• Why does he deserve a list of his own?
• What sort of list could it be?
• What does it say about him?

Observe:

This quote emphasizes seeing things differently to create change.

Notice:

It aligns with Nick’s journey in the book, where he redefines what a “word” is by inventing frindle

Wonder:

How often do I look at challenges in new ways?

• Observe: Nick’s actions indicate that he likes to make ordinary situations more exciting or entertaining.

• Notice: This shows that Nick isn’t content with routine and enjoys adding his own flair to life.

• Wonder: Why does Nick feel the need to liven things up? Does it stem from boredom, a love for fun, or a deeper desire to stand out?

Nick introduces the word 'Frindle' to his classmates.

Observe: Nick confidently tells his friends, "From now on, this is not a pen. It's a frindle."

Notice: Nick is a natural leader. His friends listened to his idea.

Wonder:

• Why do his friends immediately adopt the word instead of rejecting it?

• How does this moment reflect the power of peer influence? (text-world)

Observe: Nothing escapes Mrs Granger's eyes.

Notice: Mrs Granger comes across as a very strict, no-nonsense teacher. Rules and discipline are important for her.

Wonder:

I wonder how she will handle Nick?

Will Nick get away with his mischiefs?

Has Nick finally met his match?

Who will I root for as a reader? Why?

• Observe: Nick's empathy is triggered by Mrs. Avery's behaviour.

• Notice: He seems concerned about Janet's well-being.

• Wonder: What might this reveal about Nick's true character and values? He might seem mischievous but not malicious. And somewhat righteous.

Observe

Nick observes his teacher, Mrs. Avery, during silent reading time and notices that her nose is curved, and he compares it to the beak of a hawk.

Notice

The fact that Nick is thinking about this during silent reading shows that he might not be fully focused on his work.

Wonder

Why is Nick paying so much attention to Mrs. Avery instead of focusing on reading? Is this part of his nature? Is he trying to caricaturise teachers?

Observe: Nick has a certain ambitious streak and he seems to know it.

Notice: Nick is unafraid to bide his time.

Wonder:

• Why didn't Nick own up immediately - he let Janet take the blame.

• What does this say about Nick?

• How manipulative and scheming can Nick get?

Observe: Nick was able to get everyone to make small palm trees out of green and brown construction paper and tape them onto the corners of each desk. So influential.

Notice: Despite being punished, Nick continued livening things up at Lincoln Elementary School.

Wonder:

Is Nick being 'mischievous' to get the attention of his classmates?

Why did the rest of the classmates follow what Nick says?

Is Nick interested in Janet Frisk?

Observe: Nick tends to shake the status quo.

Notice: Why the school needs a good jolt is not mentioned.

Wonder:

• What does it say about the author's opinion of the school?

• Why does Nick do what he does?

Observe: Nick already feels anxious and overwhelmed about the upcoming school year.

Notice: Even before school begins, he is anticipating a tough year, which suggests he may be dreading the challenges ahead.

Wonder: Does Nick feel this way about school because of Mrs. Granger’s strict reputation, or is he simply feeling the pressure of growing up?

Did Nick truly enjoyed school in earlier grades?

• Idea of a tropical island (From the decoration, to the attires and then turning up the temperature of the classroom)

Observe: Nick Allen is a smart and creative student.

Notice: Nick seems to enjoy testing boundaries and finding ways to make the classroom a fun place to learn at.

Wonder:

• Will Nick’s curiosity and creativity get him into trouble later or will they help him in some way?

• Will his teachers see him as a troublemaker or will they appreciate his ideas?

• How will his classmates react—will they admire him or think that he is just trying to be funny?

• Is he like that at home too?

Observe- Nick was applying what he learnt about blackbirds on his dangerous ‘hawk-like’ teacher whom the other kids probably dared not offend.

Notice - No mention why Mrs Avery thought the culprit was Janet. Janet was likely a fun-loving person.

