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Vocabulary Study
Chapters 1 - 5
On the provided lines, write the matching vocabulary word for each definition.
immediately
missionary
distracted
fortunate
constellations
congregation
1. Too busy to pay attention. distracted
2. Patterns made by the stars. constellations
3. People who are part of a church.
congregation
4. Someone who preaches in a foreign country. missionary
5. Right away. immediately
6. Lucky; well-off. fortunate
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence by filling in the blanks with the provided vocabulary words.
immediately
missionary
distracted
fortunate
constellations
congregation
1. The missionary preached at a new church in South Korea.
2. We felt fortunate to have a warm house to go to on such a cold night.
3. The large congregation sat quietly while the choir sang a Christmas carol.
4. My mom called me for dinner, and I immediately ran inside.
5. Looking through the telescope, I saw the constellations of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor in
the sky.
6. I was too distracted with homework to notice my little sister approaching.
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
In your opinion, what is the most interesting word from the first five
chapters? Why do you think it is interesting?
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Understanding the Story
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Chapters 1 - 5
Multiple Choice - Answer A, B, C or D.
1. What does Opal bring home
from the grocery store in Chapter 1?
2. What or who does Opal ask her
father to tell her about in Chapter 3?
(a) A bag of vegetables.
(a) His Sunday sermon.
(c) The wrong change.
(c) Her mother.
(b) A dog.
(b) What her chores are for the day.
(d) Junk food.
(d) The clerk at the grocery store.
Answer: B
Answer: C
Short Answer
3. What does Winn-Dixie do when the preacher starts to speak in Chapter 5?
Example - Winn-Dixie starts to howl. He keeps on howling until the preacher tells Opal to
get the dog. Opal brings Winn-Dixie inside to sit with her.
Long Answer
4. At the end of Chapter 5, Opal talks to God about how lonely she feels. a) Why does Opal feel
lonely? b) Have you ever felt the same way as Opal does in the story?
a) Example - Opal feels lonely because she has just moved to a new town and has not met
many other kids.
b) Answers will vary.
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
In two to three sentences, compare yourself to the main character of the
story, Opal.
Answers will vary.
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Vocabulary Study
An
Chapters 6 - 10
A synonym is a word that means the same as another word. For example, happy and joyful are
synonyms. Match the vocabulary words with their synonyms!
positive
grand
expensive
irritating
trustworthy
1. Honest trustworthy
4. Costly
expensive
2. Annoying irritating
5. Alike
identical
3. Wonderful grand
6. Certain positive
identical
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence by filling in the blanks with the provided vocabulary words.
positive
grand
expensive
irritating
trustworthy
identical
1. Going out for a picnic on such a lovely day would be grand.
2. The expensive diamond necklace cost more than a trip to Disney World.
3. Wearing matching pink sunglasses, white t-shirts and green shorts, the girls looked
almost identical.
4. Her high, squeaky voice was very irritating and made my ears ache.
5. I am positive it will rain because the sky is covered in gray clouds.
6. When he returned the extra change, Jake proved how trustworthy he is.
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
An adjective is a word that describes a noun. Some examples of adjectives
are: green, kind, heavy and long. Skim Chapters 6 to 10 for adjectives which
are used to describe Winn-Dixie or Opal and write what you find below!
Answers will vary.
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Understanding the Story
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Chapters 6 - 10
Multiple Choice - Answer A, B, C or D.
1. What present did Miss Franny
ask her father for as a girl?
2. Opal meets Gloria Dump when:
(a) A spotted pony.
(b) Gloria Dump attends a church service.
(b) A new dress.
(a) Winn-Dixie runs into Gloria’s yard.
(c) Opal takes Winn-Dixie to the vet.
(c) Paintbrushes.
(d) Opal visits the library.
(d) A library.
Answer: A
Answer: D
Short Answer
3. In Chapter 8, Opal and Winn-Dixie visit a pet store and Opal finds a beautiful but expensive collar
and leash set. How does Opal plan to get the collar and leash?
