Strategic Teaching Guide for: Because of Winn-Dixie

By: Kate DiCamillo

BL: 3.0-4.0

Created by: Courtney Whetzel

EDUC 332

Table of Contents

Chapters 1-2 ...Vocabulary Cluster...pg.2

Chapters 3-4..Venn-diagram....pg.3
Chapter 5...Frayer Model....pg.4
Chapters 6-7..Vobackulary.pg.5
Chapter 8...Cloze Procedure..pg.6
Chapters 9-10....RAFT....pg.7
Chapters 11-12..Vocabulary Bingo...pg.8
Chapters 13-14Readers Theatre...pg.9
Chapters 15-16.Entrance Pass..pg.10
Chapters 17-20 I have Who has.pg.11
Chapters 21-23Foldable pg.12
Chapters 24-26Semantic Map.pg.13
Chapters 1-26..Culminating Activity..pg.14

Appendix...pg 15

Chapters 1-2
Target Vocabulary:

Produce (pg. 7)
Missionary (pg. 13)
Exception (pg. 15)
Fortunate (pg. 16)

Discussion Questions:
1. What judgements can you make about the novel, by looking at the front cover and
by reading the back cover? (Evaluate)
2. In the first chapter Opal walks into the Winn-Dixie grocery to find everything in a
mess, because a dog is running around loose in the store. Opal claims the dog is hers
when the manager wants to call the pound and brings him home with her. What
would you do if you were in Opals situation? (Apply)

Activity:

Vocabulary Cluster
o Upon completion of chapter 2 students will be required to complete a
o

vocabulary cluster.
The vocabulary cluster template will be provided to the students as well as
the piece of context text in which their word may be found. Students will
be required to complete the cluster based on the word they are assigned, by
using a dictionary to look up the meaning of the word and then coming up

with their own clues/ synonyms for the word.

Students may be placed in groups of 2-3 based on their leveled words and
complete the activity together or students may be assigned leveled words
individually to complete the cluster on their own.
Below grade level: produce
On grade level: missionary or fortunate
Above grade level: exception

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to aid students in building/ learning vocabulary and using
context clues to discover the meaning of unknown vocabulary words.

See Appendix pgs. 16-19 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 3-4
Target Vocabulary:

Orphan (pg. 21)

Muttering (pg. 24)
Nudge (pg. 25)

Discussion Questions:
3. How do you think you would feel if you were Opal and didnt know much about your
mama and your dad agreed to tell you something about her? Opal wrote down the
ten things the preacher told her so she wouldnt forget them and then memorized
them, what would you do? (Apply)
4. Based on the ten things that Opals father tells her about her mother, why do you
think her mother left them? (Analyze)

Activity:

Venn Diagram
o In chapter three as Opal is giving Winn-Dixie a bath she tells him that they

are a lot alike. In this activity students will work independently using the
provided Venn-diagram to compare and contrast Winn-Dixie and Opal.
The Venn-diagram needs to include:
At least three things the characters have in common
At least three things that make each character different

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to have students use the context clues and what they have
learned about the characters through their reading to compare and contrast Opal and
Winn-Dixie.

See Appendix pgs. 20-21 for activity examples and templates

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Chapter 5
Target Vocabulary:

Pew (pg. 33)

Congregation (pg. 33)
Wailed (pg. 34)
Sermon (pg. 34)
Potluck (pg. 35)

Discussion Questions:
5. What happened when Opal and the preacher took Winn-Dixie to church with
them? (understand)
6. Suppose you could have been at the Open Arms Baptist Church the day
Winn-Dixie caught the mouse, what would you have done if you were there to
see him chase the mouse through the church? (create)
Activity:

