Two Week Unit
Day One Chapter one
Poem-choral reading
Me-Stew
I have nothing to put in my stew, you see,
Not a bone or a bean or a black-eyed pea,
So I'll just climb in the pot to see
If I can make a stew out of me.
I'll put in some pepper and salt and I'll sit
In the bubbling water--I won't scream a bit.
I'll sing while I simmer, I'll smile while I'm stewing,
I'll taste myself often to see how I'm doing.
I'll stir me around with this big wooden spoon
And serve myself up at a quarter to noon.
So bring out your stew bowls,
You gobblers and snackers.
Farewell--and I hope you enjoy me with crackers!
-Sheldon Allan Silverstein
KWL
Vocabulary Words
hearthstone stone flooring laid in front of a fireplace
wretched miserable or unfortunate
dough a mixture of flour, water and sometimes oil or butter; used to make pie crust, bread or
cookies
troublesome difficult to deal with
feisty lively or frisky
stew a thick vegetable soup often containing meat
dusk the time of day after sunset when it is nearly dark
shuffling to drag your feet when walking along
Read Aloud
Teacher reads chapter one to students modeling fluency and stopping frequently to discuss
vocabulary, characters, setting and themes.
Mini Lesson on characters
Characters: Who Are These People, Anyway?
The way an author develops the people in a story is called characterization. The writer helps the reader
understand the people in the book by describing what they look like, how they act, the things they say and
do, how they interact with the other characters, and how they react to different situations.
Let's introduce some of the characters we will be meeting in the book.
This is a list of the characters in Sarah, Plain and Tall, followed by descriptions of the most important ones.
Anna a young girl, the narrator of the story
Caleb Anna’s younger brother
Jacob Anna and Caleb’s father
Sarah Wheaton a woman from Maine who answers an ad to be a wife and mother
Maggie a neighbor of Jacob’s family who befriends Sarah
Matthew Maggie’s husband, a friend of Jacob’s
Rose a young daughter of Maggie and Matthew
Violet a young daughter of Maggie and Matthew
Mini lesson on inferences
Explain/Model/Do Daily Characters’ Actions Task & Question for Test
Students will each day upon completing reading, fill in their Daily Action Task and
write a question for the test from the chapter
Daily Characters’ Actions Task
Name__________________
Directions: After reading each chapter make an inference to explain what the
author did not tell you about characters in Sarah, Plain and Tall.
Characters’ Actions
I think…
Why does Caleb
repeatedly ask Anna to
tell the story of when he
was born? Ch. 1
Why does Anna set four
place setting? What does
this tell you about Anna?
Ch. 2
How do you know that
Papa is excited to meet
Sarah? Ch. 3
When Sarah listens to the
conch shell, Anna notices
that Sarah looks sad.
What does this tell you
about Sarah?
Ch. 4
Evidence from the text
How do you know that
Sarah is fond of the
sheep? Ch. 5
Sarah asks the children
about winter even though
it is still spring. Why do
you think she wonders
about winter? Ch. 6
Why does Maggie bring
Sarah seedlings for
Sarah’s garden? Why do
you think that Maggie
will be a good friend to
Sarah? Ch. 7
When Caleb tells Sarah,
“Women don’t wear
overalls,” how does Sarah
respond? What do you
think this says about her?
Ch. 8
What does Caleb mean
when he says, “Sarah has
brought the sea?” Why is
Caleb afraid to let Sarah
drive to town alone?
Ch. 9
Writing assignment
Wanted: Someone Special
Discussion with ideas written on board: Papa puts an ad in the newspaper for a wife. What do
you suppose he said in this ad? Think of a special person you would like to have in your life.
Perhaps this person will be a new friend, teacher, or a family member. Write an ad for this
person. Include these things.
1. The role of this person will have in your life.
2. Some characteristics that this person should have.
3. Some talents or abilities this person should have.
4. What you can offer this person.
Daily News
Classified Advertisements
Wanted:_______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Share Stories
Makes groups of four and have students read their classified advertisements aloud for
each other
Day 2 Chapter two
Poem-Echo
Reflecting on Yesterday's Reading
• Why do you think Caleb asks Anna about their mother so often?
