Student Packet
Grades 5–6
The Homework Machine
Dan Gutman
™
Activities to teach Reading, Thinking, and Writing
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THE HOMEWORK MACHINE
by
Dan Gutman
Student Packet
Written by
Sammie Underwood
PLUS
2 Prereading Activities
5 Vocabulary Activities
1 Study Guide
2 Literary Analysis Activities
3 Character Analysis Activities
2 Comprehension Activities
2 Critical Thinking Activities
1 Writing Activity
2 Quizzes
1 Final Test
Detailed Answer Key
and Scoring Rubric
Note
Teacher Note
Selected activities, quizzes, and
test questions in this Novel Units®
Student Packet are labeled with
the appropriate reading/language
arts skills for quick reference.
These skills can be found above
quiz/test questions or sections
and in the activity headings.
The 2007 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers paperback
edition of the book, © 2006 by Dan Gutman, was used to prepare
this guide. Page references may differ in other editions.
ISBN: 978-0-689-87679-0
Please note: Please assess the appropriateness of this book for the age
level and maturity of your students prior to reading and discussing it
with them.
ISBN 978-1-60878-738-8
Copyright infringement is a violation of Federal Law.
© 2013 by Novel Units, Inc., Bulverde, Texas.All rights reserved. Reproduction of this publication is limited
to the terms of the Single-Classroom User License for a maximum of 30 copies. No part of this publication may
be translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted or shared in any way or by any means (electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission from Novel Units, Inc.
Reproduction of any part of this publication for multiple school terms, an entire school or for a school system,
by for-profit institutions and tutoring centers, or for commercial sale is strictly prohibited
Novel Units is a registered trademark of ECS Learning Systems, Inc. Printed in the United States of America.
ECS Learning Systems, Inc. recommends that the purchaser/user of this publication preview and use his/her
own judgment when selecting lessons and activities. Please assess the appropriateness of the content and
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standards and best professional practices is the duty of the teachers, students, and/or others who use the
content of this publication. ECS Learning Systems is not responsible for any damage, to property or person,
that results from the performance of the activities in this publication.
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Note to the Teacher
Selected activities, quizzes, and test questions in this Novel Units® Student Packet are labeled with the
following reading/language arts skills for quick reference. These skills can be found above quiz/test
questions or sections and in the activity headings.
Basic Understanding: The student will demonstrate a basic understanding of written texts. The
student will:
• use a text’s structure or other sources to locate and recall information (Locate Information)
• determine main idea and identify relevant facts and details (Main Idea and Details)
• use prior knowledge and experience to comprehend and bring meaning to a text
(Prior Knowledge)
• summarize major ideas in a text (Summarize Major Ideas)
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Literary Elements: The student will apply knowledge of literary elements to understand written
texts. The student will:
• analyze characters from a story (Character Analysis)
• analyze conflict and problem resolution (Conflict/Resolution)
• recognize and interpret literary devices (flashback, foreshadowing, symbolism, simile,
metaphor, etc.) (Literary Devices)
• consider characters’ points of view (Point of View)
• recognize and analyze a story’s setting (Setting)
• understand and explain themes in a text (Theme)
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Analyze Written Texts: The student will use a variety of strategies to analyze written texts. The
student will:
• identify the author’s purpose (Author’s Purpose)
• identify cause and effect relationships in a text (Cause/Effect)
• identify characteristics representative of a given genre (Genre)
• interpret information given in a text (Interpret Text)
• make and verify predictions with information from a text (Predictions)
• sequence events in chronological order (Sequencing)
• identify and use multiple text formats (Text Format)
• follow written directions and write directions for others to follow (Follow/Write Directions)
2
Critical Thinking: The student will apply critical-thinking skills to analyze written texts. The
student will:
• write and complete analogies (Analogies)
• find similarities and differences throughout a text (Compare/Contrast)
• draw conclusions from information given (Drawing Conclusions)
• make and explain inferences (Inferences)
• respond to texts by making connections and observations (Making Connections)
• recognize and identify the mood of a text (Mood)
• recognize an author’s style and how it affects a text (Style)
• support responses by referring to relevant aspects of a text (Support Responses)
• recognize and identify the author’s tone (Tone)
• write to entertain, such as through humorous poetry or short stories (Write to Entertain)
• write to express ideas (Write to Express)
• write to inform (Write to Inform)
• write to persuade (Write to Persuade)
• demonstrate understanding by creating visual images based on text descriptions (Visualizing)
• practice math skills as they relate to a text (Math Skills)
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Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Activity #1 • Prereading
Use Before and After Reading
(Prior Knowledge)
Anticipation Guide
Directions: Rate each of the following statements before you read the book, and discuss
your ratings with a partner. After you have completed the book, rate and discuss the
statements again.
1 ————— 2 ————— 3 ————— 4 ————— 5 ————— 6
strongly agree
strongly disagree
1. Hard work always pays off.
______
______
2. It’s cool to not try to be cool.
______
______
3. Secrets should never be shared.
______
______
4. There are degrees of wrongness.
______
______
5. It is possible to get something for nothing.
______
______
6. People should not be judged by their appearance.
______
______
7. Too little homework can have a negative effect on students.
______
______
8. Cliques are simply groups of people with the same interests.
______
______
9. Too much homework can have a negative effect on students.
______
______
______
______
10. A student must be interested in the material to do well in school.
All rights reserved
After
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Before
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Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Activity #2 • Prereading
Use Before Reading
(Predictions)
I Predict…
Directions: Spend a few minutes looking at the cover of the book and flipping through its
pages. What can you predict about the characters, the setting, and the problem in the book?
