Creative Teaching Resources for
by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1905)
Plus: Takeaway Topics, Learning Links, and Prop Ideas
Little Sara Crewe is kind, smart, imaginative, cultivated, and thoroughly rich. When she arrives at Miss Minchin’s Select Seminary for Young Ladies in London, she’s treated like a princess—until her father dies, having been ruined financially. Now that she’s poor, she’s banished to the attic and treated worse than her servant friend. But her determination to stay “a princess inside” results in a new friendship that transforms her world overnight.
A Little Princess is a heartwarming, inspirational story about staying true to your values, no matter what.
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This page shares all the fun we had in our live workshops on A Little Princess. We hope it inspires you to teach this book yourself! On the other hand, if you'd like US to teach your kids, check out our video workshop!
A LitWits activity from the Exposition
From the very beginning, we know this little rich girl isn't the least bit spoiled. That's unexpected—often in stories, the rich girls are more like Lavinia. In fact, Sara's unspoiled behavior irritates Lavinia and Miss Minchin, who are frustrated by her refusal to fuss, whine, cry, or otherwise show discontent.
We admire Sara’s steadfastness and sweetness, of course. But it’s really quite fun to imagine how she might have responded to certain situations if she were not quite so nice.
Read those “certain situations” aloud (prompts included in printables, or you can make up your own), and have volunteers respond as a bratty, spoiled, selfish Sara might have.
This “what if” activity gets kids laughing, but it also makes it clear that people are who they are by choice — that we can all choose one reaction over another. It also drives home the point that that we expect certain things from certain people because of their patterns of choices. We expect the best from Sara because that's her pattern. She's not an angel—we don't blame her a bit when she gets upset; that just makes her real—but her self-management of thoughts and behavior makes her a beautiful example of what it means to have character.
The prompts are included in our printables.
Set includes all worksheets and activity printables
A LitWits activity from the Conflict
Sara's outer world collapses with the news of her father's death, but her character bears up. She's determined to maintain her princess ideals no matter what she's labeled, or what her wrap looks like, or what goes on around her (though a giant cat might make her look a bit startled). She "has the bearing of a child," as Ram Dass noticed, "who is of the blood of kings." And no matter what she has to bear, she's consistently sweet inside.
What better way to symbolize all that—along with her ability to bear up—than a royalized honey bear project? Not only does this contain several bear meanings, but honey's made under the rule of a queen. It's a super-layered project. In fact, the bear himself is layered in a meaningful fashion! SWEET!
So we topped off a sweetness-filled bear with a crown that bears (YES!) a significant quote, and dressed it up and down, like the before-and-after Sara, to remind us that fashion and labels aren't what matter. To really make that point stick(y), you could completely remove the label and keep this bear . . . bare. And maybe talk about not bottling things up!
SERIOUSLY, this project helps kids get the big idea of "holding steady" in a tangible way. There are many layers of meaning you can talk about while the kids are dressing their bare bears (e.g. all the meanings of bare and bear in this book—there are a few below; search for more here!)—but the bottom line is this: No matter what's going on outside, we can each be “a prince/ss inside.”
INSPIRATION
"I promised him I would bear it," she said. "And I will. You have to bear things." - Ch. 3
“Whatever comes,” she said, “cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside. It would be easy to be a princess if I were dressed in cloth of gold, but it is a great deal more of a triumph to be one all the time when no one knows it.” – Ch. 11
". . . she is treated like a pariah; but she has the bearing of a child who is of the blood of kings!" - Ch. 14
She sat with her little black head in her arms for some time. She always sat like that when she was trying to bear something in silence. - Ch. 15
SUPPLIES
A honey bear (from a dollar store)
Glue and scissors
A piece of burlap or burlap ribbon to wrap around the bear, about 8” long and 2-3” wide. (It needs to be long enough to dress the honey bear, or we will have a bare bear who can’t bear the cold, let alone maintain a regal bearing.)
Black yarn or black satin ribbon to symbolize mourning, about 16” long—anything will do, even twine or string.
