary” over time? How does it
help him in life?

• Compare audience and purpose by considering different media:

suppose Greg’s writings were public in some way, published in a school
journal or on a personal blog—how would they change?

• If Greg shared some of his thoughts and secrets on social media,

what would be the reaction? How might this change if he made posts
anonymously?

• How “realistic” is Greg’s world thematically? That is, what issues are
covered (and in which books) that exist in the real world every day?

• How do the efforts of Greg and other characters to be popular or avoid

embarrassment say something about the price of low self-esteem or the
need to be liked above all else? How are “social roles” an important part of
the series, both for kids and adults?

4
• What are the funniest scenes or incidents in the series? What makes them so funny? If
you consider your favorite three or four such scenes, what do they have in common?

• How does humor help mask some more serious issues such as trust, loyalty, and fear?
In what ways does using humor make it easier for readers to think about such issues
and how they surface in their own lives?

• Does the journal/diary structure of each book add to its appeal and readability? Why
or why not? Does real life occur as neatly as the dramas in the book? If not, how does
Kinney hide the “unrealistic” aspects of structure, pacing, or sequence?

• How do you think Greg would react if he were to look back on his writings as an adult?

• Which characters would be most surprised/flattered/angry if they read the series?

Why? In what ways has Greg withheld his true feelings from them? How do social roles
affect whom we share our feelings and ideas with?

• How is the series different or similar to other books you have read about young people
of roughly the same age?

• How does the art help with the storytelling and make the experience more enjoyable
for readers? What would happen if there was much more, or much less, of Greg’s
artwork? Would it change how you related to the characters and the situations? Why
or why not?

5
 First of all, let me get something straight:
This is a JOURNAL, not a diary.

THE JOY OF JOURNALING

Motivate student writing and connect standards-based curriculum—composing nonfiction, personal
anecdotes in particular—by encouraging students to use the Wimpy Kid books as a “mentor text.” Of course,
the books themselves are fiction, so you’ll want to emphasize their nonfiction traits such as concision,
sequence, coherence, and clarity. Encourage students to record, possibly during a daily in-class writing
block, interesting incidents in their everyday lives just as Greg Heffley does. As you inspect student work
at periodic intervals, consider drawing attention to the way that the efficient entries in Jeff Kinney’s novels
encourage readers to keep reading by revealing the feelings of the “author” (i.e., Greg) while recounting
humorous dilemmas that demand resolution.

Here are some additional points to keep in mind with this

assignment:
• Entries need not be made on a daily basis in a journal (as opposed to a diary, where it is expected);
provide flexibility, then, by setting a minimum guideline such as four per week.
• Make sure the duration of the assignment fits your curriculum map—you can have students journal for a
single week, or for a period determined by outside events (e.g., during a holiday period or over a certain
sports season). If students wish to continue, what they produce can then become part of their writing
portfolios.
• Coach students to respect the privacy of others whenever in doubt. For example, an “author’s note” can
explain that real names have been changed.
• Students can incorporate art and doodles as Greg does—or actual photos that they take and then print.
• For that matter, the entire journal can take the form of a blog or digital storytelling text (if sufficiently
connected internally); that way, multiple digital media artifacts may be included, whether they’re drawn,
photographed, shot on video, or recorded as sound.
• Working with students, develop a rubric in advance with criteria such as organization (main idea and
supporting details), voice, consideration of audience and purpose, and so on.

Privacy and Anonymity

Always bear in mind—and make explicit as necessary—that revealing students’ private lives is not only not
the point of a personal journal, but not acceptable. Students should therefore record events and feelings
they are comfortable sharing. Explain that journals should not be an exhaustive account of everything that
happens in their lives, but can focus on specific incidents that can be recounted in roughly one to four
paragraphs per entry. And despite such precautions, take care that you do not require students to share
their journals without their consent, be it through the peer-editing process, read–alouds, or postings (actual
or online) of the finished work.

6
PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES
Research
Have students research and write a brief biography of Jeff Kinney, perhaps in a digital form that can use
artwork and photos from different points in his life. Challenge students to uncover and relate how he
has drawn upon his own memories not just of childhood but of contemporary events (e.g., Cabin Fever
was inspired by a real-life extreme winter). Another central question might be how Kinney’s background,
education, and career prior to becoming a full-time author is similar to or different from those of other
creators with whom students may be familiar, whether a graphic novelist (e.g., Jeff Smith of Bone) or
novelist/humorist (e.g., Michael Buckley of N.E.R.D.S. and The Sisters Grimm series).