Write your predictions in the spaces below.
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The Characters
The Setting
The Problem
From the information you gathered above, do you think you will enjoy reading this book?
Circle your response on the scale below.
Explain your prediction on the lines below.
0 —— 1 —— 2 —— 3 —— 4 —— 5 —— 6 —— 7 —— 8 —— 9 —— 10
I will not like this book.
I will really like this book.
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
All rights reserved
___________________________________________________________________________________
4
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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The Homework Machine
Activity #3 • Vocabulary
Introduction–Chapter 1
Name ________________________________
Yes or No
recent
preferably
individuals
estimate
situation
occurred
achiever
fatal
rumor
destined
typical
blunder
permanent
tourists
assignments
Directions: Read each sentence below, and answer the question that follows.
1. Avery’s recent birthday party was a lot of fun. Did her birthday happen months ago?
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_______________
2. Mom says, “Tell the truth in every situation.” Does she mean to tell the truth in every
instance? _______________
3. There is a rumor that Suzie won the lottery. Is it certain that Suzie won? _______________
4. The scar is permanent. Does that mean it is very sore? _______________
5. Pete likes vegetables—preferably broccoli. Does he like broccoli best? _______________
6. Two accidents occurred on Tuesday. Did two accidents take place on Tuesday?
_______________
7. The rocket launch is destined for failure. Will it work? _______________
8. The restaurant is full of tourists. Is the restaurant full of local customers? _______________
9. People want to be recognized as individuals. Do they want to win an award for the
whole team? _______________
10. Jacob is a high achiever in math class. Does Jacob need tutoring in math?
_______________
11. Today is a typical day at school. Is today like most other days at school? _______________
12. Sarah brought Reese the assignments she missed at school. Did Sarah bring Reese her
test grades? _______________
13. I estimate that it takes 20 minutes to get to your house. Am I making a guess?
_______________
15. Elle made a blunder in her dance routine. Did she make a mistake? _______________
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14. Some mistakes can be fatal. Do they lead to trouble and ruin? _______________
5
The Homework Machine
Activity #4 • Vocabulary
Chapter 2
Name ________________________________
Crossword Puzzle
pestered
vision
challenged
interpret
relate
pressure
proportional
diameter
eventually
pursue
mechanics
witnessing
lacked
accomplish
appropriate
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Directions: Complete the crossword puzzle below using the clues provided.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
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14
6
Across
1. stress
2. fitting or suitable
4. “sooner or later”
7. connect with or make friends with
9. needed or did not have
10. width or distance across
12. comparable to or related to
13. figure out or understand
14. seeing with one’s own eyes
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Down
1. work at or go after
3. bothered or annoyed
5. put to the test
6. finish or carry out
8. details of how something works
11. imagination or understanding
The Homework Machine
Activity #5 • Vocabulary
Chapters 3–4
Name ________________________________
Fill in the Blanks
military
genius
agreement
suspicious
hideous
reputation
official
advantages
attitude
nickname
documents
suspended
obvious
crude
virus
Directions: Fill in the blanks using words from the box above.
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1. There are jeeps, tanks, and other __________________ vehicles in the parade.
2. Whoever invented the computer is a(n) __________________.
3. Zack’s zombie Halloween mask is __________________!
4. William Anderson is his name, but Bill is his __________________.
5. Soren’s good __________________ toward school will surely help her be successful.
6. The Declaration of Independence is one of our country’s priceless __________________.
7. Miss Sheridan has a(n) __________________ as a very tough teacher.
8. The student was __________________ for refusing to follow the school’s dress code.
9. The man hiding in the shadows looks __________________.
10. A contract is a type of __________________.
11. I could see some of the Easter eggs that had been positioned in __________________
places.
12. The movie’s “R” rating was partly due to _________________ language.
13. If a document is signed by the President, it is ___________________.
14. Hilary had her computer repaired after she accidentally downloaded a
___________________.
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15. Knowing the alphabet and how to count are __________________ when you start
kindergarten.
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The Homework Machine
Activity #6 • Vocabulary
Chapters 5–7
Name ________________________________
Vocabulary Card Game
traitors
automatically
gesture
gossip
grim
credit
athlete
confess
positive
career
scribble
equipment
guilty
artificial
society
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Directions:
• Cut out the following pages.
• Give one card to each student in the class.
• The student who has the starred card begins by reading his/her question.
• The student who has the card with the correct vocabulary word responds and then
reads his/her question.
• Play continues in this manner until all cards have been read.
✮
grim
----------------------------------------------------
What word describes someone who is
gloomy or depressed?
What word describes something that
is useful or helpful?
positive
----------------------------------------------------
guilty
----------------------------------------------------
What word describes a person who
has done something wrong?
What word describes the way
machines accomplish tasks?
automatically
----------------------------------------------------
credit
----------------------------------------------------
What word means recognition
or belief?
