TEACHER’S GUIDE

Created by:
Addie Goff
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The Stars
Beneath Our
Feet

By: David
Barclay Moore
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ABOUT THE BOOK

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Genre: Realistic Fiction

SYNOPSIS Ages: 10+

It’s Christmas Eve in Harlem, but twelve-year-old Lolly Rachpaul and his mom Grades 5+
aren’t celebrating. They’re still reeling from his older brother’s death in a gang-
related shooting just a few months earlier. Then Lolly’s mother’s girlfriend Lexile: 650L

brings him a gift that will change everything: two enormous bags filled with
ATOS Reading Level: 4.4
Legos. Lolly’s always loved Legos, and he prides himself on following the kit
instructions exactly. Now faced with a pile of building blocks and no Cultural Areas: African
instructions, Lolly must find his own way forward. American, LGBTQ, Autism

His path isn’t clear—and the pressure to join a “crew,” as his brother did, is
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always there. When Lolly and his friend are beaten up and robbed, joining a
crew almost seems like the safe choice. But building a fantastical Lego city at the
Themes
community center provides Lolly with an escape—and an unexpected bridge
back to the world. Family and Environment

David Barclay Moore paints a powerful portrait of a boy teetering on the edge—
Relationships
of adolescence, of grief, of violence—and shows how Lolly’s inventive spirit
helps him build a life with firm foundations and open doors (Kuzmich, 2017). Grief and Acceptance

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THE STARS
BENEATH OUR
FEET Before Reading
Vocabulary
Pre-Reading Discussion
(Language Standards, Vocabulary Acquisition &
Use, Strands 4–6)
(Kuzmich, 2017).
This story contains some Correlates to Common Core Standard Reading Literature: Craft and Structure R.L. 6-7.5; Speaking and Listening: Comprehension and Collaboration S.L. 5-7.1; Language: Vocabulary
Acquisition and Use L. 5-7.5
vocabulary that may be
unfamiliar to students. 1. Look at the cover of the book. What information does it provide you as a
Based on student’s prior reader? How does it make you feel?
knowledge, review some or
all of the vocabulary below.
──── 2. Before turning to the first page of the story, return to the title, the author’s
Ways to Review dedication, and Richard Chenevix Trench’s quote. How are these three
Vocabulary: elements of the book related? What message do they convey? How do they
 Marzano’s 6-Step prepare the reader for the story?
Process
 Frayer Model
 TPR Pre-Reading Activities
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Chapters 1-10 1. Map New York
(Standards: 6 – G1.1.1 Use maps, globes, and web based geography technology to investigate the world at global, interregional, regional, and local scales. 6 – G1.1.2 Draw a
Clique, cackle, regurgitate, sketch map or add information to an outline map of the world or a world region.)

lush, frail, dejected,

cobbler, aspect, slink,
despondent, chutney,
 Introduce vocab: borough (recommend: project a blank map of New
notorious, strut, sift, York and have student predict what they think it means—give clues
slouch, hummus, projectile, helping to get students there—fill in details of the map, etc.)
sulky, callous, aberrant,
turret, exasperated,  Have students ID and write in the New York boroughs on a blank map of
fruitful, gawk, bodega,
fortuitous, lurk, evict, sly, New York boroughs—color land and water. Label everything.
linoleum, lurch
 What separates the boroughs? Do you think the boroughs are different?
Chapters 11-24 Good time to create connections to neighborhoods in their community.
Muffled, tote, instigate,
hack, jalapeno, scarce, What does it make you wonder? What does it remind you of?
nauseate, affect,
problematic, borough,  Students read about the history of the boroughs and about each borough
gripe, monarch, ogle, (Readings).
obliterate, loot, solemn,
fumble, retaliation, ghetto,  Students could read and answer questions.
daze, fare, pummel,  Students (in groups) could be assigned one borough and conduct
plantain, grimace, swag, a research project on it and then teach the rest of the class.
girder, dynasty,
unperturbed, momentum,
scrutinize, despicable, 2. Virtual Field Trip to New York City
(Standards: 6 – G1.1.1 Use maps, globes, and web based geography technology to investigate the world at global, interregional, regional, and local scales. 6 – G1.1.2 Draw a
commence, conspirator, sketch map or add information to an outline map of the world or a world region.)