Example - Opal asks Otis, who works at the pet store, to give her a job. Otis doesn’t want to
because Gertrude the parrot doesn’t like dogs. But when Winn-Dixie shows he can get along
with Gertrude, Otis hires Opal.
Long Answer
4. Gloria Dump and Opal meet for the first time at the end of Chapter 9. At the beginning of
Chapter 10, Opal tells Gloria everything about herself. Why do you think Opal tells someone she
barely knows everything about herself?
Example - In the beginning of the book, Opal says she is lonely and doesn’t have any friends.
Gloria acts kindly toward Opal and invites Opal to tell her “everything.” This friendliness
makes Opal feel like she has a real, true friend.
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
There are many interesting characters in Because of Winn-Dixie, including
Miss Franny, Gloria Dump and Otis. Think of all the people in your life and
choose one that you think would make an interesting character in a story.
In one or two sentences explain why you think this person would make an
interesting character.
Answers will vary.
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Vocabulary Study
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Chapters 11 - 15
Which Word?
On the provided lines, write the matching vocabulary word for each definition.
trembling
barreling
1. Uncontrollable shaking.
pathological
imitated
3. Unusually strong or extreme.
pathological
imitated
ignorant
5. Running at a high speed.
6. Very scared.
ignorant
trembling
2. Copied; mimicked; acted like.
4. Uneducated.
terrorized
barreling
terrorized
Making Sentences
Make a sentence for each word below. - Answers will vary.
1. Barreling: ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Ignorant: _____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Imitated: _____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Pathological: _________________________________________________________________________________
5. Terrorized: ___________________________________________________________________________________
6. Trembling: ___________________________________________________________________________________
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
Opal names Winn-Dixie after the grocery store where she finds him. Now that
you have gotten to know the character of Winn-Dixie a little better, what other
pet names do you think are well-suited to this loveable dog?
Answers will vary.
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Understanding the Story
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Chapters 11 - 15
Multiple Choice - Answer A, B, C or D.
1. What does Otis do to keep
the animals in the pet store calm?
2. What does Gloria Dump tie
to the big tree in her backyard?
(a) Feeds them extra food.
(b) Turns off the lights.
(c) Plays the guitar for them.
(d) Pets them gently.
(a) Pine cones.
Answer: C
Answer: D
(b) Toilet paper rolls.
(c) Wind chimes.
(d) Bottles.
Short Answer
3. In Chapter 11, there is a terrible thunderstorm. How does Winn-Dixie react to the storm?
Example - Winn-Dixie becomes very scared. He bangs his head on the door, cries and shakes.
He runs at top speed around the house. The preacher and Opal realize that anytime there is a
storm, they will have to keep a close eye on Winn-Dixie.
Long Answer
4. In Chapter 14, Gloria tells Opal “not to judge people by the things they’ve done.” What does
Gloria mean by this? Do you agree with her?
Example - Gloria means that you shouldn’t decide what a person is going to be like (or if you
will like them) before really getting to know him/her. Sometimes people make mistakes; it
doesn’t mean they are bad people. Answers will vary for the second question.
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
Because of Winn-Dixie is an example of realistic fiction. Realistic fiction
stories are stories which could happen in real life but are made up. Can you
think of other stories you have read that are examples of realistic fiction?
Answers will vary.
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Vocabulary Study
Chapters 16 - 20
On the provided lines, write the matching vocabulary word for each definition.
abiding
enlisted
manufactured
melancholy
notion
peculiar
1. An idea of belief. notion
2. Unusual; odd. peculiar
3. Constant; always there. abiding
4. A feeling of deep sadness. melancholy
5. Joined; signed up. enlisted
6. Made or created by hand or machine. manufactured
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence by filling in the blanks with the provided vocabulary words.
abiding
enlisted
manufactured
melancholy
notion
peculiar
1. My cat has the peculiar habit of licking her tail before she eats.
2. Rory had the crazy notion that eating pickles for breakfast would make him taller.
3. I was feeling rather melancholy after my team lost the championship game.
4. My best friend Jared just enlisted in the army.
5. The clothes were manufactured in a small factory in Asia.
6. I have an abiding interest in animals and hope to become a veterinarian one day.
_____________________
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
_____________________
_____________________
Describe a time when you felt melancholy.