Which is #1?
Spark instant engagement by asking students to identify—and defend—their
choice for the best book in the series to date. Coach students to support
their opinions with evidence by citing specifics based upon story elements
such as plot, theme, and character.

Critical Thinking/Persuasive Writing

Consider expanding upon the above activity by holding a “Battle of the Books” event that focuses on the
series. Allow and support students to craft and deliver (verbally or in writing) position statements that
campaign for their particular favorites, and then have individual titles square off against each other in head-
to-head competition via student voting. The eight books currently in the series correspond to two brackets
of four titles each, thus making competition and advancement very straightforward.

Book Trailers
Official book trailers exist for all the titles in the series, and they can function as models for students
working in small teams to create their own alternate trailers. They can take simple digital photos or videos
of classmates dressed and posed recognizably as Wimpy Kid characters, and then use recorded voice-over,
digital transitions, and their own persuasive writing skills to create multimedia trailers. If there’s no easy
access to either cameras or the necessary software, consider having students simply write scripts for their
trailers—supplemented by hand-drawn storyboards. If you’d like to show official book trialers to your class to
serve as examples, they can be found at www.wimpykid.com/videos.

Fan Fiction
Explain that, in a sense, Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a franchise—it
appears in installments, has certain comfortably predictable
elements, and has even been adapted into other another medium,
film. Then point out the creative possibilities for fans to repurpose
the recurring story elements in a noncommercial context by
assigning a brief writing exercise in which students either write or
simply propose a spinoff, prequel, or alternate-reality version that
leverages a fan’s in-depth knowledge of the series.

7
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER?
Name

Date/Class

Please list the books you have read:

Fill in the blank.

1. Greg’s teacher Mrs. Craig becomes upset when she thinks that someone stole her .

2. “The Stealthinator” is a nickname that’s incorrectly earned by .

3. Greg and some other boys use mascara in order to .

4. A character with odd behavior who is a sometimes friend of Greg’s but whom Greg does not
really respect is .

5. The interesting thing about the name of Greg’s middle school in the books is that .

Circle the best answer.

6. The device that Greg likes to use but that 9. Greg’s mom starts a reading club after Greg
makes it seem like he cheats on a test is his a) almost fails English.
a) smartphone. b) becomes a big comic book fan.
b) Magic 8 Ball. c) watches a horror movie.
c) secret agent ring. d) claims that reading is boring.
d) “lucky” hollow pen.
10. Why do things start to fall apart in the
7. “The Snurples” is the name of Heffley household?
a) Manny’s favorite TV show. a) Rowley spends part of summer vacation
b) a rival band to Löded Diaper. there.
c) the nickname Greg gives to his old stuffed b) Rodrick’s pranks cause the heating and
monkeys. plumbing to fail.
d) Rowley’s name for something embarrassing. c) Greg’s mother decides to return to college.
d) Manny has too many kids over for his
8. What money-making scheme do Rowley and birthday.
Greg have in mind for Rowley’s basement?
a) snack bar
b) haunted house
c) video game arcade
d) dance club

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 8
MAKE YOUR OWN CHARACTER CARDS
Name

Date/Class

Like trading cards?

Well, here’s your chance to make your own—by writing your ideas and opinions on the
lines provided.

Who I Am: Who I Am: Who I Am:

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

What I Love To Do: What I Love To Do: What I Love To Do:

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

The Book Where I Shine: The Book Where I Shine: The Book Where I Shine:

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

A Quote That Sums Me Up: A Quote That Sums Me Up: A Quote That Sums Me Up:

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

Who I Am: Who I Am: Who I Am:

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

What I Love To Do: What I Love To Do: What I Love To Do:

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

The Book Where I Shine: The Book Where I Shine: The Book Where I Shine:

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

A Quote That Sums Me Up: A Quote That Sums Me Up: A Quote That Sums Me Up:

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

______________________________ ______________________________ ______________________________

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 9
ANSWER KEY
What Do You Remember? (p.9)
To help gauge reader recall more accurately, please note that the reproducibles on pages 8 and 9 begin with
the opportunity for students to list the books that they have read. Their final score, then, should be based
upon the number of relevant questions, which is why the book titles are included in this answer key.

1. dictionary—The Last Straw (3)

2. Greg—Rodrick Rules (2)

3. to pretend to have defined “abs”—Cabin Fever (6)

4. Fregley

5. it is never given.

