The Lemonade War Novel Study – A great way to end the year!
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated Sept 28, 2023
Lemonade war novel study ideas
A Lemonade War Novel Study is one of my all time favorite reading activities to pull out at the end of the school year. With engaging characters and a summery lemonade stand theme, you really can’t go wrong with this engaging novel.
Looking for a COMPLETE Novel Study to use along with this engaging story? This unit comes with comprehension questions, graphic organizers, engaging projects, and more! Grab a copy for your learners by clicking on the image or button below!
Read on to see why a Lemonade War novel study is the perfect way to end the school year!
Why should I teach A Lemonade war Novel Study?
So, why is The Lemonade War the perfect end-of-year novel study for upper elementary students? Well, for starters, it’s just plain fun! The story follows siblings Evan and Jessie as they compete to sell the most lemonade, There’s plenty of action and suspense to keep your students on the edge of their seats. Below are some reasons why the novel really resonates with upper elementary students.
1- engaging and fun
As ELA teachers, we are always looking for ways to engage students with reading. The Lemonade War is a fast-paced and enjoyable story that students will love. The plot is full of action and suspense. This makes it a great way to keep students engaged and focused on their learning as the school year winds down.
For additional tips and tricks to up the engagement level in your classroom, check out these 6 ways to boost engagement!
2- Ample Learning Opportunities
The book touches on a variety of themes and topics. This includes math, economics, social skills, and emotional intelligence. Students can explore concepts such as supply and demand, profit and loss, and advertising as they follow Evan and Jessie’s lemonade stand business. They can also analyze the characters’ motivations and actions, discuss the importance of communication and compromise in relationships, and reflect on their own experiences with sibling rivalry or competition.
3- Accessible to different reading levels
The Lemonade War is written at a fourth-grade reading level, making it a good fit for upper elementary students. However, it is also a sophisticated and nuanced story that can challenge students to think critically and analyze complex themes. Teachers can differentiate instruction and provide support as needed to ensure that all students are able to engage with the material at their own level.
Creative Activities to use with Your Lemonade War Novel Study
There are so many fun activities to use along with this novel! I have included some of my favorite teaching ideas below.
Comprehension Questions
Comprehension questions really are the backbone of a solid novel study. They are a great way to check for understanding, and also help to hold students accountable for what they are reading. I love the comprehension questions shown below, as they include just enough to help students focus their reading, without being too overwhelming. I also love that they have space for students to include illustrated answers – this is great for differentiation!
Character Comparison Charts
Evan and Jesse are round and dynamic characters. The chapters of the novel alternate between their two perspectives. This helps to give readers a lot of important details about what each character thinks and feels. They also undergo clear changes from the beginning of the story to the end. Because of this, The Lemonade War is the perfect novel study for in depth character analysis!
The character charts pictured above are a great way to introduce character analysis. The charts ask students to examine each character at the start of the story, and again as the story comes to the close. Through this, students are clearly able to see the ways the characters have changed from the start of the story to the end.
Want to read more about teaching students about character analysis? Check out this blog post.
Looking for more information about teaching about character traits? Be sure to check out our complete guide!
Lemonade Stand simulation
Looking to integrate a bit of math content into your Lemonade War novel study? Look no further!
The activity pictured below asks students to complete a lemonade stand simulation. As students work their way through the simulation, they are asked to record their prices, profits, and losses over a series of days.
Detailed instructions, activity cards, and student record templates are included. This is definitely an activity my students look forward to each year, and is a super fun way to tie a little math into your ELA curriculum.
The Lemonade War is a versatile and engaging book that offers a wealth of learning opportunities for upper elementary students. By incorporating this book into an end-of-year novel study, teachers can help their students develop important skills and knowledge while enjoying a great story.
For more novel study specific teaching ideas, check out our posts on Because of Mr. Terupt, Restart, and The One and Only Ivan!
Looking to grab a complete novel study to use along with the novel?
Click on the image below to grab a COMPLETE unit to use along with this engaging novel! This unit contains all of the activities shown in the images above, as well as a wide variety of other activities!
Looking for more Novel Study Activities?
Check out these related blog posts!
Benefits of Teaching Novel Studies
Hatchet Novel Study Activities
The One and Only Ivan Novel Study Activities
Graphic Organizers for Any Novel Study
Tips for Building Novel Study Engagement
Interested in signing up for my email list?
If you are interested in signing up for my email list, you can do so by clicking on the link below. I periodically send out emails with free resources, teaching tips, and exclusive deals. Signing up will also give you immediate access to some of my best selling Interactive Notebook resources – foldables, graphic organizers, and other fun activities.
