Preview
Copywork
About This Passage
Watch Charlotte think like a general. She accepts the sheep's plan in two words - 'Good idea' - and then names its weak point with perfect honesty: Templeton, 'always looking out for himself, never thinking of the other fellow.' Notice that she does not call him wicked or hopeless; she describes exactly how he works, the way you would describe a tool. That clear-eyed sentence is what makes the sheep's next move possible - if the rat will not think of others, then the argument must be built entirely out of himself. As you copy, notice how knowing a character precisely is the first step to persuading him.
"Good idea," said Charlotte. "But I'm not sure Templeton will be willing to help. You know how he is - always looking out for himself, never thinking of the other fellow."
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Retell the meeting in order: the comic roll call with Templeton's two silences, Charlotte's report that the Zuckermans have fallen for the trick, the slogan auditions, Wilbur's objection and Charlotte's print lesson, the sheep's bargain with the rat, and the adjournment with one last private word for Wilbur. Then name the decision you think mattered most, and use the chapter's words to defend your pick.
Discussion Questions
- Charlotte reports that her trick is working - 'The Zuckermans have fallen for it' - yet in the same breath she asks for new ideas because people are 'getting sick of reading' SOME PIG. Why does a winning trick need fresh words so soon? Use Charlotte's words about the message to explain your reasoning.
- Charlotte rejects 'Pig Supreme' because it 'sounds like a rich dessert,' trims three terrifics down to one, and refuses the gander's spelling because she would need 'St. Vitus's Dance' to weave it. Compare those three decisions. What rules for choosing a web word do they share? Use her words at the meeting to defend your answer.
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Vocabulary
Item 1
what the future holds for someone; their fate
Item 2
a sweet dish served after a meal
Item 3
extraordinarily good; the word Charlotte chooses for the web
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Critical Thinking
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