hostility, jab
 YouVisit
Chapters 25-34
Partial, illustrious, façade,  Smithsonian Learning Lab
surreal, grope, scarcely,  Explore NYC on Google Earth
straddle, husky, martial,
scrawny, frazzle, oasis, 3. Overcoming Obstacles
suspended, hypnotize,
agitate, heave, vulnerable,  Teacher—share a time you had to overcome something. Why was it
compel, frilly, hard? How did you overcome it? Did other people help?
impoverished, prosecute,  Have students brainstorm 3-5 times that they have overcome
restitution, stupefied, something.
pilfer, sap, sterilize,  Do you think other people have gone through something similar?
prohibitive,  How did you overcome those? Would that work for any obstacle?
unconventional, spectrum,  Help students to brainstorm a list of ways to help overcome obstacles.
autism, refine, gig,  You can revisit this throughout the book—adding to the list and
depression, exclusive,
reminisce reflecting on how the characters overcome their own obstacles.
(Vocabulary.Com, 2018)
All vocab with activities
from Vocabulary.Com
 During/After Reading
THE STARS
BENEATH OUR
FEET
During/After Reading Discussion Questions by Theme
 Random House Guide
During/After Reading Activities Accommodations
& Modifications
 Exploring Character Traits ────
Oral Cloze reading
(RL.7.3.) Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting
shapes the characters or plot)
Model! – show the
o Infer character traits students what they
 Find character traits in the main characters: Lolly, Mr. are expected to do.
Ali, Vega, Big Rose, Ma,
Intentional Pairing
 Yvonne, etc.
o Story Chart: How do I know how the main character feels Word to Word
during the story? Dictionaries
 Create a T chart: Event| How They Feel (With evidence
Sentence stems
from the text!)
o Identify way(s) a character changes throughout a story Provide the events
 Explore a character through the actions he/she does and give a feelings
chart for students to
and does not take. (Students can choose a character or point or circle
focus whole class on a character of your choice).
 Identifying Character Traits Have the timeline
pre-made with fill in
 Identifying Character Traits Worksheet the blanks
 How does a writer help you understand a character?
 Students could create a timeline based on character ────
Provide sentence
changes
starters for the post
o Final Project: Students can cards
 Write a reflection from the character’s perspective:
“What did I learn?” Have students work
in pairs to discuss
 Write the next part of the story perspective
 Act out an important part of the story and write a
reflection about why it was important (Good for ELLs!) Use feelings chart to
help students track
the characters
 Post Card Project feelings
(RL.7.3.) Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot)
o Have students write post cards from all the important locations in the book from the
perspective of a character.
 Example: Block in the Bronx from Lolly’s perspective—or for a challenge
Jermaine’s perspective
THE STARS
BENEATH OUR
FEET During/After Reading
During/After Reading Activities
Accommodations Read/Listen to Interview with David Barclay
& Modifications Moore
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o Read interview created by Random House
o Read interview with The Fredrick News-Post
Say Something
o Listen to interview on NPR
reading strategy
 Have students then reach out to David Barclay Moore
Sentence
Starters/Frames
 Dear Author
o Have students write a letter to the author about the book
Peer edit  Author Interview
o Write a letter in which a character in the story asks the author a
Checklist rubric series of questions and reflects on how they feel about the way
they were written/portrayed

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 Character Letters
(RL.7.3.) Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
characters or plot)
Model how to write
a letter o Have students write a letter from the perspective of one character to
another character
Use character trait
worksheet from  Lolly/Jermaine  Lolly/Big Rose
above!  Lolly/Vega  Lolly/Mr.Ali

