|
Subjects Arts & Humanities
|
Grades
|
Brief Description Patricia MacLachlans Sarah, Plain and Tall inspires students as they write a friendly letter to Sarah from the point of view of either Anna or Caleb.Objectives Students will
Keywords Sarah, Plain and Tall, friendly, letter, MacLachlan, Newbery, point of view, prairie
Lesson Plan This lesson is inspired by Patricia MacLachlans novel, Sarah, Plain and Tall. Students hear the book -- which won the Newbery Medal in 1986 -- read loud and then write a friendly letter to Sarah from the point of view of Anna or Caleb. Begin the lesson by reading aloud a chapter a day from Sarah, Plain and Tall. In the book, Papa, a widower, writes for a mail-order bride to live in their prairie home. Anna and Caleb are filled with hope and uncertainty as they wait for responses to Papas ad and, eventually, for the arrival of "Sarah, plain and tall. As you read aloud each chapter of the book, discuss with students how the characters feel. Introduce this lesson when you get to the point in the story at which the children are anxiously awaiting Sarahs arrival. Talk about how Papa, Caleb, and Anna feel as they wait for the big day. Review with students the friendly letter format. Encourage students to imagine that they are Caleb or Anna and ask them to write a letter to Sarah from the point of view of that character. In the letter, students should describe their lives and share their feelings about Sarahs arrival. Optional Activities
Assessment Use or adapt one of the rubrics below to assess students adherence to the correct Format for a Friendly Letter. Lesson Plan SourceEducation World Submitted By Gary Hopkins National Standards
LANGUAGE ARTS: English
NL-ENG.K-12.1 Reading for Perspective NL-ENG.K-12.2 Reading for Understanding NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills See more language arts lessons from Education World. Return to the letter-writing lesson plan page.
Originally published 9/27/2002
Last updated 03/17/2009 |
|
Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and receive
top education news, lesson ideas, teaching tips and more!
No thanks, I don't need to stay current on what works in education!
COPYRIGHT 1996-2016 BY EDUCATION WORLD, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.