WA Curriculum: English Year 4- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by
Roaldsub-strand
Strand, Dahl and content description Activities
Literature
Examining Literature
Discuss how authors and illustrators make stories exciting,
moving and absorbing and hold readers’ interest by using
various techniques, for example character development
and plot tension (ACELT1605)
Literature
Examining Literature
Understand, interpret and experiment with a range of
devices and deliberate word play in poetry and other
literary texts, for example nonsense words, spoonerisms,
neologisms and puns (ACELT1606)
Deconstructing a Character
Each student is assigned one character from Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory. They must analyse how Dahl has represented their
given character in the text. This involves searching the text for
information about their given character, such as age, gender, cultural
group, appearance and feelings and actions. Students must record
this information and share with the class as part of a jigsaw activity.
Adapted from First Steps Map of Development page 228.
(See figure 7.11 on page 229 for resources)
Despicability Ranking
Students are to select three characters from Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory and use their personal experience and knowledge
from the text to rank characters according to their level of despicability.
Students will locate evidence in the text to support their rankings of
each character and will be invited to compare their rankings with those
of their classmates.
Adapted from First Steps Map of Development page 225.
The Wacky & Wonderful Words of Willy Wonka
Students will be split into groups where they are each given a
neologism featured in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Using the
context clues in the book, students must hypothesise what the word
means and may present their conclusions as a brainstorm or a picture.
Students may then experiment with writing their own sentences using
nonsense words. Words: Oompa-Loompa, hornswagglers,
snozzwangers, whangdoodles and scrumdiddlyumptious.
Strand, sub-strand and content description Activities
Literature Great Debate
Responding to Literature Students are required to respond to the following question
Discuss literary experiences with others, sharing
responses and expressing a point of view (ACELT1603) “Are kids today anything like the children in Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory?”

Students will work in small groups referring to the text to identify points
of comparison (eg. Mike is obsessed with television) and relate this to
their own experiences and those of their classmates. Students will
then have time to create their own personal position statements and
justifications. They will be given the opportunity to share and compare
their position statements with their classmates.

Adapted from First Steps Reading Resource Book Page 150.

Literature Same and Different
Literature and Context After completing novel studies on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Make connections between the ways different authors may by Roald Dahl and The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman,
represent similar storylines, ideas and students will compare and contrast the two texts. The teacher will
relationships (ACELT1602) engage the class in a brainstorm to identify points of comparison such
as characterisation, plot and text organisation. Students will then
independently create a Venn diagram showing the elements of
similarity and difference in the two texts. Students will write a short
statement outlining which of the two texts was their favourite and why.

Adapted from First Steps Map of Development Page 111.

