Sarah, Plain and Tall Settings

There are two settings in the story. The prairie, where the events of the story take place, and Maine, where Sarah is from, and which can be seen in her vivid illustrations of the sea.

In this activity, students will use information from the text to compare and contrast the prairie and the sea.

Here is an example of the differences between the Prairie and the Sea:

Prairie

• grass
• fields
• dirt roads
• middle of the country
• fresh water ponds
• "Outside, the prairie reached out and touched the places where the sky came down.”

Sea

• salt water
• sand dunes
• shells
• sea birds
• on the coast
• "The sea is salt. It stretches out as far as you can see. It gleams like the sun on glass. There are waves.”

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard comparing and contrasting the settings in Sarah, Plain and Tall.

1. Use the template provided by your teacher.
2. List the characteristics of the prairie in one column.
3. List the things that similar and different about the sea in the second column.
4. Illustrate each characteristic with appropriate scenes, items, and characters.