Wonder - What other experiments were awaiting the teachers. Being the creative one and likely a troublemaker, why Mrs Avery did not suspect Nick? Or Mrs Avery knew it was Nick but simply condoned his behaviour. (Li-Hwang)

• Why didn't Mrs Avery enlist the help of the other students to help her identify the student who made the peep sound (Nick)?

• If she did, would the students have told on Nick?

Observe: Nick gets his "ideas" from his surroundings (in this case, from a TV show) and has the "courage" to experiment and try them out in an another context (in this case, in his own class).

Notice: Nick is smart. He learns well and fast from his environment and knows how to "apply" in a different situation.

However, this scene also show us a different aspect (character) of Nick. While he had the "courage" to carry out his idea, we also notice that when his classmate, Janet was wrongfully singled out by the teacher, Mrs Avery, he did not come to her defence and owned up his fault. So, he may not be so courageous after all.

Wonder: Given this scene, one wonders if Nick is someone who will have the "moral courage" to own up and admit his faults or flaws as the story continues.

Observe: The author is not making any judgement by giving us a conclusion as the answer is subjective.

Notice: Nick is creative as he wants to liven up the classroom. That is his objective. He wants to have fun but does not realise it causes “trouble”. He tries out new things as experimentation. He is like some of the kids in our classroom who are bored or just trying out new things.

Wonder:

What ideas is he up to next and what has Frindle got to do with it.

Do we sometimes misjudge our students without a further analysing the situation?

Observe:

Nick asked a question about dictionaries to stall for time so that homework assignment would be delayed.

Notice:

The question that Nick asked was very thoughtful and genuinely intriguing. It is not a question that many students would ask as they may just accept the dictionary as a tool for learning. Although the question was meant to be a time-waster, it shows that Nick is actually a critical and reflective thinker who is a keen observer of the things around him.

Wonder:

• I wonder if Nick is naturally curious and if his sense of curiosity is encouraged by his teachers or parents?

• Is curiosity valued by Mrs Granger and his parents?

Observe : Nick is inventive and often finds ways to make things interesting through coming up with innovative ideas, although some of them get him into trouble.

Notice : Nick's habit of thinking outside the box is clear and that he is bored with the usual school routine, implying how he might be looking for ways to make things more exciting or meaningful for his friends and himself.

Wonder :

• Will Nick's mischievous side lead to any big consequences?

• Will Nick learn something important about authority, creativity, or words themselves?

Observe:

• Nick is an imaginative and creative student. He thought outside the box by transforming his classroom into a tropical island, complete with palm trees. He also got his classmates to wear paper flowers in their hair, hats and sunglasses to complete the theme.

Notice:

• Nick was willing to break ules for the sake of his creative vision. Although it was welcomed by Miss Deaver at the beginning of the book, it does raise up a point for discussion on disregard for rules: Did he get his idea cleared with Miss Deaver before implementing it in the classroom?

  
  

• Nick is a natural leader. He was able to take the lead and rallied others into his imaginative pursuits.

  Reference: “Nick Allen had plenty of ideas, and knew what to do with them." (Chapter 1, Pg 1)

  
  

Wonder:

1. How does Nick's creativity impact the classroom environment and his relationship with his peers?

2. Could Nick's willingness to break rules a strength or a weakness in the context of the story? Why?

3. What other ways could Nick have expressed his creativity without breaking the rules? Provide examples.

• Observe: Nick views his actions, even if they might be mischievous, as part of an ongoing experiment, suggesting he sees life as a test or challenge.

• Notice: There’s no explicit explanation for why Nick is able to carry out his plans without getting caught immediately.

• Wonder:

  • What other “experiments” might Nick have planned? Is he always testing boundaries?

  • Why doesn’t Mrs. Avery immediately suspect Nick, given his track record? Is it because he’s clever enough to hide his involvement, or does she overlook his actions intentionally?

Observe

He did not expect Janet to readily agree to be in cahoots with him and enjoy disrupting Mrs. Avery's class with him.

