"Dreamers" Picture Book Companion Activities

Looking for a new picture book to read aloud for Hispanic Heritage Month? Look no further! Dreamers, by Yuyi Morales, is the perfect book. Students will be engaged from page one, learning all about her journey migrating to America.

Students will write, create a dream board, share their favorite book, learn and apply new vocabulary, investigate and analyze symbolism within the illustrations, dig into characterization, and compare and contrast the text to the author’s note. The reader response questions lend themselves to in-depth class or peer discussions and were designed to encourage students to use higher-level thinking skills, require students to provide text evidence to support their thinking, and challenge them to provide their own opinions and/or perspectives.

This Resource Includes:

• Dream Board (1 page) - Students will fill out a dream board that includes question prompts with text and illustrations.
• Reader Response Questions (2 pages) – 11 short-answer questions
• My Bag is Packed (1 page) – Students will draw 4 gifts that they would choose to bring if they were leaving their country and moving to a new one. Then, they explain why they chose to bring those particular gifts.
• The Best Book (1 page) – Students will draw the cover of their favorite book and explain why it’s their favorite.
• Wait… There’s More! (1 page) – Students will create another page for the end of the book that includes a few sentences and colorful illustrations similar to those used in the story.
• Symbolism Activity (2 pages) – Students will analyze and identify various symbols and the use of symbolism in the book. This is a great activity to split the class into groups and have each group analyze a different symbol.
• Vocabulary Presentation (8 pages) - Present these pages to the class to teach the vocabulary words that students might be unfamiliar with. A definition and an image are included.
• Vocabulary Notes (4 pages) - Students can fill out these note pages as you show the vocabulary presentation.
• Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle (1 page + Answer Key) – Students will complete a crossword puzzle by matching words pulled from the story to their definitions. Students can use their note pages to help them.
• Characterization Graphic Organizers (3 pages)
• Author’s Note (2 pages) – A printable version of the author’s note titled “My Story” that is found at the end of the book. Students can use this to read independently before completing the included graphic organizer.
• Story vs Author’s Note (1 page) - Students will compare and contrast the Author’s note and the text using the graphic organizer.