Observe: Nick thought of an idea for his oral report. 

Notice: The idea may not necessarily have its purpose on truly sharing about dictionaries but rather something else up his sleeve. A grin to his face suggests otherwise. 

Wonder: I wonder if his plan will work. 

What makes Nick Nick? What are some qualities that makes him Nick? 

“… said Nick, amazed at his own bravery.” Chp. 7, p.27

Observe: Nick insisted that he really did not have his frindle (pen) with him. 

Notice: Nick usually looked out for Mrs Granger’s piercing stare and would feel uncomfortable/ afraid. 

Wonder: Why is Nick unnerved? 

What makes him insist that it’s a frindle and not a pen? 

Did he do it just to annoy Mrs Granger or to prove a point?

Observe – Nick had been the one who had spoken to the reporter and sent in the picture.

Notice – Nick’s agenda seems to be evolving. His mischievous act seems to be gaining traction and he derives much satisfaction from it.  

Wonder – Why is Nick persisting with his mischief-making at a larger scale? Has his popularity emboldened him? What does he hope to achieve?

Observe: The use of “frindle” was getting out of hand at Lincoln Elementary School. 

Notice: The use of “frindle” in school was gaining public attention.

Wonder:

·       Why did Judy Morgan feature the “Frindle Story”?

·       Why did the use of “frindle” cause an upheaval in schools outside Westfield? 

·       Where is the boundary between respect for people of higher authority (i.e. teachers), as compared to having the right to explore new ideas? 

·       Given the success of “Frindle Story”, does this mean that every child is given the right come up with novel words for the dictionary?

Observe: Nick’s mother felt that Mrs Granger was overreacting over the “frindle” issue that Nick had started in class. 

Notice: Nick’s mother did not stop Nick from using “frindle”, even when his little experiment with language had caused an uproar in his school. (e.g. detention classes etc.)

Wonder:

·       Why was Mrs Chatham said to be the “black queen”, while Nick’s mother was the “white queen”, and not vice versa, when Nick was the one who started the whole “frindle” saga and disrupted the peace in school?

·       Why did Nick’s mother allow Nick to continue using “frindle” in school? 

·       What were the implications?

Observe: This is a year where formal testing is done for students.

Notice: Students like Nick understand that this grade is important and thus know there are certain expectations in performance in school.

Wonder:

-          Do students not take learning seriously before this grade level?

-          Are teachers teaching this grade level taken more seriously by students as compared to those teaching the other grade levels?

Observe: Mrs Granger’s assumption that her students made spelling mistakes all the time. 

Notice: Mrs Granger still saw her past students (some are grown-ups) as little children who made spelling mistakes all the time. 

Wonder:

·       How much trust does Mrs Granger have in her students? 

·       If Mrs Granger had not forced the students to learn their spelling in the way she wanted them to, how would her students do in terms of their spelling as they grow up? 

·       Are there words that Mrs Granger cannot spell?