Notice

Janet seems to have some sort of bad reputation - lying, disrupting the class - and that is why Mrs Avery thought she was the one who had made the highest and most annoying chirp of all, when it was actually Nick.

Wonder

• Are Janet and Nick good friends?

• Did Janet usually take part in disrupting the class together with Nick?

Observe : Nick is someone who brings excitement to the school and it suggests that Nick is a troublemaker not in a negative sense, but as someone who adds liveliness to the school environment.

Notice : Nick has a reputation for stirring things up, which means he’s probably well-known among students and teachers and his actions have both positive (bringing fun) and challenging (pushing boundaries) effects on the school.

Wonder :

• What specific actions has Nick done in the past?

• How do Nick’s classmates feel about his actions?

• Do they admire him, or do they get annoyed by the disruptions?

Observe:

Nick Allen is known for being smart and mischievous. He enjoys testing the limits of classroom rules and getting creative with learning. He once turned his classroom into a tropical island by asking a clever question.

Notice:

Nick’s curiosity and playfulness make him stand out from other students. He likes to challenge the way things are, which hints that he might do something unexpected later in the story. His ability to think outside the box suggests he is not an ordinary student—he likes to have fun while learning.

Wonder:

• How will Nick’s creativity shape his school experience?

• Will his ideas cause problems, or will they lead to something bigger?

• How will Nick’s creativity and curiosity lead to the creation of the word “frindle”?

Observe: Nick is described as a student with a lot of ideas and knows how to act on them.

Notice: Nick is portrayed as a creative and confident student.

Wonder:

• What kinds of ideas does Nick come up with?

• Does he get into trouble for all these creative ideas that he has?

• What impact do his ideas have on the people around him?

  
  

Observe:

• Miss Deaver is experiencing surprise

• The surprise is about student creativity

• This has happened before ("again")

Notice:

• Her reaction suggests the creativity was unexpected

• The word "could" implies capability and perhaps her students don't show creativity when expected

Wonder:

• How often do the students surprise her with their creativity?

• What would it take for the students to anger or upset her?

• Does this surprise lead to any changes in how she teaches or views her students?

Observe:

Nick was a mischievous boy and he was pushing this boundary, to get his teacher's attention. Mrs Avery was very calm, on the other hand.

Notice:

Mrs Avery knew that someone in class was trying to get her attention. Yet, she did not want to be so reactive and jump into it. She only started to react, in a very calm and slow manner, after a lull time, to walk to the back of the class, so as to see who the culprit was in the next "Peep".

Wonder:

Did she have any inkling who the culprit might be?

Why did Nick pull the prank in Mrs Avery's class and not with the other teachers?

Observe:

The appearance of the "dash" seems to indicate that Nick paused after calling out to Janet. He was hesitant to give his apology. Yet, being a kind boy, he decided to drop his humility and go ahead with the apology.

Notice:

Nick is able to tell right from wrong. He has a good sense of justice despite being mischievous.

Wonder:

What will happen if Nick did not apologise? Will he have the emotional turmoil?

Did Nick wonder what has trigger Mrs Avery to accuse Janet? Why not other students, esp the boys, since boys are usually more playful?

Observe: Nick treated the prank like an experiment and was able to get away with it as he was never caught.

Notice: Without having to face any consequences, Nick continued to prank Mrs. Avery the entire year.

Wonder: Would Nick have continued to make the high-pitched chirp if he was caught? Why would he do it for the entire year? Is he also as consistent when it comes to doing his homework?

Notice: This is a question. Maybe it is uncertain whether he is a troublemaker

Wonder:

• Was there a specific event that led to this question being asked?

• Is Nick actually a troublemaker, or is he being misunderstood?

Observe:

Nick had plenty of ideas and also the influence to get everyone on board with them.

