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Teacher Resources by Grade

More

Grades

4 - 6

Lesson Plan Type

Standard Lesson

Estimated Time

Six 45- to 60-minute sessions

Lesson Author

Publisher

Student Objectives Extensions Student Assessment/Reflections
STUDENT OBJECTIVES

Students will

Access prior knowledge by making predictions about Bridge to Terabithia

Improve comprehension by reading and discussing the story, focusing on the main characters' relationship

Apply what they have learned about character development by completing character studies of the main characters

Extend and analyze what they have learned from looking at the main characters by discussing what it means to be a friend

Apply and connect this knowledge to their own lives by brainstorming ways to make and keep friends

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1.

Introduce the book Bridge to Terabithia. Ask students to label a sheet of notebook paper "Bridge to Terabithia Predictions." Then pose questions A–D below, adapting them as necessary to apply to the specific edition you have available. Make sure students know there are no right or wrong answers. Discuss student responses in class and tell each student to record his or her own predictions on the sheet. Make sure, too, that they save their sheets for use at the end of the unit.

A)

Based on the book's title alone, what do you think the story will be about? (Answers might include: crossing a bridge, making a bridge, finding a bridge, looking for a bridge, a special bridge, a make-believe land.)

B)

Do you think that the children pictured on the cover are friends? Why or why not? (Answers might include: they look like they're having fun, they look like they like each other, they seem comfortable, it's a boy and a girl so they're probably brother and sister, they don't look like they're having fun.)

C)

After examining the cover art, what additional predictions about the story might you make? (Answers might include: the kids live in the woods, the kids are lost in the woods, the kids find a magical place, the kids swing from a tree, the kids have an adventure, the kids hide from someone, "bridge" has more than one meaning.)

D)

What are your thoughts after reading the dedication page? Why do you think the author's son wanted her to add Lisa Hill's name? (Answers might include: Lisa was her son's friend, the book might be about Lisa.) What do you think the word banzai is at the bottom of the dedication? (Answers might include: it means something funny, it's a cheer, the author's son says it, someone in the book says it, the author says it for good luck.)

2.

Have students respond to these questions to help introduce some of the themes they will encounter in the book:

What do you like about spending time with a good friend? How would you feel if you ever lost touch with that friend?

How do you think you would feel if you ever lost a loved one, such as a family member, a friend, or a pet?

What do you think you might do if you lost a good friend — how might you react?

3.

Next, talk a little bit about the book and its author, drawing from information found on Terabithia.com: The Official Site of Author Katherine Paterson. Share that Katherine Paterson wrote the book, in part, to help her make sense of the tragic death of one of her young son's friends. Tell students that Paterson wanted the book to explore a similar tragedy and that to do so she needed to portray two very close friends. Drawing on her own experiences with and observations of friendship helped her do that.

Explain that you will be examining the friendship between the two main characters in the book, Jess and Leslie. Tell students that the strength of this relationship — which includes one character's reaction to losing the other — is a great "bridge" to understanding the power and value of friendship in real life. Explain that much can be learned from the characters about the art of making and keeping friends.

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Homework: Students should read Chapters 1 to 4 before Session 2.

Note: The discussions here and in the two sessions that follow are meant to check in with students to make sure they understand what they are reading and that they continue to view the characters of Jess and Leslie in the context of a friendship. These discussions will also help you prepare students for reading about Leslie's death and Jess's grief at the end of the book.
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3.

Have students look at the following passage near the end of Chapter 4: ";For the first time in his life, [Jess] got up with something to look forward to. Leslie was more than his friend. She was his other, more exciting self — his way to Terabithia and all the worlds beyond." Ask them the following questions:

Why do you think Jess feels this way?

Why do you think Jess and Leslie become friends?

Can you think of things that might make it difficult for Jess and Leslie to be friends? What are they?

Do these things affect their friendship? Why or why not?

4.

Ask students to think about their own friendships. Questions for discussion include:

Do you think it's possible — in real life — for a boy and a girl to be best friends? Why or why not?

