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.

Video Links:

  • The Fantastic Anatomy of Spiders:

Theocratic Connections:

Since this part of the chapter explores spider web construction, encourage students to consider the following article on spider web adhesion after class:

Activity 1 – Reading Chapter 9 – Part 1: Pages 55-58 (15 minutes):

Open the story in the Bookclub bookcase and have students take turns reading. Stop after the last paragraph on page 58.  Assign character roles if appropriate.

Activity 2 – Discussion (5 minutes):

Ask students the following questions:

  • “How does Wilbur react to learning about the different parts of Charlotte’s legs and their purposes? What does this tell us about him?”
  • “How does Charlotte’s explanation of her anatomy highlight the differences between her and Wilbur?”
  • “Why does Wilbur want to make a spider web? What does this show about his character?”
  • “How does Wilbur’s attempt to make a web go? What challenges does he face?”

Activity 3 – Watch, Discuss & Draw: The Fantastic Anatomy of Spiders Video (10 minutes):

Have students create a diagram and label the spider leg parts: From Charlotte’s description of her leg: “Furthermore, each leg of mine has seven sec­tions- the coxa, the trochanter, the femur, the patella, the tibia, the metatarsus, and the tarsus.”(Use the diagram linked here for a visual reference.)

Assessment:

Assess student understanding of the story’s moral through participation in discussions, completion of reflection questions, and identification of key concepts presented.