Diamonds, if you'd like to dress the bear up (!) as well as down, or just a single diamond to represent Captain Crewe's interest in the mines, and to remind us that Sara's a gem
Gold paper for crown
Crown template (included in printables)
Packaging, if desired: Tuck the above items inside a little paper bag with the Regal Bearing label printed or glued on it (included in printables). Or you could use that label as a gift tag, if the kids want to give the honeybear to someone who's read the book.
The crown template and packaging label are included in our printables.
Set includes all worksheets and activity printables
A LitWits activity from the Rising Action
Sara’s view of the world isn’t changed by her circumstances — she chooses to appreciate beauty and be beautiful inside, no matter what. This idea is symbolized in her appreciation of the sunsets she sees from her attic window. That "elevated view" pays off! One evening an especially splendid sunset gives her a premonition, and just after that she meets Ram Dass.
Our “Splendid Sunset” scene captures Sara’s view, her circumstances, and most importantly, her attitude. It reminds us that beauty is always at hand; that the way we look at things can bring us joy; and that holding it together in bad times can lead to good. (After all, Ram Dass soon radically changes Sara’s circumstances!)
INSPIRATION
She mounted her table and stood looking out. It was a wonderful moment. There were floods of molten gold covering the west, as if a glorious tide was sweeping over the world. A deep, rich yellow light filled the air; the birds flying across the tops of the houses showed quite black against it.
“It’s a Splendid one,” said Sara, softly, to herself. “It makes me feel almost afraid—as if something strange was just going to happen. The Splendid ones always make me feel like that.” – Ch. 11
SUPPLIES
scissors and glue
pocket folders (we glued our art to these to hold worksheets and notes, but it could be mounted on 9 x 12 construction paper instead).
skyline template (in printables) – print on white cardstock
window template (in printables) – print on white cardstock
woodgrain wall template (in printables) printed in color on white cardstock
window dividers (in printables) - print on white cardstock
attic transformation elements (in printables) - print on white cardstock
inspiring excerpt for each child (in printables) printed on any paper.
The templates and excerpt are included in our printables.
Set includes all worksheets and activity printables
Cut out the skyline (We've provided a solid black skyline in printables) and add it to the sunset as shown.
Cut out the dividers and glue them in place.
Cut out and glue down the woodgrain wall, then glue art to black construction paper. (Trim white border off first, or just color it with black pen after gluing, if you like.)
Cut out attic transformation elements and use them to decorate the attic as it looked after Ram Dass worked his magic!
Glue the excerpt to the back of the project.
BookBites
A LitWits activity from the Climax
BookBites is the part of our literary experience when we get to “taste the story.” We choose a food right out of the book, and it has to meet at least one criterion:
it’s important to a plot point
it has thematic significance
it’s unfamiliar for reasons of culture, era, or location
Our choice came from a critical plot point, and the theme of imaginative transformation. By frosting pound cakes and topping them with artificial flowers, we recreated the “frustrated banquet” that Sara, Becky, and Ermengarde never got to enjoy.
(We almost didn’t, either—when our table of cakes tipped over. we were a little frustrated too! But just for a moment—we applied the five-second rule, and the banquet happily resumed.)
INSPIRATION
As the things were taken out of the hamper—the frosted cakes—the fruits—the bonbons and the wine—the feast became a splendid thing. [. . .]
They had barely had time to take their pieces of cake into their hands—not one of them had time to do more, when—they all three sprang to their feet and turned pale faces toward the door—listening—listening.
Someone was coming up the stairs. There was no mistake about it. Each of them recognized the angry, mounting tread and knew that the end of all things had come.
“It’s—the missus!” choked Becky, and dropped her piece of cake upon the floor. – Ch. 15
SUPPLIES
Red and white tissue paper and a few silk flowers were all the decor Sara and Becky needed to imagine a beautiful banquet. Have the kids mold their own Victorian bon-bon dishes while Ermengarde dashes off to get her hamper!
By the way, you can turn any pastry into Ermengarde's party cake with this snazzy little label we made.
The label is in our printables.
Set includes all worksheets and activity printables
A LitWits activity from the Resolution
The night Ram Dass transforms Sara’s attic into relative splendor is just about every reader’s favorite scene. (When we were kids, it made us rearrange our rooms in the middle of the night just to wake up to something different, like Sara did!)
