The Wild Robot

By

Peter Brown

A Novel Study
by Nat Reed

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 The Wild Robot
By Peter Brown

Table of Contents

Suggestions and Expectations 3

List of Skills 4

Synopsis / Author Biography 5

Student Checklist 6

Reproducible Student Booklet 7

Answer Key 76

About the author: Nat Reed was a member of the teaching profession for more than 35
years. He was a full-time instructor at Trent University in the Teacher Education Program
for nine years. For more information on his work and literature, visit [Link].

Copyright © 2020 Nat Reed

Revisions Completed in 2021
All rights reserved by author.
Permission to copy for single classroom use only.
Electronic distribution limited to single classroom use only.
Not for public display.

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 The Wild Robot
By Peter Brown

Suggestions and Expectations

This curriculum unit can be used in a variety of ways. Each chapter of the novel study
focuses on 8 chapters of The Wild Robot and is comprised of the following activities:

1. Before You Read

2. Vocabulary Building
3. Comprehension Questions
4. Language and Extension Activities

A portfolio cover (page 7) as well as a Checklist (page 6) are included so that students may
keep track of their completed work.

Every activity need not be completed by all students.

Links with the Common Core Standards (U.S.)

Many of the activities included in this curriculum unit are supported by the Common Core
Standards. For instance the Reading Standards for Literature, Grade 5, makes reference to:

a) determining the meaning of words and phrases. . . including figurative language;

b) explaining how a series of chapters fits together to provide the overall structure;
c) compare and contrast two characters;
d) determine how characters … respond to challenges;
e) drawing inferences from the text;
f) determining a theme of a story . . . and many others.

Themes which may be taught in conjunction with the novel include robots, the importance
of community, courage and compassion, heroism and sacrifice, friendship, personal growth,
acceptance of others.

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 The Wild Robot
By Peter Brown
List of Skills

Vocabulary Development

1. Locating descriptive words/phrases 7. Identify anagrams

2. Listing synonyms/homophones 8. Listing compound words
3. Identifying/creating alliteration 9. Identifying parts of speech
4. Use of capitals and punctuation 10. Identify/create similes
5. Identifying syllables 11. Identification of root words
6. Identify personification.

Setting Activities

1. Summarize the details of a setting

Plot Activities

1. Complete a time line of events 4. Identify cliffhangers

2. Identify conflict in the story 5. Identify the climax of the novel.
3. Complete Five W's Chart 6. Complete a Story Pyramid

Character Activities

1. Determine character traits 3. Relating personal experiences

2. Identify the protagonist/antagonist 4. Compare characters

Creative and Critical Thinking

1. Research 6. Write about personal feelings

2. Write a newspaper story 7. Write a book review
3. Participate in a talk show 8. Complete an Observation Chart
4. Conduct an interview 9. Complete a KWS Chart
5. Create a poem

Art Activities

1. A Storyboard 3. Design a cover for the novel

2. Create a collage 4. Create a comic strip

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 The Wild Robot
By Peter Brown

Synopsis

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is alone on a
remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she
knows she needs to survive. After battling a fierce storm and escaping a vicious bear attack,
she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from
the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.
As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home--until, one
day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her.
From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a
heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology
collide. [Courtesy of the publisher]

Author Biography
Peter Brown

Peter has always loved telling stories. Growing up in New

Jersey, he told stories by drawing whimsical characters and
scenes from his imagination. As a teenager, he fell in love with
writing and began telling his tales with words. After graduating
from Art Center, Peter moved to New York City where he
worked on animated TV shows. There he signed a book deal
to write and illustrate his first picture book, Flight of the Dodo.
Peter quickly signed up his second and third books, and his
career as an author and illustrator of children’s books was
under way. Since then Peter has written and illustrated many
books for children and earned numerous honors. Peter lives in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [Adapted from the author's official website]

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 The Wild Robot
By Peter Brown

Student Checklist

Student Name

Assignment Grade/Level Comments

6
 The Wild Robot

By Peter Brown

Name:

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 The Wild Robot
By Peter Brown
Chapters 1-8

Before you read the chapters:

The protagonist in most novels features the main character or “good guy”. The main
character of The Wild Robot is not your typical protagonist, but a robot who finds herself
stranded on a deserted island. Think back on some of your favorite characters from past
novels you have read or movies you’ve seen. Who would you say is your most favorite
character ever? What made you select this character?