Frayer Model
o Upon completion of reading chapter five, students will complete a
Frayer model. Students will work together in heterogeneous groups of
2-3 to fill in the information that is requested in the diagram. Each
student will have their own copy of the template, but will work
together to complete the concept.
o Students will use a dictionary to look up the definition of the assigned
word, but will record it in their own words. Examples may be hand
drawn by the students or done by using clipart.
o Each category must have a minimum of 2-3 points except for the
definition.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to present students with both essential and nonessential information as well examples and non-examples related to vocabulary
terms that they may or may not have been familiar with before reading this
chapter.
See Appendix pgs. 22-23 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 6-7
Target Vocabulary:

Trembling (pg. 42)

Prideful (pg. 43)
Snuffled (pg. 44)
Peculiar (pg. 47)

Discussion Questions:
7. Why did Opal spend so much time at the Herman W. Block Library?
(Remember)
8. After telling Opal the story about the bear, Miss. Franny sighs and seems
sad and says that she thinks that all her friends she knew when she was
young are gone. Compare and contrast Miss. Frannys situation with the one
that Opal has found herself in with being new to town. What ways are they
similar? Different? (Evaluate)
Activity:

Vobackulary
o Using the template provided, assign each student a vocabulary word
that has been studied and tape it to their back, making sure they do
not see their word. As students walk around the classroom, another
student will look at their word and describe it (without saying the
word) to the student who is wearing the word. When the student who
is wearing the word correctly guesses it, he/she can then take it off
of their back. This activity continues until all students have their
word taken off their back.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to help students solidify their understanding of the
vocabulary that have learned up to this point in the novel, while also working with
synonyms, and examples of the vocabulary.

See Appendix pgs. 24-25 for activity examples and templates

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Chapter 8
Target Vocabulary:

Installment plan (pg. 53)

Irritating (pg. 53)
Trustworthy (pg. 55)

Discussion Questions:
9. What do you think would have happened if Gertrude and Winn-Dixie wouldnt
have become friends when Opal brought him into the pet store? (Create)
10. In this chapter Opal wants to buy a collar and leash for Winn-Dixie, but
doesnt have enough money. She offers to work for Otis at Gertrudes Pets
to pay for them. What are some other ways that Opal could earn the money
she needs to purchase the leash and collar? (Apply)
Activity:

Cloze Procedure
o Upon completion of chapter 8, students will complete a cloze
procedure, in which they will be given a passage adapted from the
text, with certain words being deleted. Working independently,
students will use the context clues to fill in the missing words. This
cloze procedure will use selected deletions so that the target words
are in the words of focus.
Students should go through the text and underline or highlight
the context clue that made them think they had the correct
word.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to give students practice using context clues in text
to find the meaning of unknown words

See Appendix pgs. 26-27 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 9-10
Target Vocabulary:

Identical (pg. 61)

Overgrown (pg. 61)
Hollered (pg. 62)
Crinkly (pg. 63)

Discussion Questions:
11. Why was it brave of Opal to run into the overgrown yard after Winn-Dixie?
Would you have done the same thing to get your dog back even after hearing
similar stories about the person? (Evaluate)
12. In what ways does Gloria Dump tell Opal that she may be more like her
momma than she thinks? (Remember)
Activity:

RAFT
o After reading students will have three options for taking on a new
perspective to write a letter about Gloria Dump being a witch.
A letter to the Dewberry boys from Gloria Dump explaining

that she is not a witch

A letter from the Dewberry Boys to Gloria Dump explaining

why they believe she is a witch

A letter from Opal to the Dewberry boys explaining that Gloria

Dump is not a witch.

o Students will need to get creative with this assignment, using what
they know from the chapters about the characters as a basis for
their letters.
o Students will use the provided letter worksheet to draft their final
copy of the letter.
Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to challenge students to see a part of a story from
the perspective of another character.
See Appendix pgs. 28-30 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 11-12
Target Vocabulary:

Whimpering (pg. 72)

Pathological fear (pg. 75)
Charming (pg. 85)