Do you find the close friendship between Jess and Leslie believable? Why or why not?

Have you ever been friends with someone who is different than you are? How were you different from your friend? Did this make your friendship harder?

How have your friends made you feel good?

How have your friends made you see things in a different way?

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Homework: Students should read Chapters 5 to 9 before Session 3.
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3.

Invite students to discuss the following questions:

What did Jess and Leslie give each other for Christmas?

Why did the gifts they exchanged mean so much to each of them?

In the book, it says that Jess needed to give Leslie a Christmas present "as much as he needed to eat when he was hungry." Have you ever felt that way about a friend? How do you think Jess would feel if his friendship with Leslie ended?

4.

Have students recall Jess's thoughts in the final passage of Chapter 9. Ask them to discuss the following:

Why was Jess worried about crossing the creek the next day? (Encourage student responses until you hear all of the following: the weather, his fear, letting Leslie down, Leslie's opinion of him.)

Have you ever worried because you didn't want to do something a friend did? What did that feel like? What worried you most about the situation? (Guide the discussion so that students talk about not wanting to look bad to a friend, not wanting to lose a friend, not feeling as courageous as a friend does.)

In your opinion, was Jess right to worry about crossing the creek?

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Homework: Students should read Chapters 10 to 13 before Session 4.
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2.

Ask students to discuss the questions below. Be sure to allow plenty of time for this discussion and to make students feel comfortable expressing their thoughts about Leslie's death, how Jess handles the loss, and how students think they might act if one of their friends died.

Were you surprised that Leslie died? Why or why not?

How do you think you would have felt if you were Jess?

How do you think you would feel if you lost a friend this way in real life?

Were you surprised by Jess's initial reaction to Leslie's death? How did you expect him to act?

In what ways did Jess's friendship with Leslie change him?

Do you think Leslie died knowing how Jess felt about her? What clues from the story make you think this way?

Why can it be important for friends to feel good about their friendships?

What did you learn from Jess and Leslie's friendship that can apply to your friendships?

1.

Introduce students to the Character Trading Cards tool using an LCD screen and a computer with Internet access, if available. (The printable Character Trading Cards Planning Sheet is a useful offline alternative.)

2.

Show students how to navigate the tool and fill out the card. Ask them to recall that they have learned a lot about friendship during their reading of Bridge to Terabithia. Explain that further character exploration using the cards can help them record great reminders of what made Jess and Leslie's friendship so special — and they can also help spark ideas that will help them foster and value the friendships they have in their own lives.

3.

Have each student create a trading card for either Jess or Leslie. They should count off by twos so that half the class works on a card for one character and half works on one for the other. When filling out the card, student focus should be on capturing information that highlights each character's search for friendship and role as a friend to the other. Walk students through each screen in the tool to create a card, adapting the questions as follows:

For Section 2 - Insights, ask: "What are the character's most important thoughts about friendship?" and "What are the character's most important feelings regarding this friendship?"

For Section 4 - Statements and Actions, ask: "What is the most important or memorable thing the character says about a friend?" and "What is the character's most important action toward a friend?"

7.

As you close the session, ask students to consider some of the characters' actions specific to their friendship in the story and think about any similarities and differences they see when comparing Jess and Leslie's friendship to their own friendships.

Homework (due at the beginning of Session 6): Students should fill out the What Is Friendship? Worksheet, writing the first several things that come into their minds for each question.

1.

Discuss the What Is Friendship? Worksheet. Invite volunteers to share a few responses to each question and write their answers on the chart paper you have prepared. Assure students that all responses are valid and important to the discussion.