6. b—Hard Luck (8)

7. a—The Third Wheel (7)

8. b—Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1)

9. c—Dog Days (4)

10. c—The Ugly Truth (5)

How To Assess Answers To “Make Your Own Character

Cards” Excercise (p. 10)
A variety of answers are possible for the items in this open-ended exercise. Make sure each is true to
character details as provided in the series, and then be sure to use the completed cards as a springboard for
more in-depth analysis and conversation as students should be asked to defend their opinions.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 10
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
NCTE/IRA Standards
All of the ELA Standards jointly developed by the National Council of Teachers of English and the
International Reading Association are consistently met both by this guide [partly keyed with page numbers
below] or by simply reading the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series itself [keyed with and “R” below]. Note in these
excerpts from the standards the use of terms such as visual, graphics, and non-print throughout—in the
twenty-first century, literacy in these “languages” is considered essential, not just a tool for struggling or
reluctant readers. In any case, these standards specify that “students:

1. read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of
the cultures of the United States . . . Among these texts are . . . contemporary works.” [R]

2. read a wide range of literature.” [R]

3. draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers . . . and their
understanding of textual features (e.g., . . . graphics).” [R] [throughout packet/guide]

4. adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to
communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.” [throughout packet/
guide]

5. employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately
to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.” [7–8, 14]

6. apply knowledge of . . . media techniques . . . and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-
print texts.” [5–10, 14]

7. conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions” [8]

8. use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., . . . computer networks, video) to gather
and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.” [8]

9. develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in . . . social roles.” [5–6]

10. whose first language is not English make use of their first language to develop competency in the English
language arts.” [14]

11. participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and

critical members of a variety of literacy communities.”
[throughout packet/guide]

12. use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their

own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the
exchange of information).” [throughout packet/guide]

11
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
While the actual unfolding or execution of the various assignments and discussions in this guide correlate
to a range of CCSS items, here are the pertinent standards that are explicitly built into the content. Again,
grade 5 is used as a handy midpoint.

Reading/Literature
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including
how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a
topic; summarize the text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fit together to provide the
overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.6 Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are
described.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or
beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons
and information.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge
through the investigation of different aspects of a topic.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from
print and digital sources.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support

analysis, reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research,
reflection, and revision).

12
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Students can
• rely upon the activities in The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book as a precursor, or alternative, to any of the
more challenging activities presented in this guide.
• be reminded to use the graphics in the books as a form of visual scaffolding whenever comprehension
proves difficult.
• learn more about the expressive reading, and writing, of dialogue by noting how Kinney is careful to use
variations in lettering (boldface, font size) to signal how certain should be “spoken.”

English-language learners can

• benefit from a review of the concept of idioms, especially as it relates to the book titles—nearly every
one of which is an idiom. Consider having them illustrate, in contrast, what the literal meanings in English
would be of phrases such as “cabin fever” or “the last straw.”
• practice oral language skills by first narrating/explaining the graphic
elements in the books in their native language, then eventually
translating that text into English which they then present to
native English speakers verbally; since there is no single
“correct” translation of these visual, students will have
greater freedom to express themselves.
• pair with native residents of the U.S. in order to review, as
needed, the countless cultural customs (e.g., holidays) that
are covered in the books.

Advanced students can

• research, analyze, and present to the class how the
books were adapted into the films from a narrative/
structural perspective. What new characters were added?
Which subplots omitted? And how were multiple books
combined rather seamlessly into a single screenplay?
• practice their persuasive writing skills by crafting
alternative marketing or advertising copy for the books. For example, Rodrick Rules features the tagline
“Secrets have a way of getting out, especially when a diary is involved.” Could this possibly be improved
upon? How?

FURTHER RESOURCES
The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, which tells the story of the making of
all three film adaptations, is not just an engaging nonfiction text but
an enlightening media literacy primer. A dedicated Teaching Guide,
available as a free download, empowers educators to teach film/media
production processes in a very user-friendly way.

The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book contains countless activities, mostly

writing-based, that can be used to support or supplement the activities
and assignments presented in this guide.

Series-wide Activity Packets are also available for free online at https://wimpykid.com/downloadables/,
and much of their content can be used as a source of ideas for classroom games, projects, and activities.