Discussion Questions:
13. In chapter eleven, we learned that Winn-Dixie had a pathological fear of
thunderstorms. What is a pathological fear and what are some other
examples of them? (Understand)
14. Can you predict what the outcome would have been, if Opal would not have
thought about telling Otis to begin playing his guitar again, so she could put
all the animals back in their cages? (Create)
Activity:

Vocabulary Bingo
o Each student will be given a bingo card and a handful of M&Ms or
skittles to be used as markers.
o Students will use the words provided to set up their bingo card.
Students must use all the words from Ch.8-12 list, but may pick and
choose from the other list.
o To play the game, the teacher will be the caller and will read off a
definition from the provided word bank. Students are responsible for
knowing the word that matches the definition read aloud and marking
their spot. The way the winner is decided can be determined by each
round, but for beginning round regular bingo is the best way to play.
Once a student thinks that they have bingo, they must read off
the words that they have and have the correct words that have
been called.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to have students learn and gain a better
understanding of vocabulary while also reviewing older vocabulary.
See Appendix pgs. 31-34 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 13-14
Target Vocabulary:

Roundabout (pg. 91)

Ignorant (pg. 91)
Imitated (pg. 92)
Clanking (pg. 94)
Trotted (pg. 94)

Discussion Questions:
15. In chapter 13, Opal talks about how the Dewberry boys would tell her mean
things about Gloria and Otis, how would you respond to them if you were in
Opals position? (Apply)
16. What do you think Gloria Dump meant when she told Opal that she had
learned what the most important thing was in life, but that thing was
different for everyone? (Analyze)
Activity:

Readers Theatre
o Students will be grouped heterogeneously in groups of six to read and
perform (students keep their papers and dont have to memorize
lines) the assigned script. The text will first be silently read by the
individual student. Next the text will be read again orally using choral
reading as a class. After the second reading, the students will be split
into their groups and choose their parts. Students will be given ten
minutes to work together as a group to rehearse their parts and to
gather any props they think they may need or want to perform their
script. When time is up, come back together as a whole class and give
each group the opportunity to perform their script to the class.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to offer an opportunity to students to participate in
reading along with their peers of various reading skills, and to bring their reading
to life.
See Appendix pgs. 35-37 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 15-16
Target Vocabulary:

Enlisted (pg. 104)

Notion (pg. 105)
Abiding (pg. 105)
Vermin (pg. 106)

Discussion Questions:
17. In this chapter Opal decides that she is going to get a book to read to Gloria
Dump as a way to comfort her. Can you design a plan for another way that
she could have comforted Gloria?(Create)
18. Why did Miss Franny say that war should be a cuss word? (Understand)
Activity:

Entrance Pass
o The entrance pass provided will be given to the students when they
come to class after they have finished reading chapter 16.
o Students will be given three to five minutes to answer the three
comprehension questions in the spaces provided.
If students finish, before time is up, they are to retell the
story of Litmuss time at war and his return home in their own
words on the back of the sheet.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to check for students comprehension and
understanding of the reading that was assigned the night before for homework.

See Appendix pgs. 38-39 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 17-20
Target Vocabulary:

Sorrow (pg. 115)

Peculiar (pg. 121)
Melancholy (pg. 121)
Tragedy (pg. 125)

Discussion Questions:
19. When Litmus came home from war all sad and alone, wanting something
sweet, he decided that he was going to create something good for the world
by creating a candy factory. How would you have handled your emotions and
time if you were in his situation? (Evaluate)
20.Why did Opal decide that she and Gloria Dump needed to host a party and
invite everyone she knew? (Remember)
Activity:

I have...Who has
o Using the template provided, assign each student a vocabulary word
card. Each card will have a vocabulary word at the top and the
definition of a different word on the bottom. Each student will read
their card silently to themselves before the activity begins. Pick one
student to begin by reading, I have.. Then the student will read
Who hasThe student who has the word of the definition that was
read takes a turn reading his/her card. The game continues until
everyone has had a turn. Play should come back to the student who
was the first to read, if all definitions and words were read correctly
as play went on.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to review and solidify an understanding of
vocabulary that students have come across in the reading up to this point.

