3rd Grade ELA | The Power of Friendship: Charlotte's Web

Unit Summary

In this unit, students will explore the meaning of true friendship by reading Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. Charlotte's Web, a classic novel written in 1952, clearly illustrates how difficult and scary it can be to make a friend, yet how rewarding a true friendship really is. Over the course of the novel, students will consider what it means to be a good friend, whether or not friendship is always easy, and whether or not conflicts and struggle are an important part of strengthening friendships. By deeply connecting with the characters, students will learn about the power of helping others, how creativity and determination can help solve problems, and people can and do change. Students will also begin to understand the cycle of life and beauty, and the emotional responses that come with death through the eyes of Wilbur. It is our hope that this unit, in connection with other units, will provide the foundation for developing empathy and understanding about true friendship and life.

Charlotte's Web was chosen not only because of the strong theme of friendship and life but because it is a classic in children's literature. Charlotte's Web was written in the early 1950s and contains messages and language that are more archaic than other texts in the sequence. Therefore, students will use what they learned in previous units about describing characters, determining messages, and character change to analyze messages, settings, characters, and language that are less familiar and relatable. The text also uses a lot of precise words and phrases to describe characters and settings, allowing students to analyze the author's use of language while practicing how to determine the meaning of literal and nonliteral language in context.

When discussing the text, students will focus on critiquing and analyzing the reasoning of others. They will use what they learned from previous units on how to clarify and share their thoughts and how to engage with the thinking of others to push the discussion to a deeper level. In this unit, students will also have multiple opportunities to write literary analysis/opinion paragraphs, using what they learned from previous units about topic sentences, supporting details, and elaboration.

Please Note: In February 2024, we released updated enhanced lesson plans for this unit, which now include answers to key questions and related student supports. You may notice discrepancies in previously downloaded/printed unit or lesson plans.

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Texts and Materials

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Core Materials

Book: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White (HarperCollins Publishers, 2012) — 680L

Supporting Materials

Rubric: Grade 3 Literary Analysis and Opinion Writing Rubric
Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading

Text Selection Rationale

Purchase Books

Assessment

These assessments accompany this unit to help gauge student understanding of key unit content and skills.

Unit Prep

Intellectual Prep

Suggestions for how to prepare to teach this unit

Unit Launch

Before you teach this unit, unpack the texts, themes, and core standards through our guided intellectual preparation process. Each Unit Launch includes a series of short videos, targeted readings, and opportunities for action planning to ensure you're prepared to support every student.

Essential Questions

The central thematic questions addressed in the unit or across units

What are the characteristics of a strong friendship?
What can death teach us about how to live?

Reading Focus Areas

To describe a character, readers must notice a character's thoughts, actions, relationships, perspectives, and conflicts.
Characters change based on their relationships with others.
Authors use precise words and phrases to help readers understand the characters and setting.

Writing Focus Areas

Opinion Writing

State an opinion.
Provide reasons that support an opinion.
Use linking words and phrases to connect reasons with evidence.
Include a concluding statement.

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

Question and clarify. Seek to clarify a particular point a student makes by asking follow-up questions.
Build on and challenge a partner's ideas.
Synthesize to build deeper meaning. Synthesize everything from the discussion into a coherent statement at the end of the discussion.

Vocabulary

Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text

Text-based

admiration amused anxiety appalled boasting brutal cautiously clever commotion complimentary conspiracy dazed decency disgust dreary envy endure enchanted fibs frantic gloomily gullible humble hysterics injustice listless loathed lure modest neglected objectionable praise radiant relieved runt salutations sedentary shamelessly shrieked slogan sorrow sociable terrific triumphantly unbearable vanish vaguely versatile wearily wondrous

Root/Affix

-able -less -ly -ous -tion in- un-

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 5, view our 3rd Grade Vocabulary Glossary.

Content Knowledge and Connections

Fishtank ELA units related to the content in this unit.

Previous Fishtank ELA Connections

2nd Grade ELA - Awesome Insects

Supporting All Students

In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the intellectual preparation protocol and the Unit Launch to determine which support students will need. To learn more, visit the Supporting all Students teacher tool.

Lesson Map

1

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 1

Compare and contrast the family members' perspectives of Wilbur.

RL.3.3

2

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 2

Analyze how the author uses the details of Chapter 2 to deepen the reader's understanding of each family member's perspective of Wilbur.

RL.3.3

3

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 3

Explain how Wilbur's interactions with the goose help the reader get a better understanding of who he is.

RL.3.3

4

Writing

Writers combine sentences to make their writing more interesting.

L.3.1.h L.3.1.i

5

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 4

Describe how E.B. White creates a feeling of loneliness for the reader.

RL.3.3 RL.3.4

6

Discussion & Writing

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 1-5

Describe Wilbur by closely reading a text, participating in a class discussion, and writing a well-organized paragraph to support an idea.

