CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: A WRINKLE IN TIME 6TH GRADE UNIT
Student Packet Answer Key
A Wrinkle in Time
(Page references refer to the page that the activity appears on in the student packet.)
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Elements of Science Fiction, pp. 2-3
Genre Lesson Independent Practice
pp. 9-10: Meg’s parents give her and Charles Wallace tests; science experiments
p. 15: Mrs. Murry has a science lab and is a scientist; science experiments
pp. 21, 23: Mrs. Whatsit and Mrs. Murry mention the tesseract; time travel
pp. 25-27, 48: Meg mentions that her father is a physicist; scientific experiments
pp. 51-52: Father is on a dangerous, scientific mission; scientific experiments
pp. 54-55: Mrs. Who and Mrs. Whatsit materialize in front of Meg, Calvin, and Charles
Wallace; outer space or aliens and time travel
pp. 56-59: The Mrs. W’s and the children travel to Uriel; time travel, new societies, outer
space
pp. 59-61: On planet Uriel, now is spring, peaceful, air smells sweet; outer space and
new societies
p. 62: Traveled to Uriel by tessering/wrinkling; time travel, outer space
pp. 64-65: Mrs. Whatsit transforms from looking like a human to a creature that looks like
a horse with wings. She carries the children while she files around the planet, Uriel;
aliens
p. 66: Granite plains on Uriel; new societies; outer space
pp. 66-68: Creatures on Uriel singing; new societies; outer space
pp. 68-70: The children have to use a special flower to breathe; outer space and new
societies
p. 70: The children see Uriel’s golden moon; outer space and new societies
pp. 71-73: The children see the dark Thing; good vs. evil plot line, outer space and aliens,
new societies
pp. 74-75: Mrs. Which and Mrs. Whatsit tell Meg that her father is being controlled by the
Dark Thing, but she feels that Meg can save him; good vs. evil plot line, outer space and
aliens, new societies
p. 75-79: Mrs. Who explains to the children about wrinkling and tessering; time travel;
outer space
pp. 79-80: The Mrs. W’s and the children tesser to a planet with no atmosphere; time
travel
pp. 81-90: The Mrs. W’s and the three children arrive on Orion’s Belt where they meet
with the Happy Medium; aliens and outer space
p. 84: Mrs. Whatsit says that she is, “2,379,152,497 years old; aliens
pp. 85-90: The Happy Medium shows the children Earth through her crystal ball and it is
being overcome by the Dark Thing; good vs. evil plot line, outer space, and technology
pp. 91-92: The Happy Medium shows the children that a star (light) was giving up its life
to help overcome the Dark Thing; good vs. evil plot line and outer space
pp. 98-99: Mrs. Whatsit and the children tesser again and arrive on Camazotz; time
travel, new societies, and outer space
pp. 103-113: The children walk around Camazotz and see rows of homes. People come
out of the homes simultaneously and act simultaneously; time travel and new societies
Vocabulary Activity: One of These Words is Not Like the Others, p. 4
Chapter 1: “Mrs. Whatsit” — Chapter 3: “Mrs. Which”
1. excitedly; The remaining words can be used to describe something that is quiet and
composed.
2. average; The remaining words can be used to describe something that is out of the
ordinary.
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CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: A WRINKLE IN TIME 6TH GRADE UNIT
Student Packet Answer Key
3. purposely; The remaining words can be used to describe something that is done
unintentionally.
4. calmly; The remaining words can be used to describe something that is very loud and
noisy.
5. pleased; The remaining words can be used to describe someone that is very angry and
annoyed.
6. unquestionably; The remaining words can be used to describe something that is
uncertain.
Comprehension Questions, pp. 5-6
Chapter 1: “Mrs. Whatsit” — Chapter 3: “Mrs. Which”
1. S
Meg’s bedroom is in the cold attic of the Murry’s house. The windows in her room
rattle from the storm. The floorboards are made of wood and are cold to walk on. Outside of
her room is the main attic which is used as the Murry’s storage room. On the floor below the
attic is Meg’s parents room with a double bed, her brother Charles Wallace’s room, and then
a third bedroom for her twin brothers, Dennys and Sandy. The kitchen is on the first floor and
has flowers on the window sills. A bouquet of flowers is on the table. There are curtains on
the windows with a red, blue, and green pattern. There is an old stone dairy off the kitchen
that has Mrs. Murry’s science lab. A pantry beyond the lab led outside.
