Laura Purdie Salas

Writing the World for Kids

You are here: Home / Archives for school visits

My Biopoem Lesson Plan

By

As I mentioned yesterday, I led biopoem sessions at a Young Authors Conference all last week. The students wrote and shared amazing poems: a silly poem about brussel sprouts, a thoughtful poem about creativity, a heartbreaking poem about gender identity and fitting in, a scary poem about rats, a celebratory poem about soccer, and SO […]

Tagged With: , , , ,

Writing Things To Do If… Poems with 1st Graders at Hugo Elementary

By

Last month, I got to visit Hugo Elementary School in White Bear Lake, MN, at the invitation of Media Specialist Connie Stirling, whom I had run into at the Hubbs Children’s Literature Conference. I was so excited to visit the school and spend an entire day writing poems with 1st graders! This meant the day […]

Tagged With: , , ,

A Library and School Visit to Southern Minnesota

By

Back during Poetry Month, I had a lovely overnight visit to southern Minnesota for an evening event at the Lanesboro Public Library and then a school visit at LeRoy Elementary the next morning. (Here’s an article in the local paper. Thanks, Charlie Warner!) It’s agricultural country down there and Amish country, brown and barren and […]

Tagged With: , ,

What a School Can Be (Poetry Friday)

By

Happy Poetry Friday! (Wondering what Poetry Friday is? Click here.) I wanted to give Wealthy Elementary School a small thank you gift for having me spend a week sharing poetry and nonfiction excitement with its students. So, I decided to write a poem. It’s hard to capture how involved and positive, and supportive this school’s […]

Tagged With: , , ,

Rename It Poems with the Wealthy Elementary Poetry Club

By

During lunch one day with the Poetry Club (3rd-5th graders), I talked about mentor texts, which teacher Kim Doele had already introduced them to. I shared a Rebecca Kai Dotlich poem I love and how I used it as a really strong mentor text. Then I shared an excerpt from a lovely free verse poem […]

Tagged With: , , ,

Biopoem Excerpts (3rd Graders)

By

At a conference last year, I was introduced to biopoems, a wonderful structured form to let students write about a person. During my visit this week Wealthy Elementary in East Grand Rapids, MI, I’m writing biopoems with third graders, but we’re not writing them about people. Instead, we’re using topics they’ve recently researched and written […]

Tagged With: , , , ,

Monday Was a Poetry Blur at Wealthy Elementary

By

Here are a few pictures from yesterday, when I did grade-level sessions plus kindergarten class poems about love. And I got to hear many amazing poems by members of the Poetry Club! Principal Morey and all the faculty and staff have been so enthusiastic and welcoming. Today, I’ll be doing lots of individual class workshops, […]

Tagged With: ,

Getting the K-5 Poetry/Nonfiction Party Started at Wealthy Elementary

By

Tagged With: , ,

Things To Do If… Student Poems

By

Last Friday, I was part of a literacy event in Stewartville, MN, called Hot Reads for Cold Nights. Wow. There were 500 or so people there, and organizer Renita Irvin had so many things going on: book exchanges, food, storytellers, silent auctions, and a ton of other stuff. What a logistical accomplishment! All these elementary […]

Tagged With: , , , ,

Skyping with Leigh Anne Eck’s SPARK poets!

By

I Skyped with Leigh Anne Eck’s 4th- and 5th-grade students recently as part of their SPARK Camp. The students had been writing wordplay poems based on the lesson plan I shared here. Besides talking with them a bit about where my ideas come from and what my writing process looks like, I also got to […]

Tagged With: , ,