Teaching Guide developed by Peter Gutiérrez, an NCTE Spokesperson and an author with Teachers College Press.
13
Fun & Games, Quick & Easy
NAME TAG NONSENSE
This is a riff off on a common icebreaking activity. Guests are given
name tags to wear on their backs or foreheads—somewhere that
they can’t see—and have to ask other guests questions to try to
determine who they are. The twist here is that all the names should
be of characters in the Wimpy Kid universe. Of course if you want
to make things extra challenging, you can include animals, like
Sweetie the dog (Dog Days), or even inanimate things, like chicken
pox (The Third Wheel).

NAME THAT BOOK

Gather all the books in the series, and select a
reader to choose a passage and read it to the group
(all of whom should have their eyes closed during
the reading). Who can name that book first? Keep
switching readers for more fun.

CHEESE TOUCH TAG

If you think about it, “Cheese Touch” (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) is really just a never-ending game of tag.
So all you have to do to play a modified Cheese Touch game is head outdoors. Start with the picture of
the infamous cheese on the following page, and have the person who is “it” touch it to signal the start
of each round.

3
 CUT ME OUT!

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 4
 LI’L CUTIE—
THE WORST COMIC EVER

Most people enjoy newspaper comic strips, but “Li’l Cutie” (Diary
of a Wimpy Kid) is one that Greg and Dad really can’t stand.
Striking them as both too sweet and painfully unfunny, “Li’l Cutie”
is a simple, single-panel “gag” cartoon that attempts to show how
a young child looks at the world. Have your guests come up with
their own “Li’l Cutie” comics and share them with the group.

For a bigger challenge, invite them to create a multi-panel comic

strip for “Zoo-Wee Mama!” (Diary of a Wimpy Kid), Rowley’s
widely admired comic appearing in the school newspaper.

“WHATEVER
HAPPENED TO...?”
ROLE PLAY

In this activity, partygoers take turns pretending to be TV reporters interviewing other guests who
pretend to be characters from the books. To make this activity more interesting and fun, prompt kids
to select characters who appeared in perhaps only one or two books.

Questions can include things like:

• What have you been doing since we last saw you?
• What is something you’ve done since we last saw you that you’re really proud of?
• What do you think you’ll be doing ten years from now?

This activity can be funny, serious, or a little of both. Most important, it’s a chance for guests to practice
improvising while drawing on their knowledge of the books.

11
 PERSONALIZE
YOUR JOURNAL

A journal is the perfect favor for a Wimpy Kid-themed party. If you decide to give one to each of your
guests, a nice cool-down activity might be setting aside time for guests to personalize them. All you
need to do is provide an array of stickers, markers, tubes of glitter glue, and other arts-and-crafts
supplies so that kids can transform these blank books into items that really reflect their personalities.

FOR YOUNGER PARTYGOERS:

YOUR PERFECT SUMMER

Sometimes kids just like to daydream. Encourage this by making paper and art supplies
available so that they can turn these daydreams into art. For example, Rowley and Greg spend
a lot of time trying to have the perfect summer. Spark guests’ imaginations by asking, “What’s
your idea of the perfect summer?” Greg would rather sit inside and play games while Rowley
prefers family vacations (Dog Days), but there are plenty of other possibilities. Guests can draw
what they like to do when not in school, and you can help boost their creativity by providing
some glossy magazines from which they can cut images (sports, travel destinations, food) to
make a “Perfect Summer” collage.

12
More Fun and Games
GUTBUSTERS
Remember the card-based board game
that Greg’s grandfather plays with him?
Well, there’s no reason why “Gutbusters”
(Rodrick Rules) can’t be improved so
that guests actually laugh rather than
just roll their eyes. The object remains
the same—although no board is really
necessary, because sharing funny jokes,
sayings, riddles, or even impressions and
daring others to keep a straight face is
a game that kids love playing. On cards,
ask guests to write down jokes, funny
situations, people to impersonate, or
anything else they think will make people
laugh. Then have guests take turns
drawing the cards from a stack, and reading or acting out whatever is on the cards. Whoever can avoid
cracking up through the most rounds wins. (Or, to save time, just skip the cards completely and have
guests simply take turns delivering their own “gutbusters” without writing them down.)

CHARADES
Chances are, most guests will be familiar with the basic rules of charades: The
group divides into Team Greg and Team Rowley (or any other Wimpy Kid name
they’d like). Each team writes down a series of words or phrases on slips of paper
and puts them in a hat. During each round, a member from Team Greg chooses
a slip of paper from Team Rowley’s hat, then acts out what is on the paper while
his or her teammates try to guess the word or phrase within a certain time limit.
Then, Team Rowley chooses a slip of paper from Team Greg’s hat, and so on.
You can easily Wimpify this classic game by letting the teams select words that
have special significance, such as Sweetie from Dog Days. (To make things easier
during game play, you can allow the actor to mention the book or books in which
the word appears.)