See Appendix pgs. 40-43 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 21-23
Target Vocabulary:

Frilly (pg. 143)

Shimmery (pg. 145)
Screeched (pg. 148)
Amuse (pg. 151)
Teeter (pg. 156)

Discussion Questions:
21. What approach would you have used to try to find Winn Dixie? Would you
have went out looking for him the way Opal did or would you have done
something different?(Apply)
22.What did Gloria mean when she told Opal There aint no way you can hold
onto something that wants to be let go?(Understand)
Activity:

Foldable
o Students will pull all the information that they know about the novel
together using this comprehension foldable. The foldable will help
students organize the important information about the novel. This
foldable will have the following tabs:
Title, Author and Genre, Setting, Characters-Main and
Supporting, Main events, My Favorite Part
o Using the directions and template provided, step the students
through the process of making the foldable and labeling each tab.
o Once students have constructed their foldable, they will work in
groups of two to complete all but the My Favorite Part tab. This tab
will be done individually.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to aid students in gathering and organizing the
important information about the novel that they are reading.

See Appendix pgs. 44-45 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 24-26
Target Vocabulary:

Myth (pg. 172)

Wheezed (pg. 175)
Hymn (pg. 175)

Discussion Questions:
23.As Opal and the preacher were walking around town looking for Winn-Dixie,
she began to make a list of ten things. What were these ten things and why
did she come up with the list? (Remember)
24.What is the relationship like between Opal and her father at this point in
the novel? Did the search for Winn-Dixie bring the two of them closer
together? (Analyze)
Activity:

Semantic Map
o Upon completion of the novel students will complete a semantic map
outlining the important events in the story.
o Students will be given the blank template provided and working
independently they will go through the novel picking out the six most
important events for retelling the story, placing them on the diagram
in the sequence in which they happened in the novel.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to tie together the facts and information from each
chapter of novel and see how each individual event connects with the next to form
the conclusion of the novel.

See Appendix pgs. 46-47 for activity examples and templates

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Chapters 1-26
Discussion Questions:
25.At several points in the novel, Opal points out that everything that happened
to her that summer was because of Winn-Dixie. What are some of the
events that Winn-Dixie made possible for Opal? (Apply)
26.The story ended with everyone being at the party singing along to the songs
that Otis was playing on his guitar. Suppose you could rewrite the ending of
the story. What would you do differently, or how would you have ended it?
(Create)
Activity:

Newsletter
o Upon completion of the novel, students will create a one page
newsletter using a publishing software summarizing the main themes
and events of the novel.
o The newsletter must include:
At least four genres of writing
Students will be allowed to choose from a list of genres
that they want to include in their newsletter.
A catchy title
At least one graphic/picture
o Once the newsletters are complete, they may be hung up in the
classroom to display the students hard work and creativity.

Purpose:
The purpose of this activity is to have students pull important events from the
story and write about them using multiple perspectives and genres.

See Appendix pgs. 48-49 for activity examples and templates

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Appendix

Chapters 1-2 Vocabulary Cluster....pgs.16-19

Chapters 3-4..Venn-diagram.pgs.20-21
Chapter 5Frayer Model.pgs.22-23
Chapters 6-7..Vobackulary.pgs.24-26
Chapter 8.Cloze Procedure..............................pgs.27-28
Chapters 9-10RAFT..pgs.29-31
Chapters 11-12Vocabulary Bingo....pgs.32-35
Chapters 13-14Readers Theatre.pgs.36-38
Chapters 15-16Entrance Pass....pgs.39-40
Chapters 17-20 I have.. Who has..pgs.41-44
Chapters 21-23Foldable...pgs.45-46
Chapters 24-26Semantic Map..pgs.47-48
Chapters 1-26..Culminating Activity...pgs.49-50

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Exception

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Your word in Context:

