My Brother Sam is Dead

By: James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Name: ______________________

Ms. Yoder’s _____ Hour

Objectives:1. Through reading My Brother Sam is Dead, students will gain understanding of the themes of decision-making, courage, and family values. 2. Students will develop an awareness of Sam and Tim's individuality and examine their own. 3. Students will do background research on the Revolutionary War to provide meaning to the historical and geographical references made by the author. 4. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the text on four levels: factual, interpretive, critical and personal. 5. Students will be given the opportunity to practice reading aloud and silently to improve their skills in each area. 6. Students will answer questions to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the main events and characters in My Brother Sam is Dead as they relate to the author's theme development. 7. Students will enrich their vocabularies and improve their understanding of the novel through the vocabulary lessons prepared for use in conjunction with the novel. 8. The writing assignments in this unit are geared to several purposes:

a. To have students demonstrate their abilities to inform, to persuade, or to express their own personal ideas

Note: Students will demonstrate ability to write effectively to inform by developing and organizing facts to convey information. Students will demonstrate the ability to write effectively to persuade by selecting and organizing relevant information, establishing an argumentative purpose, and by designing an appropriate strategy for

an identified audience. Students will demonstrate the ability to write effectively to express personal ideas by selecting a form and its appropriate elements.

b. To check the students' reading comprehensionc. To make students think about the ideas presented by the

noveld. To encourage logical thinking\e. To provide an opportunity to practice good grammar and improve students' use of the English language

Plot Diagram:

Setting:

Characters (main):

Chapters 1-2:Vocab Review:

Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues - Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence.  Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words mean next to the sentence. 1. "From the garrison in Boston. They marched up to Lexington looking for Mr. Adams and the rest, but they'd got away."_________________________________ 2. "We've had these things before-that vicious nonsense of those madmen dressed up likeIndians and throwing tea into Boston harbor."___________________________ 3. "I will not have treason spoken in my house, Sam."________________________ 4. "These agitators can always manage to stir up the passions of the people for a week or so, but it never lasts."________________________________ 5. He was always bringing home some book in Latin or Greek with an inscription saying he had won it for some telling point he had scored.____________________________ 6. I began to daydream about being older and going to Yale with Sam and scoring sometelling points myself and Sam being proud of me- even though I know daydreams are sloth and sloth is a sin._____________________________ 7. "Lasciviousness, stupid, not lasviciousness. I have a new song about girls but it's toolasvicious for you."___________________________

 8. "I will not have subversion, I will not have treason in my house."____________________ 9. "Go, Sam. Go. Get out of my sight. I can't bear to look at you anymore in that vile costume."_______________________________ 10. He said that the hot-tempered young men who listened not the voices of their elders would bring a wrathy God down on their own heads.________________________________ 11. Father said to be cordial to people.________________________________ 12. "A man? You're a boy, Sam, a boy dressed up in a gaudy solder's suit." Oh he sounded bitter._________________________________________ 

Part II: Determining the Meaning - Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions. Write the letter of the correct answer next to the vocabulary word.___ 1. garrison                                           A. evil___ 2. vicious                                             B. written dedication___ 3. treason                                            C. pleasant___ 4. agitators                                          D. inclined to lust___ 5. inscription                                      E. betrayal of allegiance___ 6. sloth                                                   F. laziness___ 7. lasciviousness                              G. angry; vengeful___ 8. subversion                                     H. act of destruction or overthrowing___ 9. vile                                                     I. troublemakers___10. wrathy                                            J. wretchedly bad___11. cordial                                             K. fortified body of troops___12. gaudy                                               L. showy without taste

Short Answer:Answer using complete sentences!

1.         Who barges into the Meeker tavern in April 1775, and with what news?

2.                  How does Sam feel about fighting the Lobsterbacks?

3.                  How does Sam answer when the minister, Mr. Beach, asks him if he thinks he knows better

than the King and Parliament?

4.                  How has Sam's father handled him in the past for speaking out?

5.                  What complaint does Sam have when Tim asks him to help with the chores?

6.                  Where does Sam tell Timmy he is going and why did he come home?

7.                  After father orders Sam out of the house, what does father do?

8.                  What is father's opinion of Sam's cause?

9.                  After church, where does Tim find Sam hiding?

10. Why does Tim become alarmed?

Journal (at least 5 complete sentences):How does Tim feel towards his father? How does Tim feel about the war? Is he confused about his own loyalty? Can you relate to Tim? How so? If you

can’t, think about a friend that has been in a similar situation. What advice would you give them?

Chapters 3-5:Vocab:

Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues - Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words mean in the space provided. 1. So I ran uphill and down, clambering over the stone and rail fences that divided the pastures. 2. Army commissary officers, like the one Sam was working for, were buying up a lot ofthe livestock to feed the troops. 3. I liked ciphering all right, but I didn't care much for spelling and studying the Bibleand memorizing psalms. 4. " Perhaps I might take him on as an apprentice in a year or two, once he's learned to cipher."