Notice:
Nick has a reputation for being playful or maybe even a troublemaker. The fact that he doesn't fit into any of the lists suggests that he is intelligent and a maverick of sorts in the execution of his ideas.

Wonder:
How will Nick’s reputation influence the way teachers and students react to his ideas later in the story?

Observe: Nick would create unexpected moments once in a while in the school.

Notice: Nick would do what it takes to create those unexpected moments. He will also bend/break rules.

Wonder:

• What motivates him to do so?

• What do the students see in him?

• Since the jolt has been happening once in a while, it means he's been getting away with it. Why hasn't he been stopped completely?

Observe: Nick had plenty of ideas that he acted upon

Notice: Nick's ideas usually end up irritating the teachers

Wonder:

-Does Nick consider if his ideas might hurt others?

-Why is he always up to no good?

Observe: Janet went through a turmoil of emotions.

Notice: Janet was seated rather far away from Nick.

Wonder:

-How could Ms Avery mistake the sound as coming from Janet?

-Did Ms Avery suspect it was Nick at any point?

-If Nick felt guilty, why didn't he own up in the end?

^{Observe: Nick feels guilt because Janet is wrongly punished.}

^{Notice: Nick is not just a playful troublemaker—he has a sense of responsibility and fairness.}

^{Wonder: Why didn't he confess in class? What would have happened if Nick had spoken up for Janet?}

Observe: Despite Janet being on the verge of tears for having been wrongly accused by Mrs Avery, Nick does not own up for making the annoying 'peep' sound.

Notice: Nick is bold and daring.

Wonder: Is Nick well-liked by his classmates? Do they fear him? Why did none of the classmates tell on Nick?

Observe: Nick felt guilty that Janet was wrongly accused of making the 'peep' sound that he had made.

Notice: He does not necessarily think he is at fault for Janet being called out in front of the whole class.

Wonder: Does he not realise that he has embarrassed Janet and nearly made her cry? Is his guilt enough to convict him to change his behaviour in class?

Observe : Nick compared Mrs. Avery to a hawk (a predatory bird) because of her nose and reminded him of the great blackbird discovery that he had made recently.

Notice :

Nick knew that the anonymous "peeps" that he and Janet made irritated Mrs. Avery but he perceived their actions as harmless and as a way to prove the discovery he had made about blackbirds was true.

Wonder :

I wonder if he realised at this point the influence he had over his friends.

I wonder if he had any inkling of how upset he was making Mrs. Avery.

I wonder if he knew how to show respect to teachers and his elders.

• Observe: The writer continues the hunter bird imagery that Nick made Mrs Avery out to be (hawk-like predator behaviour)

• Notice: His attitude towards Mrs Avery -- strict / '...when a hawk or some other danger comes near'

• Wonder: Is he showing that he is bored with Mrs Avery's lesson; or he was simply a curious child who notices the parallel between nature and his teacher and he wants to test it out in class?

Observe:

Nick's classmates were also creative in their own ways. They joined in the fun that Nick had started.

Notice:

They did not think Nick was queer or annoying. They seemed to be accepting of his antics/behaviour. They also seemed to enjoy the whole situation.

Wonder:

Did his classmates really enjoy whatever he had done? Were they oressured into it over time as they knew that Nick was such a different person and that they had to follow suit?

If they were not, then why were they so enthusiastic about Nick's ideas/creation?

Observe:

Nick was a honest boy and he would initiate to apologise to his friend.

He felt remorseful and guilty towards his friend.

Notice:

Though Nick was honest with his friend, he was not owning up to Mrs Avery. He did not take responsibility and accountability over his actions when the teacher was clearly looking for the culprit.

Wonder:

Why he didn't own up immediately when his friend was being wrongly accused?

"Miss Deaver was surprised again at just how creative her students could be." - Chpt 1, Pg 2.

Observe:

The word "again" suggests that this isn't the first time Miss Deaver has been surprised.

Notice:

The words "surprise" & "creative" leave room for ambiguity - was her reaction positive/negative? - the tone of the sentence isn't entirely clear.

