Big Nate: In a Class by Himself

Rewrite one of the classes where Nate gets detention from the teacher’s perspective. How do they feel about Nate’s behavior?

Would the story change if Nate never opened the fortune cookie? Why or why not? What things would change? What would stay the same?

Does Nate have good friends? Use examples from the story to prove your answer.

Big Nate: In a Class by Himself is written with prose and comics. Do the comics help your understanding of the story, or are they distracting? How? Use specific examples to explain your answer.

How would the story change if Francis or Teddy opened the cookie? How would they “surpass all others”? How would Nate help or hurt their goal?

While Nate has a challenging relationship with most of his teachers, he hates Mrs. Godfrey. According to the story, is this hate deserved? Is she worse than his other teachers? Why or why not? Use specific examples to explain your response.

Compare and contrast Francis and Teddy. Which is a better friend to Nate? Who helps Nate the most in the story? Why has Nate stayed friends with these two very different people? Why do they stay friends with Nate? Use examples from the text to explain your answer.

Which teacher is the best at their job? Which is the worst? Use specific examples to explain your answer.