Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

by Judy Blume

Interactive Site Vocabulary
Comprehension Questions Student Projects

Interactive Site

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Vocabulary for Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Chapters 1 & 2 announced slurping mumbling hollered
advertising pastimes stomach commercial
advantages insulted combination delicious

 

Chapters 3 & 4 helium foreign inspecting handkerchief
motioned imitate impressed relieved
monkey business appointment    

 

Chapters 5 & 6 supervise naughty rearranged demonstrate
ceiling suggested embarrased patience
innocent manage noticed  

 

Chapters 7 & 8 committee monorail nibbled beckoned
congestion equipment agency expensive
practical installing ruin familiar
flung strand    

 

Chapters 9 & 10 ingredients avoided kneeled whisked
beamed concentrated miserable dreary
aisle peer concoction omelet
attendants conclusion ingredients  

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Comprehension Questions

  1. What does Peter win at Jimmy's birthday party?

  2. How does Henry's mom feel when he brings home his prize?

  3. What is the biggest problem in Peter's life?

  4. Describe how Peter felt when Mr. Yarby made such a fuss over Fudge.

  5. What does Fudge do to embarrass Peter.  List and describe at least three things.

  6. List three ways that Peter and his family try to get Fudge to eat.

  7. What advice does the doctor give Peter's mom?  Was it good advice?

  8. What does Peter's dad do to solve the problem?  How did it make Peter feel?

  9. Who was Sheila?  What was she like?

  10. What happens to Fudge at the park?

  11. How does Peter's mom feel about it?  How does Peter feel about it?

  12. How does Peter feel about the way people treat Fudge?

  13. Name three friends that came to Fudge's birthday party.   Tell a little about them.

  14. Describe what Fudge and his friends did at his birthday party.

  15. List the steps that Peter goes through to clean out Dribble's bowl.

  16. How does Peter trick Fudge into trying on the saddle shoes?

  17. Why does Fudge finally agree?

  18. Why did Peter's mom think that Mr. Berman was good at selling shoes?

  19. Describe the project that Jimmy, Sheila, and Peter have to complete.

  20. Who is Jimmy Fargo? What is he like?

  21. What would be good about working with Jimmy and Sheila?  What would be difficult?

  22. Explain why Peter did not get along with Sheila.

  23. How did they end up on a committee together?

  24. The committee decided that Sheila would copy all of their work into the booklet because ...

  25. At times, the committee had a hard time getting along because ...

  26. What did Peter tell Mr. Vincent to try to convince him that Fudge wasn't a good candidate for commercials?

  27. How does Peter's dad feel about losing the Juicy-O account?

  28. What does Fudge do at the movie theater to create trouble?

  29. Why did the omelet that Peter's dad prepared taste so bad?  Who liked the taste?

  30. Why is Friday, May 10th, so important to Peter?

  31. How did Peter feel after Fudge ate Dribble?  Why did he have mixed feelings?

  32. How does Peter feel about all the attention that Fudge gets after coming home from the hospital?

  33. What surprise do Peter's parents give him?

  34. Peter became furious with Fudge when ...

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Student Projects

  • The biggest problem that Peter has is his little brother. 
    Make a list of recommendations for Peter to help him solve his problem.
    What is the biggest problem you have?  What are some ways that you can solve it?
    How have you solved a problem in the past?  What was the problem?
    How would Peter's life be different if he didn't have a brother?

 

  • Peter wasn't too excited about the picture dictionary that Mr. Yarby gave him.
    How should Peter have handled the situation?  Write him a letter with your recommendations.
    Have you gotten a gift you didn't like?  What was it?  How did you handle the situation?
    Have you ever given a gift that someone didn't like?  How do you know?

 

  • Peter's brother, Fudge, embarrasses him.
    Write a story about a time when you were embarrassed.

 

  • What will Peter be when he grows up?  Why?

 

  • Make a comic strip of one of the scenes.

 

  • Have students pair up and create questions for an interview with one of the characters from the book.  One student will pretend to be the character, the other will be the interviewer.

 

  • Pretend that the story is going to be made into a movie.  You are in charge of designing the movie poster.  Make sure you include the characters, the author, the title, and a short synopsis or review.

 

  • Have students work in groups to create a special drink (like Juicy-O).  Allow them to experiment and mix different juices until they have created a drinkable drink.  Have the students graph their ingredients in a pie chart.  The students must then create a name, a magazine ad, and a short commercial (with props) for their drink.  When all students have finished, allow them to "run" their commercial.  Each group then samples all the drinks.  Create a graph of favorites.  Which one was the best?  Write a letter to a beverage company and ask them to market your drink (include the recipe).  See if you can participate in a taste test for one of their new products.

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