Anne of Green Gables

Objective

Students will read and analyze the opening chapter of Anne of Green Gables by identifying character traits (Mrs. Rachel Lynde and Marilla Cuthbert) and explaining how the author builds mystery and curiosity through details in the story.

Materials

• Provided text: Anne of Green Gables, Chapter I ("Mrs. Rachel Lynde Is Surprised")
• Whiteboard or chart paper
• Notebook paper and pencils for each student

Warm-up (~5 min)

• Write this question on the board: "Have you ever been really curious about something a neighbor or family member was doing, and tried to figure out why?"
• Have students turn to a partner and share a quick answer (1-2 sentences).
• Call on 2-3 volunteers to share with the whole class.
• Tell students: "Today we're going to meet a very curious character named Mrs. Rachel Lynde in a famous story called Anne of Green Gables."

Main Activity (~25 min)

1. Read-aloud (10 min): Read Chapter I aloud to the class (or have strong readers take turns reading paragraphs), stopping at the point where Marilla explains they are adopting a child from the orphan asylum.
2. Guided Discussion (8 min): As a class, discuss the following questions, writing key answers on the board:
3. What does Mrs. Rachel Lynde do all day, according to the text? (List her many jobs/roles mentioned in paragraph 2.)
4. Why is Mrs. Rachel so surprised when she sees Matthew Cuthbert driving off in his good clothes?
5. How does Mrs. Rachel find out where Matthew is going?
6. What does Marilla tell Mrs. Rachel they are planning to do, and why?
7. Independent Work (7 min): Have students write a short paragraph (4-6 sentences) describing Mrs. Rachel Lynde's personality, using at least two details or quotes from the text to support their description (e.g., her habit of watching the road, her many community roles, her reaction to the news).

Wrap-up / Exit Ticket (~10 min)

• Have 3-4 students share their paragraphs about Mrs. Rachel Lynde aloud.
• On a half-sheet of paper, students answer this Exit Ticket question:

"Why is Mrs. Rachel Lynde so shocked by Marilla's news at the end of the chapter? Use one detail from the story in your answer."

• Collect exit tickets as students leave or place them in a designated basket.

If Time Remains

Have students predict in writing (3-4 sentences): "What do you think the boy from the orphan asylum will be like? How do you think Matthew and Marilla will react when he arrives?" Ask a few volunteers to share their predictions with the class.