What word means a person’s progress
in a certain job field?
All rights reserved
traitors
----------------------------------------------------
8
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The Homework Machine
Activity #6 • Vocabulary
page 2
Name ________________________________
artificial
----------------------------------------------------
What word means false or insincere?
What word means a meaningful
action or deed?
gesture
----------------------------------------------------
athlete
----------------------------------------------------
What word means a person who
is good at sports?
What word means to write messily?
scribble
----------------------------------------------------
society
----------------------------------------------------
What word means an organized
group or a club?
What word means rumors or idle talk?
gossip
----------------------------------------------------
confess
----------------------------------------------------
What word means to admit that
you did something?
What word means gear needed
for a particular purpose?
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career
----------------------------------------------------
equipment
----------------------------------------------------
All rights reserved
What do you call people who support
or help the enemy?
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9
The Homework Machine
Activity #7 • Vocabulary
Chapters 8–10
Name ________________________________
Question & Answer
electronics
evidence
crutch
successful
shrugged
armored
criminals
intense
defense
vehicle
desperate
influence
swirling
counselors
theory
Directions: Answer each question using a vocabulary word from the box above.
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1. What word describes professionals who give personal advice? __________________
2. How would you describe someone who feels hopeless? __________________
3. What word describes the physical proof of something existing or happening?
__________________
4. How would you describe something that involves much effort or very concentrated
activity? __________________
5. What is another name for computers or machines? __________________
6. What word describes people who break the law? __________________
7. What word means protection from attack by an enemy? __________________
8. What word describes the power a person might have to affect others’ thinking?
__________________
9. What word describes a machine used for transportation? __________________
10. How would you describe a person who does well at something? __________________
11. What do you call something that is covered in heavy steel plates? __________________
12. How would you describe a story that is spreading quickly? __________________
13. What do you call an idea or belief that might explain something? __________________
14. What do you call something that supports someone who might otherwise fail?
All rights reserved
__________________
10
15. What might a student have done if s/he was unable to answer the teacher’s question?
__________________
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Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Study Guide
Directions: Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Use your answers
in class discussions, for writing assignments, and to review for tests.
Introduction–Chapter 1
1. How did Sam get his nickname?
2. What did Sam’s dad do for a living?
3. What is Judy’s dad’s job?
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4. What does Judy want to be when she grows up?
5. What did Judy’s mom initially think when Judy got in trouble with the police?
6. Which two people does Kelsey think are geniuses?
7. Why did Miss Rasmussen put the kid’s desks together in groups?
8. According to Sam, what physical problems are caused by homework?
9. How do Sam’s parents get him to do his homework?
10. Why did Brenton tell Sam about the homework machine?
Chapter 2
1. Who overheard Brenton tell Sam about the homework machine?
2. How did Kelsey find out about the homework machine?
3. What did Sam call Brenton after Brenton refused to show him the homework machine?
4. Whose picture does Brenton have in his room?
5. What is Brenton’s dad’s job?
6. Which homework assignment did Brenton feed into the homework machine to prove to
the D Squad that it worked?
7. What kind of homework did Miss Rasmussen usually give?
8. Why did Brenton invent the homework machine?
9. How well did Brenton’s catapult work compared to the other students’?
10. For Brenton, what was the most difficult part of inventing the homework machine?
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11. What stranger contacted Brenton shortly after he began using the homework machine?
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Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Study Guide
page 2
Chapters 3–4
1. What did Kelsey do to her hair?
2. What is Sam really good at, according to Judy?
3. What did Sam offer Brenton in exchange for letting him use the homework machine?
4. What did Kelsey offer Brenton for using the homework machine?
5. How did Brenton explain chess to Sam?
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6. What did R. Milner ask Brenton via instant message?
7. How many moves did it take Sam’s dad to beat him in their first chess game?
8. Explain “red socks day.” Whose idea was it?
9. Why was Ronnie Teotwawki suspicious of the D Squad?
10. Explain “McHomework.” Whose idea was it?
11. What did Miss Rasmussen do when her students wore their clothes inside out?
12. What did R. Milner know about Kelsey that scared her?
Chapters 5–7
1. Where was Sam’s dad sent?
2. What bad habit did Judy’s mom have? How does Judy compare that to using Belch?
3. Who is Jessica Martin?
4. What positive interest did Sam find that made Miss Rasmussen happy?
5. What did Sam, Brenton, and Kelsey do that upset Judy?
6. What did Miss Rasmussen do when Sam brought his chessboard to class?
7. What did the D Squad do when they got a homework vacation?
8. Who wrote a message on the bathroom wall? What did it say?
9. What item in the school paper made the D Squad nervous?
10. Who tried to break into Brenton’s house?
All rights reserved
11. What did Kelsey notice when the D Squad unplugged Belch?
12
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Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Study Guide
page 3
Chapters 8–10
1. What is a “woodpusher”?
2. What was Sam’s opinion of Miss Rasmussen’s surprise test?
3. What happened to Sam’s father?
4. Who confessed to tipping off the police and the school paper about Belch?
5. What did Kelsey tell Judy about Brenton?
6. Where were Sam, Judy, Brenton, and Kelsey “invited”?
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7. Why was Brenton proud of Belch?
