Lesson 1: Caring and Compassion

Subjects:  Language Arts, Mathematics, Science

Learner Outcomes:

The student will identify three (3) characteristics of compassion.
The student will identify ten (10) characteristics of spiders by answering eight (8) questions correctly.
The student will demonstrate an understanding of measurement by answering three (3) questions correctly.

Duration of Lesson: 6 days, 45 minute lessons

Materials:

Charlotte's Web

Spider specimens

Spider pictures,

Assortment of spider books (Book list)

Technology Tools and Courseware:

Computer w/ Internet access

Teacher Notes:

  The book, Charlotte's Web needs to be used as a class read aloud for the duration of this lesson.  Each classroom teacher can determine the best schedule for oral reading.  Feel free to spread the lessons over whatever length of time you feel is necessary.

Procedures:

Day 1 - 4 Language Arts

  Step 1:  Read Chapter 1- 4 in Charlotte's Web.  Define caring/compassion - a feeling of understanding or kindness toward another's situation.  Ask children to share personal experiences with caring or compassion - times they have given or received a caring or compassionate action.  Ask children for examples of caring or compassion in the beginning of Charlotte's Web.  (Example:  Fern's outrage over the initial thought of the killing of the runt and her decision to plead with her father not to kill him.)
  Step 2:  Continue oral reading Chapters 5 - 11 in Charlotte's Web.  Review the definition of caring and compassion. Brainstorm on the overhead ways in which we can show caring and compassion using a word web. Encourage children to give more examples of caring and compassion from the story. (Example: Charlotte's claim to form a plan to keep Wilbur alive.)
  Step 3:  Continue oral Chapters 12 - 15 in Charlotte's Web.  Continue with a review of caring and compassion and a discussion of caring and compassionate acts in the story.  In groups of three, students will create a Character poem, using the letters in Charlotte's name to list traits to describe caring and compassion. Example Poem
  Step 4:  Continue oral reading of Chapters 16 - 19.  Continue with a review of caring and compassion and a discussion of caring and compassionate acts in the story.  Students will create a personal character poem using the letters in their names to identify compassionate traits.  Visit the giraffe heroes web site to read about other character heroes. Giraffe Heroes Website

  Step 5:  Complete oral reading of Charlotte's Web.  Review ways in which caring and compassion were shown in the last chapters as well as in the entire book.  As a culminating class project, create an ABC book.  Use each letter to detail a manner in which a person could make a caring or compassionate act.  (Example:  A - act, B - believe, C - care, etc.)

Day 5 - Science

  Step 1:  Review caring/compassion.  Accept personal experiences and examples from the book.  Return to Charlotte's Web page 55.  Read to students page 55 through page 61, to the end of the second full paragraph.  Discuss the parts of the a spider's leg that Charlotte mentions and the fact that she is a sedentary spider.  Define sedentary using the story.
Step 2:  Introduce the following spider vocabulary.

• dragline - long silk threads that trail behind the spider
• orb web - a circular web spun by a spider
• silk - a fine threadlike material spun by a spider
• spinnerets - area on a spider that makes silk
• web - pieces of silk put together by a spider

Discuss the basic parts of a spider - prosoma, abdomen, eyes, chelicerae and spinnerets.  The following web site has a plethora of information and a model sheet that can can be printed for students to label.  The web site is an excellent resource and a variety of links. Visit the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies web site NOW. web site

Step 3: Spider Scavenger Hunt
Send your students on a quest for spiders on the playground.  Go over safety issues with your children.  They should not handle the spiders, only observe.  They are to scour the playground and take notes and sketch pictures of the spiders they see.  Students should work in pairs of three or four.  Each student will be responsible for a specific job. Jobs include:

• Observer - This student will describe the scene where the spider is located.
• Recorder - This student will record the facts.
• Illustrator - This student will draw the scene.
• If the group consists of four people, there will be two observers.

Step 4: Share spider collections with entire class.

  Day 6 - Math

Step 1:  Review the concept of caring/compassion.  Review spiders and their habits.  Introduce measurement with centimeters.
Step 2:  Allow students to explore with a ruler and measure objects in their desks.  On the overhead, review measurement of a variety of objects.  Review with students about ruler placement when measuring.
Step 3:  Use math sheet to discuss various spiders and their lengths.  Allow students to complete the sheet independently. Math Sheet

Modifications:

Modifications will be based on student need and Individualized Education Plans.  General modifications to include oral reading and direct instruction on math tasks.

Enrichment: 

Link to jigzone.com to complete spider puzzles.

6 piece puzzle	6 piece puzzle
16 piece puzzle	16 piece puzzle
32 piece puzzle	32 piece puzzle

  Create an edible spider.
Using cupcakes, allow students to color white frosting with black food coloring to make the body. Use black licorice to form the legs and cinnamon dots to create the eyes.  Your students will enjoy creating these creepy edibles.

Evaluation/Assessment:

WV Instructional Goals and Objectives:

Reading/Language Arts:  2.19, 2.29, 2.34, 2.38, 2.39, 3.15, 3.24
Science:  2.17, 2.18, 2.22, 3.24, 3.27
Math:  2.37, 3.45

National Standards:

Language Arts:
Reading - Standard 5, Level 1, #7; Level 2, #4
Writing - Standard 1, Level 1, #7; Level 2, #9

Science: 
Standard 12, Level 1, #1, #2; Level 2, #3
Standard 13, Level 1, #1

Math:
Standard 4, Level 1, #1

Behavioral Studies:
Standard 2, Level 1, #3
Standard 3, Level 2, #1, #4

Working With Others:
Standard 2, Level 4, #3, #4, #8

References:

Authors:

Tammy Samples
Connie Wright
Deanna Young