DON'T NEED FRIENDS by Carolyn Crimi: READING LESSONS & EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi: Reading Lessons with Extensions Unit is a heartwarming and thought-provoking resource that guides students through the themes of loneliness, friendship, and emotional growth. Perfect for grades 1–3, this unit includes reading comprehension questions, vocabulary development, and sequencing activities that help students engage deeply with the text. Extension activities such as writing prompts, character comparisons, and social-emotional learning discussions encourage students to reflect on the value of connection and empathy. With a balance of academic and emotional learning, this unit makes a powerful addition to any classroom literacy program.

This cute set of reading lesson activities is perfect to do after you read Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi to your class.

Do you think the dog doesn't really need friends? Why do people (or animals) act like this? Let's see if we can compare these animals in the junkyard with children making friends.

Children learn about friendship when reading stories and they love stories with animals !

Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi is a heartwarming story about the unlikely friendship between a tough rat named Rat and a scruffy dog named Possum. It’s a great book for reading lessons that focus on themes like friendship, loneliness, and the importance of opening up to others. After reading, students can engage in comprehension activities like discussing character traits and how feelings change throughout the story. Extension activities can include writing prompts about the qualities of a good friend, role-playing friendship scenarios, and creating character maps to explore how Rat’s attitude shifts. These activities help students develop empathy and reflect on the value of connection.

Don't Need Friends by Carolyn Crimi is a lovely picture book about a junkyard rat whose best friend moves away. So sad and angry, he decides he doesn't need friends any more. He rebuffs the friendship advances of the other junkyard animals.

This ready to use, no prep resource includes:

• Graphic organizers
• Reading comprehension
• Writing prompts
• Extension activities including cards and poetry