2. Co/Co, C He hardly talked when anyone else was around. When he did talk, he spoke
in a very mature way. He seemed to know what Meg and his mother were thinking. Once
Charles Wallace learned to speak, he started talking in full sentences.
3. C
Meg feels like a delinquent. She is upset about her performance at school as she
has been dropped down to the lowest section in her grade. She tackles some boys on the
way home from school because they say that Charles Wallace is dumb. She is also upset
that her father is gone and that she shows her feelings of sadness about this.
4. S
It is in the woods behind their house. It is where Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and
Mrs. Which. The house was surrounded by elm trees. The house was covered with yellow,
damp leaves. The windows were blank and some of the shutters had come unhinged. A
board was nailed across the door. The back door also appeared to be nailed shut, but
creaked when opened. It had rusty hinges. The house was dark. The house had a kitchen
with a huge fireplace and a chimney.
5. ViC
b. They are unlike their parents because of a “change in gene”.
6. C, Co/Co d. They both are “sports” and sometimes get a strange feeling to do
something.
7. P
a.
Mr. Murry was sent away on a work mission and the family has not heard
from him in a long time.
8. C c. The government.
9. C
Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which all live in the haunted house in the
forest behind the Murry’s house. Mrs. Whatsit wears many layers of clothing, including
scarves, a coat, a hat, and boots. Her clothing is very colorful. She has a small amount of
gray hair tied into a knot on the top of her head. She has bright eyes, a very round nose, and
puckered lips. She is very bold and likes to talk. Mrs. Who had very large and thick glasses.
She enjoyed sewing sheets. She was very plump and cheery. She often quoted famous
people instead of having a conversation with others. Mrs. Which shimmers and she quivers
because she cannot fully materialize. She stutters when she speaks.
10. DC
She was probably going to tell Mrs. Who that just because Mrs. Who is older
then her does not mean that she is smarter or knows more.
Unknown Words and Context Clues, pp. 7-8
Lesson 1 Independent Practice
Unknown words can include, but are not limited to: fluid, retort, fort, wryly, clenched, somber,
judiciously
Vocabulary Activity: Opposite Meanings, p. 9
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CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: A WRINKLE IN TIME 6TH GRADE UNIT
Student Packet Answer Key
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Chapter 4: “The Black Thing” — Chapter 6: “The Happy Medium”
gradually, slowly
definable, describable, utterable
distinguishable, unordinary, unique
kindly, sweetly
protected, safe, secure
honest, open, truthful
Comprehension Questions, pp. 10-11
Chapter 4: “The Black Thing” — Chapter 6: “The Happy Medium”
1. S
Uriel is a place that is very light and golden. The ground is covered with new,
green grass. Small, multicolored flowers are growing out of the grass. There is an extremely
high mountain whose top is covered in puffy white clouds. Birds are singing at the bottom of
the trees. It is a very peaceful place. Beyond the fields is a large plateau filled with granite-like
objects. There is also a garden filled with singing creatures like Mrs. Whatsit. The creatures
are beautiful and have a marble white body that looks like a horse. The creatures have a
head that looks like a man and beautiful wings. The garden is filled with flowers and a river.
Beyond the garden is cold, dry land. Uriel also has several golden moons.
2. Th, S c. The light and golden color.
3. C, DC No. When they were on Earth, they changed themselves to look human so that
people would not be suspicious of how they really look. They are from the planet Uriel and
can transform themselves into humans. They are really white creatures that have wings and
fly. Their heads look like a man and their body looks like a horse. They were previously stars
that gave up their lives by battling the Dark Thing.
4. ViC
Students should draw any two-dimensional (flat) shape such as a square,
triangle, or rectangle.
5. C/E, S b. Everything was flat on the two- dimensional planet.
6. ViC, S It is small amount of time. When the group travels to the other planets, Mrs.
Whatsit explains that the amount of time on Earth is different then the amount of time spent
on other planets. She explains that when they arrive back on Earth, it will be about five
minutes before they left, so it will appear as if they were never gone.
