Skills Building: Last Stop on Market Street (PK-5)

Written by Matt De La Pena and Illustrated Christian Robinson

TEKS: Reading K.5(E); 1.6(E); 2.6(E); 3.6(E); 4.6(E); 5.6(E)

Pre Reading Questions

  1. What does it mean to show love and care to people in our community? 
  2. How can we appreciate people who are different from us?
  3. As we read the book, notice the people that CJ and his Nana meet on their journey. Think about their similarities and differences.


Post Reading Questions

  1. How were the people on the bus similar to one another?  How were they different?
  2. How did Nana see the beauty in all of the different people around her? 
  3. Who was your favorite character that CJ and Nana met on their journey? Why? Have you ever met someone like this? 
  4. How do our differences work together to make the world more beautiful? 
  5. What would the world be like if we were all the same? 
  6. How can we show love and kindness to those who seem different?

Extension Activity (All): Make a Meal for Someone Feeling Down

Overview: In the book Last Stop on Market Street, CJ and his grandmother visit a soup kitchen. Making food for others is a way that many people show love, empathy, and compassion. When people are feeling down, lost a loved one, are sick, or even have a new baby, communities often come together to make food for those families. In this activity, you will imagine that you are cooking a meal for someone feeling down. What meal will you make? Who will receive your gift? How did you pick the meal?

Materials

Paper plates
Construction paper
Glue sticks
Scissors
Markers/crayons/color pencils

Duration: 40-45 minutes (for staff: 5-minute pre-activity setup, 5-minute prep)

5 minutes: Introduce the activity
5 minutes: Students plan their meals and materials
20 minutes: Make meals out of paper 
5 minutes: Clean up
5 minutes: Reflect and share

Instructions

  1. Introduce the activity using the book. 
  2. Help students brainstorm the menus that they’ll create. 
  3. Students should use construction paper to create the meal out of paper and glue it to the paper plate. 
  4. Clean up the materials. 
  5. Reflect as a group.

Reflection Questions

  • Share your meal with the person next to you. 
  • What did you make? 
  • How did you decide on the menu? 
  • Who are you serving the meal to? Why do you think they would appreciate the meal?  
  • Has anyone brought you or your family meals when they were sick? How did that feel? 
  • How do you think the person receiving the food might feel? As the person giving the food, how might you feel?