Wonder-Ideas for a lesson on diversity and kindness

Some years ago I read a blog post about this book - Wonder by R.J.Palacio. I remember the writer described the book as ideal for teaching diversity to children. Although for years on my TBR list, I never got to read it. However, when the film was out I was very curious to see what it was all about. I was so touched! It was indeed ideal to use in the classroom to teach not only diversity but a number of other themes such as bullying, friendship, family bonds, kindness etc. The story is this of a nine-year-old boy who was born with facial deformities and starts school for the first time in his life. It's told by multiple narrators and seen by different perspectives. It's told with humour and tenderness.

So I started doing some research on the Internet and what I found came as a surprise to me. Lots and lots of blogposts, articles, reviews both for the book and the film. Moreover, a big number of lesson plans based on Wonder. It seemed that it has been the inspiration for a lot of people, especially educators. A quote by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer "If you have a choice between being right and being kind, choose kind" used as a precept by Mr. Browne on the first day of school in Wonder has set the tone for the #choosekind movement joined by many schools in the U.S.A and other countries around the world.

Some of the resources that I found are the following:

Wonder-the book for teachers here. A set of downloadable teacher resources.
A very good worksheet on the film with some discussions questions and a true/false activity here
Another worksheet on the film with three simple activities can be found here
Also this is the worksheet I have created with lines from the film and some discussion points about the themes and the characters. You can find it and download it here

Also, if you are interested in going on and teach the theme of kindness in general, you can use this beautiful video

or this for older students

Your students will certainly enjoy the film and the activities you choose to use. You will have the chance to talk about different themes. It will be a lesson to remember for both your students and you!

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