7. ViC, S It is a way to travel through space and time by taking a shortcut. It allows for very
fast travel. It is the fifth dimension that allows for the quickest travel between two points that is
not a line.
8. C/E, P It can be overcome by good. Since the Dark Thing represents evil, anything that
is good can help to overcome it. Pride, confidence, light, determination, and creativity will help
to defeat the Dark Thing.
9. ViC
It meant that she is reminding Meg that her faults or the things that she does not
like about herself will come in handy when she is on Camazotz and trying to rescue her
father. Everyone on Camazotz acts perfectly and in an orderly way. Meg’s faults or
imperfections make her unique and will help her to save her father.
10. C a.Impatience
Setting Details, p. 12
Lesson 2 Independent Practice
Same:
• Camazotz has trees that Earth has (birch, pine, and maple trees).
• There are smokestacks on Camazotz and it looks like a town on Earth.
• There are houses with flowers planted by them on Camazotz, just like on Earth.
Different:
• The Medium’s planet is described as gray. Earth can be gray, but is not gray all the time.
• All of the homes look exactly alike on Camazotz. On Earth, there are many different types
of homes.
• All of the people on Camazotz do the exact same thing at the exact same time. They all
look alike. On Earth, people are unique in the way the act and look.
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CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: A WRINKLE IN TIME 6TH GRADE UNIT
Student Packet Answer Key
•
On Camazotz, there is never any trouble. On Earth, people get into accidents or go to jail
for wrongdoings.
Vocabulary Activity: Have You Ever?, p. 13
Chapter 7: “The Man with Red Eyes” — Chapter 9: “IT”
1. No, I would not want to have a dog that snarls at people because the dog would scare
the people away. People would not want to go near my dog.
2. I would not like it if I went to school and it was vacant. There would be no one to talk to
and it would be very difficult to learn on my own.
3. No, I would not want to be known for my tenacity because it would show that people
thought of me as being stubborn.
4. My sister spoke to my mother in a pedantic voice when my mother told her that she had
to clean up her room.
5. When I was running the race for the school championships, I was inexorable. Everyone
else was 10 seconds behind me.
6. I acted brusquely towards my sister when she borrowed my favorite shirt without asking
for my permission.
7. No, I would not want to be around something that made me feel ominous because it
would scare me and I would not want to stay around to witness what possibly would happen.
Comprehension Questions, pp. 14-15
Chapter 7: “The Man with Red Eyes” — Chapter 9: “IT”
1. C/E, P The Dark Thing told him that he was smart. He also thought that he could
somehow break him down and thought it was the only way that he could get to his father. He
was very upset about how the Dark Thing was treating them and wanted to defeat him.
2. V, S
a. Fear
3. Th, S b. Control
4. ViC
b. Kill
5. P, C/E IT wants to establish conformity to help prevent war and unhappiness.
6. C
Lead the group to Mr. Murry, wave his hands to make a wall disappear, and lead
the group to a pulsing building with that has a large brain on a table.
7. P, Th d. All of the above
8. DC
On Camazotz, just because everyone did the same thing and were controlled
and alike, it did not allow for equality since they were not allowed to make their own
decisions.
9. Co/Co, S It was very scary for Meg. Her father did not have much experience with
tessering. She felt like her body was being torn apart and was in a lot of pain.
10. P Meg acted stubbornly and concentrated on other things like shouting out the periodic
table or thinking about the answers to math facts.
Symbols Brainstorm, p. 16
Lesson 3 Independent Practice
1. Meg: Cares about her family and her father. She feels like she does not fit in at school.
She is willing to try and defeat IT so that her father and brother can be saved.
Calvin: He is a very smart teenager and is very successful at school.
Charles Wallace: Very young (about 4-5 years old), but very smart. He does not show
off his intelligence. He cares for his sister and family. Willing to try and conquer the Man
with the Red Eyes so that he can help his father.
