Novel Unit - Frindle

This is a great book to explore the parts of the dictionary - syllables, pronunciation key, word origin, etc.

Also, pick an object in your classroom. Let the kids rename it. While you are reading the book have the kids use the new name. Or you can just start calling something by a new name a couple of weeks before you start reading the book and see if it catches on. Every time you reach for a piece of chalk say, "I am going to use this _____ to write on the board now" or "Oops, I dropped my ________."

Leads to good discussions about fads - the boy in the story got his word in the dictionary eventually but usually things like this are just fads that come and go - what are some current fads, old fads (talk about stuff from your childhood - they love that), etc.

This is all I can think of right now.

I had my students come up with a different name for an object they used everyday. They had to explain how they came up with the new name. The students shared all of thier ideas, and then we voted on the one that we wanted to try to get used at our school. The students spent the week trying to get other people to call paper WATSI.

We just read this in my sixth grade. The class loved it and are calling pens frindles. I have two ideas for you, but not comprehension questions. Buy some fimo/sculpty dough and cover round bic pens and bake. They are great decorative frindles. Then there is a picture book tie in with the book Fiddlestix by Devon Scillion. Both round out the book well.

I did this when I was student teaching and I teach a different grade level now, but I will try my best to remember the details. We were working on summarizing at the time, so I also wanted to incorporate that. I put the class into three groups and every time we read three chapter each group would summarize one of them. They had to take notes over what to summarize from their chapter. They would meet and have one class period to write the summary and draw the illustration as a group. These were put on a 16X20 piece of white paper. Once we had read through all of the chapters we had a contest for someone to create the cover (students voted on their favorite ones other student had drawn up) and then I bound all the piece of construction paper together to make a large book. Also, at the very end each student got to create their own word. They had to pick a word they wanted to rename. Once they did this and came up with the "new" name they had to write it down with the definition of the "old" word from the dictionary. They had to do the part of speech as well. For example, one student replaced the word blanket with the word zoozooba. So on their paper they wrote "zoozooba(n): an object used to cover something for warmth" I made up a sheet with the vow from the end of the book for them to insert their words. I can't remember it all but the general idea was something like " I will no longer say _______ I will now say _________" and they filled in their words. There was a place for them to draw a picture on the sheet. I made a sign that said something like "Frindle by ____( I can't think of the author): Will our new words catch on? with their pictures and vows hanging up underneath it in the hall. Then as one last final touch I took all their new words and definitions and typed them in alphabetical order and inserted some clip art here and there and made our own class dictionary. After each word I put who it was created by. We then put the large summary book, our class dictionary, and a pen with the word "frindle" on it in a large bag. Each student got to take home the "frindle packet" to share with their families. Their family had to sign a sheet saying they read through the book with their child and the student had to bring it back the next day for someone else to take home. I couldn't believe how creative my students were with this or how much they and their parents enjoyed it. I hope this helps (sorry it is so long) Let me know if you need anything else explained better :)

After we read the book, I had my class design ads promoting frindles. They made small posters and added in details that they learned from the book.

Ask each child to pick an everyday object. They should illustrate this object (pencil, desk, etc.) and give it a new name. Then vote on which word the class likes best. Use the new word for the remainder of the time you read the novel (the kids love it when you use it).

This book is great for predicting - each chapter really leaves you hanging - so I always do a few writing activities focused on predicting what will happen next.

Like Mrs. Granger, put a Word of the Day on the board each morning. Have the students write down the word and definition each day. Use these as your vocabulary study.

Mailbox published some activities in the Intermediate Aug/Sept 2001 isssue.

My third graders have always enjoyed Frindle by Andrew Clements. We are in the middle of it right now. We read it as a core lit. I have it taped for a handful who are not fluent readers. I always reread with all of them for discussion. It has many pages where the students can practice reading out lud in groups as if it were writtten as a reader's theater. It also ties nicely with dictionary studies.

Have your students each choose a character from the story Frindle and complete the character analysis sheet that I attached. To extend the activity they can illustrate the character or scene that the character is in.