Wilbur, the pig, writes a message for Charlotte, his friend.

Authentic Problem Solving

In the book Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte (the spider) writes words that describe Wilbur (the pig) in her web. These words or phrases describe him and help to save his life.  Now, Wilbur wants to find a word or phrase to describe his best friend, Charlotte.  
Assignment:
First, each student brainstormed good ideas for this message.  Then, he selected the best idea.  Finally, he found a way for Wilbur to present this word or phrase to Charlotte, using resources/materials found in the barn.  
Below are examples of student illustrations:

Mock Interview - Charlotte's Web

MOCK INTERVIEW

Charlotte’s Web

In the novel Charlotte’s Web, Avery Arable tries to knock Charlotte, the spider, into a box with a stick.  Just as he reaches up toward her web, he loses his balance, falls over Wilbur’s (the pig) trough.   A rotten goose egg, which has been placed under the trough by Templeton, the rat, explodes and emits a horrible smell.  The smell drives Avery out of the barn, and Charlotte is spared.  Since she is working on saving Wilbur’s

life, he might also be spared.

Each student was asked to pose as a reporter from a local television station and interview Wilbur, the pig, in the Zuckerman’s barn following the “explosion” of a rotten goose egg.  Students brainstormed and generated as many “fat” questions as possible and selected the one BEST question for the interview. 

In our mock interview session, students: 1) played the role of an “on the scene” television reporter; 2) generated one important question that would be asked during the interview; 3) interviewed another student.

Sample videos are posted below.