Lesson Plan: Exploring Nature and Self at Cherry Tree Farm

Materials Needed:

• Access to the audiobook or physical copy of The Children of Cherry Tree Farm by Enid Blyton.
• A notebook or journal and a pen/pencil.
• Large sheet of paper or poster board (for map-making) OR a shoebox/cardboard box (for a diorama).
• Art supplies: markers, colored pencils, crayons, modeling clay, glue, scissors.
• Optional: Natural items collected from a walk (twigs, leaves, small stones, grass).

Introduction (10 minutes)

Hook: A Grand Adventure

Imagine you and your family had to leave your home and move to a farm in the countryside for a whole year. You couldn't use your tablet, watch TV, or go to the movies. What would you be most excited about? What would you be most worried about?

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Compare and contrast the feelings of living in the city versus the countryside as shown in the story.
• Explain how the children in the story learn and grow from their experiences with nature.
• Create a visual representation (a map or a diorama) of Cherry Tree Farm, including key places and characters.

Body (45-60 minutes)

Part 1: Two Different Worlds (I Do, We Do)

I Do: Setting the Scene (5 mins)

An author doesn't just tell a story; they paint a picture with words to make us feel a certain way. In The Children of Cherry Tree Farm, the author wants us to feel how different London is from the farm. She describes the city as a place where the sick children look "out of a window" at a park with a "tall railing round" it. This makes it sound like a cage, small and trapped. But the farm is described with words like "wild," "abundant," and full of yummy home-grown food. This makes it sound free and healthy.

We Do: City vs. Country T-Chart (10 mins)

Let's brainstorm together. In your notebook, make a T-Chart. Label one side "London (The City)" and the other "Cherry Tree Farm (The Countryside)." As we talk, let's fill in words and ideas that describe each place based on the story.

(Discussion Prompts: Why do you think the children got better so quickly at the farm? How did being in the country change what they thought was fun?)

Part 2: Learning from Nature and People (We Do)

We Do: A Conversation About Characters (10 mins)

The children don't just learn about the farm; they learn about themselves. And their most important teacher is Tammylan, the "wild man."

• Benjy: He loves nature the most. Why do you think Tammylan pays special attention to him? The book says Benjy has "the low voice and the quiet hands." What does that mean?
• Penny, Rory, and Sheila: How do they change? Penny gets brave with the geese. Sheila and Rory learn that making things feels more "real" and important than buying things. Have you ever made something that you were really proud of?
• A Tricky Question: In the story, Penny takes a baby hedgehog home as a pet, and Tammylan thinks it's okay. Today, we know it's best to leave wild animals in the wild. Why do you think ideas about this have changed over time? It's okay for stories from long ago to have ideas we don't agree with now; the important thing is to think about why.

Part 3: Build Your Own Cherry Tree Farm (You Do)

You Do: Creative Project (20-25 mins)

Now it's your turn to bring Cherry Tree Farm to life! Your mission is to create your own version of the farm based on the story. You can choose one of two projects:

1. Create a Map: On your large paper, draw a map of Cherry Tree Farm and the surrounding countryside. Include important places like the farmhouse, the fields, the woods, and Tammylan's cave or willow house. You can draw the characters, the animals, and label everything.
2. Build a Diorama: Using a shoebox, create a 3D scene from the book. Maybe it's the children feeding the lambs, or Benjy meeting Tammylan near his cave. Use modeling clay for characters and animals, and natural items like twigs for trees.

Success Criteria (What makes a great project):

• It includes at least 3-4 key locations from the book (e.g., the farmhouse, the woods, Tammylan's home, the goose pond).
• It shows at least two of the main characters (Rory, Sheila, Benjy, Penny, Tammylan).
• It is colorful, creative, and shows you were thinking about the details in the story.

Conclusion (10 minutes)

Show and Tell

Let's look at your amazing creation! Explain your map or diorama. What is your favorite part of the farm that you included? Why did you choose to show that particular scene or place?

Recap and Reflection

Today we talked about how a place can change how you feel, how characters learn important lessons from nature, and that the best things in life are often the ones we do and make ourselves, not the ones we buy.

Journal Prompt: In your notebook, answer this question: Benjy says doing things on the farm "seem to matter, somehow." What is one thing you can do this week that "matters"? It could be helping in the garden, building something, or learning a new skill. How do you think doing that will make you feel?

Assessment

• Formative (During the lesson): Active participation in the T-chart activity and the character discussion. Thoughtful answers show engagement and understanding.
• Summative (At the end): The completed map or diorama is assessed against the success criteria. The journal entry is checked for a thoughtful and complete response that connects the book's theme to the learner's own life.

Differentiation and Extension

• For a Learner Needing Support: Provide a pre-printed T-chart or a simple outline of a map to start with. Offer sentence starters for the journal prompt, such as "This week, I can..." and "I think this will make me feel..."
• For an Advanced Learner: Write a short story about a new adventure at Cherry Tree Farm. Maybe you can finally write the scene where Rory stops to paint a picture! Or, choose one of the animals mentioned in the book (like an otter, a hare, or a hedgehog) and do a little research to create a "Fact File" about it.