Substitute Lesson Plan: "The Wind in the Willows" — Chapter I, "The River Bank"

Objective

Students will read/listen to an excerpt from Chapter I of The Wind in the Willows and be able to describe the main characters (Mole and Rat), retell the key events of their first meeting, and identify descriptive language the author uses to bring the riverbank setting to life.

Materials

• Provided text excerpt of Chapter I: "The River Bank" (printed copies or read aloud from the resource)
• Whiteboard or chart paper and markers
• Notebook paper and pencils for each student

Warm-up (~5 min)

• Write on the board: "Have you ever discovered something new and exciting for the first time?"
• Ask 2–3 students to share a quick example (a place, a food, an activity).
• Explain: "Today we're reading about Mole, who discovers something brand new — a river — for the very first time!"

Main Activity (~25 min)

1. Read Aloud (10 min): Read the excerpt aloud to the class (or have volunteers read sections), starting from "The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home" through the Rat's description of life on the river ("...king-fishers, dabchicks, moorhens, all of them about all day long...").
2. Guided Discussion (10 min): Pause at key moments and ask:
3. Why does Mole suddenly leave his spring-cleaning and run outside? (Spring made him restless — he says "Bother!" and "Hang spring-cleaning!")
4. What does Mole see and feel when he reaches the meadow and the river for the first time?
5. How does Mole meet the Rat? What does the Rat invite him to do?
6. What food does the Rat pack in the picnic basket?
7. What does the Rat say is "the only thing" worth doing? ("simply messing about in boats")
8. Character Chart (5 min): On the board, create two columns labeled Mole and Rat. As a class, list words/phrases from the text describing each character (e.g., Mole: "new to a river," curious, excited; Rat: friendly, "solemnly," loves the river, generous with food).

Wrap-up / Exit Ticket (~10 min)

Have students answer the following on a sheet of paper (in complete sentences):

1. Why did Mole leave his house and stop spring-cleaning?
2. Describe the moment Mole first sees the Water Rat. What did Mole notice first?
3. What did the Rat invite Mole to do, and what was in the picnic basket?
4. In your own words, why does the Rat love living by the river?

Collect papers as students finish.

If Time Remains

Have students draw a simple picture of the scene where Mole first sees the Water Rat's eye twinkling in the dark hole across the river, and write one sentence underneath describing what is happening in their drawing.