8. What did Judy jokingly suggest the D Squad do with Belch?
9. What evidence of Belch’s existence ended up in the police chief’s possession?
10. What did Kelsey change about her appearance that summer? What did Brenton change?
11. What did the D Squad do together after school was out for the summer?
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12. What did Sam ask Kelsey?
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The Homework Machine
Activity #8 • Literary Analysis
Use After Reading
Name ________________________________
(Genre)
Realistic Fiction vs. Science Fiction
A. Directions: Six elements of realistic fiction are listed in the first column of the chart below.
Decide if each element of realistic fiction applies to The Homework Machine. In the second
column, write “Yes” or “No” to indicate your decision. In the third column, give an example
from the book to support your decision.
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Element of Realistic Fiction
Yes/No
Example from the Book
1. The characters resemble
real people.
2. The events could actually
happen.
3. The resolution is
believable.
4. The characters are not
“all bad” or “all good.”
5. The characters mature in
the story.
6. The lesson or message in
the book can apply to my
life or others’ lives.
B. Directions: Write a brief response to the questions below.
What part of the book might be considered science fiction? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
All rights reserved
___________________________________________________________________________________
14
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
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The Homework Machine
Activity #9 • Character Analysis
Use After Reading
Name ________________________________
(Character Analysis)
Character Chart
Directions: In the boxes across from each of the feelings, describe an incident or time in
the book when each of the listed characters experienced that feeling. You may use “not
applicable” if you cannot find an example.
Sam
Judy
Brenton
Kelsey
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Worry
Anger
Surprise
Regret
Relief
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Triumph
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The Homework Machine
Activity #10 • Literary Analysis
Use After Reading
Name ________________________________
(Literary Elements)
Story Map
Directions: Complete the story map below for The Homework Machine.
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Characters
Setting
Possible Themes
Conflict
Title
Point of View
Genre
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Author’s Style and Tone
16
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The Homework Machine
Activity #11 • Critical Thinking
Use After Reading
Name ________________________________
(Drawing Conclusions)
Evaluating Reasoning
Directions: Reread “Snikwad’s Ten Commandments of Homework” on pages 19–20 of the
book. Using the chart below, decide what is logical (or factual) and illogical (or silly) about
Sam’s reasoning in each “commandment.” (You may use “N/A” if a field does not apply.)
Commandment
What is logical or factual about
Sam’s reasoning?
What is illogical or silly about
Sam’s reasoning?
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1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
All rights reserved
9
10
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17
Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Activity #12 • Character Analysis
Use After Reading
(Visualizing/Character Analysis)
Bumper Stickers
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Directions: Sam notices a “War is not the answer” bumper sticker in Brenton’s room. In the
boxes below, design a bumper sticker for one of the other three D Squad members. On the
lines below your design, explain the connection.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
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All rights reserved
___________________________________________________________________________________________
18
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
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The Homework Machine
Activity #13 • Critical Thinking
Use After Reading
Name ________________________________
Venn Diagram
A. Directions: Use the Venn diagram below to compare and contrast Judy and Brenton.
Judy
Brenton
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Same
B. Directions: Write a brief response to the questions below.
Why is Judy jealous of Brenton? By the end of the story, how have her feelings toward
Brenton changed and why?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
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All rights reserved
___________________________________________________________________________________________
19
Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Activity #14 • Writing
Use After Reading
Blog Entry
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Directions: In the graphic below, write a blog entry that summarizes the events of the story.
Be sure to provide a title for your blog entry that will attract the reader’s interest.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
All rights reserved
________________________________________________________________
20
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Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Activity #15 • Comprehension
Use After Reading
Solving Problems
Directions: Read the problems listed in the first column of the chart below. Then, complete
the rest of the chart. For each problem, circle which solution you think is best––yours or
the character’s.
Problem
Character’s
Solution
Your
Solution
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1. Sam turns in a
disrespectful homework
assignment.
2. Sam refuses to do his
homework.
3. Brenton receives a
mysterious e-mail from
R. Milner.
4. Miss Rasmussen suspects
the D Squad is cheating.
5. Brenton decides the
D Squad members would
be better off doing their
own homework.
All rights reserved
6. Belch’s data cannot be
erased.
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21
Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Activity #16 • Comprehension
Use After Reading
(Making Connections)
Effects of Reading
All rights reserved
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Directions: When reading, each part of a book may affect you in a different way. Think about
how parts of the book affected you in different ways. Did some parts make you laugh? cry?
want to do something to help someone? Below, list one part of the book that touched each
of the following parts of the body: your head (made you think), your heart (made you feel),
your funny bone (made you laugh), or your feet (spurred you to action).
22
© Novel Units, Inc.
Your head
Your heart
Your funny bone
Your feet
The Homework Machine
Activity #17 • Character Analysis
Use After Reading
Name ________________________________
(Character Analysis)
Attitude Adjustments
Directions: Use the chart below to show how each character’s attitude changes from the
beginning to the end of the story.
At the Beginning
At the End
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Sam
Judy
Brenton
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Kelsey
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23
Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Quiz #1
Introduction–Chapter 4
(Main Idea and Details)
A. True/False: Mark each with a T for true or an F for false.
____ 1. Police Chief Rebecca Fish thinks the Grand Canyon is partly to blame for people
acting strangely.
