[BookMuncher]

My first grade class has FINALLY finished listening to me read Charlotte's Web. They absolutely loved it, but now I'm kind of stuck! We're going to watch the movie, but before we do, I'm looking for a way to help them synthesize the story in some way while at the same time celebrating a wonderful experience. Drawing and writing about their favorite part or character seems kind of anti-climatic, and acting out the book/scenes is more than I can handle at this time of the year. Does anyone have some project or activity they have done to wrap up this book or another?

BTW: While reading, we charted character traits and their changes, so something with characters/ or traits could be a focus of a project, but wouldn't have to be.

THANKS!

[Lynetteapo]

A kindergarten teacher at my school has her students create dioramas of a scene from Charlotte's Web after it is done being read aloud. I'm not sure of the specifics/guidelines she gives. But this seems more interesting than drawing/writing.

Good luck!

My third grade read the book because the high school put on the play. We did various character activities but we also did a barn, the kids had an outline of the barn, I read them the barn paragraph and they drew the barn. One group made their own medals for Wilbur, Charlotte, and Templeton. The same group also drew maps of Templeton's lair.

[iluv2nd]

My second graders also loved this read aloud. As a follow up the kids drew webs on blue construction paper (with pencil) and "wove" a word Charlotte would choose for them onto the web. We glued string along the pencil lines of the web to look like silk. Then the kids wrote an explanation telling why the word they chose fit them. We watched the animated video and I told the kids (I teach in school with 99% poverty) that I would treat them to see the new movie in the theater this summer. I plan to send out postcards telling the date, time and location. I will pay for the kids' tickets and popcorn if an adult can get them to the theater and pick them up.

[AmyH]

Go to this web-site
http://www.ckcolorado.org/lessons/2ndgrade.asp

There are 2 Charlotte Web units.. may give you some ideas...

[Linda H]

Make a extra large web on poster board or on your board. Fill it with Charlotte's baby spiders, with each class member writing a remark about what was so special about Charlotte or what a true friend happens to be. You can make pipe cleaner spiders, paper spiders or buy spiders in a dollar store or attach the spiders to small parachute balloons just like the spiders sailed away from the farm. Do you remember their words as they left the farm?

Linda

I have done many of the activities listed. I have also had my students do an ABC of the book. They had to think of a word for each letter of the alphabet from the book and draw a picture to illustrate the word.