By Patricia MacLachlan - Amazon S3€¦ · Week One Sarah, Plain and Tall Week One “Did Mama sing...

Sarah, Plain and Tall

© 2018 Brave Writer — Julie Bogart: This is your copy. It may not be shared outside your family or resold in either digital or printed form.

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By Patricia MacLachlan

A QUIVER OF ARROWS



mailto:[email protected]

http://bravewriter.com



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Maybe you’ve heard the educationese term “scope and sequence”? Here's our version: the Brave Writer Spin and Spiral—terms and skills to visit and revisit.

In this issue of the Arrow:

» We’ll let dialogue plunge us into the heart of the story;

» We’ll connect with hyphens—in an unusual way;

» We’ll shift the mood with descriptive showing;

» We’ll question the location of question marks in dialogue;

» We’ll learn letter format—from salutation to closing;

» We’ll sneak in a bit of foreshadowing;

» We’ll coax shy sounds out of words (consonance);

» We’ll see how direct, simple language conveys powerful emotions;

» We’ll pause with commas;

» We’ll see how our author uses color to convey mood, scenery, and plot; and

» We’ll create a picture based on color-word sentences from the book.

Brave Writer Spin and Spiral





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Week One “Did Mama sing every day?” asked Caleb. “Every-single-

day?” He sat close to the fire, his chin in his hand. It was dusk,

and the dogs lay beside him on the warm hearthstones.

(Chapter 1, page 3)

Dictation passage page numbers refer to the following edition: MacLachlan, Patricia. Sarah, Plain and Talls. New York: Harper Collins, 1985.





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Week OneOpening lines

“Did Mama sing every day?” asked Caleb. “Every-single-

day?” He sat close to the fire, his chin in his hand. It was dusk,

and the dogs lay beside him on the warm hearthstones.

(Chapter 1, page 3)





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Why this passageThis story starts with the central issue that the book will attempt to resolve. Caleb doesn’t have a mother and we know that from the opening line. At the same time, he also demonstrates his longing for a mother. He hopes to remember her singing or to be reassured that she sang because if she sang every day, perhaps song will become a means of connection to her.

What to noteNote the use of dialogue to open the book. Dialogue plunges the reader into the heart of a story. It’s as if we are dropped into a story in progress and are eavesdropping on part of the conversation. To figure out what the dialogue means, we have to keep reading. Have you ever sat in a restaurant and caught a snippet of conversation that made you try a little harder to hear the remainder of the discussion? That’s a little bit what writers intend when they begin their novels with dialogue. They want to draw you into the story.

This dialogue houses two question marks.

“Every-single-day” This phrase uses hyphens in an unusual way. The hyphens indicate a connection and an emphasis. They aren’t necessary. They are a choice. In this case, the hyphens connect the words into a unity—Caleb wants to know if there are exceptions to when Mama sang or if she did so every-single-day. This emphasis communicates Caleb’s longing. He wants to fill his memory with a consistent, unfailing presence.





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Following this provocative question, we are treated to a cozy scene. Caleb is not stressed, but relaxed next to a fire, his tired head supported by his hand under his chin. MacLachlan doesn’t tell us that Caleb is relaxed. We simply know it because she shows us in his posture, in the warmth of the fire. The following sentence further underscores the repose: dogs lay next to Caleb on warm hearthstones.

Opening with dialogue is a great way to start an interesting piece of writing. Notice that the dialogue doesn’t begin with “hellos” or “goodbyes.” It dives into the meat of the conversation. We call that technique: “starting in the middle.”

The rest of the paragraph is simple description with the use of two commas. The first comma separates the clause about his chin from the original sentence. The second comma marks the fact that following the “and” there will be another complete sentence.

Monday

Discuss the notes. Imagine the opening scene differently. What would happen if the dialogue were housed in description that went like this?

“Did Mama sing every day?” asked Caleb. “Every-single-day?” He sat up straight, tugging at his shoelaces. It was dark, and the dogs howled at the moon in the rain.

