Year Three

The Characters
We have been introduced to a lot of unusual and interesting characters in the story so far. Which character do you like the most? Tell me why.

The Peach
* In Chapter 16, the peach rolls over a cliff and lands in the sea. Predict what will happen next. Some ideas to think about could be:
– Will the peach stay floating across the sea?
– Will James and the insects get along?
– Do they have a plan?
You need to use your imagination to write about what could occur.

The Giant Peach
In Chapter 9, James sneaks up to the giant peach. He discovers a hole. Do you think that he should crawl into the hole or not. Give a reason for your answer.
(Don’t forget to check your spelling after writing your response!)

* In Chapter 10, James is greeted by two unknown characters when he reaches the centre of the peach. Predict what might have happened if one of the aunts had crawled into the peach instead.

Welcome back to Term 4. This term we will be reading another popular children’s novel called ‘James and the Giant Peach’ by Roald Dahl.

As we read the first couple of chapters you may begin to notice how the characters and events are similar or can be connected to other stories that you are familiar with. There could be a connection with characters and events in stories that you have read before or in movies that you have seen. For example, the two aunties can be compared to the two ugly step-sisters in ‘Cinderella’ because they think that they are beautiful. Another reason is because both Cinderella and James are made to do lots of work around the house. Think of a connection to another story that you can make. Share your thoughts and explain how the stories are similar.

Radiance
In the story, Charlotte describes Wilbur with different words in her web. She writes ’some pig’ and ‘brilliant.’ She also writes ‘radiant.’ Think about what it could mean to be radiant. What other things can you describe as being radiant? Give a reason to support your idea.

Uncle (Chapter 17)
In this chapter we read about Fern and Avery at the fair. They were given some money to explore the fair “. . .where they could be happy and free to do as they pleased.” (p.121). Mr Arable says that, “. . . they’ve got to grow up some time.” (p.121). Share a time when you felt grown up and got to choose what you wanted to do. How did you feel at the time?

We also meet the large pig called Uncle. Wilbur is upset when he hears that Uncle is a larger pig than he is.
* Does size matter? Is big always better? Give examples.

Fern’s Imagination
Mrs Arable is increasingly concerned about Fern’s time spent in the barn cellar. Do you agree that it is a problem, or not? Explain why.
Dr Dorian advises that Fern will always love animals and that Fern would become better friends with Henry Fussy. Do you have any suggestions that may lead to Fern spending less time in the barn?

In Chapter 13, ‘Good Progress,’ Fern tells her mother all about the events that have happened in the Zuckerman’s barn. Mrs Arable thinks that these are part of Fern’s imagination.
* Can things that come from the imagination be real or true or are they always fictional?

Growth and Change
As we have continued reading Charlotte’s Web, we have noticed some changes that are happening to the characters. Discuss some of the changes that you have noticed.

* In the chapter ‘Miracles’ (Chapter 11), the minister states,
“. . . human beings must always be on the watch for the coming of wonders.” (p.112).
Do you believe this statement to be true? Should people always be expecting miracles or unexpected things to happen? Why or why not?

In your experiment you tested the strength of each of your magnets.  Write a response to the following questions and explain your results.

1. Which magnet was the strongest? Why?

2. Which magnet had the least amount of attraction? Why?

3. How many paperclips could each magnet hold?

4. Complete this sentence.  Today I learnt…

EXTENSION TASK

Use the data you have collected to create a graph.  Click on this link to go to the KidsZone CreateAGraph website.

For more information about magnets you can view the videos by ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy’ on the Magnetism page.

Queensborough Bridge, New York

Building Suspense
So far in Charlotte’s Web we have read about some bad news and we have discovered more about Wilbur’s new friend, Charlotte. The story is becoming more interesting. From what we have read, what part of the story have you found the most interesting and why?

In Chapter 9, we learn about spiders spinning webs. We also learn that it took 8 years to build the Queensborough Bridge. These things take time and dedication to build.
* Can you name something else that takes a long time to build? Explain your answer or give some facts if you can.