The Red Bicycle: A Storyline

Grades: 1-4
Total Number of Pages:  21

PDF Storyline Outline – $40.00
The PDF will be emailed to you once the order is received.

As the story begins, a young boy named Leo is working hard to save money and buy a bicycle he admires at the local bike shop. When he enters the shop to admire his future bike, the bike shop owner invites him to join her Bicycle Care and Safety Class for new bike owners. She shows Leo photos of other children in his town who are also saving for a bike and taking the class.

Students create and develop the additional characters into the story.

Leo and the other children become friends while they are earning money to purchase their bikes and learning how to become responsible bike owners.

Leo and his friends earn the money they need and head to the bike shop to purchase their bikes.

Leo names his bike, Big Red.

The bikes become an important part of the lives of the children. Leo’s friends describe their biking adventures and highlight the positive changes the bikes have made in their lives.

When Leo outgrows his bike, he decides to find a new home for it in a place where Big Red is really needed. Leo’s friends explore the benefits of reuse and decide to donate their outgrown bikes. The donated bicycles travel to West Africa to begin a new life. Each bike finds a new owner and a new purpose in Africa.

Leo and his friends conduct simple research to learn about the new home of their bikes. They read informational text about Burkina Faso and choose a topic that highlights the strengths and beauty of the land and people. Leo’s friends record and share their information.

Leo’s friends follow the story of Big Red’s new life. They tell the story of their bikes in Africa and the changes they have made in the lives of their new owners. Leo’s friends discover how one bicycle can transform the lives of many in the rural African village.

Students educate others about the benefits of bicycles and the need for donated bikes. The Storyline concludes with a bike-a-thon to raise money for used bikes. Students donate the used bikes, locally, to a place where they are really needed.

Bend-La Pine Schools Newsletter 6/19

Our schools know – you’re never too young to make a positive difference in the world! First-graders at Highland Magnet School at Kenwood recently raised money to purchase 15 bicycles for the World Bicycle Relief Organization, which provides bikes for children and adults in Africa to help give them better access to school and opportunities. The students were inspired to take on this effort after reading The Red Bicycle by Jude Isabella as part of the school’s Storyline.

Thank you to teacher Becky Eriksson for sharing and spearheading this awesome effort … and thank you to all the students and families who participated!