Project Ideas for Sarah, Plain and Tall

Project Ideas for Sarah, Plain and Tall

Memory Album

You will create a “photo album” of memories for your favorite character. Your memories must be from the point of view of Sarah, Jacob, Anna, or Caleb. You may only choose one.

Materials needed: Sarah, Plain and Tall book, 1 piece of notebook paper, 3 sheets of photo paper, 3 pieces of black construction tape, chalk, ribbon, pencil, and glue. *I will provide your child with photo paper and construction paper.

1.  Select the character from whose point of view you will make the album.

2.  First take a piece of notebook paper and number it 1-9. Next to each number write down a memory that you would be easy to illustrate. You must have one memory for each chapter (9). You may have no more than 12 memories. (I would match the memory to the chapter it is found in. For example, if I have a memory that’s from chapter 1 I would write it by the number 1.)

3.  Take your “photo-lined” paper and cut them out. There are three sections on each piece of photo paper. If you have 9 memories, you will need three sheets of the photo paper.

4.  Draw one picture on each photo paper for each memory. I would draw your picture in pencil and then go back and color it. On the lines, write a statement to describe the picture.

5.  Create a cover page. Use white chalk and NEATLY write the name of your album. For example, Anna’s Memories.

6.  Once you have a cover page start laying out your photos. Make sure you lay out your “photos” in the order in which they occurred. DO NOT glue anything until you are sure you have the pictures arranged the way you want. You will put 2 photos on each page. If you have 9 memories, you will need 3 pieces of black construction paper.

7.  Use ribbon or yarn to tie the pages together.

8.  Make sure your name, date, and number are on the back.

Treasure Box

You will create a treasure box for your favorite character. You may choose Sarah, Jacob, Anna, or Caleb. Remember you may only choose one.

Materials: 5 items for your treasure box, shoebox with lid, 5 3X5 index cards, pencil, and materials to decorate box

1.  The treasure box will contain 5 objects that relate to your character and connect with the story. What do you think your character might have kept in a treasure box? The objects may be real or you may create them. They can be items from home. The items you choose must fit the time period.

2.  Once you pick your 5 items, you will write 3-5 sentences about each object in the box. These may be questions to consider: What is the object? (Describe it.) What does it mean to your character? Why did the character choose to put it in the box? How is it important to the story? Remember: you will be writing your story from the character’s point of view. You are pretending you are the character!

3.  Find an empty shoe box with a lid and decorate your treasure box. Put your character’s name somewhere on the box.

Character Mobile

You will create a character mobile for your favorite character. You may choose Sarah, Jacob, Anna, or Caleb. Remember you may only choose one.

Materials: wire or plastic hanger, yarn or string, 6 items, materials to make items, 6 3X5 index cards, & construction paper

1.  You will pick 6 items to put on your character mobile. Each item must somehow represent the character you choose.

2.  You will connect your items using ribbon or yarn.

3.  If you do not have actual items to attach you may draw and color a picture that represents your character. Or you may find a picture from the internet. If you draw a picture or find one on the internet make sure you glue it to a piece of construction paper.

4.  Your characters name needs to be on the top of the mobile somewhere.

5.  After you have picked your 6 items, you need to write how each item represents the character on a 3X5 index card. You need to describe your item in 2-3 sentences. What is your item? How does it represent your character? These cards will be graded, so make sure you use proper capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.

6.  If you wish you can decorate your actual hanger. You can wrap it with yarn or ribbon.

Flip Book

Here is an example of a flip book.

Materials: 7 pieces of plain white paper, stapler, markers or crayons, & pencil

1.  You will need to make a flip book using plain white paper.

2.  You will need to have the headings: title, author, setting, summary, main characters, best part and the worst part.

3.  Under the headings: title, author, and summary you will need to write a sentence. Under the headings: setting, main characters, and best and worst part write a sentence and draw a picture.

4.  Make sure your sentences and pictures are neat.

Story Quilt

You will create a story quilt over Sarah, Plain and Tall.

Materials: story quilt template, pencils, markers or crayons

1.  In the center of the quilt, write the book’s title, the author, and your name.

2.  In the eight outer sections around the center square, create designs in repetitive patterns that illustrate aspects of the story. (For example, if a student were reporting on Charlotte’s Web, one swatch could feature spider webs, another could feature blue ribbons, and another could feature farm animals.) I would draw your pictures using pencil first and then go back and color it. Once your pictures are drawn and colored you can cut the quilt template out.

3.  On another sheet of paper or on 3X5 cards write 2-3 sentences describing the significance of each swatch of the quilt.