Charlotte's Web:
A Grade 3 Novel Study

This picture came from the book Charlotte's Web.
Written by E.B.White. Published By: Harper Trophy.
 

    This unit will integrate Language Arts, Computer Technology and Science in the grade three curriculum.  It will attend to the outcomes as described below.

Language Arts:

   The novel will be read aloud to the class.  Students will be encouraged to participate in class readings and to read ahead.

    Students will be able to:

• express and explain opinions and respond to questions and reactions of others.
• use pre-writing, drafting, editing, proof-reading and presentation strategies.
• select, read and view with understanding a range of literature. information, media, and visual text.

    Computer Technology can be integrated with both Language Arts and Science.

    Students will be able to:

• ci06c2-1p01   create and revise original text, using word-processing software.
• ci06c2-1p03   read information from a prepared database.
• ci07i1-1p03   distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information from electronic sources.
• ci05c1-1p03   perform basic computer operations, including powering up, inserting discs moving the cursor, clicking on an icon, using pull down menus, executing programs,saving files, retrieving files, printing, ejecting discs, and powering down.
• ci03f3-1p01   demonstrate a willingness to work independently and/or cooperatively when using computer technology.

    The interdisciplinary theme on Spiders will be expanded through the following science curricular outcomes.

    Students will be able to:

• observe living things in their natural habitats.
• record data about life forms in their natural environment.
• draw conclusions from recorded data.
• research and investigate the life cycles of easily obtainable creatures.

Activities:
   
    1.   Class discussions will be conducted at the end of each chapter.  The teacher will pose a question to which the students will be encouraged to express their opinions.(i.e. After chapter one the teacher will ask: Fern uses wonderful words to get her father to change his mind about killing the runt.  Which do you think are the most powerful?)
     2.   The teacher will initiate a brain-storming session on  what they know about spiders and present this in web form.  Students will then use all these ideas to develop their own story about a spider.  Lastly, they will hand-write a rough draft of their stories and use a word processor to edit and revise their final drafts.
     3.   After reading the book in class, the teacher will show the movie in order to create a better understanding.
      This is the cover of the movie.
    4.   Various worksheets will be handed out throughout this unit.(i.e. activity sheets on determining fact and opinion, and determining cause and effect)
     5.   Students will be placed in groups of three or four and with the help of an assistant or volunteer will be able to use various search engines to find internet sites on spiders.  See
http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/spiders.htm or http://www.discovery.com/exp/spiders/upclose.html . Students will then be able to draw and label the anatomy of a spider.
     6.   The teacher will introduce students to a study of spiders by observing them in a “close to natural” state in a (Spider Vivarium).  They will be able to describe the spider’s physical features and their eating habits, if possible.
    7.   The students will verbally describe a spider's life cycle in correct chronological order through The Spider Life Cycle Activity.

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