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You are here: Home / Books for Kids / Become a Better Friend with Nerdy Birdy!

June 15, 2018 by: Laura

Become a Better Friend with Nerdy Birdy!

Last Updated on July 31, 2018 by Laura

I don’t read picture books to my upper elementary students very often, but I’ve found a pair of books that hold their attention and teach some valuable lessons about friendship and the role of technology in our lives and friendships.

This post contains affiliate links.  If you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

I read the books Nerdy Birdy and Nerdy Birdy Tweets (by Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies) to all of my classes in grades 3, 4, & 5.  The books are humorous, but touch on themes of friendship and self esteem.  Because the characters are so fun, relate-able AND funny, students have been jumping in with terrific insights!

As part of my quest to encourage my students to spread kindness, I decided to use these books as part of my digital citizenship unit.

I read Nerdy Birdy first, as an introduction to the characters.  Before reading, I asked the students to think about the themes in the story. One theme is self esteem, along the lines of “Be yourself” or “It’s okay to be different.”  After reading, I gave some time to discuss the themes in small groups, and then called on a few people to share out what they discussed.  Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

  • “After all, there is always room for one more birdy.”
  • “It is awfully lonely to be alone.”
  • “Being cool is exhausting!”

Next I read Nerdy Birdy Tweets, asking them again to think about themes while they listen.  With each class the response was consistent.  At first, lots of laughter and comments – the kids really enjoyed this story too.  Each time we came to the part when Nerdy Birdy posts an unflattering picture of Vulture on Tweetster, the room goes quiet.  I believe students can really relate to this situation.  Again, after reading this book, I asked the students to discuss the themes in small groups and then called on some to share what their insights.  A couple of my favorite Nerdy Birdy Tweets quotes:

  • “Just because you thought it, doesn’t mean you should tweet it.”
  • “One real live you is worth a thousand Tweetster friends.”

I really wanted to make sure all students had an opportunity to reflect on the themes in this book.  I asked them to respond in writing to the prompt, “Nerdy Birdy Tweets makes me think about…”  This is a quick activity and I found that the majority of my students responded with a thoughtful comment.  I’m hoping this experience helps them use responsible and considerate online behavior!

I created a bulletin board display in order to share the messages from these books with our school community.  I included some quotes from the books and added the students comments.  It’s an easy, eye-catching display and a great way for student voices to be heard on this subject.  Lots of students, staff, and parents stopped by to read the responses.

If you would like to try this activity with your classes, download my free printable here!

How do you encourage your students to spread kindness?  Do you have any favorite lessons for encouraging thoughtfulness while learning about digital citizenship?  Share your ideas with us below!

Be well and have fun!

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    Comments

    1. Kristen O'Hara says

      September 7, 2019 at 1:32 PM

      Lovely! Thanks for the great, helpful free resources.

      • trappedlib says

        September 8, 2019 at 9:08 PM

        You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by!

    2. Pam Held says

      October 15, 2019 at 11:12 AM

      Thank you for sharing your ideas! I love introducing Nerdy Birdy and Nerdy Birdy Tweets to my students! Great ideas and resources!

      • Laura says

        April 16, 2020 at 9:16 PM

        Great books, for sure!

    3. Fran says

      November 21, 2019 at 4:31 AM

      Excellent collection of activities! Thank you.

      • Laura says

        April 16, 2020 at 9:23 PM

        You’re welcome, Fran. Thanks for stopping by!

    4. Andrea says

      January 28, 2020 at 5:55 PM

      What are some examples of what students wrote on their “device” about Nerdy Birdy? Did they describe the character and actions or mostly what they can do to be better friends? Thanks!

      • Laura says

        January 28, 2020 at 8:10 PM

        Hi Andrea! They mostly made connections from the book to their lives. Some comments: “Video games are not more important than friends,” “How rude you could be if you are on your phone all the time,” “Different kinds of friends: real and phony.” I think it really helped them think about their own lives! If you read it to your students, I’d love to know how they react!

    Trackbacks

    1. Become a Better Friend with Nerdy Birdy! - Classroom Freebies says:
      June 28, 2018 at 11:47 AM

      […] *This article originally appeared on The Trapped Librarian blog here.* […]

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