• When Caleb asks his father why he does not sing anymore, his father replies, “I’ve forgotten the old songs.”
Do you think there’s another reason why he may not sing anymore? What might it be?
• In her very first letter to Jacob, Sarah tells him that she is not mild mannered. Why might she feel it is
important to tell him this?
• Why do you think it is important to Anna that her father ask Sarah if she sings?
Vocabulary Words
braid a woven length of hair made up of three or more strands
flounder small flatfish that usually live in shallow coastal waters
pesky annoying or irritating
stall an individual space for an animal in a stable or barn, enclosed on three sides
fogbound unable to travel or hidden due to thick fog
pitchfork a four pronged tool with a long pole used for moving hay
offshore at sea some distance from the shore
Echo Reading of chapter two
Do Daily Characters’ Actions Task and Question for Test
Time- A Webquest Activity
Introduction
Welcome 4th graders! Close your eyes and imagine that you are living in the 1800's. There is no
electricity, no running water, no flushed toilets, and no comfort from a home. Today you are on a
mission to learn how people accomplished day to day task and what is was like to live in the
1800's. Enjoy your mission and have fun!
The Task
As a class, you have been reading the book Sarah, Plain and Tall. You learned about the 19th
century Your task is to research day to day activities and discover what it was like to live in the
1800's. You will be researching your information by using the internet. You will gather
information and complete the worksheet that your teacher will provide you.
The Process
Teacher will be dividing students into groups of four to work on the project. Students will be
given a half an hour in the computer lab to decide on an era and research that era answering the
questions from their worksheet report. Students will then have half an hour to complete the
blooms ball activity.
1. First, research an era in the 1800's.
2.
After your group decides what era you want to research, you will need to write down the
following information on your 1800's worksheet report.
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
Who was a famous person during the 1800's era?
What was school like? What did it look like? What subjects were taught?
What clothing did people wear in the 1800's?
What is a homestead?
What food did they eat in the 1800's?
What games or toys did children play with in the 1800's
What songs did they listen to in the 1800's
3. When you are done researching about the 1800's you will need complete a Bloom Ball.
4. Remember to write nicely so everyone can read your Blooms ball for Sarah Tall and Plain.
5. Here are the directions for the Bloom Ball ( a worksheet will be passed out with the same
information on it).
Directions
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Select 12 circles from the colors provided. Plan your color Scheme. You may also plan a
theme for your ball that you could use to decorate the edges.
Cut out all circles, carefully.
Put your initials on the back of each circle.
Do not write or draw on the outside lines. These sections will be folded and will be used
to connect your ball.
Answer the following questions, one for each circle.
Knowledge


Write the title and author of your book in a circle. Plan the lettering to use up the entire
space and to be attractive. Be sure to spell everything correctly.
Write four fun facts that you learned about the 1800’s in a circle.
Comprehension

Describe a famous person from this era. Include both physical and personality
characteristics in your in your description in a circle.
Application


Draw a picture of a homestead in a circle. Be creative!
Draw a picture of the a school from the 1800's in a circle.
Analysis
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
Write down a song from the 1800's include the lyrics
Draw a picture of the clothing people wore in the 1800's in a circle
Write a recipe of something they use to eat in the 1800’s in a circle
Write an advertisement in for a newspaper. Pretend you have two children. You are a
widow or widower and you are looking for a spouse in a circle.
Write directions on how to play a game from the 1800’s or describe a game that you
would create and play in the 1800’s in a circle.
Synthesis


Write a paragraph about what your life would be like if you lived in the 1800's in a circle.
Draw a Venn Diagram and compare and contrast what is the same today and what is
different(1800’s).
6: Assemble your Bloom ball.
Evaluation
When your report and Bloom ball are complete turn it in. We will proudly display them on the
wall for everyone to see.
Conclusion
Congratulations 4th graders! You did a great job researching about the 1800's. I hope you
enjoyed learning the 1800's . You are an expert now! Remember to tell everyone all the exciting
information you learned.
Day 3 Chapter three
Poem-Shadow
Reflecting on Yesterday's Reading
• What does Sarah tell the children about Maine in her letters? Why do you think she includes these details?