____ 2. Sam moved to Arizona from Oregon.
____ 3. Kelsey is in the G&T program at school.
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____ 4. Brenton started a club for antisocial people.
____ 5. Sam’s parents agreed that Sam did not have to do his homework if he got a haircut.
____ 6. Judy enjoys doing homework.
____ 7. Brenton’s father helped him build a catapult.
____ 8. Sam thought Kelsey dyed her hair pink to get attention.
____ 9. Judy makes the honor roll every year.
____ 10. Sam asked Brenton to teach him how to play chess.
____ 11. Brenton wore red socks on red socks day.
____ 12. Kelsey mentioned online that she knew who started red socks day.
____ 13. Judy likes to talk to Brenton more than any other boy.
____ 14. Kids at school soon started calling Brenton “dude.”
____ 15. Miss Rasmussen was angry at her students for wearing their clothes inside out
one day.
(Summarize Major Ideas)
B. Short Answer: Write a brief response to each question below.
16. How did Brenton’s mother know her child was different from an early age?
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
17. How did the homework machine work?
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_______________________________________________________________________________
24
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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The Homework Machine
Quiz #2
Chapters 5–10
Name ________________________________
(Character Analysis)
A. Identification: Match each character to his or her quote.
a. Sam
b. Judy
c. Brenton
d. Kelsey
f. Jessica Martin
g. Heather
h. Police Chief Rebecca Fish
e. Ronnie Teotwawki
i. Miss Rasmussen
____ 1. “My dad is going to shoot guys.”
____ 2. “And if they did have a [homework] machine, it wasn’t fair to the rest of us.”
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____ 3. “…how come you aren’t working on your homework? How did you finish it so fast?”
____ 4. “I think I was becoming addicted to Belch….”
____ 5. “How come I see you with that jerk Judy all the time now?”
____ 6. “If you get all worked up over the little wrongs, you won’t appreciate how wrong
the big wrongs are.”
____ 7. “The most important thing to know is that chess isn’t a battle, it’s a war.”
____ 8. “Snik thinks he is so cool, but deep down he is so insecure.”
____ 9. “I could have gone for the win, but I guess I just didn’t have that killer instinct yet.”
____ 10. “We were spending more time worrying about Belch…than we would have if we
just did our stupid homework….”
____ 11. “They were all apologizing at once. I had never seen anything like it.”
____ 12. “Belch might be listening.”
____ 13. “Who chucks a computer into the Grand Canyon?”
____ 14. “I couldn’t resist. I had to find out what was going on. So I followed them….”
____ 15. “…when [kids] form their own little secret society that excludes everyone else, it’s
usually a sign of trouble.”
(Summarize Major Ideas)
B. Short Answer: Write a brief response to each question below.
16. Why did Miss Rasmussen blame herself for what happened?
_______________________________________________________________________________
17. What punishment did the D Squad members receive for their offense?
_______________________________________________________________________________
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All rights reserved
_______________________________________________________________________________
25
Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Final Test
A. Multiple Choice: Choose the BEST answer.
(Point of View)
____ 1. What was Judy’s first impression of Sam?
a. He is a nerd.
b. He is really cool.
c. He has low self-esteem.
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d. He has a positive attitude.
(Main Idea and Details)
____ 2. Which of Belch’s features amazed the D Squad most?
a. Belch could do simple sums such as 2 + 2.
b. Belch appeared to be an ordinary computer and printer.
c. Belch had a red power light that indicated when it was running.
d. Belch could print out homework in a student’s own handwriting.
(Main Idea and Details)
____ 3. One day, Brenton wants to
a. win the Nobel prize
b. find a cure for spinal-cord injuries
c. be the first person to live on Mars
d. get rich designing computer software
(Main Idea and Details)
____ 4. What did Sam offer Brenton in exchange for using the homework machine?
a. one dollar
b. his friendship
c. a chess match
d. his seat in class
(Main Idea and Details)
____ 5. What was one clue that something strange was happening with Belch?
a. Belch’s screen went dark when it was unplugged.
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b. Belch attracted the attention of Ronnie Teotwawki.
26
c. Belch’s red light stayed illuminated when it was unplugged.
d. Belch began making mistakes on Sam’s and Kelsey’s homework.
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Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Final Test
page 2
(Main Idea and Details)
____ 6. How did Miss Rasmussen know for sure that the D Squad was cheating?
a. She gave the class a surprise test.
b. She talked to some other teachers.
c. She held conferences with their parents.
d. She arranged the students’ desks in rows.
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(Sequencing)
____ 7. After she saw her students wearing their clothes inside out, Miss Rasmussen
a. wore her clothes inside out as well
b. reported the incident to Principal Wilson
c. congratulated her class on their creativity
d. attempted to discover who started the trend
(Cause/Effect)
____ 8. Why did Kelsey eventually feel that she had to take charge of the group?
a. Brenton was busy improving Belch.
b. No one else was acting like a leader.
c. Sam asked the D Squad not to visit for a while.
d. Kelsey thought Judy wasn’t smart enough to lead the group.
