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:

  • Why Crickets Just Won’t Shut Up – Part 1:

  • Why Crickets Just Won’t Shut Up – Part 2:

  • Why Crickets Just Won’t Shut Up – Part 3:

Theocratic Connections:

Since this part of the chapter explores crickets encourage students to consider the following article on crickets after class:

Activity 1 – Reading Chapter 15 (15 minutes):

Open the story in the Bookclub bookcase and have students take turns reading. Assign character roles if appropriate.

Activity 2 – Discussion (10 minutes):

Ask students the following questions:

  • “Why do the crickets sing their song in this chapter?”
  • “How do the humans react to the crickets singing? How do the animals react?”
  • “How has fame affected Wilbur? What is the most important thing in his life?”
  • “Do you think the cricket song in the story is symbolic? What might it represent?”
  • Based on the events in this chapter, what do you think will happen next? How do the changes in the season affect the characters?”
  • “Can you think of a time when a change in season brought about significant changes in your life? How did you feel about it?”

Activity 3 –Watch and Discuss: Cricket Song Science Video (5 minutes):

After watching the video, ask students the following Questions:

  • “What is the file?” (Answer: The file is a little line of tiny microscopic teeth located on the underside of the cricket’s wings.)
  • “What is the scraper?” (Answer: The scraper is the hard edge on the cricket’s wings that the cricket uses to make sounds by rubbing against the file.)
  • “How does the cricket use its file and scraper to make sounds?” (Answer: The cricket rubs the scraper on its bottom wing across the file on its top wing, creating a chirping sound through a process called stridulation.)
  • “Do they only chirp for females?” (Answer: No, male crickets also chirp when they encounter another male, producing an angry-sounding rivalry call to establish territory.)
  • “Can females chirp?” (Answer: No, female crickets cannot chirp because their wings do not have the file and scraper needed to make the sound.)
  • “Where is the crickets’s ear located?” (Answer: The cricket’s ear, called a tympanum, is located on its front legs.)

 

(Optional) Bonus Activity: If students are creating a “Charlotte’s Words” dictionary, remind them to add “versatile” 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.