Examples of responses might include:

Friendship means: people like each other, people support each other, people care about each other, people enjoy each other's company, two people spend time together

A good friend always: makes you laugh, looks out for you, helps you with problems, makes you feel good about yourself, has your best interests in mind, sticks up for you, tells you the truth, lets you be yourself, keeps your secrets, cheers you up when you need it

A good friend never: lies, acts mean to you, spreads rumors about you, talks down to you, tells your secrets, makes you feel bad about yourself, tries to change you

It's good to have friends because: friends have fun together, everyone needs someone to talk to, you can hang out, you can learn about others, friends won't let you down, sometimes you need help

In Bridge to Terabithia, Jess and Leslie become friends because: they were neighbors, they were misfits, they understood each other, they liked the same things, they needed an escape from their everyday lives, they made each other laugh, they told each other the truth, they trusted each other

Jess and Leslie's friendship is: special, unusual, real, strong, fun, unique, honest, forever

2.

Show student the blank Ways to Make and Keep a Friend Chart. Ask them to think about the responses they have just shared and brainstorm ideas for each topic. List their ideas on the chart as they go.

Examples of responses might include:

Ways to Make a Friend: smile, say hi, introduce yourself, start a conversation, ask questions, be nice, be yourself, tell a joke, give someone a compliment, offer to help, find someone who shares your interests

Ways to Keep a Friend: be a good listener, tell the truth, treat people the way you want to be treated, accept differences, resolve conflicts, "play fair," make each other laugh, keep secrets, don't gossip, do fun things together, give good advice

4.

Have students apply what they have been discussing to their own lives and experiences by reflecting on the following questions either as a whole class or in small groups:

How is Jess and Leslie's friendship the same as or different from friendships you have had in your lifetime? Do you think their friendship is realistic?

What strategies for making a friend will you use the next time you meet someone interesting?

What strategies for keeping a friend would you like to try in one of your current friendships?

Have you ever lost a friend or a family member? If so, how did your experience compare to Jess's experience losing Leslie?

What have you learned from the characters in Bridge to Terabithia about the value of friendship?

EXTENSIONS

Display the Ways to Make and Keep a Friend Chart in your classroom. Periodically prompt students to look at it and think about the things it says (for example, first thing in the morning, when they are on their way out to recess, just before school gets out for the day, or whenever one of the behaviors on the list is exhibited in the classroom).

Have each student use the Letter Generator to write a letter to Leslie as Jess. Using the friendly letter template, Jess should write to Leslie and tell her how losing her friendship has affected him. Invite volunteers to read their letters in class.

Have students read and discuss the lyrics to the Simon & Garfunkel song "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in relation to the book and its characters. Ask students, "How is the bridge over troubled water in the song like the bridge to Terabithia in the book?" Have a girl volunteer read aloud the first verse, instructing the class to imagine that they are listening to Leslie speaking the words to Jess. Then have a boy read aloud the third verse, asking the class to imagine they are listening to Jess speaking to Leslie. Who else in the book besides Jess and Leslie might the song lyrics fit? Could the song lyrics apply to you and a friend of yours?

Encourage students to explore the It's My Life - Friends website. Have students locate the "How to Make Friends" topic in the "You Said It" pulldown menu. They can read through other kids' ideas and add new ones to the How to Make and Keep Friends Chart.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT/REFLECTIONS

Check how well students are able to make predictions by having them refer to the "Bridge to Terabithia Predictions" sheets they made at the beginning of the unit. For each of the four predictions, ask for a show of hands from students who think they made a correct prediction in the beginning. Have volunteers from that group share their answers and determine—as a class—which predictions held up and are supported by the story. Keep this discussion open and encourage students to share any viewpoints they have or reasoning they used to arrive at their conclusions before the group selects the "right" predictions.

Check individual What Is Friendship? Worksheets for completeness and effort.

Observe student pairs as they discuss their Character Trading Card examples. Make sure students are able to identify the similarities and differences among their information sets and that they are listening to each other as they discuss the differences. Step in and help refocus partner discussions as necessary.

To assess students' responses on the trading cards, you could develop a checklist similar to the following:

Did I answer all the questions on the trading card?

Did I answer the adapted questions as presented?

Did I focus my thinking on friendship and the character's role as a friend in the story?

Does my trading card accurately represent the character in the story?

Is this my best work?

