Saffron Ice Cream

How To Teach This Book

1. As Rashin discovers, making new friends adds flavor to life! Discuss how making friends can be difficult in a new school, new neighborhood, and new country. Have students brainstorm and practice ways to meet and start conversations with people new to their community.
2. As they practice and feel empowered to meet new people, have your class form a welcome team to greet students and families that are new to your community. Students can volunteer to give tours of the school and the neighborhood and introduce new people to different clubs, sports teams, and neighborhood activities. Everyone in the class can contribute to making a map of the neighborhood featuring places friends meet—from the park to the ice cream parlor—to hand out to new families.

Questions for Discussion or Reflective Writing

1. How do you feel when you are about to try something for the first time?
2. How would moving to a new place make you feel? What would you miss?
3. What are some ways to make someone new to your community feel welcome?
4. Why are friendships important?
5. What do you like about your friends that makes it fun to be together?
6. What are some ways to make friends?

Additional Resources for Teaching About Friendship

• Reading Is Fundamental support materials
• Geographic Kids: Explore Countries of the World
• Journeys to America: Sharing Stories of Survival and Hope (Rashin Kheiriyeh at minute 26:40)
• Friendship on Small Talk from CBC Kids
• Teaching Strategy from Teaching Tolerance: Making Connections During Read Aloud
• Learning to Give: Friends lesson plan