Now the question takes on a more ominous tone—as though he’s asking about a creepy kind of singing, or that the person he is

How to teach the passage





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asking is one who will not be receptive to the question. Can you see how the mood of the opening is set by word choice and showing, rather than telling?

Quiz your child on dialogue punctuation. Where do the question marks go? What happens when you insert “asked Caleb”? Do you use a lowercase “a” or an uppercase “A” when the tag follows the dialogue that ends with a question mark?

Tuesday-Thursday

Either copy a sentence per day or copy them all at once. Be careful to get the punctuation right. There are two commas that are easy to overlook.

Friday: French-style dictation

This week’s French-style dictation includes a couple punctuation opportunities: the question mark followed by closed quotes, and the final period. Review these in advance. The hyphens are provided for the hyphenated phrase. The child will supply the words. “Hearthstones” is a compound word (hearth + stones). Explain this to your child—taking it apart and putting it back together. “Mama” is capitalized because it is the name Caleb calls his own mother, not a term referring generally to mothers.

» Mama

» day?”

» Every-single-day

» fire

» chin

» hand

» was

» dogs

» beside

» hearthstones.





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Week One: French-style Dictation(Chapter 1, page 3)

“Did ____ sing every ___ _ _ asked Caleb. “_____-

______-___?” He sat close to the ____, his ____ in his

____. It ___ dusk, and the ____ lay ______ him on the

warm ____________ _

Name: ___________________ Date: ___________________





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Week TwoDear Jacob,

I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain

and tall.

Sarah

(Chapter 2, page 15)





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Week TwoLetter Format

Dear Jacob,

I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain

and tall.

Sarah


Why this passageIt’s not often we get the chance to use the letter format for copywork. Here is a priceless piece of letter writing that is perfectly formatted and not too long for our purposes.

The “Salutation” (Dear so-and-so) is not indented. It lines up neatly with the left hand margin.

The “Body” of the letter is indented. This letter is only one paragraph (three simple sentences).

What to note





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The “Closing” of the letter is usually “Love” or “Yours Truly” or something similar. Can you think of why Sarah does not include one of those in her letter to Jacob? (Possible answer: she doesn’t know Jacob and is not presuming any kind of affection between them yet. Another answer: Sarah is “plain” – not just in appearance, but also in how she communicates.)

Sarah does sign her name and it goes all the way to the right side of the letter.

Rather than handwriting this letter on a sheet of paper, find a notecard (the sort that folds in half and can be mailed). Have your child write the letter inside the card. To aid the handwriting challenge, you might hand draw ruled lines in pencil for your child. Be sure to fold the card backward against the fold first so that the card lies flat and the child doesn’t have to use his or her hand to hold it open while writing.

Once the letter is complete, use the envelope to practice addressing it (put your own address in the return location and make up an address to Jacob—who lives in Kansas).

Next, try to follow the same format by writing an original letter to someone else. Make a decision about what kind of closing would be appropriate for the recipient of your child’s letter.

Note the lovely italicized comment at the bottom of page 15. Apparently the note included one more comment jotted at the bottom of the letter for the children, to be read by Jacob. This






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comment addresses the opening question Caleb expresses at the start of the novel.

Tell them I sing…

This line is an indication of what’s coming in the story. We call this practice of hinting what is to come foreshadowing. Quite often foreshadowing is used to heighten suspense or danger. In this case, the foreshadowing offers us a promise of hope—hope that the children will have a mother again.

French-style dictation

The practice for this passage focuses on two capitalized words (Dear, Sarah), two words that use the “ai” for the /ay/ sound, and two words that have a double “ll.”

» Dear

» train

» yellow

» plain

» tall

» Sarah





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Week Two: French-style Dictation(Chapter 2, page 15)

____ Jacob,

I will come by _____. I will wear a ______ bonnet. I

am _____ and ____.

________

Name: ___________________ Date: ___________________





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Week ThreeSarah loved the chickens. She clucked back to them and fed

them grain. They followed her, shuffling and scratching primly

in the dirt. I knew they would not be for eating.






