Diary of A Wimpy Kid
Diary of A Wimpy Kid
Diary of A Wimpy Kid
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
Overview
This lesson plan forms a follow-on activity to the main Wimpy Kid Election Pack resources, found on the
Wimpy Kid Club website at www.wimpykidclub.co.uk, where pupils can vote for their favourite book. This
lesson plan can also be used as a standalone resource.
Each of the children will decide what they think are the best bits in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books,
then put these together to create their own Top Trumps cards!
When everyone has created their Top Trumps cards, the class will vote for the best moment.
An optional activity will see the class creating a Top Trumps card together, working together to vote on the
scores for each Top Trumps category.
At the end, we will create a Top Trumps card set and play the game!
Aims:
Resources:
1. Step-by-Step Guide
2. Schemes Help Sheets
3. Designing Your Top Trumps Cards: What to Do to Be the Best!
4. Top Trumps Cards Templates
5. Voting Together (optional activity)
6. Ballot Papers & Results Grid
7. Top Trumps: Judgement Time!
8. Play the Game!
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Children choose their favourite scheme from the books this could be from memory, by referring to one of
the books in the school library, or by using one of the examples on the Schemes Help Sheets. Pupils could
discuss and mind map their favourite ideas, thinking back to discussion of lesson 3 of the main Wimpy Kid
Election Pack resources (ranking key events and identifying the best bits), as a way into this activity.
2. Teacher shows example Top Trumps card and talks though criteria. The teacher could model this with
a scenario from the Schemes Help Sheets or using the Top Trumps example images:
Originality:
This is a measure of how unique the scheme on the card is. Is it something totally original, or an old classic
that never dates? (0 25)
Effectiveness:
This measures whether the scheme on the card worked or not. Not all of Gregs schemes go to plan . . . (030)
Complexity:
Do you have to be a genius to complete this scheme, or is it easy to grasp? (010)
Riskiness:
This category measures how likely Greg is to get away with his scheme. Is it easy to get it past teachers and
parents, or is there a high likelihood of being caught? (050)
Reusability:
Is this scheme a one-time-only thing, or can it be wheeled out again and again? (020)
3. Pupils create their own Top Trumps card on their chosen scheme. They should rank it using the criteria
above. Tell children that there will be a vote on the best moment, so they need to be imaginative and make
sure the card looks really good! Remind them of the WHAT TO DO TO BE THE BEST criteria.
ALTERNATIVE OPTION: If you do not want them to create their own Top Trumps card yet, use the Voting
Together sheet later in this pack for a group activity using an active voting scale and discussion.
4. Children present their Top Trumps card to the class. Use the Ballot Papers, Results Grid and Top Trumps:
Judgment Time sheets. For large classes, encourage children to use the Judgment Time assessment sheet
in small groups so each group nominates their best design. The class can then assess the group winners to
decide on the overall class winner.
Now we need enough Top Trumps cards to play the game! Can you come up with some more really good
schemes and create Top Trumps cards? If youre stuck for ideas use the Schemes Help Sheets. A game of Top
Trumps can be played with as few as 10 cards (2 people) but a standard pack has 30 cards in it.
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
Later in the lesson, we will be voting for the best-designed Top Trumps card. You will be judged against the
following criteria, and given a score out of ten for each one. So make sure your design is awesome!
Interesting and catchy title
Cartoon image
Clear description
Correct punctuation
Use of colour
Overall look
Accurate rankings
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
As a class, we need to decide what score we would give Rodricks scheme for:
Originality:
This is a measure of how unique the scheme on the card is. Is it something totally original, or an old classic
that never dates? (0 25)
Effectiveness:
This measures whether the scheme on the card worked or not. Not all of Gregs schemes go to plan . . . (030)
Complexity:
Do you have to be a genius to complete this scheme, or is it easy to grasp? (010)
Riskiness:
This category measures how likely Greg is to get away with his scheme. Is it easy to get it past teachers and
parents, or is there a high likelihood of being caught? (050)
Riskiness:
Is this scheme a one-time-only thing, or can it be wheeled out again and again? (020)
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
Originality:
If you think that this scheme is super original and a brilliant idea that hasnt been done before, then go to the
LEFT of the room. (Score: 25/25)
If you think its a classic thats been done again and again (it might work but its not a brand-new idea) then,
go to the RIGHT of the room. (Score: 0/25)
If you think its somewhere in between, then stand between the two sides to show what number you think it
should be given. E.g. if I think its quite original but Ive heard of similar-ish things and want to give it 20 points,
I might stand near the left but not next to the wall.
If everyone has voted for about the same number (e.g. all between 20 and 25) then find the average score.
But if there are radically different ideas and people on opposite sides of the room, then you will have to use
your persuasive skills to get people to agree with you. At the end of the debate you should all be thinking the
same. If not, the teacher gets to decide!
Follow the same process for all the criteria, until your Top Trumps card is complete!
Or, if youre short of time, get into groups and allocate each group one criteria to score.
Then youre done!
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
BALLOT PAPER
Pupil/scheme name
BALLOT PAPER
Pupil/scheme name
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
BALLOT PAPER
Pupil/scheme name
BALLOT PAPER
Pupil/scheme name
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
Results Grid
Compete the grid below to find out which scheme has won,
using the preferential voting system.
Name of Scheme
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
We hope you enjoyed using this Top Trumps lesson plan with your class. Remember you
can find a wide range of teacher resources and activities based on the Diary of a Wimpy
Kid books at www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
Please let us know what you thought of these resources we would love to hear from you!
Email us at puffin@penguin.co.uk or tweet @puffinbooks.
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.
www.wimpykidclub.co.uk/downloads
DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, WIMPY KID, and the Greg Heffley design
are trademarks of Wimpy Kid, Inc. All rights reserved.