Families Write with Mario and the Hole in the Sky

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Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our Planet
by Elizabeth Rusch (Author) and Teresa Martinez (Illustrator)

Booktalk: The true story of how a scientist saved the planet from environmental disaster.

Mexican American Mario Molina is a modern-day hero who helped solve the ozone crisis of the 1980s. Growing up in Mexico City, Mario was a curious boy who studied hidden worlds through a microscope. As a young man in California, he discovered that CFCs, used in millions of refrigerators and spray cans, were tearing a hole in the earth’s protective ozone layer. Mario knew the world had to be warned–and quickly. Today Mario is a Nobel laureate and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His inspiring story gives hope in the fight against global warming.

Step 1. Read aloud
Listen to the author’s read-aloud video.

Step 2. Think aloud
Talk about the book. Have you ever been ignored or misunderstood when you tried to explain something important? What happened the last time you tried to solve a big problem?

Step 3. Write it down
Write your own story about solving a big problem.