Strand, sub-strand and content description
Language
Language for Interaction
Understand differences between the language of opinion
and feeling and the language of factual reporting or
recording (ACELA1489)
Language
Phonics and Word Knowledge
Understand how to use knowledge of letter patterns
including double letters, spelling generalisations,
morphemic word families, common prefixes and suffixes
and word origins to spell more complex
words (ACELA1779)
Activities
Sentence Sort
Students will be presented with a series of sentences sourced from
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and other sources. In pairs, they
must sort the sentences according to whether they are fact or opinion.
Each table will be provided with the opportunity to compare, justify and
modify their classifications.
Opinion Example: “Just as sure as I’ll be having cabbage soup for
supper tomorrow, that ticket’ll go to some nasty little beast who doesn’t
deserve it.” – Grandma Georgina (pg. 51)
Fact Example: “Mr and Mrs Bucket have a small boy whose name is
Charlie Bucket” – Narrator (pg. 12)
Word Back Spied Her
Students will each be given a sticky label featuring one word from
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which is to be placed on their backs
and a list of words taken from the text. Students will have to identify
their word using a process of elimination based upon questioning.
Students will be instructed to ask questions about the features of a
word and after the lesson students will form groups based upon the
feature of their word. For example, students with words beginning with
the ‘un’ prefix will form a group.
Words:
Prefix- unhappy, unharmed, unwrap, unfortunate (un)
Prefix- disrespect, disappear, discovered (dis)
Suffix- tiredness, cleverness, thinness, quickness, ugliness (ness)
Suffix- excitement, astonishment, nourishment, disappointment (ment)
Double letters- glasses, business, Russia, colossal, impossible (ss)
Double letters- little, better, matter, sitting, dotty, letter, hottest (tt)
Adapted from First Steps Map of Development Page 238.
Strand, sub-strand and content description
Language
Expressing and Developing Ideas
Explore the effect of choices when framing an image,
placement of elements in the image, and salience on
composition of still and moving images in a range of types
of texts (ACELA1496)
Language
Expressing and Developing Ideas
Incorporate new vocabulary from a range of sources into
students’ own texts including vocabulary encountered in
research (ACELA1498)
Language
Expressing and Developing Ideas
Understand that the meaning of sentences can be enriched
through the use of noun groups/phrases and verb
groups/phrases and prepositional phrases (ACELA1493)
Activities
Scene Analysis
Students will be shown a clip from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
(1971) showing the children entering The Chocolate Room for the first
time. As a class, we will discuss how the video made us feel and some
of the technical codes used by the director. Students will work in small
groups to analyse a still image taken from the video, commenting on
how the composition of the image might influence the response of the
viewer.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y8aYd9uqFY
[TheRealWhatTheFudge] (2011)
Word Cline
Students will create a word cline using the synonyms for ‘loony’ on
page 110 of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and words from their
own vocabulary. Students will work in groups to decide on an order of
rising intensity for the synonyms they have selected.
Adapted from First Steps Map of Development Page 234.
Noun Groups/Phrases Hunt
Students are to read through The Chocolate Room and identify as
many noun groups/phrases as they can. Students will be encouraged
to share their examples with the class.
Students will create a digital book using Book Creator on the iPad that
describes a place of personal significance to them using noun
groups/phrases.
Strand, sub-strand and content description
Language
Text Structure and Organisation
Recognise how quotation marks are used in texts to signal
dialogue, titles and quoted (direct) speech (ACELA1492)
Language
Text Structure and Organisation
Understand how texts vary in complexity and technicality
depending on the approach to the topic, the purpose and
the intended audience (ACELA1490)
Activities
Punctuating with Pasta
Students will be provided with large sentence strips taken from Charlie
and the Chocolate Factory, elbow macaroni and PVA glue. In small
groups, students must correctly punctuate each sentence using
quotation marks to signal dialogue, titles and direct speech.
Adapted from Punctuating with Pasta (n.d.)
Transformations
Students will be required to transform a chapter of their choosing from
a narrative to a newspaper report. In order to do so, students must be
familiar with the conventions of each text type and have a sound
understanding of the text being transformed. The teacher will engage
students in a shared writing session prior to them returning to their
desks to write their own newspaper articles. Students may select from
the following chapters: The Television Chocolate Room, Mike Teavee
is Sent by Television or The Inventing Room.
Adapted from First Steps Map of Development Page 211.
Strand, sub-strand and content description
Literacy
Interpreting, Analysing and Evaluating
Read different types of texts by combining contextual ,
semantic, grammatical and phonic knowledge
using text processing strategies for example monitoring
meaning, cross checking and reviewing (ACELY1691)
Activities
Modelled Reading Session- Chapter 20-22
The focus of the modelled reading session will be to demonstrate self-
monitoring strategies that will assist students in making meaning of the
text. The teacher will read Chapter 20-22 from Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory.
The teacher will begin by discussing how self-monitoring is a useful
strategy when reading and activating the groups’ prior knowledge
through encouraging students to make predictions based upon the title
and what they already know about the book.
The teacher will pause at appropriate parts of the book and model
self-monitoring questions through effective think aloud statements.
- Did I understand that word/sentence/paragraph?
If not, I can:
- Re-read
- Read on
- Read slowly
- Use the visuals and text layout to help me
Stop and Think Cards
Students are to select random places in the section of the novel being
read to place Stop and Think cards. Students should pause at these
places within the text and ask themselves a series of questions to
reflect on their understanding. These questions could include:
-Do I understand what that was about?
-Were there any parts I did not understand?
-Could I explain what I have just read to somebody else?
-What might the next part be about?
Adapted from First Steps Reading Resource Book Page 156.
Strand, sub-strand and content description
Literacy
Interpreting, Analysing, Evaluating
Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred
meaning to expand content knowledge, integrating and
linking ideas and analysing and evaluating
texts (ACELY1692)
Activities
Guided Reading Session- Chapters One and Two
The teacher will facilitate a guided reading session using Chapters
one and two of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory focusing on making
inferences. The teacher will ask the students to make predictions
about the book before beginning to activate their prior knowledge.
The teacher will provide the following guiding questions for each
chapter and allow the students to silently read each chapter, stopping
at the end of each chapter to respond to the guiding questions.
Chapter One: Do you think Charlie’s family has a lot of money? What
in the novel makes you think they have/don’t have a lot of money?
Chapter Two: Do you think that Charlie and his grandparents have a
good relationship? What evidence in the text supports this?
Read and Retell
Students must act out the events from a chapter of their choosing in
small groups. Students must effectively capture the main idea of the
chapter and identify specific literal (and perhaps some inferential)
information to create their re-enactment.
Students may select from the following three chapters: Augustus
Gloop Goes Up the Pipe, Goodbye Violet or Veruca and the Nut
Room.
Adapted from First Steps Map of Development p 208.
Strand, sub-strand and content description
Literacy
Identify characteristic features used in imaginative,
informative and persuasive texts to meet the purpose of
the text (ACELY1690)
Activities
Advertisement Searches
The teacher will begin by showing an advertisement poster for a
confectionary company on the whiteboard. The class will work
together to analyse the image, referring to visual codes and the
characteristic features of the text type. Students will then be split up
into small groups and each group provided with an advertisement
poster for a brand of chocolate to analyse. Students will have the
opportunity to report back to the class.
Supporting Questions
-Who does the author think will buy the product?
-How does the author catch your attention?
-What words and pictures has the author used to persuade you?
- How has the author chosen to represent people? Why do you think
this has been done?
-What devices has the author used to persuade the viewer?
Adapted from First Steps Map of Development Page 175.
Creating an Advertising Poster
Students are to create a persuasive poster advertising Willy Wonka’s
chocolate bars. Students are to consider their target audience and
devices they can employ to persuade their audience to purchase the
product. Students will display their posters in the classroom.