• Why do you think Caleb reads Sarah’s letter so many times?
• When Anna sets the table, she sets four places and then puts one away. Whom do you think the fourth
setting was meant for? Why does she put it away?
Vocabulary Words
fetch to go after and bring back something or somebody
hawk bird of prey with broad rounded wings and a long tail
clattered to bang together noisily
flax a plant with blue flowers and long leaves that produces oil and fiber
shingles thin, flat pieces of wood or other material used to cover outside walls or roofs
bonnet a baby’s or woman’s hat, tied with strings under the chin
windbreak a shelter from the wind
slick smooth and glossy
Divide class in four and have them choral read chapter 3 in rotation
Do Daily Characters’ Actions Task and Question for Test
Setting/Place and Time: Where in the World Are We?
Place-A Webquest Activity
Thinking about the setting
• Where does Sarah, Plain and Tall take place? How does the author tell the reader this?
• What is the second setting of the book? In what ways does the reader find out what this place is
like?
• When does Sarah, Plain and Tall take place? How does the author let the reader know this?
• What is your home like? How does it compare with Caleb and Anna’s home on the prairie?
“There were fields and grass and sky and not much else.”
—Anna, Sarah, Plain and Tall
Place
The setting of a book is where and when the story takes place. Sarah, Plain and Tall takes place
in a rural area on the prairie lands of the United States. The prairie is a part of the United States
that includes Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Much of
the land there is fairly flat. There are sprawling fields of grass that are perfect for farming corn
and wheat. Patricia MacLachlan never tells the reader exactly what state the family lives in, but
she provides a vivid picture of the land around the farm and how it changes with each season.
She discusses the sky as well as the plants, trees, and animals that inhabit the area.
Imagine Sarah's Journey
Materials
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Maps
Markers
Books on U.S. landscape
Break students into groups of three
Provide students with a map and point out the prairie states which include Oklahoma, Kansas,
Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota, and
North Dakota.
Ask students to choose Sarah's destination, which was never specified in the selection, and map
out her train route on the map provided.
Have students work in the computer lab to create a slide show of at least 20 images. These
images should be things Sarah would have seen from her train window including what she would
have seen as she left Maine, along the way, and as she arrived. Provide a caption for each image
that tells us where she is, something about the area and what she was feeling.
Day 4 Chapter four
Pass around velvet ribbon artifact
Discuss items they are familiar with that are made of velvet
Poem-Echo (teacher reads loud and clear/students repeat in a whisper)
Velvet Shoes, by Elinor Wylie 1885--1928
from Nets to Catch the Wind, 1921
Let us walk in the white snow
In a soundless space;
With footsteps quiet and slow,
At a tranquil pace,
Under veils of white lace.
I shall go shod in silk,
And you in wool,
White as a white cow's milk,
More beautiful
Than the breast of a gull.
We shall walk through the still town
In a windless peace;
We shall step upon white down,
Upon silver fleece,
Upon softer than these.
We shall walk in velvet shoes:
Wherever we go
Silence will fall like dews
On white silence below.
We shall walk in the snow.
Reflecting on Yesterday's Reading
• Why does Papa get dressed up for Sarah’s arrival? Why do you think Caleb asks Anna so many questions
while they are waiting for Sarah and Papa to return?
• Why does Sarah bring Caleb and Anna gifts from the sea?
• Anna says, “I wished we had a sea of our own.” What do you think she means? Why would she wish for this?
Vocabulary Words (pass around conch shell and scallop shell)
conch the spiral-shaped shell of a marine animal
rustle a soft, muffled crackling sound like the movement of dry leaves or paper
scallop an edible marine animal that is a bivalve mollusk with a ribbed fan-shaped shell
woodchuck a small, furry North American rodent that lives in the ground and has a heavy body and short
legs
paddock an enclosed field or area where horses can graze or exercise
roamer a person or animal that wanders around with no particular destination or purpose
velvet a very soft, smooth fabric made of silk, rayon, or nylon
Chapter fourPractice read chapter four individually
Read aloud in partners alternating paragraphs
Do Daily Characters’ Actions Task and Question for Test
Webquest Activity
Name:________________________________
Webquest
After visiting web resources, you will search for a variety of
organisms located on the prairie. You will be able to identify
common plants and animals found on the prairie while completing a
Scavenger Hunt Activity Sheet.
