A Ballad of the Civil War
 This is the story of 2 brothers growing up in the South. In the beginning of the story they are 9 years old and are celebrating their birthday, and at the same time feeling sad because their best friend was a slave and their father sent him away. As the book progresses the Civil War is beginning and the two brothers are on separate sides. One wants to join the Rebel army to preserve his was of life, but the other brother feels that slavery is wrong and he must fight to stop it. This causes much tension in the family and eventually the brothers part ways as enemies and not brothers.

Discussion Director
describe
fact/opinion
authors purpose
MCEOG
Character Goals

1. Use 5 words to describe Tom, tell why you chose each word
    -excited, because it is his and his twin brothers ninth birthday
    -confused, when he finds out from uncle Roger that Aaron has been sent to the quarter
    -angry, when he finds out that his dad sent Aaron to the quarter
    -compassionate, because he wants to take some of the toys he got for his birthday to the slave children after his
    mom and dad have gone to take a nap

2. What does the author do to make you keep reading and find out what happens?
    -in the prologue the author writes about what is going to happen at the end of the story and in this section Tom
    and Jack are still boys so you want to keep reading to find out what the prologue is alluding to

Passage Picker
In this section choose passage that satisfy these requirements.
informative
descriptive

Passage 1
p. 7 line 9
"Your Daddy...as always."
Why was it bad that Tom's dad called Aaron "uppity"?  He was starting to act like he was not a slave, as if he were a part of the family.
The author chose this passage to inform the reader of why Aaron had been sent to the quarter and who had sent him there.
I chose this passage because it informs the reader of an event in Tom's life that has a big impact on him and will influence decisions he makes later on in his life.

Passage 2
p. 22 line 2
"Listen will you...of them."
Why does Tom want to take some of his and Jack's toys to the slave children? He sees that these children don't have toys and he and his brother have more toys than they can play with.
The author chose this passage to describe to the reader the type of person that Tom is.
I chose this passage because it describes the type of person that Tom is, it shows how he is compassionate and wants to be kind to the slaves.

Word Wizard
Look up these words:
uppity p.7 line 9
veranda p.15 line 9
reconnaissance p. vii  par. 1
plantations p. 2 par. 2
    -uppity
    p. 7 line 9
    adjective
    uppity- snooty, superior,  like you are better than somebody else
    "Your daddy says he got uppity."
    Why would it matter to Tom's dad if Aaron was acting uppity? He only had control over the slaves if they saw him as being  better than them. If Aaron began to get uppity he doesn't feel that Tom's father is better than him anymore.

    -veranda
    p.15 line 9
    veranda- large porch or deck
    "I do believe it'd be best o open y'all's presents on the veranda, boys."
    Why did Tom and Jack's mom think that they should open there presents on the veranda? So they wouldn't leave so much mess in their house.

Illustrator
Your job is to draw a picture that somehow relates to what is in the reading for today. It can be a sketch, cartoon, diagram, or stick figure scene. You can draw something specifically from the book, something the book made you think of, or how the book makes you feel. After you draw your picture write a descriptive paragraph about your drawing. Your paragraph should include:
-who or what the picture is about
-where the picture takes place
-when it is happening
-why you drew that picture

When you share the picture with the group don't tell them what it is at first, see if anyone can guess, and then read your paragraph.
Character Sketcher

Your job is to find an interesting character from the section you read today. You will find three words that describe the character. For each word you, or character trait, you will give the proof, or example (including page and paragraph).

Character Traits

Jack

1. p. lines 5-13
hateful - he starts to talk about the slaves with the same attitude that his father has

2. p19 lines 8-10
ungrateful- he isn't appreciative of all of the birthday gifts that he and Tom had gotten

Goal
It seems like Jack's goal is to become like their father, with a bad attitude toward the slaves.

Problem
Tom doesn't understand why Jack id becoming so mean and he wants to try to stop it.

Solution
Tom gets Jack to come with him to do give the presents to the slave children, even though Jack really doen't want to go.