Answers will vary.
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Understanding the Story
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Chapters 16 - 20
Multiple Choice - Answer A, B, C or D.
1. In what war did
Littmus W. Block fight?
2. What does Opal’s father ask
her to do to Stevie Dewberry?
(a) The Civil War.
(a) Ignore him.
(b) World War I.
(c) The Spanish-American War.
(b) Fight him.
(c) Apologize to him.
(d) The War of 1812.
(d) Laugh at him.
Answer: A
Answer: C
Short Answer
3. As Opal reads to Gloria Dump from the book Gone with the Wind, what idea comes to her mind?
Example - Opal comes up with the idea to throw a party and invite her new friends. Gloria
agrees to help her only if she invites the Dewberry boys.
Long Answer
4. When Miss Franny offers a Littmus Lozenge to Opal and Amanda in Chapter 17, she tells them
the secret ingredient in it is sorrow. Choose two characters from the story and explain what has
caused them to feel sorrow in their lives.
Answers will vary, but some examples - Opal lost her mother and had to move to a new city.
Gloria Dump made bad choices and battled with alcohol. The preacher lost his wife. Amanda
Wilkinson’s brother drowned. Otis spent time in jail and is no longer allowed to play his
guitar on the street.
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
The book Gone with the Wind was made into a very popular movie in 1939.
What is a book that you have read and also seen a movie version of? Do you
like the book or the movie better and why?
Answers will vary.
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Vocabulary Study
Chapters 21 - 26
A synonym is a word that means the same as another word. For example, happy and joyful are
synonyms. Match the vocabulary words with their synonyms!
frilly
shimmery
swayed
complicated
predict
myths
1. Legends myths
4. Ruffled
frilly
2. Wobbled swayed
5. Difficult complicated
3. Foresee predict
6. Glittery shimmery
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence by filling in the blanks with the provided vocabulary words.
frilly
shimmery
swayed
complicated
predict
myths
1. The surface of the water looked shimmery in the bright light of the afternoon.
2. Riding the roller coaster made me dizzy, and I swayed left and right
after getting off.
3. My brother thought the Closet Goblin was real even though I told him it was just one of
many myths that are told to scare children.
4. The math problem was so complicated that I didn’t think I could solve it.
5. As the girl twirled, the frilly lace on her dress swooped around her side.
6. It was impossible to predict that the slowest kid in school would end up winning the race!
In Chapter 24, Opal thinks of ten things she knows about Winn-Dixie.
Write a list of ten things you know about someone you love.
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
Ten things I know about _________________________________________
Answers will vary.
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Understanding the Story
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Chapters 21 - 26
Multiple Choice - Answer A, B, C or D.
1. What interrupts Opal’s
party in Chapter 23?
2. What does Opal do when she notices
Winn-Dixie missing during the party?
(a) The police.
(a) She hops on her bike to look for him.
(c) A thunderstorm.
(c) She asks Stevie and Dunlap to look for him.
(b) Winn-Dixie gets sick.
(b) She goes with the preacher to look for him.
(d) She hides under Gloria’s bed.
(d) A flash flood.
Answer: C
Answer: B
Short Answer
3. After going missing, where is Winn-Dixie discovered in Chapter 25?
Example - The party-goers find that Winn-Dixie never left Gloria Dump’s house. Otis finds
Winn-Dixie hiding under Gloria’s bed upstairs. Otis coaxes Winn-Dixie out from under the
bed by playing guitar for him.
Long Answer
4. In Chapter 26, Opal goes out to Gloria Dump’s mistake tree and tells her Mama that she won’t
think about her as much. Why do you think Opal says this?