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Week ThreeDescription

Sarah loved the chickens. She clucked back to them and fed

them grain. They followed her, shuffling and scratching primly

in the dirt. I knew they would not be for eating.


Why this passageThis passage reveals the viewpoint of the novel. Anna is the storyteller. She tells the story in first person.

What to noteThis passage is a melody of sounds. Notice all the /l/ sounds in this paragraph. These sounds are shy, not all showing themselves in the front of the words (alliteration), but inside the words (consonance): loved, clucked, followed, shuffling, primly.

Another noteworthy aspect of this passage is the way Sarah connects to the chickens. She forms a relationship through her gentle clucking (in their language). She feeds them and they respond. Anna knows





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intuitively that Sarah could not harm them, now that she loves them. This relationship with the chickens is a mirror of the relationship Sarah is building with Caleb and Anna. Sarah is speaking their language, reaching out to them gently, feeding them love and kindness, and would never harm them. Anna learns this by watching Sarah with the chickens, even though she can’t put it into her own words.

Wikimedia Red Dorking Chickens

Monday

Discuss the notes for the passage. There are no punctuation particularities. Each complete sentence starts with a capital letter and ends in a period.

Tuesday-Thursday

Have your child copy one sentence per day. Pay special attention to the spelling of difficult words.

» chickens (has a “ck”)

» clucked (also has a “ck”)

» grain (uses “ai”)






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» followed (double “l”)

» shuffling (double “f”)

» scratching (“tch” which makes the same sound as “ch” alone)


On Friday, use the French-style dictation page to reinforce the spellings.

» chickens

» clucked

» grain

» They

» and

Remember that if your child struggles with any of the spellings, you can supply the word in advance on the dictation page and only use the terms that the child is confident about spelling accurately.

» dirt

» they

» would

» eating





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Week Three: French-style Dictation(Chapter 7, page 39)

Sarah loved the ________. She _______ back to them

and fed them _____. ____ followed her, shuffling ___

scratching primly in the ____. I knew ____ __________

not be for ______.

Name: ___________________ Date: ___________________





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Week Four The package was small, wrapped in brown paper with a

rubber band around it. Very carefully I unwrapped it, Caleb

peering closely. Inside there were three colored pencils.

“Blue,” said Caleb slowly, “and gray. And green.”






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Week FourProse and dialogue

The package was small, wrapped in brown paper with a

rubber band around it. Very carefully I unwrapped it, Caleb

peering closely. Inside there were three colored pencils.

“Blue,” said Caleb slowly, “and gray. And green.”


Why this passageThe chief irritant to life in the prairie for Sarah was her longing for the sea in Maine. This package contains the colors of the ocean and signaled to the children that Sarah had made peace with her return, and as Caleb remarks at the end of the story, “Sarah has brought the sea!”

This passage is two paragraphs long. It includes a paragraph with action (Caleb and Anna examining and opening the package), and then a new indentation to alert the reader to dialogue.

What to note





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One of the delights of MacLachlan’s writing is the way she uses such direct, simple language to convey powerful emotions. The first sentence tells us about the unremarkable package (it is small, wrapped in brown paper with a rubber band). Exciting packages are wrapped in shiny paper and are large, they are held together by big bows. This one is not that.

Yet despite its plain nature, Anna carefully unwraps it. Why? In a metaphorical sense, the package is symbolic of Sarah’s entry into the family. She, herself, has told them that she is plain (and tall). She, herself, has allowed the children and Jacob to know her patiently and carefully.

Jacob examines the contents of the package in much the way he has examined Sarah—peering closely. He has wanted to love Sarah from the start. He wants to love whatever is inside this package.

MacLachlan tells it to the reader straight: “three colored pencils.”

What could possible make the pencils special? What could make Sarah special? All at once we have our answer: The pencils represent the colors of the sea—Sarah has done the impossible; she’s brought the sea with her. She’s come to stay. She is the gift. So lovely.

