A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeleine L'Engle
1.
Interesting Words: relinquish, serenity, sullen, uncanny, vulnerable
Extensions: Several mysteries are introduced in Chapter 1. Speculate / and write about one of the unsolved mysteries presented in this chapter.
Discussion Questions:
What is unusual about about each character in chapter 1?
Why do you think Mrs. Murry is upset by Mrs. Whatsit?
2.
Interesting Words: antagonists, assimilate, belligerent, compulsion, dilapidated, sagely
Extensions: Write about a time that you or someone you know got in trouble in school.
Think of a time/circumstance when it might be necessary to hide a special talent or gift? Write to justify that action.
Discussion Questions:
What happens when Meg seeks the definition of "tesseract"?
How are Calvin and Charles alike?
What is special about Mrs. Who?
3.
Interesting Words: essence, indignant, judicious, somber, tangible
Extensions: Create a Thinking Map to compare and contrast the Mrs. W's.
Pick one character from the book that is most like you. Write about how you are similar. Use examples to support your claim.
Discussion Questions:
Meg has a special talent but still has trouble at school. Explain.
What do we learn about Mr. Murry in this chapter?
Why does Cal think that everyone likes him for the wrong reasons?
4.
Interesting Words: bliss, extinguish, fragments, infinite, metamorphose
Extensions: The children experience both fear and wonder as they begin their travels. Write about a time in your life when you were faced with fear or wonder.
Reread the description of planet Uriel. Draw or paint your vision of Uriel.
Discussion Questions:
What happens when Mrs. Whatsit removes her clothes? How do the children react?
Charles Wallace is the only one of the children who can understand unspoken communication. How does this impact his involvement in the story?
5.
Interesting Words: anxiety, perturbed, plaintively, reproved, serenely
Extensions: Write about the Black Thing. What does it look like, sound like, smell like...
Discussion Questions:
What mistake does Mrs. Which make and how does it affect the children?
What is the purpose of the children's journey?
Why does Mrs. Which take the children to visit a medium?
6.
Interesting Words: apprehension, arrogance, falter, malignant, resilience, tailsman
Extensions: Mrs. Whatsit told Meg to "Stay angry...you will need all your anger now". Write about a time that your anger helped you accomplish a goal or overcome an obstacle.
Create a Thinking Map to display you personality traits that would be most helpful in a dangerous situation.
Discussion Questions:
Camazotz is different from any place on Earth. In what ways is it different from your town?
What warning does Mrs. Which give to the children as she leaves them on Camazotz?
Why do you think that Mrs. Whatsit's parting gifts might be important to the children?
7.
Interesting Words: bilious, bravado, remote, tenacious, threshold
Extensions: A utopia is a perfect place. Write about your "ideal" or perfect place; your utopia. Describe the educational system, government, and living conditions. Compare your utopia to Camazotz.
Create a Thinking Map to compare and contrast the reasons for and against living in a society when everyone gave up their decision-making to the government.
Discussion Questions:
Why does Charles submit to the red eyed man? Why is it better for Charles rather than for Cal or Meg to submit to him?
Why is Charles the only one that thinks the food tastes terrible?
The man with red eyes offers to "assume all the pain, all the burdens of thought and decision" for the children. Is this a good solution for the children?
8.
Interesting Words: annihilate, bland, deviate, misconception, ominous, submit
Extensions: Charles said that differences create problems so if people are alike they will be happy? Prepare a short speech to defend or oppose this position.
Discussion Questions:
How did Charles change after visiting Camazotz?
What happens to people that dare to be different on Camazotz?
Charles Wallace says that the Mrs. W's are really their enemies. Why would he make that statement?
9.
Interesting Words: endurance, inexorable, omnipotent, transparent
Extensions: Create a Thinking Map to illustrate Meg's belief that "like" and "equal" are two different things.
Discussion Questions:
What were the conditions of Mr. Murry's imprisonment?
Why do you think it is Meg that rescues Mr. Murry?
How do you think the children and Mr. Murry will escape?
10.
Interesting Words: emanate, fallible, hostile, imperceptible, revulsion
Extensions: Write about Meg's disappointment with her father. Have you ever been disappointed by someone you admire? Explain the circumstances.
Discussion Questions:
Why are Meg and Cal afraid of the beasts at first?
Why doesn't Mr. Murry know how long he has been away from Earth?
Do you think Mr. Murry is a coward because he left Charles on Camazotz?
11.
Interesting Words: eternal, grave, opaque, tentacle, trepidation
Extensions: Examine the statement Aunt Beast makes when she refers to things seen at "temporal" and things unseen as "eternal". Create a Thinking Map to compare.
Discussion Questions:
Why does Calvin tell the beast they are from a shadowed planet, not a dark planet?
How does Meg recover from her tessering experience?
Why don't the beasts understand the concepts of "light", "dark", or "opaque"?
12.
Interesting Words: eerie, formidable, loathe, reiterate
Extensions: Compare and contrast Meg's quality of life vs. that of IT.
Discussion Questions:
Although A Wrinkle in Time is a fantasy, what parts of the story or the experiences of the characters are realistic?
How do you think Meg has been changed by her experiences in this story?
