Charlotte’s Choice
Cathleen Twomey
Subject: English
Grade Level: Seventh
Standards of Learning:
English 7.1: The student will give and seek information in conversations and in-group
discussions.
 Communicate ideas and information orally in an organized and succinct manner.
English 7.5: The student will read a variety of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.
 Describe setting, plot structure, and theme or conflict.
 Describe connections between historical and cultural influences and literary
selections.
English 7.6: The student will read and understand information from varied sources.
 Use knowledge of text structures to aid comprehension.
 Make, confirm, or revise predictions as needed.
 Summarize what is read.
 Organize and synthesize information for use in written and oral presentations.
Techniques:
Literature Circles
Open-minded Portrait
Strategies
Predicting
Confirming
Organizing Ideas
Activate prior knowledge
Apply background knowledge
Drawing inferences
Skills
Increase vocabulary
Summarize
Categorize
Understand organization of the text
Note details
Think critically
General Objectives:
The student will:
1. Predict/confirm vocabulary words
2. Demonstrate comprehension of a fiction text
3. Describe story elements
4. Create an artistic representation
Specific Objectives:
The student will:
1. Predict and confirm new vocabulary words by use of literature circles.
2. Demonstrate comprehension of fiction text by use of literature circles
3. Describe story elements of text by use of mapping activity
4. Create an artistic representation of a character by completing an open-minded
portrait of one of the main characters
Procedures for Teacher:
The teacher will:
Before Reading:
1. Introduce story by stating that it is a chapter book of realistic fiction and by
reading the foreword from the book jacket to the class.
2. Indicate on large United States map where New York City and Missouri are in
relationship to each other.
3. Activate prior knowledge by asking what conditions would be like in New York
City in 1905 (the Industrial Revolution) and in a rural community in Missouri in
1905.
4. Discuss why the lives of Charlotte and Jessie might be different based on their
cultural differences.
5. Divide class into literature circles of 4-5 students with roles of Discussion
Director, Vocabulary Enricher, Summarizer, Passage Master, Connector and
Travel Tracer. Discussion Director will lead discussion by asking questions
about overall text material. Vocabulary Enricher will present new words in the
text with explanation of each word. Summarizer will explain the overall story and
interpret the meaning of the text. Passage Master will choose informative and/or
interesting quotes from the text to present to the circle with the reason why those
particular quotes were chosen. Connector will analyze the text and connect the
text to real life situations. Travel Tracer will create a visual representation of the
locations and travels mentioned in the text.
During Reading:
1. Have students read the first chapter silently.
2. Have students search for information pertaining to their literature circle role.
After Reading:
Responding to the text:
1. Have literature circles of 4-5 students discuss the first chapter having them
discuss their thoughts on the chapter through their roles.
2. Have students create a Literary Elements Web in their literature circles. The web
can be used as a way to document student discussion of the story. (See
example at end of lesson plan).
3. The title and author will be in a circle in the middle of the page. Five lines will
extend from the circle labeled with story elements, such as: characters, problem,
setting, point of view, themes, and events leading to the solution.
4. Students in the literature circle will supply the specific information as they discuss
and analyze the story chapter.
5. Have a spokesman share their literary elements web with the whole class.
Exploring the text:
1. In literature circles, have students discuss new vocabulary with the assistance of
the Vocabulary Enricher.
Applying the text:
Have students create an open-minded portrait of one of the central characters in the
chapter by thinking more deeply about a character and reflect on story events from the
character’s viewpoint.
Steps for the activity:
The portrait has two parts: the face of the person is on one page and the mind of the
character is on the additional page.
1. Make a portrait of a character. Students draw and color a portrait of the head
and neck of a character in the chapter on a piece of light-colored paper or poster
board.
2. Cut out the portrait and open-mind page. Students will use scissors to cut out
the head and neck of the character and cut out a matching blank head and neck
from the second piece of matching paper or poster. The students then cut out
the second page and attach it to the portrait with a brad or staple with the face
portrait on top.
3. Construct the mind page. Students will draw the second page with the mind of
the character and draws 5 to 8 items about what the character is thinking about
in the chapter.
4. Share the completed portraits. Have the students share their portraits with the
entire class and discuss the characters and pictures they chose to include in the
mind of the character. Have students share their thoughts about their artistic
interpretations and how they help in understanding the characters and meaning
of the text.
Closing:
The lesson will end with clarification of instructions for the open-minded portrait.
The teacher will answer any remaining questions.
Evaluation:
The teacher will observe students and take anecdotal notes on their participation
in the literature circle and webbing activity. The teacher will observe the quality and
quantity of participation involved in the open-minded portrait and make anecdotal notes.
Materials:
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Multiple copies of Charlotte’s Choice by Cathleen Twomey
Light colored paper, construction paper or poster board
Colored markers, pencils and crayons
Hole punch
Brads
Stapler and staples
Extension:
An extender for this chapter could be a dramatic representation, such as Reader’s
Theatre. This is a chapter book with 18 chapters and an Epilogue. Each chapter can be
explored in this fashion, or with different webbing activities and artwork.
Note: This book’s readability may be considered at fourth grade level. However, the
mature nature of the material discussed in later chapters is more appropriate for older
children.
Lesson plan written by:
Shellie S. Van Nieuwenhuise
Longwood College
Literary Elements Web
CHARACTERS
PROBLEM
Charlotte’s Choice
By
Cathleen Twomey
POINT OF
VIEW
SETTING
THEMES