WIN, LOSE OR DRAW!

This is a variation on Pictionary, in which the two teams draw the items instead of acting them. You’ll
need some kind of flip board (or an easel with large sheets of paper) and some markers, but otherwise
the rules are pretty much the same as the rules of Charades.

14
W.W.G.D.? “WHAT WOULD GREG DO?”
Greg Heffley often does the outrageous things readers only dream of
doing. So, just for fun, ask guests to imagine various uncomfortable
scenarios in real life, ones that could have or actually have taken
place. These might include doing chores, trying nervously to impress
someone, or being unprepared for a school or social event . . . in short,
situations where Greg would attempt some lazy or selfish shortcut.
Then:

• Divide guests into two-person teams.

• Have one partner from each team leave the room
while the remaining group collectively comes up with
three possible options for what Greg might do.
• After the group arrives at a consensus for three
possible outcomes, the absent person’s partner
then makes a prediction about which option their
teammates will choose.
• Their partner then returns to the room and selects one
of the three actions Greg could take.
• If the absent teammate chooses the option the
present teammate predicted, and therefore guesses
“what Greg would do,” the team gets a point.

EGG HUNT!
Throughout Hard Luck, author Jeff Kinney hid a bunch of eggs
for adventurous readers to discover. Now you can do the same
thing at your party, challenging guests to find them indoors or
outdoors (or both). They can work in teams or individually—it
doesn’t matter because the goal is the same, to find as many
eggs as they can. You can also hide things inside the eggs, so
that everyone who finds one wins something. These prizes can
be coins, treats, stickers, or small items that you pick up at a
party or dollar store. Or you can just place folded-up pieces of
paper inside the eggs that name some larger prize. And to make
your hunt a bit wilder, consider breaking the group into two
teams—each team then takes turns hiding the eggs for the other
team.

15
I MUST CONFESS
This fun and easy game is one that the
Heffleys play on their family road trip in
The Long Haul. Take turns going around
in a circle saying something unique you’ve
done. You could say anything, such as “I
must confess I’ve eaten something that’s
fallen on the floor,” or “I must confess I’ve
crashed my bike.” If the statement also
applies to someone else in the car, he or
she earns a point. If the statement does
not apply to anyone else in the car, the
confessor gets a point. The first person to
reach ten points wins!

GUESS THE WEIGHT OF THE HOG

In The Long Haul, Mom and Manny happen across a Guess the Weight of the Hog contest at a local
county fair. To Mom’s dismay, Manny correctly guesses the exact weight of the hog, winning a piglet
for the family, which joins them for their road trip. Create your own Guess the Weight of the Hog game,
without having to bring in any barnyard animals. Cut out the pig illustration on the next page and tape
it to a container such as a vase, jar, or bowl. Then, fill the container with candy and have your guests
guess how many candies are in the container. The closest guess can win the candy inside, or another
fun Wimpy Kid prize!

16
 CUT ME OUT!

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID®, WIMPY KID™, and the Greg Heffley design™ are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved. 17
 SPOOKY ADVENTURES
Rowley has some scary stories to tell, including one about the
ghost of Bampy ahhh!. Do you believe in ghosts?
Write a short scary story using the prompt below.

I was home alone . . . and heard footsteps

coming down the hall. The door slowly opened
and . . .

wimpykid.com #WimpyKid #AwesomeFriendlyKid

© 2020, Wimpy Kid, Inc. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID™, DIARY OF AN AWESOME FRIENDLY KID™ and ROWLEY JEFFERSON’S JOURNAL™ and the design of the work’s jacket is trade dress of Wimpy Kid, Inc. and are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
 AMAZING GUY
STORY STARTER
Use the questions below to create the beginning of your own story!

1. Where is your Amazing Guy located?

2. In what season does your story take place?

3. Who will be in the story with Amazing Guy?

4. What is one awesome friendly activity Amazing Guy is doing

in the beginning?

Now, start your story:

wimpykid.com #WimpyKid #AwesomeFriendlyKid

© 2020, Wimpy Kid, Inc. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID™, DIARY OF AN AWESOME FRIENDLY KID™ and ROWLEY JEFFERSON’S JOURNAL™ and the design of the work’s jacket is trade dress of Wimpy Kid, Inc. and are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.