Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

How It Works: 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a modern day remake of an old classic. Students participate in many activities such as planning and publishing a Chocolate Newsletter, designing a chocolate factory, and taking virtual fieldtrips to chocolate recipe sites and a factory that makes chocolate. One of the lessons, Help Is Just A Click Away, has the students searching online for solutions to the characters' problems. They find help on the Internet for the gum chewer, the TV addict, and so on. They then read the information and analyze it to determine if their solution is suitable for the character.

This unit covers the gamut of academics studied in the fifth grade, including math, reading/language arts, science, social studies and art.

Standards: 

  • Uses the writing process effectively

  • Develops Geometry skills and spatial sense

  • Locates resources from home, school, Internet, and community that provide valid health information

  • Determines the properties of materials

Estimated Class Periods To Complete:  8

Software Materials Used:  computers with Internet connection, scanners, printers

Keywords:  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Chocolate, 4th/5th grade math, reading, recipes, addiction, newsletter, factory, geometry, writing log, response journal

Students:  The unit is suitable for 4th and 5th graders. Since a good portion of the work is completed in groups, it is appropriate for a wide range of levels, including, ESE (Exceptional Student Education), ESOL (English as a Second Language), regular and gifted students.

Overall:  It is a fun unit that the children enjoy participating in due to the fact that they get to eat desserts like chocolate and cake. Students take an active role in analyzing the various parts of the book which assists in reading comprehension.

Tips: 

Bake cakes at home and freeze the layers, this helps in transporting them to the classroom.

Pair higher level technology oriented students with the lower level ones to ensure a fuller learning experience.

About the Teacher: Ann Stephenson has been teaching fourth and fifth grades for eleven years. She has been awarded numerous grants, including  IMPACT II Disseminator and Adapter grants.  She has been the coordinator of the Citibank FamilyTech program for five years and is interested in expanding academics through the use of technology.

Subjects:  Mathematics

Grade Levels:  4 through 5

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