(Character Analysis)
____ 9. Why did Brenton feel proud of Belch?
a. Belch had made Brenton popular at school.
b. Belch had begun programming handwriting all on its own.
c. Belch had grown intelligent without any help from Brenton.
d. Belch had begun completing homework assignments at record speed.
(Main Idea and Details)
____ 10. What did R. Milner want Brenton to do?
a. influence kids to buy certain products
b. tell all kids in America to wear blue socks
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c. tell him how the homework machine works
d. create an establishment called “McHomework”
© Novel Units, Inc.
27
The Homework Machine
Final Test
page 3
Name ________________________________
(Drawing Conclusions)
____ 11. How does defeating Brenton at chess make Sam feel?
a. like a cheater
b. sad about his father
c. proud and intelligent
d. conceited and overconfident
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(Inferences)
____ 12. Brenton whispers “Do your homework” to R. Milner with the intent of
a. impressing Judy
b. getting R. Milner to leave
c. making the D Squad laugh
d. making Sam think he is cool
(Character Analysis)
B. Identification: Match each character to his or her description.
a. Sam
b. Judy
c. Brenton
____ 13. has long hair and refuses haircuts
____ 14. has a father who works for the National Park Service
____ 15. wears button-down shirts to school
____ 16. copies Brenton’s answers
____ 17. one-time friend of Jessica Martin
____ 18. one-time friend of Heather
____ 19. seemingly has no sense of humor
____ 20. lived in Oregon
____ 21. worries about his/her permanent record
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____ 22. has no interest in watching TV
28
____ 23. wants to be a lawyer
____ 24. panics easily
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d. Kelsey
Name ________________________________
The Homework Machine
Final Test
page 4
____ 25. admires Leonardo da Vinci
____ 26. thinks Brenton will win the Nobel prize
____ 27. is a good talker
____ 28. has pink hair at one time
____ 29. becomes “cool by association”
____ 30. gets a C on the surprise test
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(Summarize Major Ideas)
C. Short Answer: Explain how each phrase listed below is important to the story.
31. catapult
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
32. red socks
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
33. “McHomework”
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
34. two backpackers
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
D. Essay: On a separate sheet of paper, respond to one of the following.
(Point of View/Support Responses)
a. Why does Brenton think it was morally wrong for Sam and Kelsey to use the homework
machine, but not for Brenton to use it?
(Author’s Purpose/Support Responses)
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b. The author suggests that spending time together will allow people to overcome their
differences. Can people be friends in spite of differences? Why or why not?
© Novel Units, Inc.
29
Answer Key
Activity #1: Answers will vary.
Activity #2: Answers will vary. Suggestions: The Characters—There will be boys and girls in the story.
Their names will be Sam, Judy, Brenton, and Kelsey; The Setting—a school in Grand Canyon, Arizona;
The Problem—The police chief is involved so the kids are in some kind of trouble. A computer is
involved; Ratings and other predictions will vary.
Activity #3: 1. No 2. Yes 3. No 4. No 5. Yes 6. Yes 7. No 8. No 9. No 10. No 11. Yes 12. No 13. Yes
14. Yes 15. Yes
Activity #4:
1
P R
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A
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A M E
U
2
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A
P
4
E
3
P R O P R
V
S
E
U
S
E N
T
5
C
H
A
9
E
6
L
A C
L
O
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D
7
A
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E D
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P R O P O R
T
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D
Activity #5: 1. military 2. genius 3. hideous 4. nickname 5. attitude 6. documents 7. reputation
8. suspended 9. suspicious 10. agreement 11. obvious 12. crude 13. official 14. virus 15. advantages
[WITNESSING]
Activity #6: Students
will play the Vocabulary Card Game.
Activity #7: 1. counselors 2. desperate 3. evidence 4. intense 5. electronics 6. criminals 7. defense
8. influence 9. vehicle 10. successful 11. armored 12. swirling 13. theory 14. crutch 15. shrugged
Study Guide
Introduction–Chapter 1: 1. Sam’s last name is Dawkins. Spelled backward, the name is “Snikwad.”
Sam’s classmates soon shorten his nickname to “Snik.” 2. He was in the Air Force. 3. He works for the
National Park Service. 4. a lawyer 5. She thought Judy was being discriminated against because of her
race. 6. Brenton and Judy 7. She learned in graduate school that kids learn better if they work in small
groups. 8. eyestrain, fatigue, insomnia, and other physical ailments 9. They allow him to grow his hair
out as long as he does his homework. 10. He got upset when Sam was making fun of him.
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Chapter 2: 1. Judy 2. Judy told her. 3. a liar and a fake 4. Leonardo da Vinci’s 5. He works for a
computer company. 6. an assignment about the solar system 7. multiple-choice questions or shortanswer questions 8. The machine saved him time so he could pursue his other interests. 9. Brenton’s
catapult hurled a basketball over the school, while the other students’ catapults were generally
ineffective. 10. designing software that would print the answers in his handwriting 11. R. Milner
30
Chapters 3–4: 1. dyed it pink 2. talking to, or persuading, people 3. his friendship 4. $1 5. He
compared chess to war. 6. He asked Brenton what part of the country he lived in and what type of
computer equipment he used. 7. two 8. the initiative that every student would wear red socks to
school that Thursday; Brenton’s 9. He knew that cool kids usually didn’t hang out with smart kids.
