Title: A Week in the Woods (Clements) Level T
Quick summary:
Possible Reading Assignments: (8 days) 1: Ch 1-4
7: Ch 18-20
8: Ch 21-end
2: Ch 5-7
Summary
Ch. 1
Pgs. 1-6
Ch. 2
Pgs. 7-13
Ch. 3
Pgs. 14-21
Ch.4
Pgs. 22-25
Ch. 5
Pgs. 26-33
Ch. 6
Pgs. 34-44
This story takes place in New Hampshire where
Mr. Maxwell, a fifth grade science teacher, is in
charge of the school‟s “Week in the Woods”
program. He is an Eagle Scout and an avid
outdoorsman. He has organized and carried out
this program for sixteen years. He is totally
organized and prepared, months in advance, for
the upcoming week in the woods, but there is
something that he doesn‟t know…something that
he cannot prepare for…trouble.
Mark Chelmsley a rich child living in New York is
moving to a small hick town in New Hampshire.
His parents work constantly and are extremely
wealthy. Mark is not happy about the move. It
is in the middle of his fifth grade year and he
feels abandoned and uninvolved in the decisions
that are being made all around him.
Mark moves into the new, fancy house with Anya
and Leon, his “babysitters” from Russia. They
are officially the butler and the maid, but Mark
feels like they are there to take care of him
because his parents are too busy with work.
The house and its surroundings are beautiful,
but Mark is unimpressed.
Mark goes to school and is in Mr. Maxwell‟s
class. Mr. Maxwell pegs him as a slacker.
During the day he hears that Mark is the one
living in the old Fawcett Farm, a three and a
half million-dollar home. Mark‟s family is the
talk of the town. There isn‟t anything Mr.
Fawcett hates more than spoiled rich kids who
are slackers.
At school, Mark chooses not to make friends,
not to complete his work, not to even become
involved. His other schools were better and he
has already learned everything that his being
taught here. At his other schools, all the kids
were rich so he didn‟t stand out. Mark decides
to check out. He already has a place at the best
boarding school in the country for sixth grade.
This school is just a place to keep him busy for
four months.
In Mr. Maxwell‟s science class, the last one of
the day, there were big plans. Mr. Maxwell had
3: Ch 8-9
4: Ch 10-12
Difficult Vocabulary
originated (2)
imposing (3)
environmental (3)
catalytic (4)
chaperoning (5)
Penobscot (5)
antiques (7)
ridiculous (9)
brochure (15)
mortar (16)
octagonal (17)
architect (18)
5: Ch 13-14
6: Ch 15-17
Purpose for reading/Comp.
Strategy
Characterization: What do
you know about Mr. Maxwell?
What kind of person is he?
Find evidence in the book to
back up your thoughts.
Characterization: What do
you know about Mark? What
kind of person is he? What
are his parents like? What is
the main problem so far in the
book? Make some predictions
about what will happen.
Imagery: The author does an
excellent job creating mind
movies of what the house and
its surroundings look like.
What image was clear to you
from this chapter?
stonemasons (24)
curious (25)
environmentally (25)
Connections: Mr. Maxwell
pegs Mark as a “slacker.”
Have you ever been pegged as
something before? Have you
ever pegged someone before
you even knew him or her?
Montessori (27)
academically (28)
Connections: Have you ever
felt like Mark? Can you
imagine what he must feel like
at a brand new school? Have
you ever been judged before?
How did it make you feel?
What feelings have you felt
before that would help you to
better understand Mark?
mysteriously (35)
curiosity (36)
Inference: Infer how you
think Mr. Maxwell is feeling
Ch. 7
Pgs. 45-51
Ch. 8
Pgs. 52-65
Ch. 9
Pgs. 66-76
Ch.10
Pgs. 77-84
Ch. 11
Pgs. 85-93
worked really hard on a science experiment that
he just knew would capture Mark‟s attention.
What really happened actually backfired in Mr.
Maxwell‟s face because Mark knew how the
experiment worked and then announced it to the
whole class so that there was no surprise ending.
Mark was unimpressed and still checked out. It
seemed as if there was no way to reach him.