Vocabulary:
Choose a word from the list to complete each sentence.

irregular methodically technique instinct

restrained absorbed activated hatchling

1. Cora's swimming _______________ was quite unusual, but very effective.

2. Josh dumped the baseball cards onto his desk and began to __________________
examine each one.

3. The robot's arms were ______________ by cords.

4. Like a ______________ breaking from a shell, Roz climbed out into the world.

5. Her first _____________ was to lash out at her assailant.

6. The perfect lines and angles were set against the __________ shapes of the wilderness.

7. Once fully ____________, Roz was able to move, communicate and learn.

8. The owner of the coffee shop ________________ the loss in revenue because of the
pandemic.

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 Questions

1. Describe the setting of the story at the beginning of Chapter One.

2. a) What caused the first 95 crates to sink?

b) What caused the last four to be destroyed?

a)
b)

3. Describe the role that the otters played in Roz's activation.

4. Answer True or False:

a) Roz has the capability of learning. True or False

b) Over time Roz will find better ways of completing tasks. True or False

c) Roz was incapable of feeling anything remotely similar to curiosity. True or False

d) Roz was solar powered. True or False

5. Describe the event that first activated Roz's damage sensors.

6. What was the first challenge (or problem) that Roz faced? Why did she feel she
needed to tackle this challenge?

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 7. What did Roz learn from the crab?

8. Describe how the wilderness proved to be a challenge for Roz.

9. Use Your Imagination. It took a few pinecones bouncing off Roz's head to get her
activated again. If the pinecones had not succeeded in doing this, what do you think
might have brought her back into action?

Language Activities

A. Sea Otters
A group of frolicking sea otters play an important role in this section of the
novel. How much do you know about this fascinating creature? Did you
know, for instance, that the sea otter's coat is the thickest in the animal
kingdom? Did you know that they often sleep while floating on their backs
in the water? Using resources in your school library or on the Internet,
research three additional facts about this mammal and record them below.

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B. Anagrams
An anagram is a word that is formed by changing the order of the letters of
another word. For example, the letters in the word WAS can also form the
word SAW. Follow these directions to form the anagrams:

a) read the clue in the right-hand column.

b) Using the word in the left-hand column move the letters around in any order, but you
must use all the letters. All of the words in the left-hand column can be found in the first
eight chapters of The Wild Robot.

Word Anagram Clue

shape Stage; period.
forest Not as firm to the touch.
doing Wild Australian dog.
brain Youngster (In Scotland.)
heads Out of the sun.
rocks Bottle stoppers.
crate Respond in a particular way.

Now find two additional words from the first eight chapters which have interesting
anagrams to see if you can stump a classmate.

Word Anagram Clue

C. Next to each pair of words indicate whether each is an example of a Synonym (S).
Antonym (A), or Homophone (H).

1 robot - cyborg 6 curious - disinterested

2 forest - woods 7 activated - dormant
3 coastline - inland 8 way - weigh
4 cord - chord 9 discover - identify
5 absorbing - repelling 10 cautious - negligent

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D. A Quatrain Poem Celebrates Robots.
The quatrain is a popular form of rhymed verse. It is a poem of four lines, is usually light and
can be humorous. The following quatrain is the first four lines of the famous poem, My
Robot, written by the renowned poet, Atrocious Halitosis.

My robot lives in my garage,

I keeps him under wraps.
As far from people as I can,
Cause he's made from table scraps.

Various rhyming schemes make up a quatrain poem. As you can see, the above four lines
have a rhyming scheme of A – B – C – B Other rhyming schemes include: ABAB, AAAA,
AABA, ABBA, ABBB, and AAAB.

Your task is to write your own quatrain poem. You may choose a rhyming scheme that fits
with your own personal creation. The theme should have something to do with the themes
established in the first eight chapters of our novel (like shipwrecks or deserted islands).

The Quatrain Poem

Now create your own Quatrain Poem. Your poem must follow the format of a quatrain
poem described above (and must rhyme).

Title: _______________________________________________

Bonus Question.

In the above poem why do you think the poet used the word keeps instead of keep?

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E. Cliffhanger
Chapter Two contains an important literary device called a cliffhanger.
A cliffhanger usually occurs at the end of a chapter when the author leaves
the reader in suspense. How is this true in Chapter 2? Why do you think the
author ended the chapter this way?

F. A simile is a comparison using the words “like” or “as”. An example from Chapter Four
is: Like a hatchling breaking from a shell, Roz climbed out into the world.

What is being compared in this example?

Invent your own similes comparing the following items with something from your own
imagination:

a) ocean waves crashing on the shore

b) a sea otter cracking open a clam

c) your choice

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G. 5 Ws and an H.
Choose an event from this section that you thought was really important and/or exciting.
Using facts that you gleaned from reading about this event, fill in the balloons below,
summarizing what you learned.

WHO? WHAT?

WHERE?
WHEN?

HOW?
WHY?

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 Extension Activity

Storyboard
A storyboard is a series of pictures that tell about an important event in a story. A story-
board can tell the story of only one scene – or the entire novel. Complete the story-board
below illustrating the events described in the first five chapters of our novel. You may wish
to practice your drawings on a separate piece of paper.

1 2

3 4

5 6

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