Free activities for Wonder: A novel unit for teaching acceptance

I had so many teachers last year begging me to create activities for Wonder by R.J. Palacio. I was deep into a series of science units for high school, so I put it on my to-do list. I knew I wanted to do this novel but was not sure when. Well, this December while in the car for over 12 hours, I finally found the time to read Wonder. Boy am I glad I did!!

A great read

Wonder is an amazing story of one boy’s struggle to be just another kid despite his very visual differences. The book chronicles his first time in a public school setting at the age of 11, going into 5th grade. As you can imagine, there are some pretty awful experiences, as well as some heartwarming ones. In the end, he comes away the hero, causing us to shed more than a few tears at his triumphs.

A bonus chapter

So, I happened to pick up a copy of Wonder with a bonus chapter that was not included in every version of the novel. It was a chapter, solely from the protagonist’s viewpoint, Julian. Julian is that boy in the book that we all want to dislike. He is a privileged, upper-class boy with parents who use their money and power to get what they want. Julian is not kind. He is the stereotypical bully who we wish could just feel a little bit of the hatred he puts out. But, then we learn more.

This chapter looks more deeply into why Julian is the way he is. You get a glimpse at his own hidden disability. It is a good lesson, that you never know what struggles an individual may be dealing with. In the end, you still feel anger and dislike for Julian. His actions were pretty horrible, regardless of his home situation. But, you do understand him more. You may even look differently at those students who do not seem to have enough compassion and kindness for others.