Have students self-assess their cards using the checklist before you review all trading cards for completeness. You will want to use the same checklist and provide students with feedback. You may wish to share samples of students' trading cards that meet your expectations. Ask students to revise their trading cards as needed.

Assess how well students understand the concepts you have been discussing by asking them to write down responses to the questions you asked at the end of Session 6. You might choose to have students do this as an essay or in their journals. Review students' answers to see how well they are able to connect the ideas about friendship reflected in the book with their own experience.

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Exploring Friendship With Bridge to Terabithia - ReadWriteThink

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ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you. Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.

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roles and rules

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Chapters 1 and 2

Chapter 1: In this opening chapter we meet Jess Aarons, the novel's viewpoint character, and his struggling family. Jess is the only boy in a family of four sisters, each of whom has their own special way of annoying Jess. The family is loud and stressed, and each is wrapped up in his or her own problems. As a refuge, Jess has a habit of taking early morning runs in preparation for the schoolyard races he competes in. His passion for running is clear, as is his desire for his family and especially his father to be proud of him. Near the end of the chapter Jess's sister May Belle tells him that a new family is moving in next door-a fact Jess ignores but that is the catalyst for the rest of the novel.

Chapter 2: Here we learn of Jess's second passion-drawing-and we find out a little more about his school. Jess has a crush on his unconventional music teacher Miss Edmunds, who is the only person who recognizes and appreciates his talent for art. Jess's father in particular thinks his drawing habit is girly and a waste of time. We also see the different ways Jess's father interacts with his children: he is affectionate with his younger girls but dismissive of Jess. And finally, at the close of the chapter Jess meets his new neighbor, Leslie Burke, for the first time. Leslie seems a little odd, and it takes a while for Jess to decide if she is a boy or a girl, but once he figures out she's a girl he is dismissive of her.

Chapters 3 and 4

Chapter 3: In this chapter we first see Jess and Leslie in their school, a place Jess finds as irritating as his home environment. Leslie is immediately alienated due to her casual mode of dressing for the first day of school. During recess Jess prepares for the big race he has been practicing for all summer, but everyone is shocked when Leslie decides to run with the boys and eventually beats all of them. Leslie shows her friendly nature, trying to connect with Jess, but he shrugs her off and tries to pretend he doesn't care she beat him and doesn't admire her skill at running.

Chapter 4: The first week of school drags by for Jess, especially since Leslie continues to beat him and all the other boys at their recess races. He avoids Leslie, until a good mood brought on by a class with Miss Edmunds prompts him to reach out to her. They talk on the bus, and Jess learns that Leslie's parents are writers and rich. Leslie is continually alienated at school and bothered by the school bully Janice Avery, but she and Jess become closer and find refuge in a forest they find by swinging over a creek. They name this forest place Terabithia, and it becomes a place where they can escape from their troubles at school and home.

Chapters 5 and 6

Chapter 5: Janice the bully steals little May Belle's Twinkies, and May Belle begs Jess to do something about it. But Jess and Leslie know that fighting with Janice will only get Jess kicked out of school, so in Terabithia they form a different plan. They write a love letter to Janice, pretending it is from the boy all the seventh graders (including Janice) have a crush on, and arrange for Janice to meet this boy one day after school. Janice falls for their trick and is forced to walk home, much to May Belle's delight.

Chapter 6: It'll be Christmas soon, and Jess has no money but desperately wants to find something for Leslie. At last he sees a stand with free puppies, and brings one to Leslie. Leslie is thrilled with the puppy and names him Prince Terrien, and gives Jess an expensive set of paints and paper in return. Jess's family Christmas doesn't go nearly so well, as his father becomes frustrated with the cheap car set he bought for Jess. Jess escapes the tension of his family to return to Terabithia with Leslie.