*First, search for the items and record answers and observations.
(20 minutes)
*Then, work with a partner to select one or two items you found
interesting while going on the scavenger hunt. Find out more
information about each and prepare a report to share with your
classmates. (40 minutes)
.
Prairie Scavenger Hunt
Directions: Find the answers to all the questions by visiting the web
resources provided. Record your answers and observations on the
following sheets.
A. How many invertebrates can you find in the prairie? Where are
they? What do invertebrates do in the prairie?
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
B.
What plant or animal is this product made from? Find an example of
this plant or animal in the web resources.
C. Sketch an animal that lives underground in the prairie. (Hint- it is
one of your vocabulary words)
D. Find three (3) animals (mammals or insects) that eat only plants.
List them here:
1.
2.
3.
Are they called carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores? (circle one)
E. Find three (3) animals that eat other animals.
List them here:
1.
2.
3.
Are they called carnivores, herbivore, or omnivores?
(circle all that apply)
F. Find and draw a picture of a paddock here
G. Find two (2) types of grasses and write something about each
grass.
Grass
#1________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Grass
#2________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
H. Find a picture of a couch and draw it here
I. Find a poem about a scallop and write it here
J. Rustle is what part of speech?_______________________________________
Day 5 Chapter five
Poem- Magic word ("sand"-rub hands back and forth)
Reflecting on Yesterday's Reading
• When Sarah listens to the conch shell, Anna notices that Sarah looks sad. Have you ever felt sad about
missing a person or a place?
• Caleb keeps noticing things that Sarah says, and he tells Anna, “That means Sarah will stay.” Do you think
Caleb wants Sarah to stay or leave? What parts of the story support your opinion?
• When they sing a song with Sarah, Papa “sang as if he had never stopped singing.” What do you think that
means about the way Papa is feeling?
Vocabulary Words
coarse rough, not soft
buzzard a large bird of prey, similar to a vulture, with a hooked beak and long, sharp claws
dune a sand hill made by the wind near the ocean or a large lake or in a desert
mica any type of clear or colored minerals that have crystallized and can separate easily into
very thin layers
charcoal black chunks of carbon left after burning wood
pitchfork a four pronged tool with a long pole used for moving hay
canvas heavy-duty plain-woven fabric used for making sails, tents, backpacks, and often used
for painting on.
Popcorn read chapter five
Thinking about the characters
• Is there a character in Sarah, Plain and Tall you think is a little like you? How so? If not, do any of the
characters seem like someone else in your life? in what ways?
• Which of the characters do you like the most? the least? Why?
• Are Anna and Caleb similar to kids you know who are the same age? How are they different?
Do Daily Characters’ Actions Task and Question for Test
Personal Narrative
Materials
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Paper
Pencils
Suggested Grouping

Individuals
Introduce the activity by reminding students that Sarah, Plain and Tall is a narrative in which
Anna tells what happens when Sarah comes to the prairie.
Inform students that they will be writing their own personal narratives about their first
experiences with a person who becomes very important in their lives, such as a best friend or a
new teacher.
Expressive Writing
Teach/Model: Explain that in expressive writing, an author expresses his or her feelings,
thoughts, and personal responses to experiences. When students write expressively, they respond
in a personal way to the world around them. Expressive writing can be a poem, journal entry, or
personal narrative.
Practice/Apply: Have students decide on a person about whom they will write. Remind them that
the person should be someone who has become very important in their lives. As they prepare to
write their personal narratives, they might ask themselves what happened, what they did, and
how they felt. They should include first-person pronouns in their narratives, such as I, me, my,
and mine.
Create a Class Dictionary
Materials
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Paper
Pencils
Dictionaries (optional)
Suggested Grouping
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
Whole class
Cooperative groups
Model this activity by reminding students that in Maine, ayuh means “yes.” Encourage students
who have traveled or lived in other places to come up with as many different words as they know
for the same thing.