When we got to the Friendly Corners Trailer

Park, I told Winn-Dixie that he had to behave
right and be quiet, because this was an all adult
trailer park and the only reason I got to live in it
was because the preacher was a preacher and I
was a good, quiet kid. I was what the Friendly
Corners Trailer Park manager, Mr. Alfred, called
an _________. (DiCamillo, 2000, p.15)

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Privilege

Special case

Odd

Exception

Different
Rare
Not
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Your word in Context:

When we got to the Friendly Corners Trailer

Park, I told Winn-Dixie that he had to behave
right and be quiet, because this was an all adult
trailer park and the only reason I got to live in it
was because the preacher was a preacher and I
was a good, quiet kid. I was what the Friendly
Corners Trailer Park manager, Mr. Alfred, called
an Exception. (DiCamillo, 2000, p.15)

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NAME:__________________________

Because of Winn-Dixie

Winn- Dixie

20

49

Opal

NAME:__________________________

Because of Winn-Dixie
Winn- Dixie

21

He is a dog
He is a boy
Has a pathological
fear of
thunderstorms
Brown fur like an
old brown carpet

Opal

They
are
both
sort of
like
orphans
.
They
can run
fast.
Like to
meet
people.
Both
appear

She is a human
She is a girl
Red hair and
freckles

Characteristics

Definition

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Congregation

22

Examples

Non-Examples

Characteristics

Definition

People
Crowd
Gathering

A group of people or animals

gathered in one place.

Congregation

23

Group
of people at a church.
Examples
Non-Examples
Open Arms Baptist Church of Naomi
Audience
A Couple
Scattered things
49

49

Fortunate

Produce

Congregation

49

Orphan

Missionary

Wailed

Muttering

Exception

Nudge

Sermon

49

Prideful

Snuffled

Peculiar

49

Pew

Trembling

Potluck

Name:______________________________

A Collar for Winn-Dixie

Now that I knew I was really going to get to keep Winn-Dixie, I decided
that I needed to get him a collar and a leash, so I went to Gertrudes
__________ store, where there were supplies for animals of all kinds.
Winn-Dixie wasnt allowed to come inside the pet store with me because
there was a sign on the door that said, NO DOGS _______________. I
found a real nice red ________________ and matching leash. I held them
up to the window for Winn-Dixie to see. We really liked them, but I
didnt get enough money in my allowance to buy them. I asked the man
behind the counter if we could set up an ______________________, where
I could bring him my allowance each week to pay for them. He said, he
didnt think that was going to work, so I looked around the store and
asked him if I could work for him to _______________ for the collar. I told
him I was real ______________and that my daddy was the preacher at
the Open Arms Baptist Church, so I was real honest. I told him
_______________________ would have to come inside with me when I
worked because he didnt like to be left alone. Gertrude! Gertrude!
somebody screamed in a real loud __________________voice. I looked
around and there was a parrot sitting on the fish tank, who kept saying
the same thing over and over. Otis told me Gertrude didnt like
____________, but I promised him she would like Winn-Dixie. When I
brought Winn-Dixie into the store, she screamed Dog, in that
irritating voice. She flew over and landed on top of Winn-Dixies head.

49

Winn-Dixie wagged his ___________ a bit. And Otis said You can start
on Monday.