Chapters 7, 8, and 9

Chapter 7: Leslie begins spending more time with her parents, especially by helping her father renovate their house, and Jess grows jealous until Leslie invites him to come home with her. Jess is at first wary of Mr. and Mrs. Burke, but warms to them and enjoys being with this family in a relaxed way he has never experienced in his own home. Later at school, Janice is found crying in the bathroom and Jess urges Leslie to talk to her. They discover that Janice's father beats her and all the seventh graders found out, and Leslie tries to comfort and befriend the bully. At the end of the chapter Jess finds out May Belle followed him and Leslie to Terabithia, and is concerned she might tell on them.

Chapter 8: Jess's family plans to go to church on Easter (though they don't have the money for new clothes) and Leslie asks to come with. Though Jess finds church dreary and boring, Leslie finds it and the story of Jesus magical. She is doubtful of May Belle claims that sinners go to Hell, and Jess isn't really sure which of them he agrees with.

Chapter 9: Jess and Leslie have been unable to go to Terabithia for a while due to rain, and when they finally return the creek they swing over is much higher. Jess becomes more and more afraid to enter Terabithia, though he doesn't tell Leslie, and he has a difficult time immersing himself in their fantasy world like he usually does. They return to Jess's house to watch television instead, but Jess is still concerned about Leslie swinging over the creek into Terabithia.

Chapters 10 and 11

Chapter 10: It's the weekend, and Jess receives a call from Miss Edmunds inviting him to visit a museum with her. He is thrilled, and doesn't invite Leslie along because of his crush on Miss Edmunds. He and the teacher spend a wonderful day at the museum, especially the art gallery, but when Jess returns home his family is frantic, not knowing where he'd gone. They are all obviously distressed, and Jess's sister Brenda finally tells him that Leslie has died.

Chapter 11: Jess learns that Leslie tried to swing over to Terabithia, but the rope broke and she drowned in the creek. Jess accuses his father of lying and runs from the house, until his father follows him in his truck and carries him into bed. Jess has difficulty sleeping or accepting the reality of what has happened, feeling guilt for not inviting Leslie to come with him and Miss Edmunds, and the next morning appears to have forgotten what happened. But the strange way his family is acting eventually reminds him, as does his father's statement that they are going to the Burke's house to pay their respects.

Chapters 12 and 13

Chapter 12: Jess and his parents visit the Burke's house, and Jess seems detached from what's happening until Leslie's father hugs him and thanks him for being Leslie's friend. When Jess learns Leslie is to be cremated he snaps and runs back to his house, where he has a confrontation with and hits May Belle. He runs to the creek and pours out the paints Leslie bought him for Christmas, and his father finds him there and tries to comfort him. Jess asks his father if Leslie will go to Hell, and Mr. Aarons tells him she won't. At his house again, Jess is still grieving but is calmer, and is comforted when Mr. Burke drops off Leslie's dog Prince Terrien.

Chapter 13: The next morning Jess returns to the creek, and without Leslie wonders if the kingdom they created is gone forever. He makes a funeral wreath for Leslie and floats in on the creek, then finds May Belle trying to cross the creek on a tree branch. He rescues her and tells her not to be afraid. School is difficult for Jess to endure, though the strict Mrs. Myers surprises him with comforting words, and the Burkes move away. Jess has an idea, and uses the wood from the Burke's yard to build a bridge over the creek into Terabithia. He brings May Belle across the bridge and tells her she is Terabithia's new princess, and by these acts seems healed enough to move forward and begin to conquer his grief.

Study Guides for Bridge to Terabithia

Bridge to Terabithia is a novel commonly taught in elementary and junior high schools, used to illustrate a number of literary themes. These guides help to explain the importance of the novel and cover its major characters and concepts, as well as providing a chapter by chapter synopsis.

1. Bridge to Terabithia Synopsis

2. Minor & Major Characters in Bridge to Terabithia

3. Guide to the Major Themes in "Bridge to Terabithia"

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Bridge to Terabithia Chapter Summaries & Synopsis

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The novel Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson is often taught in elementary and junior high school classrooms, and this summary is meant to help students review the book after they've finished reading it. Each chapter is described and the main plot points are emphasized.