Stone Fox

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Save Little Willy’s Farm”

In this activity, students will develop a strategy to help Little Willy save his farm based on details from the novel.

Though most of the town is aware of Little Willy’s need, the characters do not attempt to help him and his grandfather keep their farm. Little Willy must enter a dog sled race because few resources are available. Imagine that the story takes place today and develop a way to raise money for Little Willy and his family using modern methods and technology. Use details from the novel to justify Little Willy’s need. These points might help guide your project.

• Identify Little Willy’s need.
• Consider a strategy to raise money for Little Willy’s farm.
• Create a convincing argument as to why others should give to Little Willy.
• Explain how the money will be used to help Little Willy.
• Describe how you will use technology to inform the public of Little Willy’s needs and how patrons might supply the needed funds.

Create a flyer or digital poster to provide information to the public about Little Willy. Share your flyer/poster with peers describing your strategy.

Teaching Suggestion: Students may find it beneficial to discuss ways people and organizations work to help those in need before developing a strategy to help Little Willy. Consider asking students to discuss those in the novel who could have helped but chose not to. Students may then hypothesize why the locals did not help Little Willy. When students have finished discussing, consider asking students to discuss more modern ways of helping those in need. Online research time with suggested search phrases may be helpful before selecting a strategy to help Willy.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who require an additional challenge may find it beneficial to discover organizations in their area that help people in need. Students can develop a flyer for the organization describing how they help those in need and how the organization might help someone like Little Willy.