49

Name:______________________________

A Collar for Winn-Dixie

Now that I knew I was really going to get to keep Winn-Dixie, I decided
that I needed to get him a collar and a leash, so I went to Gertrudes pet
store, where there were supplies for animals of all kinds. Winn-Dixie
wasnt allowed to come inside the pet store with me because there was a
sign on the door that said, NO DOGS ALLOWED. I found a real nice
red collar and matching leash. I held them up to the window for WinnDixie to see. We really liked them, but I didnt get enough money in my
allowance to buy them. I asked the man behind the counter if we could
set up an installment plan, where I could bring him my allowance
each week to pay for them. He said, he didnt think that was going to
work, so I looked around the store and asked him if I could work for him
to pay for the collar. I told him I was real trustworthy and that my
daddy was the preacher at the Open Arms Baptist Church, so I was real
honest. I told him Winn-Dixie would have to come inside with me when
I worked because he didnt like to be left alone. Gertrude! Gertrude!
somebody screamed in a real loud irritating voice. I looked around and
there was a parrot sitting on the fish tank, who kept saying the same
thing over and over. Otis told me Gertrude didnt like dogs, but I
promised him she would like Winn-Dixie. When I brought Winn-Dixie
into the store, she screamed Dog, in that irritating voice. She flew over
and landed on top of Winn-Dixies head. Winn-Dixie wagged his tail a
bit. And Otis said You can start on Monday.

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Is Gloria Dump a witch?

That is the question. For this assignment you will be writing a letter
debating whether or not Gloria Dump is a witch. You will choose one of
the following perspectives to write your letter from.
1. A letter to the Dewberry Boys from Gloria Dump
2. A letter to Gloria Dump from the Dewberry boys
3. A letter to the Dewberry boys from Opal
Once you have decided on which perspective you are going to take, you
will begin brainstorming in your writers notebook and pulling facts to
support your side of the question from what you have read in the
chapters so far. Once you have your supporting details outlined in your
writers notebook, you will draft your final copy of your letter on the
letter worksheet provided.

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___________________
________________,
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
_________________,
__________________
April 29, 2015
49

Dear Stevie and Dunlap,

You were wrong about Gloria Dump. She
is not a witch. She is a really nice person. I
told Gloria what you guys said about her
being a witch. I also told her that you guys
were stupid, mean, baldheaded boys, who
didnt know what they were talking about.
Gloria lives here in the house alone. Her
yard looks so overrun, because she cant
see or get around too well anymore, now
that she has gotten older. I can see why you
guys think she is a witch by just looking at
her, I mean if you just look at a little old
lady with crinkly brown skin and no teeth,
who has trouble seeing, you may just
assume she is one of those witches you
have read about in one of your story books.
But I will assure you again, Gloria Dump IS
NOT a witch. She is a sweet lady and you
need to get to know her before you go
around making up stories about her.____________________________________________
_
Sincerely,
49

India Opal Buloni

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Vocabulary BINGO Word List:

You must include:

Other words to

Irritating

choose from:

Installment Plan

Trembling

Hollered

Prideful

Whimpering

Snuffled

Overgrown

Peculiar

Pathological fear

Pew

Charming

Produce

Identical

Missionary

Trustworthy

Nudge

Crinkly

Orphan
Exception

Post this list on the projector, for students to copy onto their BINGO cards. All
students must use the words from Ch 8-12 as these are the ones we are focusing
on learning. They may choose from the remaining words to fill in the remaining
blanks on their card as a review. Students will then use Skittles or M&Ms as
markers to mark their spaces. Teacher will read a definition provided on the next
page and the students will find the word they think matches the definition.

49

Definitions for Vocabulary BINGO Call List:

1. Charming: something pleasing or delightful
2. Crinkly: something wrinkled that may make a rustling noise

3. Exception: an instance or case not following the general rules

4. Hollered: to cry aloud, shout, yell

5. Identical: similar or alike in every way

6. Installment Plan: a system of having an item in fixed amounts at specific

intervals
7. Irritating: annoying
8. Missionary: a person sent by a church into an area to set up churches and
activities such as schools and hospitals
9. Nudge: to push slightly or gently, usually done with the elbow
10. Orphan: someone who has lost both parents
11. Overgrown: to cover with growth of something
12. Pathological fear: being extremely afraid of something
13. Peculiar: something strange, odd, or uncommon
14. Pew: a seat usually found in a church, with bench like seats
15. Prideful: having a high opinion of oneself; the state of being proud
16. Produce: agricultural products like fruits and vegetables
17. Sniffled: to draw air through the nose in a short, audible inhalation
18. Trembling: to shake involuntarily with quick, short movements, usually from
fear or excitement
19. Trustworthy: deserving trust and confidence; dependable, reliable
20. Whimpering: to cry with low, broken sounds

