Diary of A Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul



Last updated Monday, July 6, 2015

Author: Jeff Kinney
Date of Publication: 2014
ISBN: 141971189X
Grade Level: 4th    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Jul. 2015

Synopsis: Greg Heffley and his family hit the road in author-illustrator Jeff Kinney's latest installment of the phenomenal bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. (Amazon)

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  Have you ever taken a road trip with your family? Where did you go?
•  What vacations have you taken with your family?
•  What places would you like to visit?

Vocabulary

•  postponing-- to put off
•  authentic--real, not fake
•  essentials--something you must have to survive
•  foreign--not of your country, something strange and unfamiliar
•  bandit--a robber or outlaw
•  generation--people born and living around the same time

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  Do you play games on your trips? What kind?
•  What things would you pack for a long car ride?
•  Name the places you would like to visit that can only be reached by car? Find them on a map/globe in the room and estimate how long it would take to drive there.

Craft ideas:
•  Draw a picture of a place you visited or want to visit on a road trip or vacation.
•  Make postcards and send them to your family and friends. For a printable postcard template, see: http://smashedpeasandcarrots.com/make-your-own-postcards-free-printable/.
•  Draw a road map to follow on your car ride. Don't forget to draw the sights you see on your travels.

Special activities:
•  Play car games in the classroom, including I Spy. To play I Spy, think of an item in the room that is red and say "I Spy with my little eyes something red." Everyone else takes turns trying to guess the mystery item. If no one guesses the item, give another clue starting with the same phrase but adding another descriptive part, for example, "I spy with my little eyes something red and square."

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!