Before class was over that day, Mr. Maxwell
found an opportunity to give Mark the
information and permission slip for The Week in
the Woods. Mark didn‟t seem too excited about
it and actually asked if everyone had to go. Mr.
Maxwell was frustrated and upset at the idea of
someone not wanting to join in the fun.
During the two weeks that Mark has lived in
New Hampshire, he has started to really enjoy
the new house. He has acquired a new love for
the outdoors. Mark has learned how to
snowshoe, he has discovered treasures in the
old barn, and has made a habit of spending every
spare second of time outside enjoying his
surroundings.
mooring (38)
aisles (38)
appreciatively (42)
photosynthesis (44)
right now. He put a lot of
time, thought, and effort into
his lesson and Mark just
ignored him. How will Mr.
Maxwell‟s attitude toward
Mark be in the future?
expressionless (47)
chaperones (48)
abruptly (49)
Mark spends the night alone in the barn. He is
proving to himself that he won‟t be afraid of the
dark. While there, Mark thinks through many
events of his life. He realizes that his mother
makes him feel like home. His father makes him
feel safe and secure. He has also come to the
realization that he has been a stuck up brat at
school. He makes a pact to himself that he will
put more effort into being more kind to the
people at school.
At school, Mark started the morning of by
making a couple of friends. He accomplished
that pretty easily, but conquering the teachers
was a different story. One teacher gave him
more work when he finished early. Another
teacher wouldn‟t even call on him. When he was
smarter than one of the teachers, she just
began ignoring him. Even when he brought his
Week in the Woods permission slip to Mr.
Maxwell, all he got was a bad attitude.
fluorescent (67)
primitive (69)
poignant (70)
gruesome (71)
Inference: On page 49, Mr.
Maxwell ends the
conversation with Mark and
begins to erase the
chalkboard. He then erases it
two more times. What does
this behavior tell you?
Synthesis: On page 64 and
65, for the first time in his
life, Mark feels rich. He is
not happy to be rich with
money, but he feels rich with
time. Talk about this in your
group. What does this mean?
What ideas do you have about
the author based on this small
section of the book?
Characterization: In this
chapter we learn a great deal
about Mark. What was
something new that surprised
you about Mark? What kind
of person is he?
Time has passed and it is now April. The snow is
melting and the temperature is increasing. Mark
has been able to show his parents around the
property when they came home for a visit. He
was sad to see them go as they left for a fourweek business trip to Europe. On a warm
altitudes (89)
cautiously (90)
hugeness (93)
quaintness (53)
aluminum (58)
pendulum (61)
cautiously (62)
anvil (63)
comprehension (79)
bombardment (81)
argued (83)
Connections: Has a teacher
ever treated you like they
treated Mark? How did it
made you feel? Does that
help you to better understand
Mark‟s feelings?
Inference: On page 83-84,
what does it mean that Mr.
Maxwell already held a trial
for Mark and found him
guilty?
Setting: The setting changes
in this chapter and a new mind
movie should have formed in
your mind. What is the
setting now? How has it
changed from the beginning
Ch. 12
Pgs. 94-101
Ch. 13
Pgs. 102110
Ch. 14
Pgs. 111-127
Ch. 15
Pgs. 128135
evening, Mark and Leon decide to camp
outdoors. They spend time together making a
fire and Leon teaches Mark many things about
camping. At bedtime, Mark looks into the sky
and for the first time really enjoys its openness
and hugeness.
Mark asks permission from his mom to order
some camping supplies online. Because this was
a new hobby for Mark, he needed the essentials.
He read up on what camping gear was most
useful and made an eleven hundred dollar
camping gear purchase from REI. He felt
prepared and ready for any future camping
trips.
At school, everything revolved around The Week
in the Woods. In every class, Mark learned
something that could assist him during the
campout. During science, Mark noticed that Mr.
Maxwell was ignoring him. He felt sad that Mr.
Maxwell was still upset about the way Mark
acted the first few weeks at school. Mark got
everything ready and packed for the trip. He
felt so grown up, so put together. He was
hoping that all of his efforts would show Mr.