2. Meg: love for others; being different and unique; being good
Calvin: being different and unique
Charles Wallace: being different and unique; love for others
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CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: A WRINKLE IN TIME 6TH GRADE UNIT
Student Packet Answer Key
Vocabulary Activity: Four Square, pp. 17-18
Chapter 10: “Absolute Zero” — Chapter 12: “The Foolish and the Weak”
1. Definition: Easily broken, snapped, or cracked; Examples: Dried flowers, glass, finger nails; Nonexamples: A thick piece of wood, metal
2. Definition: Not enough or not good enough; Examples: Having only a drop of water when
very thirsty, not having enough money to buy something; Non-examples: Coming in first in a
race, getting praise for something that you have written
3. Definition: Joyfully enthusiastic; Examples: A person who has won the lottery, a person
who enters their surprise party; Non-examples: Getting a bad grade, forgetting your
homework
4. Definition: Feeling nervous or scared; Examples: Going to a haunted house, going on a
roller coaster, starting the first day of school; Non-examples: Listening to peaceful music,
feeling relaxed on vacation
5. Definition: Spreading throughout the room; Examples: The scent of flowers, the scent of
fresh-baked bread; Non-examples: An empty glass, eating all the food and not sharing
6. Definition: Feeling very fearful and worried; Examples: Staying home alone for the first
time at night, not knowing if a sick relative will get better; Non-examples: Spending time with
friends and family
Comprehension Questions, pp. 19-20
Chapter 10: “Absolute Zero” — Chapter 12: “The Foolish and the Weak”
1. F/O
Yes, because if they did not Tesser, IT may have taken control of Mr. Murry, Meg, and
Calvin. Tessering also allowed them to escape Camazotz. No, because they left Charles Wallace on
Camazotz in control of IT. They also did not know what would happen to them or where they would
land when they tessered.
2. Th
d. Evil
3. Co/Co, S Camazotz is very orderly and controlled by IT. All the homes are in rows and
everyone does the same thing at the exact same time. Ixchel is very rusty, cold, and gray.
There are brown flowers and plants. The air smells very pretty and a soft breeze blows. The
food has no color but tastes delicious. There are soft, kind, beast-like creatures on the planet.
4. Th
b. Love and Kindness
5. DC Meg is very worried about Charles Wallace. She also thought that her father would
be able to help out more and rescue Charles from IT.
6. C/E, C The Beasts have different senses and ways of communicating then humans.
They cannot see and rely largely on their sense of smell and touch rather then sight.
7. ViC b. Win
8. EI, P c. Love, A Blessing, and Something that IT does not have
9. SEQ c. The Mrs. W’s give Meg gifts.
10. P
Before leaving for Camazotz, she apologized to him, and explained that she was
only blaming him for Charles being controlled by IT because she was hoping that her father
would take care of the problem. She also said that she misbehaved because she was scared.
Plot Conflict Worksheet, p. 21
Lesson 4 Independent Practice
Details of the Conflict: IT is trying to gain control of Meg. Meg is led to IT by Charles Wallace.
Meg feels a steady pulsing when she goes into the building where IT is. She starts to feel like the
beating of her heart beats in time to the pulsing of IT. Meg tries not to be controlled by IT by
shouting out the Declaration of Independence, the periodic table, and square roots, but she starts to
loose control. Later, while on Ixchel, Meg realizes that she has to rescue Charles Wallace from IT.
At what point in the book was this conflict resolved?: Calvin realizes that Meg is loosing control
and that IT is going to win the conflict. He says that they all need to tesser to get away from IT and
IT’s control. Mr. Murry grabs Meg and they tesser to Ixchel. Once Meg tessers back to Camazotz,
she realizes that her love is the one thing that IT does not have. Once she realizes this, Charles
Wallace is no longer controlled by IT and they tesser back to Earth.
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CONCEPTS OF COMPREHENSION: A WRINKLE IN TIME 6TH GRADE UNIT
Student Packet Answer Key
What events led to the resolution?: Meg realizes that she has the power within herself to get
Charles Wallace back and that IT cannot control her. Once she realizes she has love and IT does
not, it leads to IT loosing control.
Thinking about Theme, p. 22
Lesson 5 Independent Practice
How the conflict between Meg and IT was resolved: Meg realizes that her love is the one thing
that IT does not have. Once she realizes this, Charles Wallace is no longer controlled by IT and the
entire family tessers back to Earth.
Theme or author’s message: “Good always prevails over evil.” or “Love can save the day.”
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