Charlotte’s Web
Telling Stories: From Page to Screen
Children’s Week 2012
Charlotte’s Web, Gary Winick, 97 mins, USA, 2006
Charlotte’s Web
Telling Stories: From Page to Screen
Charlotte's Web centres on an unlikely friendship between a sweet-natured pig named Wilbur and
Charlotte, a gentle spider. After Wilbur discovers that he is being fattened up for Christmas dinner,
Charlotte hatches a plan to save him.
BEFORE WATCHING THE FILM
Read the opening chapter(s) of Charlotte’s Web.
Ask students to draw Fern, Charlotte and the Zuckerman’s farm.
Discuss: what information from the story did they use to help them draw their pictures?
Ask students to compare their drawings and consider the differences and the similarities.
Divide students into groups to explore ideas for turning the opening of the novel into the opening
sequence of a film.
How will the setting of the story be introduced to viewers?
How will they be drawn into the story and which characters will be introduced first?
Remind them that the film version of a story does not have to be the same as the novel.
What will the viewers see first?
Use Storyboard Generator to design the opening and to focus on communicating
information visually http://generator.acmi.net.au/storyboard
AFTER WATCHING THE FILM
Initial response to the film
Did they enjoy the film? Why?
What stood out in the film? Explain.
Which scene was the most memorable? Why?
Discuss the characters in the story with the class
List all of the characters and describe their role in the story.
Who is your favourite character?
What is the role of that character in the story?
What is he/she like?
How important is this character?
Who was your least favourite character? Why? Explain.
FREE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE - Education Resource- Charlotte’s Web: Telling Stories From Page to Screen
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Themes
In this story, Charlotte is a leader. A leader is someone who guides and inspires others.
Ask students to think about the people they know who are leaders.
What qualities do they possess?
Brainstorm the many qualities of a leader.
What do we learn from Charlotte’s Web?
Ask students to list the main themes from the story (friendship, loyalty, determination, life
cycle acceptance, self-sacrifice and general optimism).
How is each of these themes/ideas portrayed in the story?
Discuss each of these themes and consider how they relate to the student’s own
experience.
What other stories or films do students know where animal characters are used to explore
important human themes?
Other activities for students
Tell the story of Charlotte’s Web from another character’s point of view.
Pretend you are a reporter for the local newspaper. Write a newspaper article about the
events that take place.
Plan the sequel. This could be done as a written piece, picture, or comic strip.
Write a story summary including:
o Setting: Where did this story take place?
o Characters: Who were the characters?
o Conflict: What was the problem that had to be solved?
o Conclusion: How did the story end?
COMPARE THE BOOK AND THE FILM
COMPARE KEY SCENES FROM THE BOOK AND FILM VERSIONS.
What are the obvious similarities and differences between the book and the film?
Were some things added in the film adaptation? Why? What difference do these changes
make to the way the story is told?
Does the film leave out some parts of the story told in the book? What has been left out?
Why?
Create a Venn diagram comparing the book to the film.
List elements that only appear in the book on the left hand side and things that only
appear in the film on the right. Features shared by both texts can go in the middle.
Ask students to write a paragraph about their findings.
FREE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE - Education Resource- Charlotte’s Web: Telling Stories From Page to Screen
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BOOK
FILM
FREE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE - Education Resource- Charlotte’s Web: Telling Stories From Page to Screen
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Story Monster is a literacy game for primary school students. This learning tool combines
gameplay and storytelling to develop foundational knowledge and skills related to reading,
writing and screen literacy.
Story Monster can be played in the classroom and at home. Story Monster introduces
knowledge and skills in a holistic and meaningful way by having players tell a short, sentence
length action story in a game environment.
While the game has grammar as its starting point, it incorporates wide-ranging knowledge and
skills relating to narrative, film language and design, videogames, game play and ICT.
This interactive game promotes engagement with language and design by encouraging young
learners to make their own stories.
Find out more about Story Monster at http://www.acmi.net.au/story-monster.aspx
FREE FOR EDUCATIONAL USE - Education Resource- Charlotte’s Web: Telling Stories From Page to Screen
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