3rd – 6th Grade

Another one of my favorite childhood classic books is “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White. It is a story of friendship from 2 unlikely characters – a spider and a pig. The spider – “Charlotte” seeks no attention for herself, and seeks to encourage, comfort and build confidence in her downcast friend Wilbur. In the end, the saddest part of the story, she dies and has Wilbur care for her young. Friends like these are few to come by in our lives. I would remind my students that he who desires friends, must show themselves friendly. 

I usually started the school year reading this book in September –  a chapter a day during our D.E.A.R. Time – which stands for Drop, Everything, And, Read. It was always after lunch. We would be back from the noisy lunchroom, sit our chairs, and they would listen to me read this story. The kids loved it! We loved the characters and would have group discussions applying how similar our attitudes are to characters like the rat, goose, Wilbur, Fern, and Charlotte. I love having special days that surround a theme so after reading the final chapter of the book; I designated a Friday afternoon where we watched the old cartoon version, and had special snacks like chocolate milk, haystacks and pigs in a blanket you see listed below.

It’s Snack Time”

On a Friday afternoon after I read the last chapter, we had special snacks themed after the book “Charlotte’s Web.” Many of us may be familiar with pigs ‘n a blanket. I love these so much! So yummy and believe me there were no leftovers. I placed directions below for each special snack. The directions given are for a class of 23. 

Pigs ‘N a Blanket

• Packages of Li’L Smoky sausages
• Crescent rolls
• Crockpot to keep warm

Directions:

First, cut each crescent roll in half. Then, wrap one Li’L smoky sausage link in one half of the crescent and bake in the oven. Please in a crockpot to keep warm. 

Haystacks

• 23 Rice Krispie Bars if you want to go easy OR
• 1 or 2 cans of dried, canned, crispy Chow Mein Noodles
• A package or 2 of Butterscotch chips for melting

Directions: Melt the butterscotch chips in a saucepan. Once melted, add the crunchy chow mein noodles and make sure they are completely folded into the melted butterscotch. Then, scoop out 1/4 cup and place on a tray with wax paper. Once you have filled a tray, place in refrigerator or freezer to harden. Once cooled, they should resemble haystacks. These will need to be made in advance, perhaps the night before, so they are ready to serve immediately.

Chocolate Milk

• 2 gallons of chocolate milk
• 23 Dixie cups

Please make sure to let parents know ahead of time as many of your students may have allergies or are not able to drink milk. Make sure to have an alternate beverage for them so they can feel part of the special day. When I did this, parents would send along something special for their child in place of these snack items that they weren’t able to eat or drink.  

Creative Writing/ Reading Response

The story is about friendship. Write a about what you feel makes a friend a true friend.  What are some ways you can be that kind of friend to others around you?