1.
Interesting Words: relinquish, serenity, sullen, uncanny, vulnerable
Extensions: Several mysteries are introduced in Chapter 1. Speculate / and write about one of the unsolved mysteries presented in this chapter.
Discussion Questions:
What is unusual about about each character in chapter 1?
Why do you think Mrs. Murry is upset by Mrs. Whatsit?
2.
Interesting Words: antagonists, assimilate, belligerent, compulsion, dilapidated, sagely
Extensions: Write about a time that you or someone you know got in trouble in school.
Think of a time/circumstance when it might be necessary to hide a special talent or gift? Write to justify that action.
Discussion Questions:
What happens when Meg seeks the definition of "tesseract"?
How are Calvin and Charles alike?
What is special about Mrs. Who?
3.
Interesting Words: essence, indignant, judicious, somber, tangible
Extensions: Create a Thinking Map to compare and contrast the Mrs. W's.
Pick one character from the book that is most like you. Write about how you are similar. Use examples to support your claim.
Discussion Questions:
Meg has a special talent but still has trouble at school. Explain.
What do we learn about Mr. Murry in this chapter?
Why does Cal think that everyone likes him for the wrong reasons?
4.
Interesting Words: bliss, extinguish, fragments, infinite, metamorphose
Extensions: The children experience both fear and wonder as they begin their travels. Write about a time in your life when you were faced with fear or wonder.
Reread the description of planet Uriel. Draw or paint your vision of Uriel.
Discussion Questions:
What happens when Mrs. Whatsit removes her clothes? How do the children react?
Charles Wallace is the only one of the children who can understand unspoken communication. How does this impact his involvement in the story?
5.
Interesting Words: anxiety, perturbed, plaintively, reproved, serenely
Extensions: Write about the Black Thing. What does it look like, sound like, smell like...
Discussion Questions:
What mistake does Mrs. Which make and how does it affect the children?
What is the purpose of the children's journey?
Why does Mrs. Which take the children to visit a medium?
6.
Interesting Words: apprehension, arrogance, falter, malignant, resilience, tailsman
Extensions: Mrs. Whatsit told Meg to "Stay angry...you will need all your anger now". Write about a time that your anger helped you accomplish a goal or overcome an obstacle.
Create a Thinking Map to display you personality traits that would be most helpful in a dangerous situation.
Discussion Questions:
Camazotz is different from any place on Earth. In what ways is it different from your town?
What warning does Mrs. Which give to the children as she leaves them on Camazotz?
Why do you think that Mrs. Whatsit's parting gifts might be important to the children?
7.
Interesting Words: bilious, bravado, remote, tenacious, threshold
Extensions: A utopia is a perfect place. Write about your "ideal" or perfect place; your utopia. Describe the educational system, government, and living conditions. Compare your utopia to Camazotz.
Create a Thinking Map to compare and contrast the reasons for and against living in a society when everyone gave up their decision-making to the government.
Discussion Questions:
Why does Charles submit to the red eyed man? Why is it better for Charles rather than for Cal or Meg to submit to him?
Why is Charles the only one that thinks the food tastes terrible?
The man with red eyes offers to "assume all the pain, all the burdens of thought and decision" for the children. Is this a good solution for the children?
8.
Interesting Words: annihilate, bland, deviate, misconception, ominous, submit
Extensions: Charles said that differences create problems so if people are alike they will be happy? Prepare a short speech to defend or oppose this position.
Discussion Questions:
How did Charles change after visiting Camazotz?
What happens to people that dare to be different on Camazotz?
Charles Wallace says that the Mrs. W's are really their enemies. Why would he make that statement?
9.
Interesting Words: endurance, inexorable, omnipotent, transparent
Extensions: Create a Thinking Map to illustrate Meg's belief that "like" and "equal" are two different things.
Discussion Questions:
What were the conditions of Mr. Murry's imprisonment?
Why do you think it is Meg that rescues Mr. Murry?
How do you think the children and Mr. Murry will escape?
10.
Interesting Words: emanate, fallible, hostile, imperceptible, revulsion
Extensions: Write about Meg's disappointment with her father. Have you ever been disappointed by someone you admire? Explain the circumstances.
Discussion Questions:
Why are Meg and Cal afraid of the beasts at first?
Why doesn't Mr. Murry know how long he has been away from Earth?
Do you think Mr. Murry is a coward because he left Charles on Camazotz?
11.
Interesting Words: eternal, grave, opaque, tentacle, trepidation
Extensions: Examine the statement Aunt Beast makes when she refers to things seen at "temporal" and things unseen as "eternal". Create a Thinking Map to compare.
Discussion Questions:
Why does Calvin tell the beast they are from a shadowed planet, not a dark planet?
How does Meg recover from her tessering experience?
Why don't the beasts understand the concepts of "light", "dark", or "opaque"?
12.
Interesting Words: eerie, formidable, loathe, reiterate
Extensions: Compare and contrast Meg's quality of life vs. that of IT.
Discussion Questions:
Although A Wrinkle in Time is a fantasy, what parts of the story or the experiences of the characters are realistic?
How do you think Meg has been changed by her experiences in this story?