Additional Information:
- Newbery Medal winner
- Softcover, 56 pages
Synopsis: Sarah, Plain and Tall is a short but sweet story about a family living on the Kansas prairie at the turn of the century. The family consists of a father and two children, Caleb and Anna, who frequently reminisce about the memories of their departed mother. Caleb and Anna remind each other that their mother sang every day, along with their father, but he no longer sings. To curb the loneliness, their father puts an advertisement in the paper requesting a mail order bride to come help on the prairie. Sarah answers the advertisement and tries living on the prairie for one month, helping the family with their daily duties. Caleb and Anna are nervous about the arrival of Sarah and hope that she acts like their mother once did. After a preliminary period of living with Sarah, Caleb and Anna learn to love her and hope that she will never leave.
Book Notes: Typical of Sarah MacLachlan's writing, Sarah, Plain and Tall is simple but strong, hitting at the heart of emotion with just a few words. The book is extremely short, making it a great read aloud for a period of one or two days. The language is easy to understand but will certainly evoke a reaction from the listener. Maclachlan has a knack for writing about human feelings, even during the historical year of 1910.
Critique: Sarah, Plain and Tall is a heart warming classic that every parent or teacher should read to children. It does not take long to read but includes many themes, such as loneliness, family, love, hope, and acceptance. MacLachlan effectively portrays a lonely family on the prairie that has been affected by the hardships of the American West. Thus is is a great representation of a historical time period for students to learn about the turn of the century.
Classroom Activities: This would be a wonderful read aloud for students learning about American history. It includes information about the western frontier at the turn of the century, and does not take long to read. There is also a movie adaptation that students can watch after reading the book. This story is appropriate for any elementary student because it is simple but deep, so it can be used in a variety of ways. Below are links to classroom ideas.
- Thematic unit: http://mrscjacksonsclass.com/sarahplainandtall.htm
- Close reading: http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResource/Preview/60927
- Lesson plans and activities: http://www.sandtpublications.com/sarah_plain_and_tall_.html
- Novel study: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/lesson-plans-grades-3-5/60337-ideas-for-teaching-sarah-plain-and-tall/
Additional Resources:
- About the author: http://www.harpercollins.com/cr-100342/patricia-maclachlan
- Crafts/interdisciplinary connections: http://www.homeschoolshare.com/sarah_plain_and_tall.php
- Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN1y7884ZCM
- Full movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VSWvVGDq4k
No comments:
Post a Comment