5th grade (below grade level-2nd grade)
Section 1
Discussion Director
Your job today is to write down 5 questions that you can discuss in your group.
Fact/Opinion Questions
1. Who is the author?
Answer: Peter and Connie Roop
2. Was there a character that you did not like? Why?
Answer: Samuel Baker.
I did not like Samuel because he said that the Americans could never win
and he punched John in the stomach!
(p 16 line 2 and p 20 line 2)
EOG Question
3. Pick the best answer for why John was nervous when he had to stop at the guardpost.
A. John had taken candy from the store and
did not want to get caught.
B. John did not like the soldiers.
C. John knew that if he was caught trying
to get a message to General Washington something bad would happen to him.
D. John was frightened by the guns that the
soldier had with him.
Answer: C (p 22 last two lines)
Mood Question
4. What was your favorite part of the story? Tell why?
Answer: My favorite part of the story is when John talkes about
the new buttons on his coat. I like how he says that they look
exactly like the old ones, but that they have a new message for General
Washington. (p 9)
Prediction Question
5. What do you think will happen next?
Answer: I think that John will reach General Washington's camp.
Also, I think that John will get a reward for being so brave
and bringing the message to General Washington.
Passage Picker
Your job today is to pick four passages from this section that you and your group can discuss. Choose passages that satisfy these reasons:
B. "He ran . . . those holes."
C. Reason: The passage was
very descriptive. We know exactly what the buttons felt like, and
where the small holes
where in the buttons that were the codes.
D. Question: Where were the small holes in the buttons? Why?
E. Answer: In the inside
of the button. They were in the inside because they were to be a
secret message for General
Washington.
F. Author's Purpose: To Describe
2.) A. p 6 line 6 to the end of the page
B. "Keep away . . . Washington before."
C. Reason: This passage tells
us that the family has sent messages to General Washington before and that
they know the
safest way to reach Wahington's camp.
D. Question: Why did father want John to go the way that his mother told him to go?
E. Answer: John's father
wanted him to go that way because his mother had sent messages to Washington's
camp before
and she knew how to go.
F. Author's Purpose: To Inform
3.) A. p 10 last 3 lines
B. "Be careful . . . American spies."
C. Reason: The passage tells us
that the British soliders were looking for American spies that were trying
to help General
Washington. The passage is historical because there were really spies that
helped the American troops to know
about the location size of the British army.
D. Question: Why were the British soldiers looking for American spies?
E. Answer: The British soldiers
were on the look out for American spies because they wanted to make sure
that the
American army did not get any information that could help them win the
war.
F. Author's Purpose: To Inform
4.) A. p 16 lines 5-11
B. "Samuel's family . . . England again."
C. Reason: This passage tells us
about the different types of views that people held during the time of
the Revolutionary
War which makes the passage historical. Also, the passage informs
us that the two groups of people really hated
each other.
D. Question: How did the Tories feel about the British soldiers? Why?
E. Answer: The Tories liked the British soldier. They wanted America to stay part of England.
F. Author's Purpose: To Inform
Character Sketcher
Your job today is to find an interesting character
that you can discuss with your group. You will need to find three
words that describe your character. For each word, character trait,
you will give the proof/example (page number and paragraph).
Next you will tell one of your character's goals,
or what the character wants to do in this section. Then you will
look for one of the character's problems in the section and the
solution
or possible solution to the problem.
Finally you will make a character map and illustrate
your character.
Character Traits:
John
1. worried-(p 10 lines1-3) he is worried that someone will be able to read the secret message that is hidden in his buttons.
2. brave-(p 18 lines 12-13) because he stands up to Samuel who says that the American soliders can not win the war.
3. determined-(p 24 line 1) because he says that he will make it to General Washington's camp without getting caught.
Goal:
One of John's goals in this section is to get past the guards in order to reach General Washington's camp without being caught.
Problem:
The British guards check to see why a person is leaving the town because they do not want anyone to inform Washington of what they are doing or where they are located.
Solution:
John uses a pass to go to his aunt's house in order to get passed the guards.
Word Wizard
Your job today is to pick four words in this section that are special words. You will need to write down the word and where you found it in the story (page and lines). You will also need to write down a definition of each word, the sentence using your word, and make up your own sentence using the word. Some words to choose are:
1. A. headquarters-(p 6 line 4)
B. "Only the guards at General Howe's headquarters," John answered.
C. headquarters- place where the main people of the army stay and run things.
D. noun
E. The business' headquarters was located
in Charlotte, North Carolina.
2. A. messages-(p6 next to last line)
B. "She has sent messages to General Washington before."
C. message- important information for a specific person
D. noun
E. I sent my mother a message about the
family picnic.
3. A. shiver-(p 11 last line)
B. "A shiver ran down John's back."
C. shiver- a worried feeling, like a cold chill
D. noun
E. When thinking about spending the night in a haunted house, shivers ran down my back.
4. A. spies-(p 10 last two lines)
B. "The British are looking for American spies."
C. spies- someone that is collecting information secretly and telling it to another person.
D. noun
E. The spies help the police to locate where the bank robbers were staying.
Investigator:
Your job is to look up on the web, newspapers, etc. and find two of the famous spies that helped the Americans during the Revolutionary War. You will need to write down who they were and how they helped out.
Here are some web sites to get you started:
http://www.si.umich.edu/spies/index-stories.html
http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/k12/history/blacks/blacks.html
Look under spies.