 5. Father said that surveyors always knew about the good deals on land and could get richspeculating. 6. He sat down at the table, too, and I went back to rushing the chair. 7. "I'd pay him a shilling." My father stared into his beer again and then slowly he began toshake his head. 8., 9. "Cholera gets them or consumption or something else, and they die. Tim it isn't worth it." 10. So I went inside to where he was holystoning the taproom table. Part II: Determining the Meaning - Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions. ___ 13. clambering                                              A. officer of providing provisions___ 14. commissary                                            B. learner of a trade___ 15. ciphering                                                 C. weaving___ 16. apprentice                                              D. acute disorder of the digestive tract___ 17. speculating                                              E. rubbing with sandstone___ 18. rushing                                                    F. climbing with effort___ 19. shilling                                                    G. British money___ 20. cholera                                                   H. wasting disease such as TB___ 21. consumption                                           I. taking a business risk___ 22. holystoning                                             J. arithmetic

Ch. 3-5 Short Answer (Using Complete Sentences!)1. Were there many changes in Redding due to the war in the summer of 1775?

2. Who passed secret information on Sam's whereabouts to Tim?

3. What disturbed Tim's fall afternoon wood chopping?

4. How does Tim respond when the Continental officer threatens his father?

5. Why didn't Sam rush into the tavern to help his father?

6. What happened when Sam and his father met face to face?

7. How did the war now affect Redding in the winter of 1776?

8. What are Tim's feeling about Sam since he has seen him?

9. What is Mr. Heron's offer to Mr. Meeker concerning Tim?

10. How does Tim react to Mr. Heron's offer?

Journal (at least 5 sentences!):Which methods does the author use to embed

historical events in the story? Why do you think Tim is so confused about the tension between his

brother and his father? What advice would you give him?

Using imagery, draw a picture of your favorite scene so far (No stick figures! Must take up most of the room!):

Chapters 6-8: Vocab:

Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual Clues

Below are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence. Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write what you think the underlined words mean in the space provided. 1. He said that his regiment had made a magnificent retreat, and the British were lucky they'd got out of it alive, but it sounded the other way around to me. 2. Father said no, she shouldn't encourage Sam's recalcitrance. 3. All of that part of Westchester County , from the Connecticut border over to the Hudson River, had gotten to be a kind of no man's land, with roving bands wandering around plundering people on the excuse that they were part of the war. 4. He grimaced and shook his head. Then he got down from the horse. 5. Others were edging out into the pastures alongside the road looking for forage. 6. Both sides are doing it- one sides burns a house and the other side retaliates. 7. He said that Sam was too smart a boy to be fooled by sedition. 8. There were all kinds of boats going up and down or moored offshore. 9. He had got a good price for the cattle and had negotiated for most of the other things he wanted to bring back to Redding. 10. Men and boys were fishing from the docks ,and sometimes we could see people out in the boats seining. Part II: Determining the Meaning.Match the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions. If there are words for which you cannotfigure out the definition by contextual clues and by process of elimination, look them up in adictionary.___ 23. regiment                                         A. compromised___ 24. recalcitrance                                 B. search for food___ 25. plundering                                     C. disloyalty to one's country___ 26. grimaced                                         D. violently robbing___ 27. forage                                                 E. unit of ground forces___ 28. retaliates                                         F. seeks revenge

___ 29. sedition                                             G. fishing with a large net___ 30. moored                                         H. disobedience; noncompliance___ 31. negotiated                                       I. made an ugly face___ 32. seining                                              J. securedChapter 6-8 Short Answer:

1. What action does Timmy take that is against his father's wishes?

2. How does Betsy Read interfere with Tim and Mr. Heron's plan?

3. What argument do Life and Susannah have over Sam's letters?

4. Who does Life decide to take with him to Verplanck's Point for his yearly trip?

5. What is Tim's job on the journey to Verplanck's Point?

6. For what reason is their trip interrupted? What happens?

7. Who aids Tim and his father in their time of need?

8. How are Tim's cousins living conditions different from he and Sam's at the tavern?

9. What do Ezekiel and Tim discuss before falling asleep?

10. Describe father and Tim's experience in Verplanck's Point?

11. Why does father decide to return the same way they came and not to stop at the tavern?

12. What slows them down when they are four miles from their relatives?

Journal (at least 5 good sentences!!):Even though Mr. Heron is a Tory, what reasons does Mr.

Meeker give him for not wanting Tim to carry mail for him? Do you find anything suspicious about Mr. Heron’s behavior with the Meekers? If so, what?

Betsy is suspicious of Tim’s journey. She later revealed she saw Tim get the letter from Mr. Heron. What does she think is going on? Do you think she’s right? Why or why not?