Include regional variations. An example of this would be the different names given to a
particular type of sandwich, which is called a submarine in the Midwest, a grinder in New
England, and a hero on the East Coast. Other examples include athletic shoes which on the East
Coast are called sneakers and on the West Coast, tennis shoes. If possible, include words from
other languages.
Create a class dictionary by listing each word in alphabetical order, its regional or foreign
counterparts, and a brief definition.
Create a Sarah Plain and Tall Glossary
Create a booklet cover by folding construction paper in half and writing Sarah Plain and Tall
Glossary on the front and the students name. There will be one page for each vocabulary word
covering the first four chapters. Students will write the given definition down and write a
sentence containing the word that shows that they understand it's meaning(making it their own).
Students will then draw a picture to that expresses the words meaning (giving themselves a
visual representation). If need be students may use the computer or in class resources to gather
more info.
Day 6 Chapter six
Poem- Magic word (stand in a circle-"try again"-stomp feet)
Try Again, by William Hickson, 1803-1870
appeared in "Supplement to the Courant: Volume 6," pg 225, 1840
'Tis a lesson you should heed-Try again;
If at first you don't succeed,
Try again.
Then your courage should appear;
For if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear,
Try again.
Once or twice though you should fail,
If you would at last prevail,
Try again.
If we strive, 'tis no disgrace
Though we did not win the race-What should you do in that case?
Try again.
If you find your task is hard.
Try again;
Time will bring you your reward,
Try again;
All that other folk can do,
Why with patience should not you?
Only keep this rule in view,
Try again.
Reflecting on Yesterday's Reading
• When the lamb is found dead, Sarah cries and will not let the children near it. What do you think this says
about her personality?
• Why do you think Papa makes the hay dune for Sarah?
• After Papa builds the hay dune, Caleb asks Sarah if she is scared to climb it. Sarah is not scared at all. Have
you ever been brave when other people were afraid?
• How do you think Papa feels about Sarah?
Vocabulary Words
plow (plough) to turn over soil using a piece of farm equipment pulled by an animal or a tractor
reins straps attached to a bridle to control or guide a horse
collapse to fall down suddenly from weakness
gleams shines
treaded to have stayed floating in water by moving your arms and legs
startled to be suddenly shocked, or scared by something
sputter to make popping, spitting, or coughing noises
gullies long, narrow ravines or ditches
Chapter sixTake a Turn- have boys read one paragraph and girls read the next, alternating for the whole
chapter.
Do Daily Characters’ Actions Task and Question for Test
Themes
the theme of a book is the subject matter about which the author is writing. Themes are the main
ideas on which the book is based. Sarah, Plain and Tall has several themes. Let’s investigate
them!
Who can name some themes they noticed when reading? (New Beginnings, abandonment, etc)
Thinking about themes
• What do you think is the most important theme in Sarah, Plain and Tall?
• What are some different kinds of families that you know?
• Have you ever had a new beginning in your life? What was it? How did it change things for
you?
Family
A central theme in Sarah, Plain and Tall is that of family. Patricia MacLachlan once said, “I see
that I write books about brothers and sisters, about what makes up a family, what works and
what is nurturing.”
In this novel, the author has created a special and unique family. Today, most families are not
formed by placing advertisements, like Jacob does. They are a loving family, nonetheless. Sarah
is not the biological mother of Anna and Caleb, and she did not know or love Jacob before she
came to stay on the prairie. But,
by the close of the novel, Sarah interacts with the children and Jacob just as a mother or wife
would. Anna tells the reader, “We eat our night meal by candlelight, the four of us. Sarah has
brought candles from town. And nasturtium seeds for her garden, and a book of songs to teach
us. It is late, and Caleb is nearly sleeping by his plate and Sarah is smiling at my father.” Many
people think that a family is made up of a mom and a dad and their children. But, in reality,
families are made up of all kinds of people, with all different kinds of relationships with one
another. MacLachlan shows the reader that these families are as good as any other.
