Laura Purdie Salas

Writing the World for Kids

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A Thankful Venn Diagram #ClassroomConnections

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I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week! And while our human celebrations might look very different this year, it’s comforting to me to know that nature and animals are following thier normal routines. My book Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle shows animals’ fall routines. Wouldn’t it be cool to do a Venn diagram comparing what your students […]

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Sing and Share for National Family Week #ClassroomConnections

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National Family Week is coming up later this month (Nov. 21-27). Talking about families with your students? Check out these two activities from the teaching guide that goes with my book Meet My Family. This first one’s a song–no materials needed!   And this one lets your students share and celebrate their own family and […]

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Getting Ready for Winter

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The days are getting brisker, here in Minnesota anyway, and the creatures are all preparing for the cold. If you’re studying topics like hibernation, migration, and adaptation, make sure to add Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready for Winter (Millbrook, illus by Claudine Gevry) to your list of resources. So far this fall, I’ve […]

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Celebrating Fall Leaves!

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Fall is my favorite favorite time of year, and fall color is one of the reasons for that. A couple of weeks ago, Randy and I tried out our inflatable kayak. We were on a small lake in St. Paul, and we got to admire a bit of fall color while a bald eagle hunted […]

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Celebrate the Moon with the Chinese Moon Festival #ClassroomConnections

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On October 1st, some people in China celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival. Are you celebrating with your students? Add If You Were the Moon to your party! If you’re partying at least a day early, you can catch the virtual storywalk here. And for loads of moon […]

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Ready for Talk Like a Pirate Day? #ClassroomConnections

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It’s almost Talk Like a Pirate Day! I can’t believe my A Is for Arrr! A Pirate Alphabet, was published 10 years ago! If you don’t have that book, check out this roundup of pirate-themed picture books. And don’t miss Pirates, by David L. Harrison and Dan Burr. It’s one of my very favorite poetry […]

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Collect Rocks Day Is Coming Up! #ClassroomConnections

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Did you know September 16 is Collect Rocks Day? Me, neither! (And really, isn’t every day a good day to collect rocks?) Agates are my favorite—what’s yours? To celebrate, check out my readaloud of A Rock Can Be at https://youtu.be/xBuJ1Fys-9M And on my page for the book, I have a teaching guide plus links to […]

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A Virtual Storywalk for If You Were the Moon #ClassroomConnections

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Did you see the full moon last night? Sigh…one of my favorite things in the world. Dakota County Library in Minnesota has created a virtual storywalk of my book If You Were the Moon (Millbrook Press, illus by Jaime Kim). It’s set up in a park so it’s as if you’re walking through the park […]

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Get Ready for Literacy Day! #ClassroomConnections

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September 8 is International Literacy Day! This year’s theme is Teaching and Learning in the Covid-19 Crisis and Beyond. It’s a great time to thank all the teachers you know for the extra work they’re doing to reach and teach your kids during challenging times. Thanks, teachers! Here are just a few activities I offer […]

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Animal Adaptations #ClassroomConnections

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One of the science topics I am constantly fascinated by is animal adaptations: how animals’ bodies and behaviors adapt to their environments. My favorite facts from Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready for Winter (Millbrook, illus by Claudine Gevry) concern Northern wood frogs that freeze solid and earthworms that migrate vertically, just a few […]

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