Charlotte's Web - Lesson 10: Mrs. Arable and Dr. Dorian - PowerPoint

In Lesson Ten of an English teaching resource, students delve into chapters fourteen and fifteen of 'Charlotte's Web', focusing on the characters of Mrs. Arable and Dr. Dorian and exploring the theme of time. The lesson objectives are to read and discuss these chapters and to gain a deeper understanding of the characters and thematic elements presented. Students engage in a discussion about the plot and the characters, stimulating critical thinking about the narrative and its implications. A particular point of interest is the debate on whether animals can truly communicate, where students are prompted to complete a table comparing the viewpoints of Dr. Dorian and Mrs. Arable, with a challenge to articulate their own stance on the matter.

Further activities in the lesson include a reflective exercise where students are asked to draw a graph plotting significant changes in their lives over time, encouraging them to consider personal growth and milestones. Additionally, the lesson involves a group task where students are given different quotations about time to copy, discuss, and interpret, writing a paragraph to explain the meaning and whether they agree or disagree with it, while identifying any language techniques used. The class then comes together to share ideas. An extension activity prompts students to think more deeply about the passage of time in 'Charlotte's Web', discussing mortality—a major theme in the book—and to find examples of birth, life, death, and rebirth within the story. This leads to contemplation on the author's message about life, death, and the value of time.