This story follows a little pig, Wilbur, who becomes famous with the help of his friend Charlotte's and the animal neighbors. Wilbur is the runt of the litter who struggles to survive from the very beginning. Fern begs her father, Mr. Arable, to raise Wilbur and nurse him to health. Fern's plan works and Wilbur moves to Zuckerman Farm, where he learns the true meaning of friendship from Charlotte, a big grey spider! When Charlotte and Wilbur realize Wilbur is being well fed for a reason, Charlotte and Wilbur are determined to ruin Mr. Zuckerman’s plans. With the help of Charlotte and her webs, Templeton the rat, and the other barnyard friends, Wilbur becomes the prize-winning pig of the County Fair and the most famous pig to ever exist!
This story is great for students and teachers alike! This story contains many important messages and values that teachers will love and students will learn from. Teachers will appreciate the story because of the lessons involved such as loyalty, and the importance of friendship. This will help teachers educate their students on the great importance behind friendship and loyalty. Students will enjoy the pictures in the book and the animal fantasy attributes. The animal fantasy style story will have students engaged and will ultimately enrich their development.
Class Discussion Questions:
- What did Charlotte write in her Web for Wilbur?
- Have you ever had an pet or animal that you felt very close with?
- Why was Mr. Zuckerman feeding Wilbur so much? What was his plan?
- What did you think of Temptation the Rat in this story? Did you see him as a good friend or a bad friend to Wilbur?
- What would you have done if you were Wilbur in this situation?
- Why did Wilbur end up being "the most famous pig ever" in the end of the story?
Class Activity!
- Ask the students to sit in a circle after reading the book Charlottes Web. Allow children to go around the circle and name one quality that makes someone a good friend, like Charlotte was to Wilbur. Ask them to name someone they know that portrays the qualities a good friend has. When they think of someone, allow them to draw a picture of this individual. Under the picture provide the children with lines to write three qualities that person displays that makes them a good friend. Allow each child to share!
If you enjoyed the book Charlotte's Web, you should check out the trailer for the movie made in 2006!
Some other books written by E.B. White include:
- Stuart Little
- The Trumpet of the Swan
White, E.B. (1974). Charlotte's web. Glasgow: Harper Collins.
Your motivational activity was inspiring! What I might suggest for two other activities for this story would be:
ReplyDelete1. Have the children share to the class what their favorite animal is and why. What are the qualities that this animal has that attracts the child? Is it the way the animal looks or the message that the animal might send? For example, lions are considered an animal with a lot of courage and strength, therefore, if a child wants to have the qualities of being strong and having courage, their favorite animal might be a lion.
2. Ask the children what they like most about the pet that they have, or if they do not own a pet, ask them what type of pet they would like to have and why. For example, a child might say they love their cat because they can cuddle up with him or her at night. Another example could be a child might love their dog because they feel like they feel safe around him or her because the dog will protect the child from harm.