1a. According to Joby in "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh," what are the soldiers murmuring to themselves?
2a. What do the soldiers have that Joby does not have? What does Joby hope will happen if he lies very still in the morning?
3a. What does the general say about Joby's crying?
4a. According to the general, what is the level of experience of most of the soldiers in battle? Does he believe that these men are ready to fight?
1b. Why does Joby have trouble sleeping? Why might some young soldiers believe that they will not die in battle?
2b. Why is Joby at times envious of the soldiers? Why does he feel unprepared?
3b. Why did the general himself cry the night before?
4b. What does the general believe is wrong about the battle? Do you suppose Joby agrees with him?
5a. How does Joby seem to feel after listening to the general? Do you think his feelings have changed? What evidence can you find for your answers?
5b. If you were Joby, would the general's words have made you feel more at ease? Why, or why not?
6a. The general in "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" faces a difficult problem—how to prepare a group of young, inexperienced, and frightened soldiers for a battle. How effective is the strategy the general uses to solve his problem?
6b. Imagine you are the general. Write a journal entry in which you consider the problem you face and discuss your feelings.
Historical Fiction. As a good example of historical fiction, "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" incorporates details that allow the reader to place the events both geographically and chronologically. Find clues within the story that signal when and where this story takes place.
Metaphor and Simile. Look back on the chart you created in Prereading of metaphors and similes from "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh." If needed, scan the story again to add to your list. Discuss these examples of figure of speech with a classmate or small group. Which of these figures of speech was the most vivid? the most surprising? Which did you like the best?
1. Imagine you are Johnny Clem's brother or sister and that you are worried about him after hearing of the destruction at Shiloh. Write him a brief letter.
2. Write two metaphors and two similes. Imagine the sentences will be used as newspaper photo captions describing an army on the march.
3. Imagine you are the general and you want to explain to the young soldiers how to prepare for battle. Write a brief speech you might give attempting to lift their spirits and encouraging them to work together.
Researching the Battle of Shiloh: Research Log. Use this log to keep track of the sources you use, the information you find, and your reactions to what you learn.
Books and other print sources.
Internet sources.
Notes.
1. Noun: Singular: Plural:
2. Noun: Singular: Plural:
3. Noun: Singular: Plural:
Your answer.
Identifying Adjectives. An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun. For example, the adjective wild modifies the noun horses in the phrase wild horses. Find ten adjectives in "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh." Write each adjective and the noun it modifies in the space below and identify the adjective. If a word has more than one modifier, identify both.
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