Meanwhile back at the Ranch offers a delightful opportunity for teachers to introduce the concept of parallel story plots. The story is about a rancher who visits a sleepy little town. Back at the ranch his wife is having an exciting time by winning freezers, receiving a winning lotto ticket, becoming a movie star, striking oil, and receiving a visit from the President. The story moves from town to ranch and back again with the transition phrase..."Meanwhile...back at the ___. This can be used in a story line where the students write about the principal or their teacher attending a conference or meeting while back at the school many things are happening. This book provides a springboard for writing that students find irresistable. Middle schoolers and high schoolers find the pattern of the book delightful to follow and often invent extremely humorous situations that happen back at school. For a great writing activity, introduce this book to your class.