Chapters 9-10:Vocab:

Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual CluesBelow are the sentences in which the vocabulary words appear in the text. Read the sentence.Use any clues you can find in the sentence combined with your prior knowledge, and write whatyou think the underlined words mean in the space provided.1. The cow-boys had lain in ambush in the hemlock groves, jumped Father, and taken himaway somewhere.

2. Prices kept going up and up, and depreciation of the paper money took a lot of the profit outof it.

3. Pigheaded was what some people called him, but not me. Of course, I still hadn't figuredout what he was fighting for.

4. I watched and all at once through the hedgerows I caught a glimpse of movement and thingsflashing.

5. In a moment, the vanguard appeared around the bend.

6. At first when the troops had arrived, swaggering around so bold and gay, I had reallyadmired them.

7. There was a commotion in the British ranks, and a quick fusillade of shots.

8. The rider's horse was cantering off in a field, bucking.

Vocabulary - My Brother Sam is Dead Chapters 9-10 ContinuedPart II: Determining the MeaningMatch the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions. If there are words for which you cannotfigure out the definition by contextual clues and by process of elimination, look them up in adictionary.___ 33. ambush                                             A. galloping___ 34. depreciation                                   B. continuous discharge of firearms___ 35. pigheaded                                         C. disturbance___ 36. hedgerows                                         D. defiant strutting___ 37. vanguard                                             E. front part of an army___ 38. swaggering                                         F. rows of bushed forming a hedge___ 39. commotion                                         G. stubborn___ 40. fusillade                                                 H. lessening of value___ 41. cantering                                                I. surprise attack

Chapters 9-10 Short Answer:

1. What happens to father on the road between Ridgebury and Redding Ridge?

2. How does Tim decide what he will do if the cow-boys return for him and the supplies?

3. What does Tim do when the cow-boys stop him?

4. How does he feel about his ploy?

5. Where does mother think Life is?

6. In what way does Tim realize he has changed after he gets back home?

7. How is business at the tavern now that just Tim and his mother are running it?

8. What draws the townspeople's' attention late in April of 1777?

9. How do the Lobsterbacks react when the Rebel messenger rides into town unknowingly?

10. On his way to fetch Dr. Hobart to tend to the wounded messenger, what does Tim witness?

Journal:What do you think of the book so far? Is it what you expected

it to be? Why or why not? If you could describe the book with five adjectives, what would they be and why?

Chapters 11-12:Vocab:

Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual CluesWrite the meanings of the italicized words in the blank spots.1. Dr. Hobart shook his head. "A wasted errand," he said. "The trainband is pretty thin here."

2. "When is your enlistment up, Sam?"

3. That's what happened to Father: they'd had an epidemic of cholera on the prison ship he'dbeen on.

4. Not that I cared which side we sold them to, but the British were the ones who had money--they had the whole English exchequer behind them.

5. "An adjutant came around and asked if any of us were from his area and I said I was,and Colonel Parsons brought me into town this morning to show him around."

6. Some are unscrupulous when they're hungry and some are unscrupulous by nature andthey'll take whatever they think they can get away with.

7. "Of course the majority of men are honest and won't steal, but if they decide you're Tories,they'll have no compunction about taking your beef."

8. "Besides, he wants the people to come around to our side, and if he lets the troops forage,he'll lose all sympathy with the populace."

9. "I think something decisive will happen in the spring," he said.

10. "The other day some of the men were actually talking mutiny. A lot of them have noblankets, they're short of food, and the pay hasn't come through." Vocabulary - My Brother Sam is Dead Chapters 11-12 ContinuedPart II: Determining the MeaningMatch the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions. ___ 42. trainband                                                             A. treasury___ 43. enlistment                                                            B. trained band of citizen soldiery___ 44. epidemic                                                                 C. assistant officer___ 45. exchequer                                                             D. revolt or rebellion___ 46. adjutant                                                                     E. dishonest___ 47. unscrupulous                                                         F. regret; remorse___ 48. compunction                                                         G. deciding___ 49. populace                                                                 H. outbreak of disease___ 50. decisive                                                                     I. period of time enrolled___ 51. mutiny                                                                         J. common people

Chapters 11-12 Short Answer:1. What news does the wounded Continental messenger have about the British troop movement?

2. Whose troops are following the Redcoats?

3. Why does that interest Tim?

4. When Captain Betts comes into the tavern after his release from the British, what does he tell Timmy to do?

5. Why won't mother allow him to do it?

6. Where does Tim find Sam and in what shape is he?

7. What is mother's plea to Sam when she sees him? What is Sam's reply?

8. How does Timmy feel after this meeting with Sam?

9. What news of Life and Jerry Sanford did they receive in June of 1777?

10. Who shows up later in 1778 and what advice does he give Timmy?

11. Do Tim and mother take his advice?

12. What turn of events occur at the end of chapter 12?

Jounal:What would have been the result had all of those involved in

the fight for freedom given up when the going got tough? Describe what would life have been like then and now?