Example - Opal has made a lot of new friends. She is not as lonely as she was at the beginning
of the book. She feels happy and loved.
A Little
Extra!
Because of Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie is very scared of thunderstorms. What are some things that
scare you?
Answers will vary.
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Time for a Test!
Because of Winn-Dixie
Part A – Multiple Choice - Answer A, B, C or D.
1. Where does Opal
first meet Winn-Dixie?
2. Why did Opal and her father
move to Naomi, Florida?
(a) At a grocery store.
(b) At church.
(c) In an alleyway.
(d) At an animal shelter.
(a) Opal got kicked
out of school.
(b) Opal’s mother died.
(c) Opal’s father got a new job.
(d) Opal’s old house
burned down.
Answer: A
Answer: C
3. What does Miss Franny
mistake Winn-Dixie for
when she first sees him?
(a) A runaway.
(b) A goat.
(c) A neighbor’s dog.
(d) A bear.
Answer: D
4. Which best describes
Gloria Dump?
5. How does Opal
often describe
Amanda Wilkinson?
6. According to Miss Franny,
what was the secret ingredient
in Littmus W. Block’s candy?
(a) Mean and nasty.
(b) Kind and friendly.
(c) Rich and greedy.
(d) Sad and grumpy.
(a) As pinch-faced.
(b) As evil.
(c) As pretty.
(d) As smart.
(a) Peppermint.
(b) Lemon.
(c) Sorrow.
(d) Happiness.
Answer: B
Answer: A
Answer: C
7. What sad event happened
in Amanda Wilkinson’s past?
8. Why was Otis sent to jail?
9. What does Opal have to
do for Gloria to agree to
have a party at her house?
(a) Her brother drowned.
(b) She was in a car accident.
(c) Her mother abandoned her.
(d) Her family home
burned down.
(a) He robbed a store.
(b) He stole a car.
(c) He hit a police officer.
(d) He broke into a house.
(a) Opal has to invite the
Dewberry boys to the party.
(b) Opal has to sing to Gloria.
(c) Opal has to find a new
home for Winn-Dixie.
(d) Opal has to clean
Gloria’s house.
Answer: A
Answer: C
Answer: A
Because of Winn-Dixie
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Time for a Test!
Because of Winn-Dixie
Part B – Short Answer
1. Describe one of the following characters: the preacher, Gloria Dump, Otis or Littmus W. Block.
Answers will vary.
2. The setting is where and when a story takes place. Describe the setting of Because of Winn-Dixie.
Example - Because of Winn-Dixie is set in a small town in Florida called Naomi. It is summer
during the story, and Florida is very hot in the summer. A lot of the action takes place outside.
Some places where Opal goes during the story are: her trailer home, Winn-Dixie grocery store,
Gloria Dump’s house, the library and the church where her father preaches.
3. Why do you think the author gave this book the title Because of Winn-Dixie?
Example - The author gave this book the titles Because of Winn-Dixie because everything that
happens to Opal during the story, some might say, is thanks to Winn-Dixie, Opal’s dog. For
example, Opal meets Otis and Gloria Dump because of Winn-Dixie. She also becomes closer
with her father because of Winn-Dixie.
Part C – Long Answer
1. How is Opal’s life different at the beginning of the story compared to the end of the story?
Example - At the beginning of the story, Opal feels quite lonely. She does not know anyone in
Naomi and she still thinks about her mother a lot. By the end of the story, she has made many
new friends and does not feel lonely anymore.
2. Describe the ending of the story Because of Winn-Dixie.
Example - The ending of Because of Winn-Dixie is a happy one. Opal visits Gloria Dump’s
mistake tree and talks aloud as if her mother can hear her. Opal tells her mother that she
misses her but she won’t think about her as much anymore. Then, Opal goes into the house
and sings with her friends. The author makes it clear that Opal now has many friends and
won’t be lonely anymore.
Because of Winn-Dixie
© The Book Umbrella
Novel Study
Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo
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