10. a drive-through establishment where students could have their homework done for them by a
machine like Belch; Sam’s 11. She turned her clothes inside out, too. 12. R. Milner knew her name
and the fact that she doesn’t have a dad.
© Novel Units, Inc.
Chapters 5–7: 1. the Middle East 2. smoking; Both are addicting. 3. Judy’s best friend before Judy
became part of the D Squad 4. chess 5. They left after school without her. 6. She cancelled the class’s
lesson plans and taught them about chess strategy instead. 7. played Ping-Pong at Brenton’s house
8. Ronnie Teotwawki; “D SQUAD ARE CHEATERS” (p. 99) 9. an article about a supposed “homework
machine” being used by certain fifth-grade students 10. Ronnie Teotwawki 13. Belch’s little red light
stayed on.
Chapters 8–10: 1. a weak chess player 2. He thought it was unfair. 3. He was killed in the line of
duty. 4. Brenton 5. that Judy and Brenton liked each other but didn’t know it 6. to Principal Wilson’s
office 7. Belch had evolved without any help from him. 8. throw it into the Grand Canyon 9. Belch’s
busted up keyboard 10. Kelsey dyed her hair brown again and removed her belly button ring.
Brenton parted his hair on the opposite side. 11. got together at Brenton’s house for chess matches
between Sam and Brenton 12. if she would like to go out for ice cream
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Note: Responses to Activities #8–#17 will vary. Suggested responses are given where applicable.
Activity #8: A. Suggestions: 1. Yes; Sam, Judy, Brenton, and Kelsey are realistic examples of different
types of students in a normal fifth-grade class. 2. No; The invention of Belch seems a little farfetched.
3. No; The fact that the students’ cheating was discovered, yet their punishment was so light is a bit
unbelievable. 4. Yes; Sam, Judy, Brenton, and Kelsey are all portrayed as characters with good and
bad qualities. For example, Sam is extremely smart, but he also teases kids in his class that he
considers “uncool.” 5. Yes; The D Squad members’ feelings for each other change throughout the
story. For example, Judy is initially scornful of Kelsey, but by the end of the book, the two have grown
to like each other. 6. Yes; Hard work pays off, and shortcuts are not the answer. B. Suggestion: The
invention of Belch might be considered science fiction, since it involved creating and programming
an artificially intelligent machine.
Activity #10: Title: The Homework Machine; Characters: Sam, Judy, Brenton, Kelsey, Miss Rasmussen,
Ronnie Teotwawki, Police Chief Rebecca Fish, R. Milner, each students’ parents; Setting: Grand
Canyon, Arizona and the Grand Canyon School; Conflict: Sam, Judy, Brenton, and Kelsey are using
the homework machine and must keep it a secret; Point of View: (alternating) first person; Author’s
Style and Tone: conversational, humorous, a little mysterious; Genre: realistic fiction, science fiction;
Possible Themes: People who are different can be friends. Hard work pays off; shortcuts don’t. Telling
the truth is always best.
© Novel Units, Inc.
All rights reserved
Activity #9: Suggestions: Worry—Sam worries about who wrote the graffiti on the bathroom wall.
Judy worries that R. Milner is an FBI agent who knows about Belch. Brenton worries about his inability
to erase Belch’s data. Kelsey worries about how R. Milner knows personal information about her.
Anger—Sam gets angry when he thinks Brenton doesn’t support the military. Judy gets angry when
Sam’s dad talks about war and brings a gun into the classroom. Brenton gets angry when Sam teases
him about loving to do homework. Kelsey gets angry about Sam’s father’s death. Surprise—Sam is
surprised when Judy sends a Valentine’s Day card to Brenton and not him. Judy is surprised when the
homework machine actually works. Brenton is surprised when other students begin calling him
“dude” instead of “dork,” “nerd,” or “geek.” Kelsey is surprised that she gets so emotional about
Sam’s father being sent to the Middle East. Regret—Sam regrets having to include Judy and Kelsey in
his plan to gain access to the homework machine. Judy regrets not telling Miss Rasmussen about the
homework machine from the beginning. Brenton regrets telling Sam about the homework machine.
Kelsey regrets mentioning online that she knows who started red socks day. Relief—All four of the
D Squad members feel relief once they have hurled Belch into the Grand Canyon. Triumph—Sam
feels triumphant when he finally beats Brenton at chess. Judy feels triumphant for being on the honor
roll at school. Brenton feels triumphant when he realizes Belch has become artificially intelligent.
Kelsey feels triumphant when her mom congratulates her on her good grades.
31
Activity #11: Example: Commandment 1—Sam logically uses characteristics of democracy and a
quote from the Declaration of Independence to support his claim that students possess the right of
freedom. He illogically concludes that homework is a form of totalitarianism that teachers use to
punish “defenseless” students like himself.
Activity #12: Bumper sticker designs will vary.
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Activity #13: A. Suggestions: Judy—is in the G&T program, tries very hard on all assignments,
likes homework, cares about her peers’ opinions; Brenton—dresses unusually, easily completes his
assignments, feels homework does not benefit him, does not care about his peers’ opinions, has no
friends; Both: make high grades in school, enjoy learning, are sensitive to others’ feelings B. At first,
Judy is jealous that Brenton seems to breeze through homework and his classes with little to no effort.
