Our New Author Study…Patricia Polacco and a CHALLENGE!
November 2, 2009
Click on Mr. Falker above or go to: www.patriciapolacco.com to visit the author’s site.
Yup, another old favorite! You just can’t beat Patricia Polacco’s inspirational stories for both children and adults. I went into the Media Center to pick up Thunder Cake, Meteor, and When Lightning Comes in a Jar to add a bit of literature to our Weather Study, (and The Bee Tree in ‘honor’ and hopeful appreciation of the bees that are constant guests in our piazza!), and thought, ‘Why not just do our new author study on Patricia Polacco since we really haven’t decided on anyone else yet!” – and after just one day, Patricia Polacco has already won her way into our hearts.
(We still whole-heartedly love you too, Tomie dePaola! Don’t worry! 
)
Patricia Polacco is an author/illustrator of MANY books, yet I love to read, Thank you , Mr. Falker to my children the most. Children of all ages can make connections to the powerful themes this story presents.
The autobiographical story is based on Patricia’s own struggle with learning how to read. She has learning disabilities, which were not diagnosed ‘back in the day’, which made her elementary years devastating because of her lack of being able to read nor do math. She was bullied and made fun of by children in her classes! Mr. Falker, her 5th grade teacher, recognized that she had great difficulties in seeing letters, numbers and words in the way that most people see them. It was he, along with a reading teacher, who helped Patricia with specific strategies that directly helped her finally learn how to read. She will always be grateful to him for teaching her how to read. Imagine! She who has had so many challenges with learning disabilities is now a highly celebrated AUTHOR of children’s books!
It was her drawings that saved her during those dark years. Even as a child, she was an exceptional artist and Mr. Falker also recognized this talent in her.
Today after reading the story, the children and I had a lively discussion about;
- bullies
- things we are good at
- things we aren’t so good at
After our session, each child began a writing piece about a personal connection they made to the story. Pretty powerful words are being expressed on paper! Who wants to share their connection?
Challenge:
Have you ever been bullied? Have you ever felt really ‘dumb’ at school like Patricia? What are you really good at? What are you not so good at?
I wonder if we can get 23 +23 responses? (46!)
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1.
nick | November 3rd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Ive felt dum befor. ive ben bulled befor and he called me names and he was mean but he didnt pull my hair or bulle me that much.
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2.
mikail | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:00 pm
when i was in pre K i had a bully that allways piks on me he was in kindergarten. his name was Erwin.every time i get near my teacher he aks nice to me.
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3.
Nigel | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:06 pm
i had a bully ones. his name was t.j. he allwas givs peple unnice words. then my techer m.s glass saw me scard. she made him suspinded from school .
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4.
Ronan | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I am really good at Maden 08 a video game it is really easy for me but to some people think it’s hard like my dad. I’ve never gotten beat
by anyone but the computer a cupple times when I was just learning. But now I’ll never loes probabaly. Me and my PS2 we are best freinds because it helps me practice. So I won’t loes prabably
ever again. At first I thought Maden 08 was really hard but now it’s
so easy it’s like throing a football 2 feet far.
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5.
Elizabeth | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I liked reading Thank You Mr. Falkner because it inspired me for the children who do not know how to read very well or do math very well for them to work harder on reading and math. Since Ms. Mannino challenges us to write a comment on one of those, I will.
I’m good at typing stories, reading Ramona and Junie B., focusing on my work, walking my dog, doing my homework, doing projects and making posters, doing art in art class, writing fiction and non-fiction stories, jump roping, running laps, doing addition in math, doing math assessments.
What I’m not so good at is subtraction, going to bed early when the sun is up, going and waiting at my brother’s guitar lesson, having patience all the time and remembering my stories that get erased!
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6.
bahijah | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:14 pm
I am good drawing just like Patricia Polacco.A LOT of people said this is good.Eveybody crowded me.I’am only good at drawing animals.
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7.
Gabe | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:18 pm
i am good at rock climing i can clime a wall to the top of the wall it is in my rock climing clas i go at the end of the day of scool
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8.
Walter | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:19 pm
I am really good at illustrating books, writing books, andcoloring books. I am good at running, football, basketball, and tag in sports. I am good at typing on the computer, and giving my mom directions to get to school, putting the covers on my mom when she is about to goto sleep, helping my mom clean up , washing the dishes sometimes, making up my mom’s bed and clean up my room. This is what I’m good at at home.
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9.
Gabe | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:21 pm
“I do not like bullies! They do not belong in this world!”
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10.
Marche | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I am good at tricks and I’m also goo at riding my bike. I am not good at walking down the stairs because i am so nervous and I make my own food.