Who wouldn't want to be that magician, bringing comfort and beauty to a grimy attic—and to a hungry, exhausted little girl? This “interior design” project lets kids perform his wonders as an interior designer would, on paper, with scraps of fabric representing textile choices.
INSPIRATION
Do you wonder that she felt sure she had not come back to earth? This is what she saw. In the grate there was a glowing, blazing fire; on the hob was a little brass kettle hissing and boiling; spread upon the floor was a thick, warm crimson rug; before the fire a folding-chair, unfolded, and with cushions on it; by the chair a small folding-table, unfolded, covered with a white cloth, and upon it spread small covered dishes, a cup, a saucer, a teapot; on the bed were new warm coverings and a satin-covered down quilt; at the foot a curious wadded silk robe, a pair of quilted slippers, and some books. The room of her dream seemed changed into fairyland—and it was flooded with warm light, for a bright lamp stood on the table covered with a rosy shade. – Ch. 15
SUPPLIES
scissors and glue
white cardstock and brown for furniture
scraps of fabrics in different textures
furnishings template (included with printables)
DIRECTIONS
Pretend Sara's out doing errands, instead of asleep—then you won't have to move so quietly. :)
1. Get oriented! Imagine that your piece of cardstock is the floor of Sara's attic, and the edges are its walls. (You're looking at the attic from the top down, as if you were Melchisedec in the rafters.) First, remember that the roof of an attic slopes—note on which side the ceiling would be closer to the floor. (So you won't put a window or the door on a too-short wall.) Next, choose a place along another edge for the door, and mark it with a 3" pencil line. (That way you won't put the bed in front of the door!) Then choose a place along another edge for a window, and mark it with another 3" pencil line.
2. Get this girl some fine furnishings! Cut apart the furnishings on the template and decide where they should go. Would Sara want to sleep against the wall, or under the window? Should the rug be in the middle of the room, or tucked under her bed? Sara and her author aren't here, so you get to make these design decisions yourself. Don't glue the pieces on to the cardstock yet - just place them.
3. Get some color and coziness going! Now that the furniture is arranged, choose the fabrics you think would be warm and beautiful for each of the items you've placed. Then pick up each "furnishing" one at a time, tape it to the fabric you've chosen, and cut the fabric to fit. Once you've cut the fabric, glue it to the "furnishing." Finally, glue the fabric-covered furnishing to the attic floor. (For curtains and tapestries, just glue a thin strip along the edge of the "wall.")
4. Get some delicious aromas in the air! Cut out a teapot, plates, a hamper, a loaf of bread—anything that might make that attic smell more appetizing than Parfum de Melchisidec. Now climb out Sara's window and watch from a distance - she's about to come home from the bakery, hungry and tired. What a wonderful, life-changing surprise you've created for her!
FOR DISCUSSION
While the kids were designing, we talked about how Sara coped with so many negative changes before the attic transformation, starting on page 1:
What might she have been thinking as she stepped off the ship, having traveled from sunny India to smoggy London?
What helped her calm herself as she was left behind in a strange place by her only parent?
How did she react when her resources and roles were suddenly taken from her?
How did it help Sara to pretend she was a princess and an imprisoned queen, or that shabby things are elegant?
We pointed out that most positive changes come after a struggle fueled by lots of hope and imagination—which made it a great time to work in some facts about the French Revolution, too.
We also talked about the power of personal spaces to cheer and uplift—how even cleaning your room can make you feel so much better, and what a difference a warm, clean, attractive home can make for anyone. In fact, your co-op or class might want to work with a nonprofit like Habitat for Humanity as a way of celebrating Sara, her ideals, and her actions.
The template for this activity is in our printables.
Set includes all worksheets and activity printables
We can't say enough about our love for this story (hence the "Appendix of One More Things" in our video workshop.) Rereading it over and over as adults, we still yearn to be more like Sara—she's never become saccharine, and her story makes us tear up and cheer every single time. And it's packed with great "takeaway topics," which we're sharing below.
So we chose it for one of our experiential workshops, where we made these teaching points tangible, meaningful, and memorable in the kids' hands. It's amazing how much kids can learn while they're "just" having fun!
Takeaway 1
Takeaway 2
Takeaway 3
Set includes all worksheets and activity printables
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Happy teaching,
Becky and Jenny
Sisters, best friends, and partners
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