The Keeping Quilt Written by Patricia Polacco OCR 2000 Unit 4 Lesson 6 Gloria Garibay.
Author study: Patricia Polacco
22
Author study: Patricia Polacco Selected grade level: 4 th grade Featured selection: Pink and Say Bibliography: Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and Say. New York: Philomel Books. Polacco, P. (2009). January's sparrow. New York: Philomel Books. Summary of Pink and Say: Sheldon Curtis, also known as Say, is a young boy who is wounded trying to escape from his unit during the Civil War. Say is saved by a young black man, Pinkus “Pink” Aylee, who carries him to his mother’s house. Pink’s mother, Moe Moe Bay, nurses the boys back to health. While biding their time, Pink tells Say about why he is fighting in the war, to end the “sickness of slavery.” Pink also tells Say that he can read, although it was illegal for his master to teach him, and he spends some time reading to Say and Moe Moe Bay. In order to lift Moe Moe Bay and Pink’s spirits, Say tells them about the time he shook Abraham Lincoln’s hand, and they touched Say’s hand in order to say that they touched the hand that touched the hand of Abraham Lincoln. Marauders come to search the area, and kills Moe Moe Bay. After Moe Moe Bay dies, Pink and Say head back to the war but are captured by the Confederate army. Say survives to pass on the tale, but Pink does not. Pink and Say will be read aloud. We selected this method because the book is a bit complicated and if the teacher reads it to the class she can explain some of the big vocabulary words that some students may not know the definition of. There could be a grand discussion about the issues Related books: January’s Sparrow Various Related Books (Ones that students can choose from for their project) o Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln, Chicken Sunday, Thunder Cake, Mrs. Katz and Tush, Bun Bun Button, The Junk Yard Wonders, In Our Mother’s house, The Lemonade Club, The bee tree, The keeping Quilt, Meteor! Tikvah Means Hope, Just Plain Fancy, Some Birthday!, Casey at the Bat,
Transcript of Author study: Patricia Polacco
Author study: Patricia Polacco
Selected grade level: 4th
grade
Featured selection: Pink and Say
Bibliography:
Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and Say. New York: Philomel Books.
Polacco, P. (2009). January's sparrow. New York: Philomel Books.
Summary of Pink and Say: Sheldon Curtis, also known as Say, is a young boy who is wounded
trying to escape from his unit during the Civil War. Say is saved by a young black man, Pinkus
“Pink” Aylee, who carries him to his mother’s house. Pink’s mother, Moe Moe Bay, nurses the
boys back to health. While biding their time, Pink tells Say about why he is fighting in the war,
to end the “sickness of slavery.” Pink also tells Say that he can read, although it was illegal for
his master to teach him, and he spends some time reading to Say and Moe Moe Bay. In order to
lift Moe Moe Bay and Pink’s spirits, Say tells them about the time he shook Abraham Lincoln’s
hand, and they touched Say’s hand in order to say that they touched the hand that touched the
hand of Abraham Lincoln. Marauders come to search the area, and kills Moe Moe Bay. After
Moe Moe Bay dies, Pink and Say head back to the war but are captured by the Confederate
army. Say survives to pass on the tale, but Pink does not.
Pink and Say will be read aloud. We selected this method because the book is a bit
complicated and if the teacher reads it to the class she can explain some of the big vocabulary
words that some students may not know the definition of. There could be a grand discussion
about the issues
Related books:
January’s Sparrow
Various Related Books (Ones that students can choose from for their project)
o Just in Time, Abraham Lincoln, Chicken Sunday, Thunder Cake, Mrs.
Katz and Tush, Bun Bun Button, The Junk Yard Wonders, In Our Mother’s
house, The Lemonade Club, The bee tree, The keeping Quilt, Meteor!
Tikvah Means Hope, Just Plain Fancy, Some Birthday!, Casey at the Bat,
Rechenka’s Eggs, Picnic at Mudsock Meadow, My Ol’ Man, The tress of
the dancing goats, In Enzo’s Splendid Gardens, Thank you, Mr. Falker,
Tikvah mens hope, Boat ride with Lillian Two Blossom, Uncle Vova’s tree,
Applemando’s Dreams, John Philip Duck, and Oh look!