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11.
josiah | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I am good at. reading and writeing a story – what kind of story- a
funny story. I am not so good at. sounding out words. i
have not been bulled ever in my holl livf. i do not want to be
bulled.
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12.
Aaliyah | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:24 pm
When it was the time for the summer to be over I did not no wich hand I write with. I felt dumb because I think that everybody els new wich hand they write with. Hahahahahahaha so funny.good luck bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
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13.
will | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
one time when i was at my dads house playing tennies on my video game and i was on a realley super super super super super super hard level and i was louesing. my sister hannah said you suck at this tennies video game but i was realley good and every one but my sister ugres. my mom wasent ther becase she was working with sotu and i tackeld my sister but i dident make her cry because i dont want to get in troubele
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14.
Brandon | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I am good at reading, writing, football, kickball, and basketball. I am not so good at soccer, staying still, and riting stories.
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15.
Nicholas | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
WE came back from vilon and we went on the carpt and we did it wait for ms minnino we saw her talking to some won and so we read a book peyton picked up a book on hercans and read to the class and peyton read the book the hole time ms minnino was talk ing and then she said that made her hole teching carer and then we got a picture of her walking uot because she said you dont need her anemore
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16.
keondra | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:27 pm
patrcia is sads because she didt bule no body and that is good because that littel boy puld her hare and picking on her and the littel boy went to the ofis because she culnt read
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17.
Zoe | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:29 pm
There was a bully at my school last year her name was Tata she
thuout she had popler and she thuout had a made.
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18.
Briella | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! New author study on Patricia Polacco whitch I love! now, let us answer some of those qestions. Okay, lets see.Ah,I’m good at reading,writing my own stories and poems.I love you Patricia Polacco!
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19.
Jeremiah | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I am good at running really fast, spelling alot of words, reading really good. I am not so good at climbing a tree, winning a race, and doing back flips.
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20.
nahdia | November 3rd, 2009 at 2:31 pm
im not good at footbal and not good at wirting . i im not good at runingi im not good at tying my shos. Im not good at getting crampis and im not good at doing my home work
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21.
mrmjsblog | November 3rd, 2009 at 3:51 pm
One time I felt bullied when I was in 5th grade. I was really fast, but there were some other boys that were faster than me. They made fun of me when they beat me in a race. I tried to ignore them. It was hard. I felt bad, but I never stopped running or trying to get faster. But today I am still very fast. I love to play sports especially softball. I use my speed to catch lots of fly balls and steal bases. There are some things that I am not very good at. I am not a very good cook. I have a hard time keeping my work table organized. But I am always trying new recipes and trying to keep my table cleared off. I’m going to keep trying!
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22.
walter | November 3rd, 2009 at 8:50 pm
I am good at soccer,basketball,playing joks on others. I love making people smile
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23.
Cuz365 | November 3rd, 2009 at 10:13 pm
I’m sure there was a time in my life when I was bullied, but I can’t remember, so it must not have been so bad. Bullies aren’t bad people, they just don’t know that they would be much happier if they knew how to be kind. Bullies need someone like Mr. Falkner who could help change a bully’s negativity.
The things I do well … I’m good at sewing, wrapping presents, and I love to grow flowers in my garden. I’m not a very good singer, but I like to sing anyway.
When you smile, people smile back at you. Try it !
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24.
Mr. McKinney | November 4th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
I was bullied in high school. So finally I decided I did not like it anymore. One day the bully approached me and I said let’s go outside and fight and get it over with. We did not go outside and fight. I think because I challenged him back he was not prepared and forevermore left me alone. So, the moral is to stand up for yourself. Let’s see, I am not good with patience but I do work hard at trying to have patience. I am good at cooking. Hannah and Will love my homemade turkey barley soup and cajun seasoned scallops.
If I may instill one piece of wisdom to you all it would be to not be afraid to take risks because the regards are far greater than you can imagine!!!
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25.
Mary Ellen | November 4th, 2009 at 10:09 pm
I think that I was bullied in the 5th and 6th grade. There were a couple of classmates that would tease me mercilessly. Even though they were mean, we were in a play together that we would perform at our school and at other schools. Finally they stopped teasing me, but since I was Lucy in the the school play, they were forever the blockhead Charlie Brown and the insecure Linus.
I learned that what they said wasn’t true just because they said it. I think having siblings that were older than me helped to toughen my skin against showing how hurtful their words really were.
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26.
Mary Ellen | November 4th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
I left out…I think I am pretty good at getting people to laugh! I love it! And I like to cook a few favorites that remind me of the comfort of…home – like homemade macaroni and cheese! I enjoy it because my children enjoy it too!
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