Notice the fragment at the end of the comment by Caleb. “And green.” This two-word fragment is deliberately set apart from “Blue and gray.” We are living in suspense for that tiny moment to discover if in fact Sarah has found a way to bring the sea to the plains. When we read “And green,” we instantly know she has! It’s delightful.





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Monday

Teach the notes. This passage gives us a nice description that moves into dialogue quotes. You can remind your kids to indent when they begin the dialogue.

There are three commas in this passage. Commas can be tricky to understand. The easiest way to explain them to young children is that they represent a pause. Read the passage aloud and pause for a slightly longer length than usual to dramatize the need for the comma. Then read the same passage again racing through it. See how the comma helps the reader?

There’s no need to go into elaborate discussion of how and when to use commas. For kids this age, it’s enough if they know the name of the little curved marking in the sentence. Point it out to them, talk about it, read aloud paying attention to it—that’s the best way to help them become aware of commas.

Tuesday-Thursday

There are five sentences in these two brief paragraphs. The last two sentences are dialogue and because they are related to each other (and short), these can be copied together on the same day. Take one sentence per day for copywork.


Keep it simple this week. These terms are ones that are not so difficult to spell. There are two capitalized words: I, Blue. “I” is always capitalized, and “Blue” is the start of a sentence in the quotation. Go over these with your child in advance of dictation. The word “there”






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is always tricky. Remind your kids that “there” is a part of a group of words that feature the “h” when discussing location: here, where, there. Sometimes that discovery is enough to help the correct spelling stick.

» small

» brown

» band

» I

» it

» there

» pencils

» Blue

» gray

» green





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Week Four: French-style Dictation(Chapter 9, page 57)

The package was _____, wrapped in _____ paper

with a rubber ____ around it. Very carefully __

unwrapped __, Caleb peering closely. Inside _____ were

three colored _______.

“____,” said Caleb slowly, “and ____. And _____.”

Name: ___________________ Date: ___________________





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Color!

Literary Element

Sarah, Plain and Tall is, itself, a plain book. It does not use flowery language or create long detailed scenic descriptions to show us the world of Jacob, Anna, and Caleb. It does pay close attention, however, to color. MacLachlan uses color sparingly in key places to convey mood, scenery, and plot.

Color words are important ones for young writers. They free a writer to express description, even when other language is more remote or too complex.

A list of times when MacLachlan uses color words follows.

» Black – “Lottie, small and black, wagged her tail and lifted her head.” (3)

» White – “Papa reached into his pocket and unfolded a letter written on white paper.” (8)

» Blue, gray, green – “My favorite colors are the colors of the sea, blue and gray and green, depending on the weather.” (11)

» Gray – “My cat’s name is Seal because she is gray like the seals that swim offshore in Maine.” (13)

» Yellow – “I will wear a yellow bonnet.” (15)

» Green, red, orange, blue – “She came through green grass fields that bloomed with Indian paintbrush, red and orange, and blue-eyed grass.” (16)

» Blue – “He wore a clean blue shirt, and a belt instead of suspenders.” (16)





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» Yellow – “I see a yellow bonnet!” (18)

» Yellow, brown – “She reached up and took off her yellow bonnet, smoothing back her brown hair into a bun.” (19)

» White – “And she gave me the smoothest and whitest stone I had ever seen.” (20)

» Green – “And there are hills covered with pine and spruce trees, green with needles.” (29)

» Black, green – “The rain came and passed, but strange clouds hung in the northwest, low and black and green.” (44)

» Black – “We ran outside and saw a huge cloud, horribly black, moving toward us over the north fields.” (46–47)

» Yellow – “Our faces looked yellow in the strange light.” (47)

» Gray – “There was a soft paw in my lap, then a gray body.” (48)

» Red – “Sarah’s chickens were not afraid, and they settled like small red bundles in the hay.” (48)

» Blue, gray, green – “‘Blue,’ said Sarah, brushing her wet hair back with her fingers. ‘And gray and green.’” (49)

» White – “It was white and gleaming for as far as we looked, like sun on glass. Like the sea.” (50)

