April 23, 2015 CL Lesson Plans, ELA K-5, ELA Focus - Reading, ELA Resources - Activities, ELA Focus - Writing, Core Literacy
By: Erin Lynch
I was so excited for my favorite children's author, Patricia Polacco, to come and visit my school ... and she did not disappoint! What an amazing person! I was impressed with the amount of time she spent encouraging students (and teachers) to be the best person they (we) can be and to treat people with kindness, to show empathy and compassion towards our peers. She truly inspired me and all of the students that I spoke to after her presentation.
A highlight of author Patricia Polacco's visit was when she discussed her first book, Meteor!, published in 1988. She told us that even though the book is written in the first person, it was her mother that actually watched a meteor crash into her front lawn (not in the backyard as stated in the book). Patricia then went on to explain that legend has it that if you touch a meteor and make a wish, your wish will come true. To the amazement of everyone in attendance, Patricia had brought a piece of that meteor for everyone to touch and to make a wish. Students were already captivated by the possibility a meteor could potentially crash unexpectedly into a yard, but to actually touch the meteor themselves and make a wish was such a magical moment!
This visit inspired me to create a writing activity for Patricia Polacco's Meteor! You may not have a piece of meteor rock to pass around, but you can recreate the magical moment in your classroom with this elementary writing activity. T