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:

  • How Spiders Use Electricity to Fly:

Theocratic Connections:

  • N/A

Activity 1 – Reading Chapter 22 Part 2: Pages 177-184 (10 minutes):

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

Activity 2 – Discussion (10 minutes):

Ask students the following questions:

  • “What emotions does Wilbur experience when Charlotte’s children begin to hatch, and how does he express these emotions?”
  • How did Wilbur react when the baby spiders started flying away? Why?”
  • “How does Wilbur’s interaction with the three spiders who choose to stay reflect his growth as a character?”
  • “As time went on, what happened every spring?”
  • “Did Wilbur replace his love for Charlotte with the new love he had for her children? How do you know?”

Activity 3 – Watch and Discuss: How Spiders Use Electricity to Fly Video (5 minutes):

Watch the video and then ask students the following questions to check their comprehension:

  • True or False: “The atmosphere holds a positive electric charge while Earth’s surface holds a negative charge.”
  • “Do opposite charges attract or repel each other?” (Answer: Repel)
  • “When the positive and negative charges attract each other, this creates an electric field. When spiders use this electric field to fly, what is it called?” (Answer: Ballooning)
  • “What does a spider do to secure itself?” (Answer: It drops an anchor silk)
  • “How do spiders know when the conditions are right for ballooning?” (Answer: It raises its two front legs in the air, and uses special fine hairs to sense wind and electrical conditions—sort of like a built-in weather station.)
  • “If the conditions are right for flying, what does the spider do?” (Answer: The spider ‘tiptoes’ on its back legs, raises its abdomen, and releases its silk to the air. [Side Note: The video doesn’t mention it but the silk is -negatively- charged])
  • “True or False: The spider lifts into the air using the force it gains from the electric field and wind.”

Activity 4 – Discuss Favorite Chapter Assignment (5 minutes):

Ask students to choose their favorite chapter and be prepared to share which one it is and why with their classmates in the final class.

Also, remind students to bring their true friend report performance to the next class.

Assessment:

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