Lee the Flea at Nitzanim — Dream-Fulfillment Activities

To download the Nitzanim after-school program booklet, click this link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rnHy5KTkxiLxj-NoL4piEuVgrmJ_z3tb/view?usp=sharing

Lesson Plan: Making Dreams Come True

Lesson Objectives

• The student will think about their dreams and about ways to achieve them
• Coping with competition and finding one's relative advantage

Lesson Structure

Start by explaining that the book is for children up to age 8, but children in grades 3-5 have also taught lessons with it! In fact, this lesson plan was born from a mother who taught lessons to children in grades 3-5.

That said, we adults also learn a great deal from children's books - the stories are short, 7-10 pages at most, which is exactly why this story was chosen.

Part One

• Read the book "Lee the Flea" aloud to the class, all the way to the end
• Discussion - ask the children what the idea of the book is:
  • Never give up
  • Shatter glass ceilings - where there's a will, there's always a way
  • Achieve our dreams

Part Two - What Is Your Dream?

• Start talking about dreams and ask the children what their dream is.

Part Three - What's the Bad News?

In everything we dream about, there is competition. For example, if a child wants to be a soccer player...
we tell him that every other child in Israel wants to be a soccer player. And so on.

Part Four - The Good News?

If you choose a dream that truly matches your skills, your passion, and your genuine desire
then you'll most likely succeed in achieving it.

For example: if a player truly loves soccer, and manages to score goals in school games,
and goes to a team or club twice a week - then maybe he won't be the best in the world,
but the best in the neighborhood / school / class, or he might play on a soccer team.

Part Five - Dreams Come True

Persevere in what needs to be done, and don't give up!! That is the key to making dreams come true.

• Talk about how Lee didn't give up and kept his faith, and didn't stay like the other fleas,
• Talk about the hard work he did (the training) and about Lee's success in the end.
• Key message - even though there are fears and difficulties along the way, don't give up.

Two things related to success:

• Walt Disney's quote: "If you can dream it, you can do it. Remember that this whole thing started with a mouse." Tell the story of Walt Disney, who eventually became an empire and a legend. More examples: the Wright Brothers, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King, Armstrong, Herzl.
• Present the importance of perseverance and of working on our dreams!

Good luck

Free-to-Use Supporting Materials:

• Coloring pages - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12Lx0AWqJAT1i21VjDLB7mVaMZqLwYWVV
• Presentation for group use - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1dsv_VuC_hNX3lk_aacZPf1c8RG2W8pEA
• For additional ideas and activity materials, click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19niAJOiqgjOcgJmZlrmKNaa6EI5bFUu0?usp=sharing