Diary of a Wimpy KidGrade Band 3-5 Reading Level 2.9

Adapted Book Usage

These adapted resources are provided by the ACCESS Project at the University of Delaware’s Center for Disability Studies for teachers to help students with significant intellectual disabilities participate in the general curriculum. Please limit the use and distribution of these materials accordingly. Please read and purchase each original text (cited by author) prior to using the adapted text.

ACCESS ProjectCenter for Disabilities Studies

University of Delaware461 Wyoming Road, Newark, DE 19716

Phone: 302-831-1052 Email: deaccessproject@udel.edu

www.deaccessproject.org

School Starts (p. 1-23)

My name is Greg. This is my journal. Today was my first day back at middle

school. I’m sad summer is over. I don’t like middle school. I’m not the most

popular kid in school.

At school today, I went to see if the moldy cheese was still on the playground.

Someone left it there last year. It was gross! If you touch the cheese, you have the

Cheese Touch. You have to tag someone else to get rid of the Cheese Touch. I

hope there is no Cheese Touch this year.

I have an older brother named Rodrick. He likes to play tricks on me. I also have a

younger brother named Manny. He calls me “Bubby.” It’s embarrassing. I had a

lot of adventures in middle school.

Trouble (p. 24-43)

I really like video games, but my dad doesn’t want me to play them. I go to my

best friend Rowley’s house to play video games instead. I always beat him at

racing video games.

Rodrick got a new cd. My parents said I’m not allowed to listen to it. After

everyone went to sleep, I tried to listen to the cd quietly. My dad woke up and I

got in trouble. I had a lot of adventures in middle school.

Student Elections (p. 44-48)

Student elections are coming up at my school. I want to run for treasurer. My dad

wants to help me win. I made posters to hang up at school. Another boy is

running for treasurer, too. I wrote mean things about him on my posters. The

principal made me take them down. I don’t think I’m going to win now. I had a lot

of adventures in middle school.

Halloween (p. 49-75)

It’s going to be Halloween soon. I love Halloween. Rowley and I made a haunted

house in his basement. We hung up flyers for the haunted house. Twenty kids

came. The first kid was so scared, he hid under the bed and wouldn’t come out.

Rowley’s dad made us shut down our haunted house.

I was a pirate for Halloween and Rowley was a knight. We went trick-or-treating,

but we had to bring Manny with us. After we took Manny home, Rowley and I

stayed out. We wanted more candy. When we got home, my dad sprayed us with

water. He thought it was funny. All of our candy got wet! I had a lot of adventures

in middle school.

Wrestling (p. 76-93)

We started wrestling in gym class today. I want to be good, so I played my

wrestling video games when I got home.

Wrestling in gym class is very different from my video games. I have to wrestle

the same boy every day. He always beats me.

I decided to make my own exercise equipment. I wanted to get stronger so I lifted

gallons of milk. I had a lot of adventures in middle school.

School Play (p. 95-115)

My school did the play, “The Wizard of Oz.” I didn’t want to be in it, but my mom

made me try out. I signed up to be a tree because I didn’t want to sing. The

director added a song that the trees had to sing.

The play didn’t go very well. I didn’t sing the song because I was embarrassed.

Manny called me “Bubby” in front of everyone. I threw an apple at a girl on the

stage. Her glasses broke. They had to stop the play. I had a lot of adventures in

middle school.

Christmas (p. 115-133)

I love Christmas. I really wanted a video game. When I woke up on Christmas day,

there were a lot of presents under the tree. Manny got a lot of toys. My dad gave

me exercise equipment. I don’t care about exercise anymore because wrestling is

over. I didn’t get the video game I wanted. My mom gave it to someone else by

accident. I got a red sweater instead. Rowley got the video game I wanted, so I

played with him. I had a lot of adventures in middle school.

Big Wheel Game (p. 136-144)

Rowley and I were playing a game. He rode his bike down the hill and I tried to

throw a football at him. I hit him and he fell off and broke his arm. Rowley got a

cast. The girls at school gave Rowley a lot of attention, but I wanted them to pay

attention to me. I pretended I hurt my arm, too. The girls still didn’t like me. I had

a lot of adventures in middle school.

New Quarter (p. 145-155)

I decided to be on the Safety Patrol at school. This way, the bigger kids can’t pick

on me. Rowley signed up too. We walk the kindergarteners home from school.

We get free hot chocolate in the morning. I also get to miss part of math class. I

had a lot of adventures in middle school.

Snow Day (p. 156-164)

It snowed today. School was closed. Rowley and I decided to build the world’s

biggest snowman, but we ran out of snow. We made one big snowball instead.

Manny built a small snowman. I kicked it and my dad was mad at me. My dad

kicked my snowball. I still had fun on my snow day. I had a lot of adventures in

middle school.

Comic Strip (p. 165-178)

I like to draw. I became the cartoonist for my school newspaper. I drew the

pictures and wrote the words. Rowley helped, too. I made a funny cartoon about

a boy. My teacher put it in the school newspaper. No one laughed at my cartoon.

My teacher changed the words so it wasn’t funny anymore. I was upset that he

changed it, so I decided to quit. I had a lot of adventures in middle school.