Maxwell that he was a good, well-balanced kid.
He hoped that a change would come during The
Week in the Woods.
The first day at camp starts off great! Mark
gets to bunk with his friend Jason and a few
other buddies. The activities are fun and the
food is good too. During some free time, Jason
and Mark are hanging out in the cabin with their
bunkmates. Jason pulls out a multitool and
hands it to Mark to look at. Mark saw these on
the REI website and begins to fiddle around
with it, pulling out a pair of pliers. Suddenly,
Mr. Maxwell walks in. Mark hides the tool under
his leg. Before Mr. Maxwell leaves, he asks to
see what is under Mark‟s leg. When Mr. Maxwell
sees the tool, he tells Mark to gather up his
things because he is going home. Because the
trip is a school-sponsored trip, there is a no
weapons policy. The multitool has a knife in it
and is therefore considered a weapon. Without
hesitating, Mark gathers his things and heads
out of the cabin.
Mr. Maxwell was thinking many different
thoughts. On one hand, he felt like he should
give Mark a break. On the other, he felt like it
was his duty to put the boy in his place. With
the help of the park ranger, Mr. Maxwell tried
to call Marks parents to tell them about the
situation. Before he could explain anything, Jim,
of the book? What evidence
do you have that the setting
has actually changed?
tantalizing (94)
kayaks (94)
essential (96)
bargain (101)
Imagery: The author does a
wonderful job of painting a
picture in your mind. What in
this chapter stood out to you
as a good example of imagery?
archeological (103)
orienteering (104)
Characterization: When Mr.
Maxwell, an adult, is
disrespectful to Mark, Mark
decides to turn the other
cheek and earn Mr. Maxwell‟s
respect. What does that tell
you about Mark? What do
you think about Mr. Maxwell‟s
behavior?
chaperone (114)
brigade (117)
accelerated (119)
Questions: Why didn‟t Jason
admit that the knife was his?
Why didn‟t Mark speak up and
tell him what was really going
on? Why is Mr. Maxwell so
hard on Mark? What kind of
friend is Mark? What kind of
friend is Jason?
Connections: Have you ever
been blamed for something
that you did not do? How did
it make you feel? Are you
able to understand Jason
better because of that
experience?
„preciate (130)
Prediction: Mark is not in the
truck. Where do you think he
is? What do you think will
happen next?
Ch. 16
Pgs. 136142
Ch. 17
Pgs. 143149
Ch. 18
Pgs. 150160
Ch. 19
Pgs. 161165
Ch. 20
Pgs. 166-
the park ranger, noticed that the tool had
Jason‟s name engraved on it. Feeling
embarrassed and relieved, Mr. Maxwell went out
to the truck to apologize to Mark and make
amends. As he headed to the truck, he noticed
that Mark was not there.
Mr. Maxwell panics and searches the camp for
some sign of Mark. When he doesn‟t find him,
he starts talking to people. Mrs. Leghorn the
math teacher saw Mark heading toward a
waterfall trail. Mr. Maxwell heads up the trail
in search of Mark. Meanwhile, Mark is steadily
making his way up the ten-mile trail. He is
terrified that this small mistake will really cost
him. He decides that if Mr. Maxwell wants to
get rid of him so bad, he will have to find him
first.
Both Mark and Mr. Maxwell are constantly
hiking. Mr. Maxwell is worried about finding
Mark before dark and making sure that he is
safe. Mark starts to feel bad about his decision
to disappear. He checks the map that he has
been given and finds a trail that loops back to
camp. He decides to return and do his best to
make amends. Mr. Maxwell follows Mark‟s
footprints. He is horrified to discover that
Mark has taken the loop trail. A trail that has
been closed for three years because of
dangerous erosion.
Mark soon finds himself lost on an almost
nonexistent trail. He checks the map again and
decides to head in a different direction hoping
to connect back up with the trail shortly. Soon
he discovers that he is lost. Suddenly he hears
the voice of Mr. Maxwell calling after him.
