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Copywork
About This Passage
This is the very first sentence of the book, and it teaches young writers how to begin a story. Notice how short and simple it is — only twelve words. The author tells you the most important thing first (a wedding) and the second sentence sets the day (a clear sky). Good beginnings do not need to be long. They just need to make the reader want to know more.
Papa married Sarah on a summer day. There were no clouds in the sky.
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
Tell the story of this chapter from the beginning. Stop at the moment Caleb starts writing Sarah's name in the dirt. Why does that little moment matter so much?
Discussion Questions
- Caleb writes Sarah's name in the dirt because he wants to put her name in the land where she now lives. Was Caleb being SMART by doing this, or was he just being a little kid? What in the story makes you think so?
- Anna is cross with Caleb when he reminds her that Sarah was not born on the prairie. Why is Anna upset about this? What is she really worried about? What in the story makes you think so?
+ 2 more questions in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
+ 4 more questions in the complete study guide
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