No matter the age, making friends is tough! Honestly, it is hard to gain the courage to talk to someone new. However, it feels absolutely amazing to make new friends. Since teachers know the power of friendships, they add creative ways for students to get to know each other. This may be through group projects, centers, stations, and read-alouds. For instance, making friends with Meesha Makes Friends creates an inspiring way for students to get to know someone new!
The book and Read Aloud Activities will help students step outside their comfort zone and embrace making friends with everyone!
Meesha Makes Friends
Author Tom Percival wrote a heartwarming book about the joys and difficulties of making friends.
Meesha loves to let her creativity show as she makes things. However, one thing that she cannot figure out involves how to make friends. When new people are around, she doesn’t know what to do. When she finally thinks of something, she doesn’t know the right time to say it.
Meesha could let her struggles stop her from making friends. However, she works hard to overcome her fears. She uses a special talent that will help guide her through new social situations. Readers will love traveling with Meesha as she goes outside her comfort zone.
Read Aloud Activities
Students will have a blast completing all the activities with Meesha Makes Friends! Best of all, each activity will help students build self-confidence to handle any new situation.
Teachers are so busy planning lessons, teaching, and collecting data. However, they want every student to feel at home while in school. A huge part of this involves making connections with classmates. Thankfully, this book and teacher guide are perfect for getting started. The guide outlines the entire unit and key vocabulary words. Honestly, teachers just need to print and teach!
One of the most complex parts of getting to know people involves starting a conversation. It can be awkward and uncomfortable to do this. Therefore, there are talking points with higher-level thinking questions. Each question has a page number to help teachers know where to stop in the story. Students will gain the confidence to talk with others when they have the support of their teacher and Meesha.
As students focus on making friends with Meesha Makes Friends, they must take time to reflect on this skill. When they make connections, they deepen their knowledge and understanding. Thus, written responses and activity sheets support this social skill. There are even multiple options for differentiation.
Furthermore, there is hands-on craftivity! Students will love how the craft connects the story to their lives.
Application
Teachers work hard to ensure students understand how the material taught in the class relates to life outside the school. Therefore, there are task cards that provide scenarios or thought-provoking questions. Each task card will help students understand the joys and difficulties of making friends. They will even reflect on how they can keep friends and relate to others despite any differences.
There are different ways to use the task cards. Honestly, they work great for whole class or small group discussions. They even work perfectly for individual work time. Students will appreciate having a teacher who understands the importance of making friends.
This warm and affectionate book and the Read Aloud Activities help empower students to step outside their comfort zone. Best of all, students will gain lifelong relationships after reading Meesha Makes Friends.
Free Read Aloud Lesson
Would you like to try out an interactive read aloud lesson? You can grab this free lesson plan for Jabari Jumps to share with your students. This free download focuses on helping students overcome challenges. Each lesson includes discussion questions and activities to do with the book. Just fill out the form below and it will be delivered straight to your inbox!
Save This Read Aloud Lesson
Be sure to save this pin to your favorite read alouds board on Pinterest! You’ll be able to come back to this lesson plan when you are ready to read it aloud with your students.
