Sarah, Plain and Tall

By Patricia MacLachlan

Name

__________________________

Chapter 1
Vocabulary:
hearthstones (noun) ____________________________________________________________
troublesome (adjective) _________________________________________________________
homely (adjective) _____________________________________________________________
plain (adjective) _______________________________________________________________
horrid (adjective) ______________________________________________________________
wretched (adjective) ____________________________________________________________
prairie (noun) _________________________________________________________________
advertisement (noun) ___________________________________________________________
mild mannered (adjective) ______________________________________________________

Characters:
Draw a line between the character and his/her description:
Anna

A younger brother who is very curious about

his mother who passed away.

Mama

A woman from Maine that answered Papas

advertisement.

Caleb

An older sister that helps with the cooking and

takes care of her younger brother.

Papa

A parent who passed away.

Sarah

A father of two children who wrote an

advertisement for a wife.

Who is telling the story? Who is the narrator?

Setting: There are two settings in this chapter: the house and the prairie outside. Read
pages 3-5 and draw a picture as you visualize each setting. Label your drawing with details
from the book.
The House

The Prairie

Sequence of Events: Number the following events in order. 1 = first, 2 = second, etc
_________ Papa tells Anna and Caleb about the newspaper ad.
_________ Caleb asks Anna about their mother and the day he was born.
_________ Papa reads a letter from Sarah.
_________ Caleb asks Papa why he doesnt sing anymore.

Chapter 2
Vocabulary:
pesky (adjective) ______________________________________________________________
grinning (verb) ________________________________________________________________
peering (verb) _________________________________________________________________
bonnet (noun) ________________________________________________________________

Setting: In her letters, Sarah tells Caleb and Anna about Maine. Color Maine on the map in
one color and color the prairie states in another color. In the space below, write down details
about Maine that you learn from her letters.

Chapters 1 & 2 Comprehension Questions: Use complete sentences with correct

capitals and punctuation!
Why do you think Caleb asks Anna about their mother so often?

Why does Papa put an advertisement in the newspaper?

Why is Sarah coming to visit the family?

Why do you think it is important to Anna that her father asks Sarah if she sings?

Pick Your Character: You will be writing letters and journal entries as one of the characters
in Sarah, Plain and Tall. Circle the character you choose.
Caleb

Anna

Why did you choose to be this character?

Papa

Sarah

Letter Writing: Pretend you are the character you chose and write a letter to another
character in the book. For example, if you chose Caleb, you could write a letter to Sarah and
tell her about life on the prairie. Explain to her what it looks like and what you do with Anna.

Grade 2 Writing

Letter Writing

PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS

LW - 47

DRAFT - August 2008

Chapter 3
Vocabulary:
windmill (noun) ________________________________________________________________
windbreak (noun) ______________________________________________________________
fetch (verb) ___________________________________________________________________
hitched (verb) _________________________________________________________________

Sequence of Events: Decide where each event should be placed on the Story Train. Put
,-.,/.0+12!+13+44+4516+789:(";+-,+<%=+>.
a B for beginning, an M for middle,
or an E for end.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
!&'()*+*F-%./01-/23-41.5615.78-$7?6.>D7-1@7-:B7./<<-?1.5615.7-:0-/-?1:.EC->26<53>2=-37?6.>D>2=-@:;-1@7-D7=>22>2=>21.:3567?-1@7-?1:.E-/23-1@7-723>2=-6:26<537?-1@7-/61>:2*

_________ Sarah gives

Caleb a moon snail and Anna a sea stone.
[Z

10(&#YN358$+*#5"#".'#N50;Y#5+:#Y<"(08#-05$+Y#

_________ Papa drove off along the dirt road to fetch Sarah.

F'5:#".'#%'+"'+/',#

_________ Anna wishes they had a sea of their own.

_________ Sarah says,-.'#10$'+:%#*(#.(&',#
There is no sea here. But the land rolls a little like the sea.
_________ Caleb and Anna do their chores.

D.'0'#%.(73:#".$%#%'+"'+/'#)'#435/':#(+#".'#Y<"(08#
_________ Papa got up-05$+YP
early for the long days trip to the train and back.
_________ Caleb asks Anna !"questions about Sarah.

