📖

Wilbur's Problem Grows

Plot: What Happens in the Story

Day 17of 180
Week 4of 36
30Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Identify the main problem in Charlotte's Web

2

Understand how plot conflict develops

3

Track story events on a rising action plot diagram

📖 Scripture Connection

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

— Proverbs 3:5-6 (WEB)

Just like Wilbur needs help, we can trust God to guide us through life's challenges

📦 Materials Needed

  • Charlotte's Web book
  • Plot mountain template
  • Colored pencils
  • Sticky notes
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Recap yesterday's lesson on plot mountain. Ask students to describe what a plot mountain represents.

💭 Review Question: Can you remember what the bottom of our plot mountain represents?
2Teaching (10 min)

Today we'll explore how Wilbur's problem grows in the story. His main problem is that he might be killed for food, and we'll see how Charlotte tries to help him.

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • Problems in stories start small and get bigger
  • Characters face challenges that become more complicated
  • The rising action shows how characters try to solve their problems
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • What is Wilbur's biggest fear?
  • How does Charlotte first try to help Wilbur?
  • What makes Wilbur's problem more serious?
3Activity: Rising Action Tracker (10 min)
hands-on

Students will create a rising action map for Wilbur's story using sticky notes and the plot mountain template.

📝 Instructions:
  1. Draw a plot mountain on large paper
  2. Use sticky notes to write key events from the story
  3. Place events on the rising slope of the mountain
  4. Color-code events related to Wilbur's problem
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Teacher helps place events on mountain

Challenge: Students add their own interpretation of event importance

4Closing (5 min)

Reflect on how stories build tension and problems grow

📝 Review Questions:
  • What did we learn about how stories develop?
  • How does Wilbur's problem change throughout the story?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear God, help us trust You when our problems seem big, just like Wilbur trusted Charlotte.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll discover the most exciting moment in Charlotte's Web!

💎 Memory Verse

Proverbs 3:5

“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart”

— Proverbs 3:5 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Hand motions - place hand on heart when saying 'heart'

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Students are learning how stories build tension and develop conflict

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Ask your child about the story's events
  • Encourage tracking story problems at home
  • Discuss how characters face challenges
🤔 Common Struggles:

Some children might have trouble understanding abstract concept of rising action

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Child can explain how Wilbur's problem gets more complicated

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Draw a comic strip showing Wilbur's growing problem
  • Write a short story with a rising problem
  • Create a problem-solution chart for another book

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 18 →Back to Literature