Peer edit
 Lolly/Yvonne  Lolly/Daddy Rachpaul

Checklist rubric  Building Bridges

(RL.7.3.) Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the
──── characters or plot)

Create a graphic o Lolly and Big Rose are building bridges out of Legos. What do you think
organizer with a their bridges symbolize?
bridge—the visual o Lead students to discuss the changes in the relationship between Big Rose
can very helpful. and Lolly. Why did Lolly call her special in the beginning? Did the
connotation change throughout the reading?
Think-Pair-Share o What can we learn from Big Rose and Lolly’s friendship?
o Discuss the labels that are put on the characters throughout the reading
 Example: Big Rose—Special
o Discuss labels that are put on us and how those labels define us/shape us.
o Have students “build bridges” around their community.
 For example: a school campaign focused on not labeling others.
Students create posters, presentations, etc.
THE STARS
BENEATH OUR
FEET During/After Reading
During/After Reading Activities
Accommodations
 Create your own Lego tower! & Modifications
o Students can draw a version of their own Lego tower—what ────
things would they include and why? Would it look like a real Annotate!
tower, or one from their imagination? Why?
o Have students read page 210 of the book. Have students Sentence
think about how Lolly and Big Rose building the Lego City Starters/Frames
and then having to take it down connects to the real world.
o Draw attention to the quote “…its quicker to tear down Think-Pair-Share
something than it is to build it up”.
 Have students think about how that quote connects Use visuals
to the story in general.
Video of dominoes is
 What is Lolly really building up?
a good connection
 What events show how quickly he fell? (page 174
when Mr. Ali says “All the work you’ve done up till Cause and Effect
now I don’t want us to lose” and “Might cause me to thinking maps
“backslide” are good examples, or the gun).
 What ways did he work to build himself back up? ────
o Give students paper cut out like Legos (two for each
student) to create towers as whole class. Students can work Sentence Starters
together to build “A ten foot tower” on a wall in your class
room
o On each Lego have students answer questions Allow students to
create a comic
 “…its quicker to tear down something than it is to book/graphic novel
build it up”—what does this quote mean to you? version of their
 How can you help build people up rather than break favorite scene or
them down? How do you build yourself up? alternative ending
o Reflect on how each student brings their own strengths to
the tower.
Allow students to
gender-swap the
 Reflection roles. Re-write their
o Revisit the title, the dedication, and the Richard Chenevix favorite scene with
Trench quote. Have students write a reflection about how the Lolly as a girl.
those three things connect to the major themes and ideas in
the book.
o Students could also reflect on how the book impacted them, Allow students to re-
what they learned, what they liked about the book, what did write their favorite
they not like, etc. scene using
o Students can write an alternative ending/beginning or a elements from their
sequel short story community or
culture

Peer Edit
THE STARS
BENEATH OUR
FEET
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David
Barclay
Moore
 Born and raised in Missouri.
 Studied creative writing at Iowa State University, film at Howard University in Washington,
D.C., and language studies at l’Université de Montpellier in France.
 He then moved to New York City
o Served as communications coordinator for Geoffrey Canada’s Harlem Children’s Zone
o Served as Communications manager for Quality Services for the Autism Community.
 Received grants from the Ford Foundation, the Jerome Foundation, Yaddo, and the Wellspring
Foundation.
 Semifinalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab.
 Currently lives, works, and explores in Brooklyn, New York.
 You can follow him online at DavidBarclayMoore.com, on Twitter at @dbarclaymoore, and on
Instagram at dbarclaymoore.

(Kuzmich, 2017)

Works Cited
Kuzmich, I. (2017, October). Retrieved from Teachingbooks.net:
https://images.randomhouse.com/promo_image/9781524701246_4971.pdf

Vocabulary.Com. (2018, February 12). The Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore.
Retrieved from www.vocabulary.com: https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/2178906