Goals:
To learn about slavery and The Civil War
To learn more about Abraham Lincoln
To learn more about death and prison camps
The importance of reading and passing on historical stories
To learn about Patricia Polacco’s background; education, family, influences, and
struggles
To learn about where Patricia Polacco gets her ideas from when writing stories
Skills and strategies:
Decoding and context clues
Comprehension strategies and skills
Literature Focus Unit Over Patricia Polacco
Weeks Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Week 1
Main
Topic of
Week: Pink and
Say
44 pages
Pre-reading
activity: First,
have students
complete the K
column and the W
column of a KWL
chart to
demonstrate what
they already know
and what they
want to know
more about within
the topic of
slavery and the
Civil War.
Reading: The
teacher will read
Responding: Teacher
and students will have a
conversation about the
Pink and Say book and
summarize the story
together. Teacher can
write the main points of
the story on the board.
Next, have the students
write their reactions,
questions, and thoughts
to the book in their
journals. After students
have finished writing in
their journals, the class
will have a grand
discussion over the
book and things the
Exploring: Teacher will
re-read parts of the book
where the vocabulary
words are. Teacher will
discuss using context
clues. Students will then
individually fill out the
vocabulary charts over
each word using a
dictionary. They will put
the definition of the
word, a synonym, and
then use the word in a
sentence.
Vocabulary Words:
1. Company pg. 1
2. Mahogany pg. 5
Applying:
Teacher will
have five
different
topics. Then,
four students
will be
assigned to
each topic.
Then, students
will create a
PowerPoint
presentation
for their topic.
*Age of
soldiers
during Civil
War and how
Students will
present their
PowerPoint’s
to the class.
aloud Pink and
Say to the class
because some of
the content and
vocabulary is too
difficult for the
students to read.
After Reading:
Students will then
fill out the L part
of their chart to
show what they
learned.
students wrote about in
their journals.
3. Marauders pg. 5
4. Slogging pg. 6
5. Beamed pg. 13
6. Vittles pg.16
7. Mealy Worms
pg. 16
8. Muskets pg. 19
9. Spectacles pg. 23
10. Quartered pg. 23
11. Inconsolable pg.
24
12. Pasture pg. 27
13. Mustered pg. 29
14. Ransacked pg. 29
15. Jeered pg. 31
16. Buckboard pg. 33
17. Jarred pg. 33
18. Stockade pg. 33
19. Cleaved pg. 35
20. Smote pg. 35
do they find
their soldiers.
*Why illegal
to teach slaves
to read.
*Anderson
Confederate
Prison Camp
*Punishments
for retreating
from battle
during Civil
War.
*African
American
slaves in the
Civil War as
soldiers and
their
treatment.
Week 2
Main
Topic of
Week: January’s
Sparrow
96 pages
Pre-reading
Activity: Teacher
gives students a
prediction chart.
Teacher will show
students the front
of the book and
read the title of the
book. Students
will then make a
prediction of what
they think the
book will be about
and why they
think that.
Reading: Teacher
will read aloud
January’s
Sparrow until pg.
48 and then will
Reading Continued:
Teacher will have a
short discussion with
the students recapping
what they read
yesterday. Then,
teacher will read aloud
the rest of the book,
pages 49-96.
Responding: Students
will write in their
journals about how
they felt about the
story, any reactions and
questions. Then,
students will discuss
how accurate their
predictions were.
Exploring: Teacher will
have students do a
storyboard activity. The
teacher will print off and
cut into strips different
main events in the book
January’s Sparrow. In
partners, students will
have to put the events in
order and then glue them
to the construction paper
provided.
Exploring Continued:
Teacher will provide
students with a list of
vocabulary words.
Student will then look up
the words and use at
least ten of them
properly in a story.
Exploring
Further:
Teacher will
do a mini-
lesson over
the
Underground
Railroad and
specific terms
used within
that topic such
as negro,
abolitionist,
emancipation,
Quakers,
fugitive,
conductors,
safe houses,
stations, etc.
Applying:
Applying
Continued:
Teacher will
allow more
time for
students to
practice their
Reader’s
Theatre. Next,
each group of
students will
perform their
Reader’s
Theatre in
front of the
class.
stop.
Activity: After
page 48 is read,
then students will
make another
prediction of what
they think will
happen in the end
of the book and
why.
1) Paddy rollers
2) Smote
3) Hark
4) Underground
Railroad
5) Ridge
6) Baying
7) Calico
8) Sloughing
9) Beckoned
10) Coaxed
11) Switched
12) Mercantile
13) Murmured
14) Commenced
15) Negro
Students will
be put into
groups based
on their
instructional
reading levels
and will
practice a
Reader’s
Theatre about
the
Underground
Railroad and
key figures
that it entails.
