Charlotte’s Web Lesson Plans

Are you looking for imaginative and engaging lesson plans to help bring a classic novel like Charlotte’s Web alive into the classroom?

Whether you have been teaching for years or are just starting, finding ways to make beloved stories come alive in front of young learners can feel daunting.

Don’t worry! With these Charlotte’s Web-themed lessons, children will discover new connections with characters and themes while expressing themselves through creative activities.

From vocabulary-building games to crafting projects, get ready to ignite your students’ enthusiasm and excitement around literature!

Related: For more, check out our article on The Witches by Roald Dahl here.

Central Themes in Charlotte’s Web

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White is a beloved children’s book that has captured readers’ hearts for generations. Some of the main themes that come up in this classic story include:

1. Friendship: The deep and meaningful friendship between Wilbur, the pig, and Charlotte, the spider, is at the heart of this story.
2. Loyalty: Charlotte demonstrates an unwavering commitment to Wilbur throughout the story, even when it means putting herself in danger.
3. Selflessness: Charlotte puts aside her needs to help Wilbur, ultimately sacrificing her life to save him.
4. Life and Death: The cycle of life and death is a significant theme throughout the book, as Wilbur faces his inevitable fate on the farm.
5. Acceptance: Through their interactions with Wilbur, many other farm animals learn to accept him for who he is rather than judging him based on his appearance or species.

Teaching Directions

When planning their teaching around Charlotte’s Web, teachers have several different directions they could go in depending on their goals and objectives for their students. Some ideas might include the following:

1. Character Analysis: Students could explore different characters in depth, analysing their motivations, actions and relationships with others.
2. Writing Prompts: Teachers could provide paper prompts related to themes from the book, such as friendship or selflessness.
3. Scientific Exploration: Since spiders are central characters in this story, teachers could incorporate lessons about arachnids into science classes.
4. Art Projects: Students could create art projects related to scenes from the book or inspired by its themes.
5. Discussion Groups: Teachers could facilitate discussions among students about the more profound questions this classic tale raises, such as what it means to be a good friend or how we should face our mortality.

Overall, there are endless possibilities for teaching with Charlotte’s Web – it all depends on what teachers hope to achieve with their students!

Charlotte’s Web Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan: Charlotte’s Web – Exploring the Theme of Friendship

Objective:

Students will be able to analyse the theme of friendship in Charlotte’s Web and identify how it is demonstrated throughout the book.

Materials:

• Copies of Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
• Graphic organisers for analysing characters and relationships
• Writing prompts related to friendship
• Art supplies (optional)

Introduction (10 minutes):

1. Begin by asking students what they think makes a good friend.
2. Discuss their responses as a class, highlighting common themes such as loyalty, honesty, and kindness.
3. Introduce the concept of theme in literature and explain that today we will explore the theme of friendship in Charlotte’s Web.

Body (40 minutes):

1. Distribute copies of Charlotte’s Web to students and have them read independently or with a partner.
2. Provide graphic organisers for students to fill out as they read, prompting them to analyse different characters and their relationships with others.
3. After reading for 20-30 minutes, come together as a class to discuss how friendship is demonstrated throughout the book.
4. Provide writing prompts related to friendship for students to complete individually or with a partner.
5. For those who finish early or want an extension activity, provide art supplies and encourage them to create artwork inspired by scenes from the book that demonstrate friendship.

Closing (10 minutes):

1. Come together as a class one final time to discuss what they learned about friendship from reading Charlotte’s Web.
2. Have each student share one thing they learned about what makes a good friend based on what they read.
3. Remind students that these themes are essential not just in literature but also in our everyday lives.

Adaptations/Differentiation Options:

For students working at a lower level:

• Provide sentence starters or more straightforward prompts for writing activities.
• Allow them to work with a partner during independent reading time.

For students working at a greater depth level:

• Encourage them to explore more complex relationships between characters beyond just Wilbur and Charlotte
• Challenge them to create their writing prompt related to friendship based on something they noticed while reading

Lesson Plan: Descriptive Writing About Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web

Objective: Students will be able to write a descriptive piece of writing about Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web, using sensory details and figurative language.

Materials:

• Copies of Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
• Graphic organisers for analysing characters and relationships
• Writing prompts related to descriptive writing
• Art supplies (optional)

Introduction (10 minutes):

1. Begin by asking students what they think makes a character enjoyable or memorable.
2. Discuss their responses as a class, highlighting common themes such as unique qualities, relatability, and complexity.
3. Introduce the concept of descriptive writing and explain that today we will focus on describing Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web in a way that captures his personality and characteristics.

Body (40 minutes):

1. Distribute copies of Charlotte’s Web to students and have them read independently or with a partner.
2. Provide graphic organisers for students to fill out as they read, prompting them to analyse different aspects of Wilbur’s character.
3. After reading for 20-30 minutes, come together as a class to brainstorm sensory details that could describe Wilbur (e.g. his appearance, sounds he makes, and smells associated with him).
4. Provide writing prompts related to descriptive essays for students to complete individually or with a partner.
5. Please encourage students to use figurative languages, such as similes or metaphors, in their descriptions.
6. For those who finish early or want an extension activity, provide art supplies and encourage them to create artwork inspired by their descriptions of Wilbur.

Closing (10 minutes):

1. Have each student share their description of Wilbur with the class.
2. Encourage classmates to listen carefully and offer feedback on what they liked about each other’s writing.
3. Remind students that descriptive writing is an essential skill that can be applied in literature and other areas such as journalism or advertising.

Adaptations/Differentiation Options:

For students working at a lower level:

• Provide sentence starters or more straightforward prompts for writing activities.
• Allow them to work with a partner during independent reading time.

For students working at a greater depth level:

• Please encourage them to use more advanced figurative language, such as personification or hyperbole
• Challenge them to create additional sensory details beyond just appearance

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