» Blue – “The next morning Sarah got up early and put on her blue dress.” (53)

» Yellow – “She put on her yellow bonnet.” (53)

» Yellow – “Dust, and a yellow bonnet!” (56)

» Blue, gray, green – “‘Blue,’ said Caleb slowly, ‘and gray. And green.’” (57)





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» Blue, gray, green – “There will be Sarah’s sea, blue, gray and green, hanging on the wall.” (58)

» Yellow – “And Seal with yellow eyes.” (58)

A quick reading through these quotes reveals the plot! Each of the colors portends events in the story that move it forward. Colors create key emotions that advance the storyline and the investment of the reader.

The story makes use of color in a powerful way. Notice the recurring “yellow” which is seen in the bonnet and the cat’s eyes. Yellow can symbolize uncertainty, mystery, jealousy, and happiness. All of these emotions are embodied in Sarah’s arrival—opportunity, mystery as to who she is and how she’ll fit in, jealousy that the sea might mean more to her than the prairie, happiness at the possibility of her staying for good, and so on.

The blue, gray, and green are like a thread stitched throughout the narrative. These represent comfort and home to Sarah. Yet that comforting home is the sea—changeable and moody, mysterious and deep. Sarah has taken a risk to leave home to come to a place with color! Throughout the story, MacLachlan describes flowers and chickens and vegetation that is in stark contrast to the muted tones of the sea.

Even Sarah’s lovable chickens are bright red—a punctuation mark in the middle of the dusty prairie. They demand attention and get it!

White and black are two sides of the same coin—what is dark can be clarified, what is mysterious can be revealed, what is murky can become pure.

For small children, these layers of metaphor and symbol may be lost. Rather than spending a lot of energy explaining metaphor, ask your children about their emotions when they hear a description containing





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any of these colors. You might like to open the book and read a bit around the color-sentence. Then ask the following questions.

1. When I read the colors blue, gray, and green, what kind of mood does that put you in? Do you feel energetic and bouncy? Do you feel quiet and cozy? Do you want to talk to people or be alone?

2. Lottie, the dog, has black fur. Can you picture that? From the description, is this a happy dog?

3. What personalities do the red chickens have?

4. The bonnet and the cat’s eyes are both yellow. Do you think they are the same yellow? What kind of yellow do you see in your mind’s eye for each? Use Crayloas to help you differentiate. Why are they the same or different?

5. What colors make you happy? What colors make you nervous? What colors make you angry? What colors make you feel silly and like playing?

These are a few questions to get you started. The idea isn’t to tell your kids what to think about color, but to simply get them thinking about color in general and how it impacts their moods and feelings.





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Create a picture based on the color-word sentences. Have your child select one of the sentences. Read it in the context of the story. Then, using colored pencils or paints or markers, draw that scene.

At the bottom of the scene, handwrite (copy) the sentence that the scene represents.

Finally, narrate orally the mood (or feeling) of the picture.

Parents: don’t suggest your child create a mood for the picture. Ask your child to describe the mood once the picture is drawn. Most kids aren’t yet able to forecast their intentions with clarity. They are better at intuitively following their own imaginations and then commenting on them afterwards, revealing to you and to themselves what they did.

Writing Activity





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Hello, Book Club Planners!

This book club guide is packed with ideas for a memorable “book club party school.” Pick and choose the ideas that work best for you, your location, and the children involved. Believe me when I say: even I won’t use all of the ideas included in this guide, but I wanted to provide you with a lot of choices. Go forth and kick-start a lifetime of literary enjoyment for your kids.

Hello, and welcome to our home.

I am so excited to meet you and hear what it’s like to live by the ocean. Did you know that I have never seen the ocean?

It’s true. I have only seen the oceans of wheat which surround us right now. Our oceans on the prairie are golden yellow. We enjoy waves only when the wind blows.

I can’t imagine waves of water continually crashing onto the shore.

Please, take off your bonnet and make yourself at home, then let’s head to the kitchen and enjoy a bowl of Papa’s stew.