Week 3
Main
Topic of
Week: Patricia
Polacco
Pre-reading
activity: Teacher
will have a student
lead group
discussion about
January’s
Sparrow and Pink
and Say. Teacher
will give each
student a Venn
diagram, and
students will fill
them out
individually. Once
everyone is done,
they will one by
one come up and
write their ideas
on the Venn
diagram on the
smart board. (if
Reading: Students will
go to
patriciapolacco.com
and will read the
section called “Who
Am I,” “My Start,” and
“Inspirations” under the
author info section.
Exploring: Explore the
website further, do the
Pink and Say puzzler
and look at January’s
Sparrow artwork.
Exploring: Read more
information about
Patricia Polacco on the
website
www.timeforkids.com.
Exploring Continued:
Teacher will provide
enough Patricia Polacco
books for each student to
have one. Next, student
will read their book and
take notes. When every
student has finished
reading, teacher will take
students to the computer
lab to do a project over
their story.
Options for project:
*Three fold poster board
*PowerPoint
*Mobile
*Art model with
explanation
*Book report
*Response Letter
Applying:
Students will
continue to
work on their
projects.
Applying
further:
Students will
present their
projects to the
class.
After all of
the
PowerPoint’s
have been
presented,
students will
choose their
top 3 books
that they
found
interesting
and will vote
for them.
Teacher will
tally up the
you don’t have a
smart board, this
can be done on a
huge poster
board/chalkboard)
Responding:
The students will write
five interesting facts
about Patricia Polacco
in their journals.
votes and use
the top 3
during week
4.
Week 4
Main
Topic of
the
Week:
3 Patricia
Polacco
books that
were
voted on
by the
class
Pre-reading:
Teacher will find
the difficult
vocabulary in the
book and will go
over them with
students before the
book is read.
Reading: Split the
class into three
different groups:
One group will
read the first book,
second group do
the second, and
third do the third
book. Each group
will listen to the
story being read
aloud from a tape.
Students will be
expected to follow
along in their
books.
Responding:
Students will write
three things they
Pre-reading: Class
will brainstorm
together out loud by
looking at the cover of
the book and discuss
what they think
inspired Patricia
Polacco to write this
book.
Reading Continued:
Students will be in the
same groups but will
rotate books. They will
still listen to the book
being read from a tape
and will follow along.
Responding: Students
will write a short letter
in their journals to
Patricia Polacco. They
will include questions
they want to ask her
about her books or her
life.
Pre-reading: We will
have a class discussion
about if the students can
make any connections to
the book based on the
cover, title, and already
gained background
knowledge from the
summary and
presentations.
Reading Continued:
Students will still be in
the same groups and will
listen to the final book
being read on tape and
will follow along. Now,
each group has been read
all three books.
Responding: Students
will compare and
contrast the three Patricia
Polacco books.
Exploring:
Teacher will
do a mini-
lesson over
memoirs,
discussing
how many of
the stories
Patricia
Polacco writes
are memoirs.
Applying: Students will
have work
time to create
their own
memoirs.
Applying
Continued:
Students will
have time to
put finishing
touch ups on
their memoirs.
Then, the
students will
present their
memoirs to
the class and
then teacher
will display
them on a
bulletin board.
learned or found
interesting from
reading the book
in their journals.
Rubrics and Checklists for the Four Weeks:
KWL Chart Checklist
Name Date/Assignment Completed Re-do
Journal Entry Checklist Over Pink and Say
Name Date/Assignment Completed Re-do
Vocabulary Chart Graded Checklist Over Pink
and Say
Name Date/Assignment Correct
Answers
Total Percent
Rubric for Pink and Say Topic PowerPoint
Name:
1 2 3
Presentation:
Posture Distracted,
Not facing
class, Poor
body
language
Good Posture
at times, but:
Somewhat
distracted,
Not facing
crowd
sometimes,
Some poor
body language
Good posture,
Facing class
at all times,
Good body
language,
Engaged
Eye Contact Little to no
eye contact
Mostly good
eye contact,
Failed to have
eye contact
with whole
class
Complete eye
contact,
Scanning the
whole class
Voice Volume Mumbling,
Hesitation,
Not loud
enough, Hard
to understand
Mostly fluent,
Little bit of
hesitation,
Decent volume
but could be
louder
Fluent, No
hesitation or
mumbling,
Excellent
volume
Participation Student
hardly
participated
Student
participated,
but not as
much as others
Student
participated
equal as the
rest of the
group
PowerPoint:
Grammar 4 or more
grammatical
errors
2-3
grammatical
errors
1 or less
grammatical
errors
Creativity (Colorful, Information Little to no Some Meets
Presented in a Unique Way) creativity creativity expectations
of creativity
Content Not enough
information,
No resources
Good
information
but could have
had more, Less
than three
resources
Three or more
resources,
good
information,
exceeds
expectations
with research
Organization
Information is
not organized
and presented
in a way that
does not flow
or make
sense.
