The Stars Beneath Our Feet

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“New York Architecture”

In this activity, students will use toy bricks, blocks, or recyclable materials to create a model of a place Lolly visits in the novel, then include written labels and captions to relay important moments in the story.

Lolly and Rose spend time in New York exploring architecture and creating new designs for their constructed cities. Construct a location visited by Lolly and Rose using building bricks or other materials for your model. Add written labels and captions to show where and when the important moments surrounding this location occurred.

In your notes, in a reading journal, or through slides or visual aids, answer the questions below to draw connections between your construction and the novel.

• What architectural building did you create?
• What role does this building play in the novel?
• What kind of realizations does Lolly have when he sees this building?
• How might the building be personally connected to the characters and their experiences?
• Can you compare your experience with building and Lolly’s experience using art as a coping mechanism?

Present your model to peers answering the questions and drawing connections to Lolly’s journey with architecture.