Look up the word courage in the dictionary. Write the word, in fancy lettering, on a piece of light colored construction paper. Beneath the word, draw pictures, paste collage images and quote lines from the text that represent how the character and story of Sarah Noble exemplify courage. Diversify by repeating the assignment, but inserting students' own definitions of courage, complemented by images and examples of students' own experiences of being courageous.
Plot and draw a map of the route Sarah and her father might have taken to reach their new home of New Milford, Conn. Include indications of elevation and terrain and mark places along the journey where important events in the book occur. Diversify by using mapping software to retrace the path that Sarah and her father followed.
Keep a diary while reading the book. Post an entry in the diary after reading each chapter. Summarize what Sarah experiences and learns in each chapter and make predictions about what will happen next. Include details from the text but also incorporate ideas and knowledge from classroom discussions about the time period and circumstances.
Assign small groups to research various historical elements represented in the book. Task one group with researching the lives of Native American children of the time period when the book is set, while instructing another group to research and cook an example of food that pioneers ate during the time period in which the story takes place. Ask all students to dress up as characters from the book and share their research and findings on a special day devoted to the book.