MacLachlan reinforces family as an important theme in Sarah, Plain and Tall by showing the
loving relationship that Caleb, Anna, and Jacob have with one another, even before Sarah’s
arrival. Anna and Caleb have a sweet, close sibling relationship. Anna teases Caleb by telling
him that he looked like a ball of bread dough when he was born because he had no hair. This
makes Caleb smile. MacLachlan shows their special brother-sister bond when the two go into the
barn together to cry. They worry about Sarah wanting to go into town alone, so they comfort
each other.
The reader also sees the closeness of Jacob and his children: Papa put his arms around me and
put his nose in my hair. “Nice soapy smell, that stew,” he said. I laughed. “That’s my hair.”
Caleb came over and threw his arms around Papa’s neck and hung down as Papa swung him
back and forth, and the dogs sat up.
Assignment
Choose one of the themes we talked about, family, abandonment, or new beginnings. Write a
personal narrative about it. It can be fiction or nonfiction. Remember to use expressive language.
Day 7 Chapter seven
Poem-Choral
Reflecting on Yesterday's Reading
• Sarah asks the children about winter even though it is still spring. Why do you think she wonders about
winter?
• How does the author describe summer and winter on the prairie, and the ocean in Maine? What types of
words does she use? Can you imagine what these places might be like based on her words?
• After they all go for a swim in the cow pond, Anna dozes off and dreams a “perfect” dream? What does she
dream of, and why do you think she calls it perfect?
Vocabulary Words
porch a roof covered deck in front of, or behind a house
hitch to join something to a vehicle
primly in a formal and proper way
shuffling to drag your feet when walking along
biscuit a baked small round bread, commonly made with flour
reins straps attached to a bridle to control or guide a horse
whickering a horse's whinnying or neighing
squawk a screech, cry or call, generally associated with a bird.
Chapter 7
Popcorn read
Do Daily Characters’ Actions Task and Question for Test
Paired Swap Writing
Students pair up and participate in a shared writing assignment. They each write three
sentences to begin a story using vocabulary words. Next they swap papers and write
three more sentences. Then they swap papers again so that they now each have the
story they started and write a conclusion. They must use at least five of their
vocabulary words.
Share Stories
Makes groups of four and have students read their stories aloud for each other and
give feedback
Rewrite
Make corrections and alterations based on feedback and add at least five more
adjectives.
Day 8 Chapter eight
Poems-Voices (divide class in two)
Rain Beat
Raindrops
Reflecting on Yesterday's Reading
• How does Anna know that the chickens “would not be for eating”?
• Why is Maggie so nice to Sarah, bringing her gifts and offering to teach her to drive a wagon?
• Maggie says, “There are always things to miss. No matter where you are.” What do you think she means by
this?
• Maggie knows that Sarah “must have a garden” because she loves flowers so much. Is there anything you
love so much that you need to have it, wherever you are?
Vocabulary Words
overalls a piece of clothing consisting of pants with a front flap over the chest held up by straps
over the shoulders, made of sturdy material and often worn as working clothes.
crisply In a firm manner
squall a sudden, violent wind that usually brings rain, snow, or sleet with it
portion a piece, bit or part of something
eerie strange and frightening
milled to grind or crush grains to create flour
hail frozen rain
bleating the crying of a goat or sheep
Chapter 8
Divide class into groups of four and have them reciprocal teach
1 person as predictor
1person as question generator
1 person as summarizer
1 person clarifier
Read aloud in group alternating paragraphs
Do Daily Characters’ Actions Task and Question for Test
Do Element-ary collages
Do Putting the pieces together activity
Create a Sarah Plain and Tall Glossary
Add to booklet. There will be one page for each vocabulary word covering chapters five through
eight. Students will write the given definition down and write a sentence containing the word that
shows that they understand it's meaning (making it their own). Students will then draw a picture
to that expresses the words meaning (giving themselves a visual representation). If need be
students may use the computer or in class resources to gather more info.
Day 9 Chapter nine
Poems-Shadow
Who Has Seen the Wind? by Christina Rossetti, 1830-1894
Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.
