Charlotte's Web

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Mastering the Influence of Words”

In this activity, students will create an advertisement of a place, belief, or item they feel strongly about in terms of its benefit and worth to others.

In Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte draws on the powerful Influence of Words to convince the humans that Wilbur is a special pig, thereby saving his life. In this activity, you, too, will use words as a tool to convince others of a belief, item, or place you feel strongly about—one you believe would benefit others to try.

• Begin by considering a place, item, or belief that is important to you. What do you love, admire, or cherish? What types of places, things, products, or ideas benefit you and might benefit others? Decide on one to promote so that others might try it for themselves.
• Next, brainstorm some words or phrases that best describe this item/person/place and why others should care about it/them.
• Create a slogan out of the words you came up with. For example, to describe a love of bananas, a person may choose words like “yellow,” “delicious,” or “unique.” Then, form a slogan such as, “Bananas: They’re deliciously unique!”
• Turn your slogan into a visual poster. Be creative with how you present your slogan!

Posters can be displayed in the classroom for other classmates to appreciate and learn something new about one another. Present your advertisement poster and explain why you chose the words you did. In a brief journal entry, discuss how your intentional choice of words compares to Charlotte’s in the story.

Teaching Suggestion: This activity is designed to allow students to connect to multiple themes, express their creativity and passions, and connect to other course material by including the concept of advertising. Consider encouraging students to attend to the potential impact of words and how students may make their words most impactful with their advertisements.

Paired Resource Extension:

“Inspiration for Stunning Print Ads”

This resource explains what makes a stand-out poster advertisement, how to implement various approaches, and what is best to do or not to do when creating such a product. It also includes a list of links to exemplars of uniquely exceptional poster advertisements.

• Consider the following: What ads have stood out to you in the past, and why? What do you personally think makes a noticeable advertisement? What elements do you respond most strongly to (words, images, colors, etc.)?

Teaching Suggestion: This resource is meant to bolster students’ understanding of advertising products for the main activity as well as to provide an extra opportunity for discussion of students’ personal views on advertisement effectiveness.