Information is
somewhat
organized, but
order of
information
could have
been set up to
flow better.
Information is
organized, the
way it is
presented
makes sense,
it helps the
presentation
flow.
Total= /24
Prediction Chart Checklist Over January’s
Sparrow
Name Date/Assignment Completed Re-do
Journal Entry Checklist Over January’s Sparrow
Name Date/Assignment Completed Re-do
Storyboard Activity Graded Checklist Over
January’s Sparrow
Name Date/Assignment Correct
Answers
Total Percent
Vocabulary Story Graded Checklist Over
January’s Sparrow
Name Date/Assignment Correct
Answers
Total Percent
Reader’s Theatre (Participated or Not) Checklist
Name Date/Assignment Participated No Participation
Venn Diagram Checklist For Pink and Say and
January’s Sparrow
Name Date/Assignment Completed Re-do
Journal Entry Checklist Over 5 Interesting Facts
about Patricia Polacco
Name Date/Assignment Completed Re-do
Project Rubric over Patricia Polacco Book
Name:
1 2 3
Presentation:
Posture Distracted, Not
facing class,
Poor body
language
Good Posture at
times, but:
Somewhat
distracted,
Not facing
crowd
sometimes,
Some poor
body language
Good posture,
Facing class at all
times, Good body
language,
Engaged
Eye Contact Little to no eye
contact
Mostly good
eye contact,
Failed to have
eye contact with
whole class
Complete eye
contact, Scanning
the whole class
Voice Volume Mumbling,
Hesitation, Not
loud enough,
Hard to
understand
Mostly fluent,
Little bit of
hesitation,
Decent volume
but could be
louder
Fluent, No
hesitation or
mumbling,
Excellent volume
Participation Student hardly Student Student
participated participated, but
not as much as
others
participated equal
as the rest of the
group
Project: Type of project
and Title
Grammar 4 or more
grammatical
errors
2-3 grammatical
errors
1 or less
grammatical
errors
Creativity (Colorful,
Information Presented in a
Unique Way)
Little to no
creativity
Some creativity Meets
expectations of
creativity
Content Not enough
information,
No resources
Good
information but
could have had
more, Less than
three resources
Three or more
resources, good
information,
exceeds
expectations with
research
Organization Information is
not organized
and presented
in a way that
does not flow
or make sense.
Information is
somewhat
organized, but
order of
information
could have been
set up to flow
better.
Information is
organized, the
way it is
presented makes
sense, it helps the
presentation flow.
Total= /24
Journal Entry Checklist Over Three Interesting
Things in Book A
Name Date/Assignment Completed Re-do
Journal Entry Checklist Over Letter to Patricia
Polacco
Name Date/Assignment Completed Re-do
Completion Checklist Over Comparing and
Contrasting Chart Over Books A, B, C
Name Date/Assignment Completed Re-do
Memoir Rubric
Name:
1 2 3
Memoir Presentation:
Posture Distracted, Not
facing class,
Poor body
language
Good Posture at
times, but:
Somewhat
distracted,
Not facing
crowd
sometimes,
Some poor
body language
Good posture,
Facing class at all
times, Good body
language,
Engaged
Eye Contact Little to no eye
contact
Mostly good
eye contact,
Complete eye
contact, Scanning
Failed to have
eye contact with
whole class
the whole class
Voice Volume Mumbling,
Hesitation, Not
loud enough,
Hard to
understand
Mostly fluent,
Little bit of
hesitation,
Decent volume
but could be
louder
Fluent, No
hesitation or
mumbling,
Excellent volume
Memoir Copy:
Grammar 4 or more
grammatical
errors
2-3 grammatical
errors
1 or less
grammatical
errors
Page Length Less than one
page in length
Less than two
pages
Meets expected
page length of at
least 2 pages
Content Little to no
descriptive
details, imager,
and strong
verbs
Some
descriptive
details,
imagery, and
strong verbs
Many descriptive
words, strong use
of imagery,
strong verbs
Organization Information is
not organized
and presented
in a way that
does not flow
or make sense.
Information is
somewhat
organized, but
order of
information
could have been
set up to flow
better.
Information is
organized, the
way it is
presented makes
sense, it helps the
presentation flow.
Total= /24