Wonder:

• Does she encourage this "creativity", or does she struggle in managing it?

• Was this creativity seen as a good thing or bad thing?

"To Nick, the whole thing was just one long - and successful - science experiment" (Chapter 1 page 5)

Observe

• Nick is always eager to put his theories to the test, experimenting with different possibilities to see how they work in real life.

  
  

Notice

• He is resilient and when he puts his mind to do something, he sees through it till he meets his objective.

Wonder

• I wonder if he is a troublemaker and whether he often gets into trouble.

Quote:

Lincoln Elementary needed a good jolt once in a while, and Nick was just the guy to deliver it.

Notice

• Nick is a student who does something out of the ordinary once in a while

  
  

Observe

• It is expected that Nick will do something out of the ordinary and impactful enough for others to notice.

  
  

Wonder

• Why does Nick feel the need to carry out such actions?

  
  

Observe:

The sentence describes Nick as someone who is both creative and resourceful.

Notice:

The sentence highlights Nick’s confidence and ability to act on his thoughts.

Wonder:

Do his ideas always lead to good results, or do they sometimes get him into trouble?

Observe:

It implies that Nick enjoys testing ideas and seeing what happens.

Notice:

Nick approaches things with curiosity and so long as he does not get caught, he would continue doing it.

Wonder:

Will he get caught by Mrs Avery?

Observe: Nick owned up and apologised to Janet.

Notice: He was righteous and had a strong moral compass although his actions were mischievous.

Wonder: How did the class react to his mischief? Do they enjoy it or do they get upset when they get into trouble because of him?

Observe: Nick was a very creative boy with many ideas in his mind. He likes to carry out these plans that he has.

Notice: It seems like Nick was bored of the mundane life in school and wanted to make school life more exciting with his ideas.

Wonder:

• What kind of ideas does Nick have? Are they all mischievous?

• To what extent will he carry out these ideas that he has? Is there such a thing is 'too much' or 'overboard'?

Observe:

Mrs Avery was not afraid to own up to her mistake.

Notice:

Mrs Avery did not hesitate to own up to her mistake. She did not use her authority as a teacher to insist in her ways.

Wonder:

• How did the rest of the class feel when she apologized?

• How different is the culture in that country compared to our local culture? Are both students and teachers more open to making mistakes and learning from them compared to the culture in Singapore?

Observe:

Nick is described as someone who would do things out of the ordinary to liven things up in the school.

Notice:

Why Lincoln Elementary needed a good jolt is not mentioned.

Wonder:

• Whose opinion is it that the school needed some livening up?

• Why was Nick "the guy to deliver it"?

• Was it because of the track record that Nick had in how he had spiced things up in the school?

• Does the statement suggest a positive or negative trait of Nick?

Observe: Mrs Avery did not know who was making that "peep"

Notice: Why she did not know is not explained

Wonder:

• Why wasn't Mrs Avery able to tell who made the sound?

  
  

• What was the seating arrangement in class?

  
  

• Why didn't the other pupils point out who made the sound - surely the person seated next to Nick or Janet would know?

Observe: Nick was fretting over the homework that Mrs Granger had given him.

Notice: Even though he rarely has homework and appears to be nonchalant about his studies, Nick does want to give his best effort.

Wonder: Does Nick want to impress Mrs Granger? Does he want to live up to the family's expectation to adhere to 'Homework first'?

N: Janet Fisk enjoyed the occasional beeps in class.

O: Janet enjoyed the occasional distraction in class, and being part of the distraction too. She enjoyed the confusion that Mrs Avery had.

W: I wonder if she joined in (with Nick) partly because Mrs Avery had accused her of making the high-pitch beep sound the very first time it was heard. Was she simply mischievous or did she feel a little revengeful?

O : Nick was the person who would do something to shock the rest in the school.