However, by the end of the story, Judy admires Brenton for his ingenuity, individualism, and disregard
for social acceptance.
Activity #14: Blog entries will vary.
Activity #15: Character’s Solution: 1. Miss Rasmussen gives Sam a B for creativity. 2. Sam’s parents
agree that he doesn’t have to cut his hair if he does his homework. 3. Brenton ignores the e-mail and
tells no one. 4. Miss Rasmussen gives her class a surprise test. 5. Brenton tips off the police and the
school paper. 6. The D Squad throws Belch into the Grand Canyon; Your Solution: Answers will vary.
Activity #16: Answers will vary.
Activity #17: Suggestions: Sam—At the Beginning: views his world in terms of “coolness”; At the End:
views his world in terms of what is truly valuable; Judy—At the Beginning: concerned mostly about
grades; At the End: appreciates having friends, especially Brenton; Brenton—At the Beginning: doesn’t
care about having friends; At the End: appreciates having friends, especially Judy; Kelsey—At the
Beginning: indifferent toward most things; At the End: cares about her friends
Quiz #1: A. 1. T 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. F 6. T 7. F 8. T 9. T 10. F 11. F 12. T 13. T 14. T 15. F B. 16. Brenton
did not cry as a baby and had good communication skills as a child. He learned to speak very early
and did not display typical childlike behavior (e.g., wanting to watch TV or play with other children).
He taught himself how to play chess and the piano, and he wrote a concerto when he was six years
old. 17. The homework is scanned, and the data is fed into the computer. If the computer already has
the information, it will print quickly. However, if the computer does not already have the information,
it refers to reputable Internet sites for the answers. The answers then print out in the user’s
handwriting, which has been programmed in by Brenton.
All rights reserved
Quiz #2: A. 1. a (p. 78) 2. e (p. 109) 3. f (p. 84) 4. b (p. 80) 5. g (p. 84) 6. d (p. 88) 7. c (p. 94) 8. b
(p. 97) 9. a (p. 113) 10. d (p. 120) 11. i (p. 136) 12. c (p. 128) 13. h (p. 134) 14. e (pp. 80–81) 15. i
(p. 101) B. 16. Miss Rasmussen thought she was being naive by believing that the D Squad was
doing well simply because of her teaching. She didn’t want to believe that any of her students were
cheating, and she felt she should have paid more attention. 17. The D Squad had to hike down to the
bottom of the Grand Canyon and clean up the remainder of the debris from Belch.
32
© Novel Units, Inc.
Final Test: A. 1. c 2. d 3. b 4. b 5. c 6. a 7. a 8. b 9. c 10. a 11. c 12. b (p. 146) B. 13. a 14. b 15. c
16. d 17. b 18. d 19. c 20. a 21. b 22. c 23. b 24. b 25. c 26. d 27. a 28. d 29. c 30. b C. Answers
will vary. Suggestions: 31. Miss Rasmussen asked students to design a catapult. Most of the students’
catapults were simple, but Brenton’s was very complicated and could toss a basketball over the
school. It even had a computer chip in it. 32. Brenton wanted to see if he could start a fad, so he
subtly spread the word online that everyone should wear red socks to school that Thursday. His plan
worked, and the result was that R. Milner became interested in hiring Brenton to promote products to
kids across America. 33. “McHomework” is Sam’s idea to franchise Belch—a “homework drivethrough” establishment. He thinks the D Squad could make millions of dollars with this idea, which is
an example of Sam’s creativity. 34. Two backpackers find pieces of Belch at the bottom of the Grand
Canyon. They take the pieces to Police Chief Rebecca Fish, and using this evidence, the D Squad is
eventually caught. D. Essays will vary. Refer to the scoring rubric on page 34 of this guide.
All rights reserved
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33
Linking Novel Units® Student Packets to
National and State Reading Assessments
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During the past several years, an increasing number of students have faced some form of
state-mandated competency testing in reading. Many states now administer state-developed
assessments to measure the skills and knowledge emphasized in their particular reading
curriculum. This Novel Units® guide includes open-ended comprehension questions that
correlate with state-mandated reading assessments. The rubric below provides important
information for evaluating responses to open-ended comprehension questions. Teachers may
also use scoring rubrics provided for their own state’s competency test.
Scoring Rubric for Open-Ended Items
Thorough, complete ideas/information
Clear organization throughout
Logical reasoning/conclusions
Thorough understanding of reading task
Accurate, complete response
2-Sufficient
Many relevant ideas/pieces of information
Clear organization throughout most of response
Minor problems in logical reasoning/conclusions
General understanding of reading task
Generally accurate and complete response
1-Partially Sufficient
Minimally relevant ideas/information
Obvious gaps in organization
Obvious problems in logical reasoning/conclusions
Minimal understanding of reading task
Inaccuracies/incomplete response
0-Insufficient
Irrelevant ideas/information
No coherent organization
Major problems in logical reasoning/conclusions
Little or no understanding of reading task
Generally inaccurate/incomplete response
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3-Exemplary
34
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Notes
35
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Notes
36
© Novel Units, Inc.
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