Women in the Civil War Literature Circles Novels and Roles

Women in the Civil War
Literature Circles Novels and Roles

Novels Chosen for Literature Circles

A Light in the Storm – The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin Fenwick Island, Delaware, 1861 By, Karen Hesse
From Library Journal:

"This diary chronicles 15-year-old Amelia Martin's chaotic life during the turbulent first year of the Civil War. Amelia's father is the assistant lighthouse keeper at Fenwick Island off the coast of southern Delaware. Amelia willingly shares in the duties of standing watch and maintaining the equipment. Through her diary, readers learn that her father sides with the Union while her mother favors the Confederacy, and that their marriage is crumbling just as the country threatens to divide. Amelia admits that while at one time she agreed with her mother's views, she now believes in the abolition of slavery and sympathizes with President Lincoln."

Numbering All the Bones By, Ann Rinaldi
From School Library Journal:

"In the last year of the Civil War, Eulinda, 13, the daughter of a slave and a slave owner, waits for news of her older brother, who ran away to join the Union Army. Neddy carries with him the ruby ring that he stole after their younger brother, Zeke, was framed for the theft, and punished by being sold away. When Eulinda discovers the Andersonville Prison, where Yankee soldiers die daily from starvation and disease, she knows her brother is somewhere inside the walls. After the war ends, she meets up with Clara Barton, and her destiny becomes entwined with giving the soldiers proper burials and ultimately finding the stolen ring."

Girl in Blue By, Ann Rinaldi
From School Library Journal:

"Inspired by the war fever of 1861, and tired of her father's mistreatment, 15-year-old Sarah Wheelock determines to run away and join the Union forces to fight the Confederacy. The last straw comes when her father promises her hand in marriage to a man who is twice her age and has the manners of a bear. After she cuts her hair, changes clothes, and lowers her voice, Sarah has few problems passing as a boy: years of hard farm labor have toughened her physically, and she has a natural talent for impersonation. Soon, young Private "Neddy Compton" is on the road to Washington, DC, with the 2nd Michigan Infantry. Despite being a model enlisted "man," Sarah is unmasked, and is transferred into the Secret Service, part of Allan Pinkerton's network of spies."

The Last Silk Dress By, Ann Rinaldi
Inside Flap Copy:
"High-spirited, beautiful Susan Chilmark, fourteen, vows to do something meaningful to support the Confederacy during the Civil War. Despite the wishes of her mother, Susan and her best friend, Connie, collect silk dresses from all of the ladies of Richmond to make a balloon that will be used to spy on the Yankees."

Dear Ellen Bee – A Civil War Scrapbook of Two Union Spies By, Mary E. Lyons & Muriel M. Branch

From School Library Journal:

"Elizabeth (Bet) Van Lew, an aristocratic Richmond lady, and Mary Elizabeth (Liza) Bowser, the daughter of Bet's freed slaves, are bound into a tempestuous yet loving relationship that is severely tested by the Civil War and by their own fiercely independent personalities. Miss Bet has grand plans for the girl; she wants her to go to school in Philadelphia and become a teacher because she will "not have my girl waiting on spoiled white women." Liza resents Miss Bet's efforts to dictate her future and is determined to live her life as she chooses. The clash of these two strong-willed women and their fierce devotion to one another and to the abolitionists' cause and the preservation of the Union are at the heart of this fascinating espionage story."

Name: _________________________ Book: __________________________

Reading Assignment: Pages _____ to _____

Requirement: At least two

Passage Master: Your job is to find three to five lines or short passages that you think reflect good writing or that are key or important to the story. You will make note of these passages or lines and explain why you believe they are examples of good writing or why you think they are important to the story. Then jot down some plans for how they should be shared. You can read passages aloud yourself, ask someone else to read them, or have people read them silently and then discuss.

Some possible reasons for choosing a passage:

Literary Element (for example, metaphor, foreshadowing, flashback, symbolism, irony, etc.), Surprising, Well-written, Important, Funny, Controversial, Strong Setting, Confusing, Interesting Wording, Thought-provoking, Informative, Descriptive, Moving, Fascinating, Maddening, Disturbing, Worth Remembering

Some possible plans for sharing:

*Read the passage aloud yourself and have others follow along.

*Have someone else in the group read aloud and everyone else follows along.

*Have everyone in the group read the passage silently.

*Consider having part or the entire group act out the scene.

*Be creative and come up with other ideas!

