Domain:
Community Action & Leadership
Competency:
Contribute to your community
🎂
7-9 year olds
⏰
20 to 25 minutes min
Rate this lesson!
Learning Objective
Students will identify ways characters in 'Dream Street' work together to support their community.
Learning Resource Synopsis
In 'Dream Street' by Tricia Elam Walker, readers are introduced to a vibrant neighborhood where individuality and community intertwine to create a supportive and joyful environment. The story is brought to life with stunning illustrations that capture the spirit of the people who live there. Children can join Azaria in jumping rope and dream big with Ede and Tari, who aspire to create a picture book together. Mr. Sidney, a retired mail carrier, spreads positivity by encouraging everyone to create a great day. Set in a neighborhood inspired by the author's own childhood in Roxbury, Boston, the book highlights the love and connection between generations and the uniqueness of each community member. This picture book serves as a celebration of diversity, community support, and the warmth of neighborhood life.
Extended Learning Resources
| Resource & Author | Publication Info | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Last Stop on Market Street | Written by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson, published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers | This picture book explores themes of community and diversity through the story of a young boy and his grandmother taking a bus ride across town, discovering beauty and community in unexpected places. |
| Maybe Something : How Art Transformed a Neighborhood | Written by F. Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, illustrated by Rafael López, published by HMH Books for Young Readers | This book tells the true story of how art brought a community together to transform their neighborhood into a vibrant and colorful place. |
| The Family Book | Written and illustrated by Todd Parr, published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers | This book celebrates the diverse forms of families and emphasizes how love and support are common threads in every family, promoting acceptance and understanding within communities. |
Vocabulary List
| Word | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Community | A group of people living in the same area or having shared interests. | In 'Dream Street', the community comes together to support each other and make their neighborhood a happy place. |
| Encourage | To give someone confidence or support to do something. | Mr. Sidney encourages the children on Dream Street to create a great day, just like how we can encourage our friends to try new things. |
| Diversity | The state of having people who are different from one another living or working together. | The neighborhood in 'Dream Street' is full of diversity, with people of different ages and backgrounds all contributing to the community. |
| Supportive | Providing help or encouragement to others. | Azaria's friends are supportive when she jumps rope, cheering her on and making her feel confident. |
| Generations | Groups of people born and living around the same time, often referring to family members like grandparents, parents, and children. | In 'Dream Street', the story shows a connection between generations as the older and younger people help each other. |
Prompt
Essential Question: "How can we help each other in our neighborhood to make it a better place for everyone?"
Today, we're going to explore the wonderful ways people can work together to make their neighborhood a happier place. Let's think about how each of us can bring our own special talents and kindness to help others around us.
Anticipatory Set
- Begin by inviting students to close their eyes and imagine their own neighborhood. Ask them to think about a place or person that makes their neighborhood feel special.
- Show an image of a vibrant neighborhood scene, full of different people doing various activities. Ask students to focus on the different people in the picture and what they might be doing to help each other.
- Invite students to share one way they might help a friend or neighbor. Encourage them to think about something small but meaningful they could do in their own community.
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to use their imagination and personal experiences when thinking about their neighborhoods.
- Use a neutral, inclusive image that represents diverse communities to ensure all students can find something relatable.
- Facilitate a safe space for sharing by using familiar classroom tools, like a talking object, to ensure everyone has a chance to speak.
Learn
Let's dive into 'Dream Street' by Tricia Elam Walker, where we'll meet a neighborhood full of unique and inspiring people. Together, we'll see how each person brings something special to their community, creating connections that make their neighborhood a wonderful place to live.
Interactive Engagement
- As we read, look at the illustrations and think about what makes each character unique. How do you think their uniqueness helps their neighborhood?
- When Mr. Sidney encourages everyone to have a great day, what do you think he means? How could you encourage someone in your own community?
- Pause and think about Ede and Tari's dream to create a picture book. What do you think they need from each other to make their dream come true?
- Look at the different generations in the story. How do you think the older characters, like Mr. Sidney, help the younger ones? Can you think of someone in your life who does the same?
- Imagine you are jumping rope with Azaria. What do you think you would talk about? How can playing together help build friendships in a community?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to share their thoughts with a partner during pauses to promote peer interaction.
- Use expressive voices and gestures to bring characters like Mr. Sidney and Azaria to life, making the story more engaging.
- Highlight the beginning, middle, and end of the story to help students understand the structure and flow of the narrative.
Ask
Now that we've read about the vibrant community on Dream Street, let's think about what makes a neighborhood special and how we can all contribute to making our communities better places.
Discussion Questions
- Think about a time when you helped someone in your neighborhood or community. How did it make you feel, and how do you think it made them feel?
