Kate DiCamillo
Lesson plans for Because of Winn-Dixie and other works

|Biography and Background| |Because of Winn-Dixie| |The Tale of Despereaux| |The Tiger Rising|

About the Author
Students work through an author study using resources at the site.

Kate DiCamillo
Information from the author's Wikipedia page.

Because of Winn-Dixie
This unit plan includes 3 lessons, graphic organizers, discussion questions, and vocabulary words.

Because of Winn-Dixie
Seven pages of literacy activities, including an author interview, vocabulary, and interdisciplinary connections. Access to this document requires Adobe Reader or compatible application.

Because of Winn-Dixie
Summary and 10 discussion questions.

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo
Summary and a variety of activities, including a printable crossword puzzle and chapter quizzes. This site is extensive.

Because of Winn-Dixie Discussion Questions
Fifteen discussion questions.

Because of Winn-Dixie Scrapbook
"Students analyze the story's main characters by creating online scrapbooks in which they identify character traits and use textual evidence to support their ideas."

Because of Winn-Dixie: Because of You
Click on the link "F.I.L.M. Curriculum" to access six lessons building literacy skills and character. The 20-page document, which supports the 2004 movie, requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access.

A Character's Decalogue
The writer first writes a personal decalogue (a list of ten personal beliefs) about something important to him/her. The writer then creates a decalogue for a fictional character they will invent and envision. The final product of this assignment is a short story where their character reveals his/her decalogue to another character through dialogue. This lesson focuses on voice and organization.

Creating Literary Texts - Finding Homes for Pets
Students discuss their own experiences regarding animal adoption. Then they view a 5-minute video segment about a photographer who photographs dogs at an animal shelter to help find homes for them. Finally, they write and share a picture book to express what they learned and to persuade readers to adopt the pet.

Character Charts
Students generate adjectives and descriptive phrases to describe three main characters that are central to the first three books within The Tale of Despereaux. They choose a character to describe.

The Tale of Despereaux
A variety of during- and post-reading activities, including word study, creating a coat of arms, writing persuasively, and exploring civil disobedience.

The Tale of Despereaux
Summary and a dozen discussion questions.

The Tale of Despereaux
A collection of links related to the author, the book, and classroom connections. Scroll down for vocabulary words.

The Tale of Despereaux Teacher Guide
Plot summary, vocabulary, prereading, a variety of reading strategies, character education, interdisciplinary connections, and handouts. This 20-page teacher guide requires Adobe Reader for access.

Kate DiCamillo
In this 18-minute Webcast, DiCamillo reads from The Tiger Rising.

Reader's Guide The Tiger Rising
A set of 15 discussion questions and some extension activities.

The Tiger Rising
A set of 14 questions for literature circles, with answers.