Page(s) from which the passage is taken: ______________________________________

The passage begins with the following four words: ______________________________

and ends with the following four words: ______________________________________

This passage is important because ___________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

How I plan to share it with the group: ________________________________________

Page(s) from which the passage is taken: ______________________________________

The passage begins with the following four words: ______________________________

and ends with the following four words: ______________________________________

This passage is important because ___________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

How I plan to share it with the group: ________________________________________

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On the back of this sheet please write down what you predict will happen in the next reading assignment or describe a personal connection that you had with today’s reading. Please create your response using at least three complete sentences.

Name: _________________________ Book: __________________________

Reading Assignment: __________________

Requirement: At least one

History Connector: Your job is to provide your group members with accurate additional information about the historical events, places and people mentioned in your book. Historical fiction is based on actual historical events, and historical accuracy is important in this type of fiction even though the conversations of the characters are usually fictitious. As you read, use sticky notes to tag pages that mention historical events, places or people. After you’ve finished reading your assigned pages, go through your tagged pages and select four subjects for possible research and list them below. Decide which subject you would like to read more about. Supply the requested information below and share it with your group when you meet for discussion.

Possible research topics:

*A setting with historical significance (a town, battlefield, house, etc.)

*A historically accurate description of a certain aspect of everyday life during the time period of the novel (life on the battlefield, life for the family at home without the men, etc.)

*Any historical event (information about the Civil War, etc.)

*Any person of historical significance (including women who had important roles)

Possible sources for information:

*Do an on-line computer search.

*Look in encyclopedias.

*Interview knowledgeable people.

*Interview local experts in a certain field.

*Check other books and magazines.

*Look in your history textbook.

The four subjects that I’m most interested in researching include:

______________________ ______________________

Topic choice: ____________________________________________________________

Title or type of resource used to find information: _______________________________

The reason I chose this topic and the reason this topic is significant in the story are because _________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

OVER PLEASE

Historical facts and information about the topic: ________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

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In the space provided below please write down what you predict will happen in the next reading assignment or describe a personal connection that you had with today’s reading. Please create your response using at least three complete sentences.

Name: _________________________ Book: __________________________

Reading Assignment: Pages _____ to _____

Requirement: At least three

Discussion Director: Your job is to develop a list of questions that your group might want to discuss about this part of the book. Don’t worry about the small details; your task is to help people talk over the big ideas in the reading and share their reactions. Usually, the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read. Your questions should NOT be able to be answered with "Yes", "No", or in just a few words. You can list them below during or after your reading. You may also use some of the general questions below to develop topics for your group.

Sample questions:

*What was going through your mind while you read this?

*How did you feel while reading this part of the book?

*What questions did you have when you finished this section?

*Did anything in this section of the book surprise you?

*Did today’s reading remind you of any real-life experiences?

*Can you think of another short story or book that has a similar thing happen?

*How did you feel when __________________________?

*What do you think about the way the author _______________________________?

*Why do you think the author used __________________________ in this reading? (For example, metaphor, foreshadowing, flashback, symbolism, irony, etc.)

*What if ___________________________would have happened instead?

*What do you think could happen next?

Possible Discussion Questions:

1. ___________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________

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Name: _________________________ Book: __________________________

Reading Assignment: Pages _____ to _____

Requirement: At least two

Character Sketcher: Your job is to help your group better understand the characters in your book. In addition, the Character Sketcher helps the group recognize any changes in personal growth in the characters as well as how the characters view each other. Characters reveal themselves by what they say and do and by what others say about them. Using these as guides, list characteristics on the left side of the page and examples from the book that support these character traits on the right. Be sure to include page numbers so your group can refer to them during discussion.

Possible character traits:

adventurous	awesome	artistic	athletic	active
beautiful	brave	bold	bossy	cheerful
curious	creative	courageous	considerate	daring
impulsive	dainty	dangerous	exciting	entertaining
energetic	funny	a fighter	friendly	fun-loving
gentle	generous	happy	humble	hostile
honest	intelligent	independent	inventive	a leader
lazy	messy	mischievous	mean	neat
nasty	nice	nosy	open	poor
proud	pretty	quiet	rich	respectful
rad	sad	sloppy	serious	successful
shy	short	smart	studious	selfish
simple	tall	trustworthy	thoughtful	unselfish
warm	witty	wild	wonderful	silly
melancholy	mellow	aimless	loud	prudent
iconoclastic	penurious	belligerent	loyal	visionary

OVER PLEASE

Character	Specific Example of behavior/action:
Character: Adjective:	Page: _____ Paragraph: _____ Describe example in words:
Character: Adjective:	Page: _____ Paragraph: _____ Describe example in words:
Character: Adjective:	Page: _____ Paragraph: _____ Describe example in words:

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