N :

Observe:

When faced with the possibility of punishment from Mrs Avery, Nick shies away from admitting any guilt on his part. He later apologises to his friend Janet, however, for getting her in the crossfire.

Notice:

Nick is not someone who admits to wrongdoing, either because he doesn't want to get into trouble or he just doesn't think it's wrong at all. But he's a good friend, and felt guilty at getting Janet into trouble. Janet readily accepts Nick's apology, and promises to keep his involvement a secret, which also shows that Nick has influence over his friends.

Wonder:

Will Nick continue to not take accountability for the effects of his "creative" actions? How will this influence his peers' and teachers' opinion of him?

O : Nick was the person who would do something to shock the rest in the school.

N :Nick was experienced at his antics in the school.

W : Why did the school need a jolt? What did Nick do? Why did he do that?

Observe:

Nick was apologetic for getting someone else into trouble.

Notice:

This shows us that Nick was not intending to create any mischief.

Wonder:

Was Nick really a mischievous student?

Was he a curious learner?

Why was he getting into trouble?

Observe: Nick was aware of his surrounding and that Mrs Avery would have identified him if he had not pretended to be focused on his reading.

Notice: Nick knew that Mrs Avery does not know who let out the earlier "peeps".

Wonder:

• What was Nick's intention behind his actions?

• Did Nick have something against Mrs Avery?

• Could Nick have done the same to other teachers?

• Observe: Nick is described as imaginative and resourceful, someone who can create fun or entertainment from anything around him.

• Think: This shows that Nick has a creative, possibly mischievous, personality. It suggests he's the type of person who is likely to think outside the box.

• Wonder: I wonder how this characteristic will influence the way Nick approaches challenges or situations in the story. Will his creativity be a strength or get him into trouble?

Observe:

Nick is a curious person. He reads to find out more about his curiosity and he experiments on it.

Notice:

When Nick realised that Mrs Avery nose was curved, like a beak of a hawk, he behaved like the blackbird and let out a high, squeaky, blackbird "peep", behaving as if Mrs Avery was danger.

Wonder:

Will Mrs Avery discover that it was Nick who was making the high-pitched chirp?

Was Nick deliberately interrupting the lesson with frequent "peeps" or was he experimenting?

How will I react if I had a similar scenario in my class?

Observe:

Nick seems to be able to lead everyone.

Notice:

Nick is well-liked by his friends.

Wonder:

• Do his friends like him?

• If he often gets into mischief, would he be well-liked?

• What makes him such a good leader - to be able to control the entire class?

Observe: Nick's actions are not out of pure mischief.

Notice: Nick enjoys doing things that other students have never thought of or dared to do.

Wonder: Do teachers view Nick as a troublemaker?

Observe: Nick is described as imaginative and resourceful, someone who can create fun or entertainment from anything around him.

Think: This shows that Nick has a creative, possibly mischievous, personality. It suggests and is likely to think outside the box.

Wonder: I wonder how this characteristic will influence the way Nick approaches challenges or situations in the story. Will his creativity be a strength or get him into trouble?

Observe: He did not puff up like a regular student would when they accomplished something "big".

Notice: He quietened down after everything blew up. He seemed to regret having started it.

Wonder:

• What was going on inside his mind?

• Did he regret his decision? Or was it fear of the escalation?

• Why did he want to stop it?

Observe: Starting with question

Notice: What was the writer's view?

Wonder: What did Nick do? What was the writer's point of view?

Observe: Nick is different and has something up his sleeve.

Notice: His teacher may not be able to control him.

Wonder:

How the teacher manage her class?

The relationship between the teachers and the pupils in the school

O: Nick seems to have a sense of almost scientific curiosity, where he makes observations and then tests them to see what happens and how things play out.

N: Nick sounds like he is bored (perhaps like some of our gifted students!) and that he is looking for ways to "spice up" his school experience.

W: Will Nick land himself in trouble? Are the people around him responding well to his ideas and antics? What sort of lessons will he learn?