- If you could add a new character to Dream Street, what special talent or quality would they bring to the neighborhood, and how would it help others?
- Imagine you were asked to create a community project with your friends. What would you choose to do together to make your neighborhood a better place for everyone?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to share personal stories by asking follow-up questions that explore their emotions and motivations behind their actions.
- Facilitate a safe and inclusive discussion by reminding students that everyone's ideas are valuable and that there are many ways to contribute to a community.
- Guide the conversation to focus on the importance of cooperation and how diverse talents and efforts can come together to create positive change.
Navigate
Neighborhood Heroes: Supporting Our Community
This activity allows students to experience the themes of community and support by participating in improvisational skits that reflect the collaborative spirit of 'Dream Street.' By role-playing different scenarios in which they work together to improve their neighborhood, students gain a deeper understanding of teamwork, generosity, and the positive impact they can have on their surroundings.
| Materials |
|
| Planning |
|
| Implementation |
|
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to be expressive and imaginative in their performances.
- Highlight the importance of listening and working together during the planning phase.
- Use the reflection session to connect the activity to the students' own experiences and brainstorm real-life applications.
Share
Let's take a moment to reflect on the journey we took through 'Dream Street' today. Think about how the characters worked together to support each other and how their unique qualities made their community a better place. As we share, focus on how these ideas connect to your own experiences and how you can bring these lessons to life in your neighborhood.
Reflection Questions
- What is one way the characters in 'Dream Street' helped each other that you think You may wish to try in your own neighborhood? How would it make you feel?
- Think of a moment in the story that made you smile or feel hopeful. How do you think this moment shows the power of working together?
- Imagine you are a new character in 'Dream Street.' What would you do to help others, and why is it important to you?
Teacher Tips
- Encourage students to share their reflections in pairs or small groups to build confidence and deeper connections.
- Allow students to choose between speaking, drawing, or writing to express their thoughts, accommodating different comfort levels and learning styles.
- After sharing, highlight common themes or ideas that emerged, reinforcing the sense of community and shared learning in the classroom.
UDL Strategies
Representation
- Enhance the visual storyboard by including QR codes that link to short video clips or animations related to 'Dream Street' themes. This provides an interactive element and additional context for each scenario.
- Create an audio library with recordings of different community-themed stories, including sound effects that students can listen to in pairs or groups. This reinforces auditory learning and helps set the tone for their skits.
- Provide texture-rich tactile materials, such as fabric swatches or textured paper, for students to create background settings or character costumes. This engages tactile learners and adds depth to the role-playing experience.
- Use color-coded graphic organizers to help students break down their scenarios into acts or scenes, making it easier to visualize the flow and key points of collaboration and support in each skit.
Action & Expression
- Offer a digital platform where students can upload videos of their skits and see each other's work, allowing them to express and share their understanding through multimedia.
- Facilitate a role-play interview session where students can be 'interviewed' by peers acting as reporters, providing verbal expression opportunities and reinforcing the importance of community support.
- Encourage creative writing by having students compose a short story or poem about a day in the life of a 'Dream Street' character, highlighting the theme of community collaboration.
- Provide step-by-step guides for creating a digital storybook or slideshow presentation that incorporates photos, captions, and voiceovers, catering to students who prefer technological expression.
Engagement
- Start with a live guest speaker or a virtual tour of a local community service organization to spark interest and connect the activity to real-world applications, making the task more relatable and inspiring.
- Incorporate a voting system where students can pitch additional scenario ideas and vote on their favorites to include. This democratic choice enhances ownership and fosters excitement.
- Introduce a 'community hero' badge system, where students earn badges for demonstrating teamwork, creativity, or problem-solving during their skit. This gamification approach boosts motivation and participation.
- Set up a collaborative wall or digital board where students can post ideas or photos of their community service suggestions, encouraging ongoing engagement and dialogue beyond the activity.
Assessment Criteria
Formative Assessment
- Observe students during skit planning and rehearsal, looking for evidence of collaboration such as sharing ideas, listening to each other, and compromising. Note how students incorporate expressive movements and dialogue to convey community values.
- During the reflection session after each skit, ask open-ended questions to assess students' understanding of community impact. Questions may include challenges faced during teamwork, actions that made the neighborhood better, and personal experiences of community support.
Summative Assessment
- Have students write a journal entry reflecting on the skit activity, identifying specific ways their characters worked together and how similar actions could be applied in real life. Look for clear identification of actions, reflections on real-life applications, and personal insights about community contribution.
- Each group presents their skit and discusses the impact of their characters' actions on the community. Assess how well groups explain their scenario, articulate the potential impact on a real community, and demonstrate understanding of civic responsibility through discussion of ways they can contribute to their community.
×