RL.3.3 SL.3.1 W.3.1 W.3.1.a W.3.1.b W.3.1.d

7

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 5

Analyze the significance of the words that Wilbur uses to describe Charlotte.

RL.3.3 RL.3.4

8

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 6

Describe Templeton and how the other characters feel about him.

RL.3.3 RL.3.4

9

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 7-8

Explain different characters' perspectives and reactions to a key event in a text.

RL.3.3

10

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 9

Describe how Wilbur is feeling at the end of the chapter and why.

RL.3.2 RL.3.3

11

Discussion & Writing

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 1-10

Describe Wilbur and Charlotte's relationship by closely reading a text, participating in a class discussion, and writing a well-organized paragraph to support an idea.

RL.3.3 SL.3.1 SL.3.1.c SL.3.1.d W.3.1 W.3.1.a W.3.1.b W.3.1.d

12

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 10

Describe the key event that happens in the chapter and how it impacts the characters.

RL.3.3

13

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 11

Compare and contrast how the characters respond to the miracle and why they respond the way that they do.

RL.3.3

14

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 12

Explain the change in the animals' relationships with Wilbur.

RL.3.3

15

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 13

Explain why the chapter is titled "Good Progress".

RL.3.2 RL.3.3

16

Discussion & Writing

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 1-13

Describe Wilbur and Charlotte's relationship by closely reading a text, participating in a class discussion, and writing a well-organized essay to support an idea.

RL.3.3 SL.3.1 SL.3.1.c SL.3.1.d W.3.1 W.3.1.a W.3.1.b W.3.1.d

17

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 14

Compare and contrast Mrs. Arable's perspective and Dr. Dorian's perspective about Fern's time in the barn.

RL.3.3

18

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 15

Explain the significance of the setting in moving the plot forward.

RL.3.2 RL.3.3

19

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 16

Analyze how characters react to the conflict in this chapter.

RL.3.3

20

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 17-18

Explain how Charlotte is changing and if Wilbur truly understands the change.

RL.3.3

21

Discussion & Writing

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 1-18

Describe Wilbur and Charlotte's relationship by closely reading a text, participating in a class discussion, and writing a well-organized paragraph to support an idea.

RL.3.3 SL.3.1 SL.3.1.c SL.3.1.d W.3.1 W.3.1.a W.3.1.b W.3.1.d

22

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 19

Describe a conflict that arises in the chapter and how it is solved.

RL.3.3

23

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 20

Explain how everyone responds to the speech and why they respond that way.

RL.3.3

24

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 21

Describe what happens to Charlotte at the Fair Ground.

RL.3.3

25

Charlotte's Web — Ch. 22

Explain how Wilbur continues to show his love and dedication to Charlotte even though she is no longer alive.

RL.3.2 RL.3.3

26

Discussion & Writing

Charlotte's Web

Determine the central message or lesson of Charlotte's Web and explain how it is developed through the key details in the text.

RL.3.2 SL.3.1 W.3.1 W.3.1.a W.3.1.b W.3.1.d

27

Opinion Writing – 2 days

Charlotte's Web
Grade 3 Literary Analysis and Opinion Writing Rubric

Explain which character helps Wilbur the most using the best supporting details from the text.

RL.3.3 W.3.1 W.3.1.a W.3.1.b W.3.1.d

28

Discussion

Charlotte's Web

Analyze and debate unit essential questions by stating a claim and supporting the claim with evidence from the entire unit.

SL.3.1 SL.3.1.c SL.3.1.d

29

Assessment

Common Core Standards

Core Standards

The content standards covered in this unit

L.3.1

L.3.1.h

L.3.1.i

L.3.2

RL.3.2

RL.3.3

RL.3.4

SL.3.1

SL.3.1.c

SL.3.1.d

SL.3.3

W.3.1

W.3.1.a

W.3.1.b

W.3.1.d

Supporting Standards

Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit

L.3.4

L.3.4.b

L.3.6

RF.3.3

RF.3.4

RL.3.1

RL.3.5

RL.3.6

RL.3.7

RL.3.10

SL.3.1.b

SL.3.6

W.3.4

W.3.5

W.3.10

The Power of Friendship: Charlotte's Web

Unit Summary

Texts and Materials

Core Materials

Supporting Materials

Assessment

Unit Prep

Intellectual Prep

Essential Questions

Reading Focus Areas

Writing Focus Areas

Opinion Writing

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

Vocabulary

Text-based

Root/Affix

Content Knowledge and Connections

Previous Fishtank ELA Connections

Supporting All Students

Lesson Map

Common Core Standards

Core Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Supporting Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Language Standards

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Reading Standards for Literature

Speaking and Listening Standards

Speaking and Listening Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

Writing Standards

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