AUTHOR
CONNECTIONS:
Irene Hunt was born in southern Illinois
in 1907. She passed away in 2001. Across Five Aprils is based on stories
her grandfather told her as she was growing up. This is a book that was
very near to her heart because it's really a part of her heritage. Learn more
about Irene Hunt - her life and her work - on the following websites:
http://avatar.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/findaids/hunt.htm
http://www.edupaperback.org/authorbios/Hunt_Irene.html
CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS:
 Creating
a Timeline: As the students listen to Hunt’s novel, they will create
a class timeline that chronicles the significant events of the Civil War. After
each listening session, allow ample time for students to discuss which events
warrant posting on the timeline. Begin with the Confederate bombardment
of Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina, in April of 1861; conclude with
Robert E. Lee’s official surrender to Ulysses S. Grant in April of 1965 in
Appomattox, Virginia. Display on classroom walls as a frieze for students
to refer to as they continue listening to the story.
Character
Studies: Hunt peoples her Civil War novel with a multitude of memorable
characters. After listening to the first three chapters, students will list
all the characters introduced, making individual character charts for each of
them. Describe how they look and dress, list qualities or traits that define
their personalities, recording some of their significant actions, and what other
characters in the book might say about them. For all characters, determine
if they seem credible and true to life. A starter list includes: Ellen,
Matt, Jethro, Jenny, Shadrach Yale, Eb Carron, John, Nancy, Bill, Tom, and Ross
Milton.
Family
Stories and Historical Events: About her book, Irene Hunt writes: “As
to the story of the Creightons, there is hardly a page in this book on which a
situation has not been suggested by family letters and records and by the stories
told by my grandfather. He was a boy on nine at the beginning of the Civil
War, and by the time his grandchildren knew him, most of his days were spend in
reliving the war years, in which the great struggle sharply touched him and every
member of his family.”
Students will seek out family members
from previous generations whose lives have been touched by war; ask those members
to recount particular incidents that impacted them memorably. Students should
record these oral histories, or take careful notes; photocopy any primary sources—family
letters, newspaper articles, official records—that might accompany these
stories. Operation Desert Storm, the Vietnam War, the Korean Conflict, and
World War II are among the possibilities family members might have been a part
of. Practice retelling the story for sharing with the entire class; students
should know it is not necessary to memorize stories to be a good storyteller,
but careful planning is essential.
Civil
War “ABC” Book: Before they begin listening, students will
make individual “ABC” books with blank sheets of 8.5 by 11 inch paper
for the inside of the book, and oak tag or card stock paper for the cover that
will eventually be decorated. Allow for multiple entries for each letter
of the alphabet. During listening, students will create entries in their
books, offering definitions or brief explanations about their selected words,
names, or phrases. Illustrate entries whenever possible. For example,
ABOLITIONIST and APPOMATTOX might well be two entries for the letter A; General
P. G. T. BEAUREGARD and BULL RUN could be entries for B; COPPERHEAD and CONFEDERATE
States of America might be part of the entries for C, etc. The books also
serve as an outstanding resource for prompting plenary group discussion about
certain topics that have been defined or explained.
Coming-of-Age Interviews: In Chapter 6, Hunt writes the following
about Jethro’s trip to Newton: “If someone had asked Jethro to
name a time when he left childhood behind him, he might have named that last week
of March in 1862.” Have students discuss what the term coming-of-age
means to each of them. Have the class create 4-6 questions they will ask
individuals they’ll be interviewing for this coming-of-age study. Then
ask students to find three people willing to participate in the study. Encourage
students to interview people whose ages differ greatly. Age categories might
include: 21 – 30 years old; 31 – 50 years old; and 51 – 100
years old. Once interviews have been conducted, let students decide how
to report and share their findings.
Writing
Persuasive Letters: Letter-writing opportunities abound as a response
to this book. This activity also offers opportunity to hone persuasive writing
skills, as it is a relatively new form of nonfiction writing for middle schoolers,
and many may struggle with it. After listening carefully to President Lincoln’s
reply to Jethro’s letter, students will draft the letters they think that
Jethro penned to the President regarding Eb Carron’s plight of desertion.
Gather evidence from the novel that supports your point of view; be specific,
knowledgeable, and fair. Try to keep the writing in keeping with Jethro’s
character, and with the diction that Hunt herself employs in all of the novel
to reflect accurately the story’s setting. Enlist the art teacher’s
help and make the letters look like primary source documents, staining the paper
with tea, writing in calligraphy that resembles the penmanship of the times.
INTERNET CONNECTIONS:
 The
American Civil War Homepage
http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/
Offers general Civil War information as well as primary documents for teachers
and students to use in their units of study.
Civil
War Poetry and Music
http://users.erols.com/kfraser/
Contains an impressive repertoire of both Confederate and Union poems and songs
from the era. Complete lyrics and audio versions of the music make this an engaging,
interactive site for classroom use.
To
explore Civil War photographs, go to
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html
The Library of Congress Civil
War Timeline, 1861-1865
http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/tl1861.html
FOR FURTHER READING:
  BULL
RUN by Paul Fleischman. 16 voices tell their stories of the first battle of
the Civil War. Unabridged audiobook and book available from Audio Bookshelf.
DEAR
MR. PRESIDENT - Letters between a slave girl and Abraham Lincoln. Available from
Audio Bookshelf.
REMEMBERING
SLAVERY - AFRICAN AMERICANS TALK ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OF SLAVERY AND
EMANCIPATION. Archival recordings and dramatic readings. 2 Cassettes/hardcover
book available from Audio Bookshelf.
Soldier's
Heart - by Gary Paulsen (Laureleaf, 2000)
The
Root Cellar - by Janet Lunn (Puffin, 1996)
Commander
in Chief: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War - by Albert Marrin (Dutton, 2003)
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