Instead of going toward the voice, Mark feels
angry and runs away from him. He falls and
injures his hand, which gives him a second to
think. He decides that it would be better to
face Mr. Maxwell now. He begins calling after
him, but to no use. Mark pulls out his whistle
and begins blowing. Still no response. Quickly,
he eats an energy bar and has a drink so that he
will have the strength to find Mr. Maxwell. As
he heads off in search, he forgets to check his
compass.
Mark finally checks his compass and realizes
that he has been traveling in the wrong
direction and there is no sign of Mr. Maxwell.
It is dark and windy and he is lost.
Mark decides to find a place to sleep for the
night. He finds an area out of the wind that is
possibilities (137)
situation (141)
Plot: What is the main
problem of this chapter? Is
it different from the main
problem of this book? Make a
prediction of how you think
both problems will be solved.
distinctive (144)
theoretical (144)
Monitor for Meaning: During
the chapter, the perspective
changes from Mr. Maxwell‟s
to Marks. How do you know
when the perspective
changes? What clue does the
author give to you that
someone else is thinking and
talking?
angling (151)
gullied (152)
inexperience (154)
instinctively (155)
plumes (158)
Questions: What is Mr.
Maxwell feeling right now?
Will Mark be found before an
emergency occurs? How will
the two characters behave
when they actually reunite?
Will the compass effect their
safety?
concentration (163)
avoided (164)
Connections: Have you ever
been lost? What does it feel
like? Does your memory help
you understand how Mark
feels right now?
Prediction: Mark has really
been prepared on this trip.
glimpse (166)
inventiveness (168)
172
semi protected. He gathers up wood and makes
a fire. He eats a Snickers bar for dinner and
ties the rest of his food into his pack and hangs
it from a tree, high enough that the bears can‟t
get it. He sets up his sleeping bag, puts on a
few more layers of clothes and falls asleep. In
the middle of the night he has to get up to go to
the bathroom. As he is ready to climb back into
his bag, he hears something nearby. It is Mr.
Maxwell cold and needing help.
Ch.21
Mark got to work helping Mr. Maxwell. He got
Pgs. 173him warm by bundling him up and making a fire.
181
By firelight, Mark and Mr. Maxwell explained
themselves and their behavior. Mr. Maxwell
told Mark that he had injured his leg during the
hike. Mark explained how he decided to head
back to camp so that no one would worry about
him. Mr. Maxwell and Mark came to be friends.
They helped each other back to camp and tried
to make breakfast.
Ch. 22
Everyone was worried about the missing
Pgs. 182campers, but were relieved to finally have them
190
back at camp. Mr. Maxwell got a cast on his
ankle but returned to finish out the week.
When everything was over, Mr. Maxwell gave
the multitool to Mark and thanked him for being
prepared. When Mark got home he talked to his
parents about staying at Whitson for school
next year. He was beginning to feel at home and
proud of the young mad he was becoming.
Other Activities/Ideas:
Write an alternate ending to the book. Would you have changed
tinder (175)
absorbed (175)
dehydrated (176)
wry (177)
fulcrum (178)
adventurers (182)
posse (183)
He has done his research and
has all the gear that he needs
to survive in the woods. Now
that Mr. Maxwell is there and
needs help, what do you think
will happen? Remember, Mark
and Mr. Maxwell are still
upset at each other. The last
time Mr. Maxwell tried to
help Mark, Mark ran off.
Author‟s Message: On page
180, Mr. Maxwell mentions a
special feeling that he has
had in his teaching career.
What is this feeling? Could
this be the message of the
book? If so, what message is
the author sending?
Circular Ending: The author
ends the book by circling back
to the beginning of the book
and the lucky penny. What
did the penny mean to Mark?
Why would the author end the
book that way? What does
that mean for Mark‟s future?
the outcome of the lonely night in the woods?
Predict and write what happens in Mark and Mr. Maxwell‟s future. What do you think would be the best outcome for
the characters?
Find something that really interests you like Mark did in the book. Research it and really get to know what that hobby
requires. Teach someone in your group about what you researched and tell them why this topic interests you.
Monitor for Meaning
Questions
Connections
Imagery
Inference
Synthesis
Problem
Solution
Characters
Setting
Events