?'*$++$+*

#"

B$::3'

%"

E+:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Setting: In this chapter, we learn more about our setting in the prairie and Sarahs home in
Maine. Record information about the land/sea, the animals, and the plants found in each
setting.

Maine

Prairie

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?

Journal 1 Sarah Comes to the Prairie:

Pretend you are the character you chose in Chapter 2 and retell the events of the day that
Sarah came to the farm. Use transition words.

Chapter 4
Vocabulary:
roamer (adjective) _____________________________________________________________
paddock (noun) _______________________________________________________________
whooped (verb) _______________________________________________________________
dusk (noun) __________________________________________________________________
scatter (verb) _________________________________________________________________

Sequence of Events:
3. The family eats stew and bread.
4. Sarah teaches the family a song about summer.
2. Sarah, Anna, and Caleb pick flowers and hang them from the ceiling.
6. Caleb makes up a song about Woolly ragwort.
5. Sarah shows Anna, Caleb, and Papa her shell collection.
1. Sarah cuts Caleb and Papas hair.
Put the events from the chapter in order from beginning to end. The numbers will be out of
order.
__________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________
First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

Sixth

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? Why?

Sarah says or does

Caleb and Anna think that

Chapter 5
Vocabulary:
coarse (adjective) _____________________________________________________________
charcoal (noun) _______________________________________________________________
dune (noun) __________________________________________________________________
lantern (noun) _________________________________________________________________

Questions:
If you had to create a title for this chapter, what title would choose and why?

Draw a picture to depict the main event in this chapter when Sarah, Anna, and Caleb slid
down the hay dune by the barn.

Journal 2 ______________________________________
Pretend you are the character you chose in Chapter 2 and retell what occurred in this
chapter. Use transition words (First, In the beginning, Second, Next, Then, After, In

the end, Last).

Chapter 6
Vocabulary:
plow (verb) ___________________________________________________________________
meadow (noun) _______________________________________________________________
sums (noun) __________________________________________________________________
chant (verb) __________________________________________________________________
frown (verb) __________________________________________________________________
collapse (verb) ________________________________________________________________
exclaim (verb) ________________________________________________________________
wade (verb) __________________________________________________________________
sputter (verb) _________________________________________________________________
tread (verb) ___________________________________________________________________
gleams (verb) _________________________________________________________________

Winter on the Prairie:

In this chapter, Anna and Caleb tell Sarah about winter on the farm. Describe what happens
during winter on the farm.

Journal 3 A Swim in the Summer

Pretend you are the character you chose in Chapter 2 and retell the events of the day that
Sarah, Caleb, and Anna go swimming. Use transition words.

Chapter 7
Vocabulary:
wind (verb) ___________________________________________________________________
shuffle (verb) __________________________________________________________________
crept (verb) ___________________________________________________________________

Question:
There is always something to miss, no matter where you are. What does this mean? Why
did Sarah say this back to Maggie?

What do you think Sarah is going to do? Is she going to go back home? Will she stay with
Papa, Anna, and Caleb? Why?

Chapter 8
Vocabulary:
sly (adjective) _________________________________________________________________
stubborn (adjective) ____________________________________________________________
weary (adjective) ______________________________________________________________
squall (noun) _________________________________________________________________
pungent (adjective) ____________________________________________________________
huddle (verb) _________________________________________________________________
frightened (adverb) ____________________________________________________________
tremble (verb) _________________________________________________________________
eerie (adjective) _______________________________________________________________
dawn (noun) _________________________________________________________________

Chapter Question:
Will Sarah stay or will she return to Maine? Do you think the storm is going to scare Sarah
away? Or does the storm help her become close to their family, or make her miss home too
much? Why

Journal 4 A Letter to William

Pretend that you are Sarah and you are writing a letter to William to tell him about the squall or
storm. Draw a picture and use transition words.

Chapter 9
Vocabulary:
hail (noun) _________________________________________________________________
leap (verb) _________________________________________________________________
damaged (adjective) ___________________________________________________________
crossly (adverb) ______________________________________________________________
murmur (verb) _______________________________________________________________
wailed (verb) _________________________________________________________________

Closing Activity:
Pick one of the activities below to work on as your final project for Sarah, Plain and Tall.

1. Write a letter to Patricia MacLachlan, the author of Sarah, Plain and Tall, and tell her what
you liked most about this novel. Use supporting details to explain your answer. You may ask
her questions you have about the story.