Student Objectives:
- Take turns reading pages or paragraphs in the book to practice their reading skills.
- Identify who the main characters and settings of the story are.
- Understand the moral lessons presented in the book.
- Be able to summarize the story in their own words.
*NOTE: Instruct students to print out the Character Analysis chart and bring it to class because they will be filling it out during class.*
Video Links:
- Mrs. Arable:
Activity 1 – Watch Mrs. Arable Video (7 minutes):
Show students the video clip and ask the following questions:
- “Based on this video clip, what do you think this chapter will about?”
Theocratic Connections:
N/A
Activity 2 – Reading Chapter 8: A Talk at Home (11 minutes):
Open the story in the Bookclub bookcase and have students take turns reading. Assign character roles if appropriate.
Activity 3 – Discussion (9 minutes):
Ask students the following questions:
- “In the last chapter, Fern was there when the old sheep shared the bad news about Wilbur getting fattened up to be eaten later. How do you think Fern feels about the bad news?”
- “Mrs. Arable has “a worried expression on her face” after Fern talks about the animals and Charlotte. Why do you think that is?”
- “Why isn’t Mr. Arable worried about Fern?”
- “Why do you think Fern didn’t bring up the bad news when she talked to her parents in this chapter?”
Activity 4 – Character Chart: Wilbur (10 minutes):
Have students fill out the Character Analysis chart with information about the character Wilbur.
(Optional) Bonus Activity: If students are creating a “Charlotte’s Words” dictionary, remind them to add “gratified” and any other new words from this chapter.
Assessment:
Assess student understanding of the story’s moral through participation in discussions, completion of reflection questions, and identification of key concepts presented.