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Vocabulary BINGO

Vocabulary BINGO

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Vocabulary BINGO
Irritating

Peculiar

Charming

Identical

Produce

Whimpering

Exception

Trustworthy

Installment Plan

Nudge

Pathological

Orphan

Hollered

Overgrown

Missionary

Crinkly

Vocabulary BINGO
Prideful

Hollered

Trembling

Overgrown

Pathological

Charming

Irritating

Snuffled

Identical

Trustworthy

Pew

Whimpering

Missionary

Installment Plan

Peculiar

Crinkly

Readers Theatre
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This skit pulls on the themes of friendship, courage, and not judging people by
their past. The main theme in the novel is friendships.
Each student will need a copy of the script.
Students will be divided into heterogeneous groups of six.
Students will be given a few minutes to read the script to themselves. Next, the
scripts will be read aloud through choral reading. Then students will be divided
into their groups and decide on parts that they each want to read. Once
students have decided on parts, they will be given 10 minutes to rehearse their
skit and gather/ make props from around the classroom and from what the
teacher has available.
Once students have had time to practice, bring the class together as a whole
and give each group the opportunity to perform their skit. Each group will have
a different take on the same skit, so it will be entertaining to see how each
group performs it.
**Teacher Tip: Record the students performances so you can watch them again
later in a different lesson or to include in an end of the year presentation. **

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Chapter 13-14: Dont judge someone for their past

Narrator: Opal and Winn-Dixie are at the trailer. It is early in the morning and
they are getting ready to head into town to listen to Otis play music to the
animals at Gertrudes Pets.
Opal: Come on Winn-Dixie, Lets go! Sweetie Pie and Otis are waiting on us.
Lets go to work then we will go to Glorias and you can get your daily
peanut butter sandwich.
Narrator: Opal has finished cleaning at Gertrudes pets and is on her way to
Gloria Dumps place now. In the distance she sees the Dewberry boys
riding their bikes.
Dunlap: Look here comes Opal.
Stevie: I bet she is on her way to see that witch again.
Opal: She is not a witch. (Opal is getting really mad at them for their name
calling)
Stevie: You know my mama says you shouldnt be spending so much time
cooped up in that yard with an old lady. She thinks you should be
spending time with kids your own age.
Dunlap: Oh Stevie, lay off of her. Opal you know he didnt mean that.
Opal: I dont care what your mama said. She isnt my mama and she cant tell
me what to do. Now if you dont mind, Im going to go spend some time
with my friend Gloria Dump, who is not a witch.
Narrator: Opal continues to Glorias house. As soon as she arrives, they fall
into their usual routine of eating peanut butter sandwiches and drinking
coffee. Opal begins to tell Gloria about what the Dewberry boys said and
some recent news she found out about Otis.
Opal: Gloria, you know Otis, the guy that works at Gertrudes Pets?
Gloria: I dont know him personally, but I know you talk about him a lot.
Opal: Well he is a criminal. He has been to jail. Do you think I should be afraid
of him?

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Gloria: What for?

Opal: I dont know, for doing bad things and being in jail.
Gloria: Child, let me show you something. (Gloria gets out of her chair and
takes Opal by the hand). Lets take a walk to the back of the yard.
Narrator: They walk together to the back yard where Gloria shows Opal her
ghost tree.
Gloria: What do you think about this tree?
Opal: Well, I dont know. What are all those bottles doing in the tree?
Gloria: They are there to keep the ghosts of all the bad things I have done away.
Opal: You did that many things wrong? Theres so many bottles up there.
Youre the nicest person I know. You couldnt have done all those bad
things.
Gloria: I used to drink, and that used to cause me to do bad things. I did lots of
bad things that Im not proud of, but that was all before I learned.
Opal: Learned what?
Gloria: Before I learned what the most important things were in life. They are
different for everyone. The most important thing you got to remember is
you cant judge someone for their actions in the past. You got to judge
them by their actions in the present. You got to judge Otis by the pretty
music you say he plays to you and them there animals and not by his
past time in jail.
Narrator: Opal, Winn-Dixie and Gloria Dump head back towards the house to
finish their peanut butter sandwiches and coffee.