Good-bye Rowley (p. 179-195)

Yesterday on Safety Patrol, I scared the kindergarteners when I walked them

home. I was wearing Rowley’s jacket. A lady saw me and thought I was Rowley.

She told the principal that Rowley scared the kindergarteners. Rowley got in

trouble for scaring them.

I told Rowley that I scared the kindergarteners. Rowley told the principal and I got

fired from the Safety Patrol. Rowley didn’t want to be my friend anymore. I had a

lot of adventures in middle school.

Yearbook Plans (p. 197-205)

I wanted to get voted as “Class Clown” in the school yearbook. I decided to play a

joke on the substitute teacher. When I got to school, I found out the substitute

teacher was my mom! I couldn’t play a joke on her. I had a lot of adventures in

middle school.

Greg and Rowley Make Up (p. 204-217)

Rowley is the new cartoonist for the school newspaper. He used my idea for his

cartoon. He said it was his idea. Everyone thought the cartoon was really funny.

They voted Rowley “Class Clown.” I was really upset.

Rowley and I were about to fight when some high schoolers came to the

playground. They made Rowley eat the cheese! Rowley didn’t want the other kids

at school to find out he ate it. I told everyone I threw it away. Everyone thought I

had the Cheese Touch, but Rowley and I were friends again. I had a lot of

adventures in middle school.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Vocabulary Definitions

* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.

Essential VocabularyImportant vocabulary

Journal: a book used to write what happens in your life

Middle School: a school that includes grade 5 to 8 or 6 to 8

Popular: very well liked

Embarrassed: feeling uncomfortable and self-conscious

Adventure: an exciting experience or activity

Video Games: games played with pictures on a screen

Trouble: consequence for doing something wrong

Election: the process of choosing someone for a certain position

Treasurer: a person who is in charge of money

Principal: the head of a school

Halloween: October 31, celebrated with wearing costumes, trick-or-treating

Haunted: scary

Scare: to frighten, alarm, or terrify

Knight: soldier from a long time ago who rode horses and wore metal armor

Wrestling: a sport where two people try to pin each other on the ground

Gym: a room used for sports

Exercise: moving your body to be healthy or get strong

Play: acting out a story in front of an audience

Director: the person who is in charge of a play

Definitions adapted from www.wordcentral.com

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Vocabulary Definitions

* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.

Essential VocabularyImportant vocabulary

Christmas: December 25, celebrated with Christmas trees, giving presents, and stockings

Broken: to separate into parts suddenly

Cast: a hard cover to keep a body part from moving in order to heal

Safety Patrol: student role models who teach other students how to be safe

Biggest: large

Snowman: snow shaped to look like a person

Snowball: a round ball of snow

Snow day: when school is cancelled because there is so much snow

Cartoonist: someone who draws funny pictures and words to go in a newspaper

Fired: to not be allowed to continue a job, asked to leave a job and not come back

Clown: someone who wears a funny costume and does tricks

Yearbook: a book from a school with pictures of everyone

Substitute teacher: someone who teaches a class when the regular teacher cannot be there

Upset: to be worried, angry, or unhappy

Fight: to physically struggle against another person

Definitions adapted from www.wordcentral.com

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Vocabulary Object List* This list is a vocabulary reference tool.

Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.

Vocabulary ObjectJournal Notebook, leather bookMiddle School Lock, locker Popular Award ribbon, Miss America sashEmbarrassed Hands over faceAdventure Map; CompassVideo Games Game controller

Trouble Time OutElection Demonstrate VotingTreasurer Cashier’s drawer, Locked box with money in itPrincipal TieHalloween Jack o’ lantern; maskHaunted Fake spider websScare Hide under a blanket (reaction to fear)Knight Armor, metal mask, fake swordWrestling Wrestling mat, arm wrestle Gym Weights; SneakersExercise Running shoes, weightsPlay Costumes, MakeupDirector Director’s clapboardChristmas Stocking, Santa hatBroken Broken stick Cast Paper Mache, piece of a castSafety Patrol Orange vest, stop signBiggest 2 objects-1 small, 1 bigSnowman Ice, carrot, felt hat, sticksSnowball Snowball, iceSnow Day Sled, Winter ApparelCartoonist Pencil, colored pencils, comic bookFired Whistle (You’re out!)Clown Red clown nose, juggling ballsYearbook Scrapbook, tactile yearbookSubstitute Teacher Chalk, Pointer (For Board)Upset Tissues, make fist Fight Boxing gloves

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Public Domain Vocabulary* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.

Journal Middle School

Popular

Embarrassed

Adventure

Video games

Trouble

Election

Treasurer

Principal

Halloween

Haunted

Scare Knight Wrestling

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Public Domain Vocabulary* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.

Gym

Exercise

Play

Director

Christmas

Broken

Cast

Safety patrol

Biggest

Snowman Snowball Snow day

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Public Domain Vocabulary* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.

Cartoonist

Fired

Clown

Yearbook Substitute Teacher

Upset

Fight

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Public Domain Vocabulary* This list is a vocabulary reference tool. Teachers should choose existing words and/or create additional words based on student needs.