Green Jolene and the Neighborhood Swap,

Learning Goals

• Describe Jolene’s actions and motivations using details from the assigned reading.
• Explain how the neighborhood swap connects characters and affects the community, citing an example from the text.
• Explain how swapping usable items can reduce waste and help neighbors.
• Practice fair decision-making by planning a classroom swap with clear, inclusive rules.

Activity Steps

1. 1.Introduce the title and ask: “What is a swap? Why might neighbors exchange things instead of buying new ones?” Record predictions about what “Green” might mean in Jolene’s name, then check them against the reading.
2. 2.Read aloud or revisit a passage about the neighborhood swap. Pause to identify what Jolene says or does and how others respond. Have K–2 students draw and label one action; have grades 3–5 students record an action, a motivation, and supporting text evidence.
3. 3.Create a class chart with three columns: “What happens in the book,” “Who is affected,” and “What we can learn.” Discuss which benefits of swapping are shown in the text and which are students’ own ideas.
4. 4.In small groups, plan a pretend classroom swap using drawings of books, games, toys, or school supplies. Establish rules about usable condition, voluntary participation, fair exchanges, and including students who have nothing to trade. Connect one rule to an event or interaction in the reading.
5. 5.Conduct the pretend swap with the drawings. Close with a drawing or short written response: “One thing I learned from Jolene’s neighborhood swap is ____. Our classroom could use that idea by ____.” Invite students to share supporting details from the book.