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49

Entrance Pass
This would be a during reading activity that
would be done as an entrance pass to check
to see if the students did their reading the
night
before
and
to
check
for
understanding.

Answer Key:
1.To comfort him during a storm and to
keep him from running away 2.Gone With
The Wind
3. Litmus W. Block was Miss. Frannys
great-grandfather
Extender: When he came home from
war, he found that his house had been
burned down by the Yankees. His sisters
died while he was away at war, and his
father died in battle. Litmus found
himself all alone.

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I Have...Sorrow

I Have...Peculiar

Who
has.a
mood or feeling?
Who has.something
strange
or sad
uncommon?

41

Have...Tragedy
I Have...Melancholy

has.tobad
enter
voluntarily,
usually
for the military?
Who has.a
event
that causes
sadness?

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I Have..Notion
I Have...Enlisted

Who has.continuing
Who has.an opinion,
view, or belief?without change?

42

I Have...Vermin
I Have...Abiding

Who has.indirect
or not
straight
forward?
Who has.small
insects that are
difficult
to get
rid of?

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I Have...Roundabout
I Have...Ignorant

Who has.lacking knowledge

or information
on a topic
Who has.to
copy or mimic?

43

I Have...Clanking
I Have...Imitated

Who make
has.to
movehard
at a sound?
quick steady pace?
Who has.to
a sharp

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I Have...Trotted
I Have...Charming

Who has.something
pleasing or
delightful?
Who has.deserving
trust
and confidence?

44

I Have...Trustworthy
I Have...Identical

Who has.similar orWho

alikehas.a
in
cause for grief,
every way?
sadness, or disappointment?

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Step Book Foldable

Take 3 sheets of 8 X 11 inch copy paper or construction paper. (When
teaching students to make this, different colors work best.) Layer sheets so
that there is about one inch difference in the top edges of each sheet.

Fold the sheets together hamburger style, but make sure you leave an inch
from the steps that were showing at the bottom. You will have two steps of
the same color together. Staple the book where it folds at the top. Label the
tabs as shown below.
Title

Author and
Genre
Setting
Characters
Main Events
My Favorite Part

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Once students have constructed their foldables, they will work together in
groups of two to complete all tabs except for the My Favorite Part Tab. This
part will be done individually.

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Because of Winn Dixie

By: Kate DiCamillo
47

49

India Opal finds a dog at

the Winn Dixie grocery
store and brings him home.

Opal convinces
her ten things a
mother. One thi
year of her life

pal and Gloria Dump host a

arty that brings everyone in
wn
48 together, so they can get
Because of Winn Dixie
o know one another better.

By: Kate DiCamillo

Opal goes to G
get a collar for
ends up gettin
Mrs. Franny gives Opal some
becoming frie
ttmus Lozenges, which make
Winn Dixie runs into the
er think about all the sadness
witchs yard, where she
hat everyone has faced.
learns there is just an elderly
lady named Gloria Dump who
needs a friend.

Newsletter Assignment

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Create a newsletter that covers the main themes and events that
took place in Because of Winn-Dixie.
Your newsletter must:
Be typed using Publisher
Use four of the following:
o Classified adds
o An article covering major event
o An advice column
o An advertisement
o A comic strip
o Interview
Must be one page
Must include at least one picture. No more than three small
pictures.
Some things to consider putting into your newsletter:
Party invitation
Advice for one of the characters
An article about something that happened to one of the
characters
Comic strip of a major event or a summary of novel
Put on your thinking caps and get creative with this assignment.

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