| Bible: Prodigal Son Luke 14 (He was willing to eat what the pigs ate, before he repented.) Academic: Story Line: Fern, an 8 year old girl, saves a baby pig who was a runt. She gets to raise it, and names it Wilbur. Wilbur thrives, and eventually is sold to Fern's uncle, Homer Zuckerman. Fern comes and visits during the day, but Wilbur is terribly lonely. Wilbur, desperate for a friend, makes an unusual one ine a spider named Charlotte. Summer days in the barn yard are filled with new life: baby goslings, baby lambs, etc. Wilbur learns from an old sheep that he is going to be killed for food in the winter. Wilbur and Charlotte's friendship continues to grow. Wilbur tries to spin a web to be like Charlotte (with a little help from some string borrowed from Templeton the rat), and fails. Charlotte promises to save Wilbur's life (she's just not sure how). Fern and Avery spend an afternoon swinging in the barn. When they go down to visit Wilbur, Avery almost catches Charlotte, but he trips on Wilbur's trough. The trough breaks a rotten goose egg and the smell chases Avery out of the barn. Charlotte's first miracle "Some Pig" written in web. Charlotte' continues to add to Wilbur's importance with the miracles "Terrific" and "Radiant" appearing the web. Mrs. Arable, Fern's mother, visits Dr. Dorian, worried about Fern hearing the animals talking; she is reassured that Fern will eventually be more interested in boys than animals. The end of summer approaches and the county fair is coming. Wilbur is being entered. Everyone is very excited about the fair, and is dreaming about what might happen. Mrs. Zuckerman gives Wilbur a buttermilk bath to get ready for the fair. Right before leaving for the fair, Wilbur faints when Mr. Zuckerman talks about him making good bacon and ham. He is revived by a bucket of water. Wilbur, Templeton, and Charlotte travel to the fair in a crate. Charlotte meets the pig in the next pen over, who is huge but ill-mannered. He goes by the name "Uncle." Templeton finds the next word for the web - "Humble." Templeted has a great night at the fair, eating all the remnants of food left behind. Charlotte makes her egg sac with 514 eggs -- her "magnum opus." Uncle wins first prize. Wilbur gets a special award and a prize of $25; his life is saved. Templeton removes the egg sac from the ceiling so Wilbur can bring it back to Zuckerman's Barn. Charlotte isn't going to make it back to the barn. She dies the day after the fair ends. Wilbur watches the egg sac all winter, keeping it safe and warm. In the spring, the spiderlings hatch. A few days later they begin to "fly away." Wilbur is distraught that he is going to be all alone again. Three of Charlotte's daughters remain at Zuckerman's Barn (Joy, Aranea, and Nellie). Wilbur enjoys many generations of new spider friends, but none quite so special as Charlotte. Spider Facts: Spiders are not insects, they are archnids. Their body has two main parts, the cephalothorax and abdomen. Spiders have eight walking legs and no wings or antennae. They use poison to kill their prey. They then suck juices from the prey's body. There are 30,000 different species of spiders. Spiders spin silk through spinnerets. They are capable of making several different types of silk (strong and threadlike, sticky, sheet). Egg sacs are attached to a safe place or carried with the mother. Baby spiderlings are capable of caring for themselves and spinning webs from the tyime they are born; they don't need to be taught how to do this. Many female spiders die before their babies hatch. Gossamer is the fine, silken webbing left behind by baby spiders that have "ballooned" to a new location. Discuss how ord spider webs are spun (Y, spokes, then spiral). Interesting species: fishing spider, wolf spider, trapdoor spider, crab spider. Spiders help prevent over-population of insect species. Pig Facts: Christopher Columbus brought pigs to the Americas. Pigs have strong, tough snouts and sharp hooves. They are escape artists, always looking for a way out of their pens. They can't handle extreme temperatures since they have no thick fur to keep warm, and can't sweat to cool off. Males are called boars and females are called sows. Sows commonly give birth to 8-10 piglets or shoats at once. They can have up to two litters per year. The world piglet record dates back to June, 1961. A Danish sow gave birth to 34 piglets. In 5 1/2 months, piglets have grown to weight about 220 pounds and are now called hogs. The largest hog ever raised weighed more than 1 ton, was 9 feet long, and 5 feet high. Pigs are raised to provide a variety of food products including pork chops, bacon, ham, roasts, spare ribs, sausage, salami, and pepperoni. Crafts/Activity Zuckerman's Barn (small envelope, toilet paper tube, cup from egg carton, pictures of barn animals) Modeled after the idea for Farmer in the Dell in Kathy Ross's craft book Crafts from Your Favorite Children's Songs Farm animals pictures are available at dltk-kids Spider and Web (3 black pipe cleaners, gray felt, 3 white pipe cleaners, white crochet thread, google eyes) Spider: Cut 2 of the black pipe cleaners in half. They will become legs. Twist last black cleaner into a circle and then into a figure 8. Twist half-pipe cleaners around middle of 8 to form legs (half on each side to give you 8 legs). Cover opening of 8's with gray felt. Bend legs as desired. Add eyes. Web: Twist three white pipe cleaners together at middle, and then separate like spokes on a wheel. Tie one end of crochet thread to one spoke. Twist thread in spiral pattern around each spoke working your way to end of pipe cleaners. Fold end of pipe cleaners to help secure thread. References: Books: Charlotte's Web by E. B. White. Spiders by Romona Stewart Dupree. Insects and Spiders by Lorus and Margery Milne. How Spiders Make Their Webs by Jill Bailey. Eyewitness Juniors: Amazing Spiders by Alexandra Parsons. Pigs by Sara Swan Miller. Farm Animals by Angela Hart. Websites: Charlotte's Web Lesson Plans Fun Spider Themes Spider Activities Farm Animal Activities Use a Search Engine for Spiders, Pigs, or Charlotte's Web Lesson Plans and enjoy browsing |
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| Charlotte's Web Workshop |
| October, 2002 |