Summary:
A group of 4 students made up of a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker come together and form a friendship all because of one big secret known as the homework machine. Brenton, Sam "Snick," Judy, and Kelsey nicknamed the homework machine Belch. Belch was a machine that complete their homework for them. This causes them to spend a lot of time together, and this causes people to start questioning what they are up to. Before long, their teacher begins to notice how much time they are spending together, and Sam and Kelsey are now getting perfect scores on all their homework. Therefore, she starts holding individual meetings with them and giving pop quizzes during class. When they finally decide to destroy belch they realize how powerful she has become and the students are now being forced to talk about their creation and the consequences may be jail...or worse.
A group of 4 students made up of a geek, a class clown, a teacher's pet, and a slacker come together and form a friendship all because of one big secret known as the homework machine. Brenton, Sam "Snick," Judy, and Kelsey nicknamed the homework machine Belch. Belch was a machine that complete their homework for them. This causes them to spend a lot of time together, and this causes people to start questioning what they are up to. Before long, their teacher begins to notice how much time they are spending together, and Sam and Kelsey are now getting perfect scores on all their homework. Therefore, she starts holding individual meetings with them and giving pop quizzes during class. When they finally decide to destroy belch they realize how powerful she has become and the students are now being forced to talk about their creation and the consequences may be jail...or worse.
Key Vocabulary to Describe Book:
Teaching Strategies:
Key Vocabulary to Help with Understanding:
Electronic Resources:
Cheating: This entire book is about students who were cheating on their homework. This PBS website teaches students what cheating is, why its wrong, and what can happen when you do it. This will make sure that students understand that the students in this book did something really wrong and they should not do it. Students will even be able to see what other students have to say about cheating. After this have a class discussion about your school and classroom policies against cheating so students understand what is expected of them.
Kids Health: This is another article where students can learn about cheating and the consequences it can have. Also on this website there is a homework help tab where students can get help with their homework. This provides students with tips on how to stay organized so they can stay on top of their homework and not get behind.
Before Reading Activity:
As a pre reading activity for this book I would have the students make a prediction about the story. After the students are introduced to a story they will know what it is about, have the students make a predictions about the outcome. You know that the students get caught cheating, but will they get in trouble? If so how much trouble?
During Reading Activity:
While the students are reading have them stop and think and have a discussion about what they think the students should do? Should they stop using the homework machine and be honest? Or should they continue to use it because it is making their lives easier and giving them more time to do the things that they want.
After Reading Activity:
As a post reading activity have the students complete a story map. Students will have to identify the main characters, the setting, the theme, the problem, and the solution. This will require the students to really understand what the story was saying and how each of the main characters helped to make the story what it was and how they were affected by the problem and solution.
Writing Activity:
As a writing activity have the students create a journal and pretend to be a character from the book. Have the student complete 5 entries in the journal explaining how the character feels at a certain point of the book and what they are thinking.
- Friendship
- Cheating
- Honesty
- Guilt
- Lying
Teaching Strategies:
Key Vocabulary to Help with Understanding:
- Humiliate: To make (someone) feel very ashamed or foolish
- Bigotry(Bigot): A person who strongly and unfairly dislikes other people, ideas, etc.
- Creep: To move slowly with the body close to the ground
- Reaction: The way someone acts or feels in response to something that happens, is said, etc.
- Permanent: Lasting or continuing for a very long time or forever : not temporary or changing
- Ordeal: An experience that is very unpleasant or difficult
Electronic Resources:
Cheating: This entire book is about students who were cheating on their homework. This PBS website teaches students what cheating is, why its wrong, and what can happen when you do it. This will make sure that students understand that the students in this book did something really wrong and they should not do it. Students will even be able to see what other students have to say about cheating. After this have a class discussion about your school and classroom policies against cheating so students understand what is expected of them.
Kids Health: This is another article where students can learn about cheating and the consequences it can have. Also on this website there is a homework help tab where students can get help with their homework. This provides students with tips on how to stay organized so they can stay on top of their homework and not get behind.
Before Reading Activity:
As a pre reading activity for this book I would have the students make a prediction about the story. After the students are introduced to a story they will know what it is about, have the students make a predictions about the outcome. You know that the students get caught cheating, but will they get in trouble? If so how much trouble?
During Reading Activity:
While the students are reading have them stop and think and have a discussion about what they think the students should do? Should they stop using the homework machine and be honest? Or should they continue to use it because it is making their lives easier and giving them more time to do the things that they want.
After Reading Activity:
As a post reading activity have the students complete a story map. Students will have to identify the main characters, the setting, the theme, the problem, and the solution. This will require the students to really understand what the story was saying and how each of the main characters helped to make the story what it was and how they were affected by the problem and solution.
Writing Activity:
As a writing activity have the students create a journal and pretend to be a character from the book. Have the student complete 5 entries in the journal explaining how the character feels at a certain point of the book and what they are thinking.