LisaMPorter - Being a Friend

This unit asks the questions, what does it mean to be a good friend, and what does it take to be a good friend? We begin this unit by creating a character web that we will add traits to as we continue reading our books throughout the unit. We will be reading Babe aloud, and throughout the unit we will pull out specific character traits that make characters good friends. Those will be placed on the map and later students will create story quilts based off those characters and their character traits.

We will also be reading in literature circles. There are four different books students will get to pick from (giving me their top three choices), and they will have different tasks within their groups. They will have to great a character chart, telling me who the important characters are, what their “good friend” traits are and what evidence there is in the text to support that. They will also write a letter to a character in their book thanking them for being a good friend.

Some other activities we will complete is a strategy lesson on predicting and verifying using Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, and we will also add to our character web using Wanted: New Best Friend.

By the end of this unit, students will understand three generalizations about what it means and takes to be a good friend:

Being a good friend requires:

-standing up for your friends, even if it means taking a risk.

-accepting a friend even though they are different

-helping a friend when they are in need and performing small acts of kindness

Resources for Parents

Learning Targets:

Students will understand that:

-Being a good friend means standing up for your friends, even if it means taking a risk.

-Being a good friend means accepting someone despite their differences.

-Being a good friend means helping friends when they are in need.

Students will be able to write a properly formatted letter to a character from a book, telling them what they did to be considered a good friend.
Students will be able to make feasible predictions about stories using a limited amount of evidence as well as their prior schema, and read on to verify their predictions.
Students will be able to contribute effectively to a literature circle by communicating their thoughts and feelings to their group, as well as listening to their group members.
Students will be able to write about certain aspects of a story, going into detail about character traits, setting, and “good friend” actions.

Questions to ask your children:

*What did you do today to be a good friend to someone?

*What books did you read today that had to do with friendship...tell me about it!

*Have you read any books lately that have characters that are good friends?

Annotated Book List:

Cameron, Ann. (1987). Julian’s Glorious Summer. New York: Random House, Inc.

Julian’s Glorious Summer is about a boy who is afraid of bicycles. He tells his best friend Gloria a fib that he has to work all summer so she doesn’t think he’s a chicken for not wanting to learn how to ride her bike. In the end, his dad buys him a bike for all his hard work, and after confronting his fears, he learns Gloria has a lot of things she is afraid of too. He learns that being a friend means telling the truth, even if it might be a little embarrassing.

I will use this as a literature circle book for my more advanced readers.

Couric, Katie. (2000). The Brand New Kid. New York: Doubleday.

This book is about a new kid, Lazlo, who is different from the kids at his new school. They tease him, bully him, and he almost leaves the school because he is so upset. After learning how upset he was, a girl named Ellie feels bad and asks him if he would like to play. She learns that he isn’t so different after all, and kids at the school finally accept him. This book teaches students to accept others despite differences, because they may find that they aren’t so different after all. It also shows students that we have to stand up for our friends, even if it means that people might think we’re crazy.

This will be used as an introduction to lit circles. We will read it together, and they will get in their lit circles to answer questions.

Hilton, Nette. (2002). My Best Friend. Hong Kong: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary.

This is the story about a girl who is very giving to her best friend, Alison. Then one day, her best friend gets a new best friend, Sara. Alison stops talking to the main character, until one day all of the jump ropes are taken. Alison wants the jump rope, apologizes for ignoring her and they are friends once again. This shows students that performing small acts of kindness are a great indicator of friendship, and they shouldn’t be taken for granted.

I will use this book as a literature circle choice for some my students reading below grade level.

Howe, James. (1997). Pinky Rex and the New Neighbors. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Pinky and Rex, two best friends, are sad because their friend, Mrs. Morgan is moving. This is great because it shows intergenerational friendship, and the quest for new friendship. Pinky and Rex wonder who might move in, and a younger Amanda is upset when she hears that it will be an older kid. After a brief scare that it might be Obnoxious Ollie moving in, it turns out to be someone Amanda’s age and they are instant best friends. Pinky and Rex are also happy because Mrs. Morgan moved close by and they can still visit her. This shows great acts of kindness by Mrs. Morgan, and Pinky and Rex to Mrs. Morgan.

This will be used as a literature circle book for students reading a little above or at grade level.

Jin, Sarunna. (1997). My First American Friend. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

This is the story about Sarunna, who moves to America from China. She doesn’t know any English, and feels like an outcast until Ali becomes her friend despite their differences. Ali moves away, which is sad for Sarunna, but by then she was making more and more friends as her English got better. No matter how many friends she made, she always remembered Ali. This shows students that people can be friends despite differences.

This will be used as a literature circle book for my readers at or a little below grade level.

King-Smith, Dick. (1983). Babe the Gallant Pig. New York: Random House, Inc.

Babe is the story of a pig who, against all odds, becomes a sheep-pig. With help from his sheepdog friend and surrogate mother, Fly, and an old ewe names Ma, Babe learns that being polite prevails over brawn and speed. After winning the sheepdog trials, Babe is ultimately fulfilled with a sense of accomplishment in making his owner proud. This shows students that people with differences can be friends, and that being kind takes people to places they might not otherwise be able to go.

I will use this as our read-aloud book.

Monson, A.M. (1997). Wanted: New Best Friend. New York: Scholastic Inc.

This is the story of Cat and Mouse, who were best friends that loved to play games. However, Cat gets spoiled from winning so much and stops considering Mouse’s feelings. After a friend break-up, Cat posts an ad for a new best friend. After several failed attempts, he realizes how much he misses Mouse, and begs him to come back. After that point, he listens to Mouse and considers his feelings. This shows students that friends must be considerate of each others’ feelings, and being selfish will only chase your friends away.

I will use this as a read-aloud book after we finish Babe.

Spinelli, Eileen. Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch. (1996). New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Mr. Hatch is a man who goes about his day without smiling or talking to anyone. That is, until he gets a mysterious valentine from a secret admirer saying “Somebody Loves You.” After this, he shares his candy, helps people when they are in need, and is an overall happy guy. But, one day the postman comes back to say that it was a mistake and the valentine wasn’t meant for his after all. Mr. Hatch goes back into his gloom and doom mode, until all the people in the neighborhood gather to tell him that EVERYONE loves him. This shows that good friends help others in times of need with small acts of kindness.

I will use this as the read aloud book for my reading strategy lesson on predicting and verifying.