The Tide Rises, by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882
The tide rises, the tide falls,
The twilight darkens, the curlew calls;
Along the sea-sands damp and brown
The traveler hastens toward the town,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
Darkness settles on roofs and walls,
But the sea, the sea in the darkness calls;
The little waves, with their soft, white hands,
Efface the footprints in the sands,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
The morning breaks; the steeds in their stalls
Stamp and neigh, as the hostler calls;
The day returns, but nevermore
Returns the traveler to the shore,
And the tide rises, the tide falls.
Reflecting on Yesterday's Reading
• When Caleb tells Sarah, “Women don’t wear overalls,” how does Sarah respond? What do you think this
says about her?
• When Sarah runs out into the storm with Jacob, what things do they bring back with them? Why do you
think they choose to rescue these things?
• Caleb points out what is missing from Sarah’s drawing of the sea. What is it?
Vocabulary Words
groom to brush, clean and tidy up a person or animal
sly crafty, cunning, secretive
scuttling a quick shuffling pace
stern strict and firm
windbreak a shelter from the wind
nudged gently push, generally with one's elbow, in order to draw their attention to something
hailstones large ice balls created by frozen rain
Chapter 9
Practice read chapter six individually
Read aloud in partners alternating paragraphs
Do Daily Characters’ Actions Task and Question for Test
Ball Toss Retell
Have students pull out their Daily Character Action task sheet, Questions for the Test Sheet and
Glossary to use as a reference guide. Toss an inflatable ball around the class and have students
retell the story sequentially, adding one sentence each time they catch the ball.
Story Map
In pairs fill in story maps
Retell writing
Write a one page paper retelling the story using at least ten vocabulary words
from this unit.
Create a Sarah Plain and Tall Glossary
Add to booklet. There will be one page for each vocabulary word covering the final chapter.
Students will write the given definition down and write a sentence containing the word that
shows that they understand it's meaning (making it their own). Students will then draw a picture
to that expresses the words meaning (giving themselves a visual representation). If need be
students may use the computer or in class resources to gather more info.
Name__________________________
Day 10 Presentation Day
Reflecting on Yesterday's Reading
• Why are the children so worried about Sarah going to town alone? What does Anna remember about her
mother in this chapter?
• Why is Caleb so relieved when Sarah returns? What does he tell Sarah when she gets back? What do you
learn about Caleb’s personality in this scene?
• What does Sarah bring with her when she returns? What are the reasons she brings these things?
Presentations
Share slide show from chapter 3
Share bloom balls
Test
from student generated questions
Literary Bloom Ball Rubric
Group Members :
Category/Level
Appearance
Your
blooming!
Met all 3 (10)
A little
wilted...
Met 2 (9)
Brown thumb
Met 1 (7)
If looks could
kill.... Black &
White,
smooshed flat
or weird
shaped and
no pictures
12
Categories
completed
(80)
9-11
Categories
completed
(70)
5-8
Categories
completed
(60)
0-4
Categories
completed
Met all 5 (10)
3-4 met (9)
2 met (7)
Read the
grammar
book.... The
mechanical
errors make
this almost
impossible to
grade
__ Colorful
__ Illustrated
__ Correct Shape
12 circles filled
and directions
followed:
__ title and author
__ four fun facts
__ famous person
__ picture of a
homestead
__ picture of a
school
__ song & lyrics
__ picture of the
clothing
__ a recipe
__ advertisement
__ game
__ paragraph
about what your
life would be like
__ Venn Diagram
and compare and
contrast
Mechanics
__ Grammar
__ Spelling
__ Punctuation
__Capital Letters
__ Complete
sentences where
needed
Totals
Missing
Extras
In case we have extra time on any given day these activities and
poems can be used and extended
Resources
http://www.scholastic.com
http://education.csm.edu/students/asoriano/new_page_3.htm
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/grassland/prairie.shtml
http://www.hamiltonnature.org/habitats/grasslands/grass_animals.htm
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/prairie_animal_page.htm
http://www.runet.edu/~swoodwar/CLASSES/GEOG235/biomes/tempgrass/prairie.html
http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~kenr/tallgrass.html
http://www.kfb.org/agcentral/wgik2.htm
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/jstor/8/1/6/20571816-000.png
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/ef/25/5c/ef255ccffdf7c3600583410da6b32b85.jpg