Book Club Party School


By Mary Wilson





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Prairie Living and Seashore Living» Play sounds of the prairie and sounds of the seashore in the

background. Prairie sounds include birds, wind, crickets, and grasses blowing in the wind. Sounds of the sea include ocean waves and seagulls. Create a playlist of alternating sounds or search YouTube for sounds of the prairie and sounds of the sea so you can listen to a little of both today.

» Play the song, “Sumer is Incumen In,” for your guests today. The song is available on YouTube if you search the title.

» Decorate your meeting area with the flavor of the prairie and the sea. Cover half of the table with a blue tablecloth (the sea) and half with a yellow tablecloth (the prairie). Decorate with seashells, rocks, and sea creatures on the blue half. Decorate with prairie grasses, dried flax or flowers, and farm animals on the yellow side.

» Set an oil lamp in the center of the table for decoration. If it is a working oil lamp, then light it during your meeting.

» Ask everyone to use “ayuh” instead of “yes” today. To learn how to say “ayuh” correctly, search how to say ayuh like a mainer.

» Dress like Sarah. Wear a yellow bonnet, of course, and complete your costume by wearing a simple dress.

A Table for Four» Serve up a dish of your favorite stew for guests. It’s a good,

hearty meal for life on the prairie.

» Enjoy a simple lunch of bread, cheese, and lemonade the way Caleb, Anna, and Papa did while Sarah was in town.





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» Eat a variety of common foods served in households on the prairie:

» Apple butter and biscuits

» Cornbread

» Fresh vegetables

» Muffins

» Popcorn balls

» Fruit pies (apple, cherry, etc.)

» Refresh your guests with milk or water. You can include lemonade or juice as a treat, though I am not so sure they were served on the prairie (*wink).

Fun on the Prairie» Capture the setting of the book by sketching images of the

prairie and the sea using colored pencils. Fold a piece of white paper in half and then unfold it so there is a line down the center. Sketch an image of the sea on one side and a picture of the prairie on the other. Provide a variety of colored pencils and be sure to include blue, gray, and green.

◊Provide inspiration for your artists by printing images of the Maine shoreline and wheat fields. You can also share a few from your tablet or computer.

◊When their drawings are complete, help them copy their favorite line from the book onto their image. Alternatively, offer a few pre-printed quotes to glue to their drawing.

» Have some fun with seashells.

» Paint seashells. Gather seashells from a recent beach trip or purchase a pack online or at your local craft shop. Allow





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the kids to pick a few shells each and place them on a paper plate. Have watercolor paints and/or sharpie markers for them to decorate the shells.

» Sarah never wants to forget the sea, so let’s make a seashell picture frame. Paint a basic wooden craft frame using acrylic paints. (Simple wood craft frames can be found at the dollar store or a local hobby shop.) Let the paint dry and then use hot glue or tacky glue to adhere shells to the frame. Print a photo of your book club attendees to insert into their frame.

◊ Note: There are many options for seashell crafts online if you search for seashell crafts for kids.

» Start a flower garden. Use potting soil, small terracotta pots, and marigold seeds to help your children plant their own flowers. Let them use small garden shovels to fill the pot halfway. Dig a small hole with their finger and plant a few seeds. Then cover the seeds with soil. Remind them to place it near the sunshine and water it daily.

◊Alternative: Help everyone paint a terracotta pot using acrylic paints, foam brushes, and small paint brushes. Be sure to paint at the start of book club so the pots have time to dry. When the paint is dry, spray the pots with a clear water based acrylic. Send each child home with their painted pot, a Ziploc bag with potting soil, and a packet of marigold seeds.

» Slide down a dune. If there is a sliding board in your yard or nearby park, then let everyone “slide down the dune.” If the weather is appropriate, a slip and slide would be an option to “slide down the dune” and “into the ocean.”

Did everyone have fun today? Ayuh!"



By Patricia MacLachlan - Amazon S3€¦ · Week One Sarah, Plain and Tall Week One “Did Mama sing...

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