MY BEST FRIEND – by Mary Ann Rodman – READING LESSONS & ACTIVITIES UNIT

The teaching guide for My Best Friend by Mary Ann Rodman is designed to provide educators with a comprehensive framework for teaching and exploring the themes, characters, and literary elements present in the book. “My Best Friend” is a children’s book that revolves around the story of two young girls, Lily and Salma, who come from different cultural backgrounds but develop a strong friendship.

The guide includes a range of discussion questions and prompts that encourage critical thinking and class participation. These questions delve into the themes of friendship, diversity, and cultural understanding, prompting students to analyze the characters’ motivations, relationships, and experiences.

The teaching guide also offers suggestions for interactive activities and projects that can further enhance students’ comprehension and engagement. For example, it might propose organizing a cultural exchange day where students bring in traditional food, clothing, or artifacts from their own backgrounds to share with the class.

Overall, the teaching guide for My Best Friend aims to foster empathy, promote cultural awareness, and encourage positive relationships among students. It provides educators with a structured approach to facilitate meaningful discussions and create a dynamic learning experience centered around the themes and messages conveyed in the book.

This ready-to-use ELA resources and activity unit was created for the book My Best Friend by Mary Ann Rodman. It tells the story of Lily who is a young girl who goes to the pool every Wednesday for playgroup at the neighborhood pool.

It is a 34 page unit which includes:

. character traits/comparisons

. retelling of story

. comprehension and higher level thinking questions

. text to self connections

. writing prompts/assessments

. extension activities