Chapter 13-Epilogue:Vocab:

Part I: Using Prior Knowledge and Contextual CluesYou know what to do! 1. She shook her head. "I have a terrible foreboding, Timothy. I want to pray."

2. General Putnam is a great and dedicated patriot and he does not take defection from dutylightly.

3. He was curt; he didn't really want to take the time. She told the story. He merely shrugged.

4. "Oh yes," Colonel Read said. A regular court-martial. There'll be a presiding justice and aboard of officers acting as the jury.

5. "Mrs. Meeker, I have bad news. They're going to execute Sam."

6. The Sunday before there would be a compulsory church attendance.

7. The one thing Putnam cannot do at this point is show clemency.

8. I have written this story down in this year 1826, on the fiftieth anniversary of the foundingof our nation, to commemorate the short life of my brother Samuel Meeker, who died fortysevenyears ago.

9. It will be, I am sure, a great history. Free of British domination, the nation has prosperedand I along with it. Vocabulary - My Brother Sam is Dead Chapters 13-Epilogue ContinuedPart II: Determining the MeaningMatch the vocabulary words to their dictionary definitions. ___ 52. foreboding                                                         A. ruled___ 53. defection                                                             B. act of mercy or leniency___ 54. curt                                                                         C. to remember___ 55. court-martialed                                                 D. absolutely necessary___ 56. execute                                                                 E. military hearing___ 57. compulsory                                                     F. rudely brief___ 58. clemency                                                         G. kill by shooting___ 59. commemorate                                                 H. desertion___ 60. domination                                                        I. a prediction; especially of evil

Chapter 13-Epilogue Short Answer:

1. Who does Tim go to see about the false charges against Sam?

2. How does Tim's mother react to this message?

3. What does she find out about the situation?

4. How does Colonel Read clarify the problem for mother and Tim?

5. What was the result of the court martial?

6. How does Colonel Parsons explain the decision to Tim?

7. When Tim goes to Colonel Putnam in Sam's defense, what happens?

8. What is Tim's plan to save Sam the night before the execution? Is it successful?

9. Was Sam executed as planned?

10. What happens to Tim and his mother after Sam's execution?

Journal:What is the purpose of the Epilogue? Do you think it was a

good thing to have in the book or not? Why? Also, would you recommend this book to your friend? Why or why not? Finally, how did this book leave you feeling? What are your thoughts?

BOOK JACKET PROJECT (50 Points)Objective:     Design a book jacket (dust cover) with two (2)

drawings (one on the front and back) as well as text on the end flaps. The text for the end flaps will contain a

summary and review of the book.

3 inches                                          1 inch (center)                      3 inches

3 in ch es

Directions:   Your finished project is a book jacket (dust cover) complete with a summary of the story and a review of

the book.

Your final text will need to be typed or written by you, and if typed, it will also have to be formatted in a narrow

column.  

DRAWINGS: Your book jacket will need two (2) original drawings that relate to the book.  One should be for the front and one for the back. They should not look exactly like the book’s real cover or any illustrations in the book itself,

but you may use it for ideas.

Leave room on the back for a short “teaser” paragraph.

SUMMARY: The summary of the story has three (3) parts:

·                    One paragraph for the setting (time and place) and in which you describe the plot

o       Setting / Plot:  The plot usually revolves around some kind of problem or challenge or goal. What were the main characters trying to do? What were some important

events that happened because of that effort? How did it turn out in the end? Why did it turn out that way?

·                    One paragraph in which you describe the main characters

o       Main Characters: They - almost always – change in the course of the story. The events of the plot have an effect

on them. If you are writing about one or more main characters, try to write about them in terms of this

change.

§         Think about them at the start of the story and at the end.

§         How did that character respond to the events? What was it about that character that made him or her respond that

way?

§         How did the events change the character?

·                    One paragraph which talks about the theme (the general idea or message of the book).

o       Theme:  The theme of the book is the Big Idea that the author is trying to get across. When you talk about

theme, you talk about it in terms of general things. For example, a major theme in “Flowers for Algernon” was

that it does not take intelligence to make a person good. The theme of a story is the idea or lesson. The plot of the story is the way that the author gets us to think

about that idea. Many different stories could be written about the same theme.

REVIEW:     The review: section is where you give your opinions about the book and back them up with references to the

text. Usually, we respond to the story itself and to the author’s way of telling it.  For example, you might want

to talk about the author's style of writing. Look for strengths and weaknesses.  Refer to specific parts of the

story, perhaps finding a quote or two from the text, to illustrate your points. Please don't use numbers or stars or some other made-up rating system. Just give us your

thoughts and show us some evidence.