The World According to Humphrey

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. How do other animals—like cats, dogs, and birds—perceive the world? What unique traits, characteristics, or abilities allow them to understand it differently when compared to humans?

Teaching Suggestion: The World According to Humphrey is told from the perspective of a hamster. As a hamster, Humphrey is biologically different from a human narrator, but he also gains access to the students’ lives at home, thus giving him a unique perspective on why certain students act the way they do. This contributes to the book’s core themes of Finding One’s Place and Judging Others. To help generate discussion and student engagement, consider starting the task with a brainstorm exercise in which students list as many different types of animals as they can think of. Alternatively, you might ask students to identify their favorite animals and then have them consider the world from those animals’ perspectives.

• “How Do Other Animals See the World?” from the Natural History Museum in the UK talks about the core differences in how animals perceive the environment around them.
• “Watch: How Animals and People See the World Differently” from National Geographic is a brief video that explores the differences in how animals see the world compared to humans.

2. What do you know about hamsters? Where do they live in the wild? What do they like to eat, and how do they behave?

Teaching Suggestion: Throughout the book, Humphrey utilizes aspects of his hamster anatomy (like his cheek pouches) as he engages in typical hamster habits, such as nesting and using a certain corner of his cage as a restroom. This prompt will get students thinking about real-life hamster biology, giving them greater perspective on Humphrey’s quirks throughout the novel. If students need a little inspiration, consider providing them with some scientific facts about hamsters. For example, a hamster is technically classified as a rodent; it belongs to the Cricetinae subfamily, which contains 19 species and seven different genera. Both lemmings and mice are in the same family as hamsters.

• “How Hamsters Can Stuff So Much Food in Their Cheeks” from Insider Science provides a brief overview of hamster biology.
• “10 Surprising Facts About Hamsters” from Treehugger compiles a list of interesting hamster facts and includes answers to frequently asked questions about them.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the text.

Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” What do you think he meant by this quote? How can service help people learn about themselves? Have you ever learned something about yourself by helping others?

Teaching Suggestion: This quote embodies the theme of Self-Discovery Through Learning From Others, which is one of the most important messages in The World According to Humphrey. In the book, the children are supposed to care for Humphrey, but Humphrey ends up caring for them—and he learns a lot about himself and the students in the process. Students could discuss their experiences caring for a family member or pet; reflecting on these experiences and how they changed them will help students connect more deeply with this theme.

• “The Benefits of a Family Pet” from Michigan State University explains how caring for a pet can benefit the owner.
• “What Kids Can Learn From Working With Pets” from Connections Academy focuses on how kids can benefit from taking responsibility for a pet.