LESSON 12 TEACHER’S GUIDE
Redcoats in America
by Barbara Brooks Simons
Fountas-Pinnell Level T
Nonfiction
Selection Summary
The life of a British soldier fighting in the American Revolution was
extremely difficult. British soldiers were paid poorly and treated badly
by their own officers. But they didn’t fight the Americans on their
own. They were joined by many African Americans, American Indians,
Loyalists, and Germans.
Number of Words: 1,299
Characteristics of the Text
Genre
Text Structure
Content
Themes and Ideas
Language and
Literary Features
Sentence Complexity
Vocabulary
Words
Illustrations
Book and Print Features
• Nonfiction
• Three chapters with subheadings
• Introduction and conclusion
• British soldiers and officers in America
• African Americans, American Indians, and Germans assisted the British in fighting the
Patriots.
• The life of a British soldier fighting in America was difficult.
• Other groups joined the British to fight against Americans.
• Great Britain and the U.S. later worked together to support democracy and freedom.
• Many words enclosed in quotation marks
• Some questions embedded in the text
• A mixture of short and complex sentences
• Multiple items in a series, separated with commas
• Terms related to soldiers and army life: ammunition, canteen, bayonet, bounties
• Terms related to daily life in Britain: pence, coachmen, chimney sweeps
• Primarily one- and two-syllable words
• Some multisyllable words: independence, rebellious, exhausted, and Loyalists
• Artwork and photographs with captions bearing extra information
• Photograph of a primary source
• Labeled illustration of British uniform
• Sidebars with supplementary information
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
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Redcoats in America
by Barbara Brooks Simons
Build Background
Help students use their knowledge of British soldiers called Redcoats to visualize the text.
Build interest by asking questions such as the following: What country were the Redcoats
from? How did the Redcoats get their nickname? Read the title and the author and talk
about the cover photograph.
Introduce the Text
Guide students through the text, noting important ideas and nonfiction features. Help with
unfamiliar language so they can read the text successfully. Give special attention to target
vocabulary. Here are some suggestions:
Page 3: Have students locate the highlighted word rebellious on the page.
Suggested language: American colonists rebelled against British tax laws. The
Americans wanted Britain to repeal taxes. What does it mean to repeal a tax?
Page 8: Read the caption. British soldiers had a very difficult life in America, but
British officers had many advantages. How does this illustration prove this point?
Page 10: Find the word midst in the second paragraph. British soldiers who were
not officers lived in the midst of people who hated them. What’s another word for
midst?
Page 13: Read the first heading on the page. Many African Americans were on
the side of the British during the American Revolution. They were not sure that an
independent America would prohibit slavery. Why would that uncertainty make
them fight against the Americans?
Now turn back to the beginning and read about the life of Redcoats in America in
the late 1700s.
Target Vocabulary
advantages – skills or situations
in one’s favor, p. 8
benefit – something helpful and
useful, p. 11
contrary – exact opposite, p. 12
Grade 5
midst – middle, p. 10
objected – expressed an opinion
against something, p. 10
previously – before, p. 7
prohibit – ban or forbid, p. 13
2
rebellious – acts against
authority, p. 3
repeal – cancel, p. 3
temporary – meant to serve only
for a short time, p. 8
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Read
Have students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their
understanding of the text as needed.
Remind students to use the Question Strategy
before they read, as they read, and after they read.
and to ask questions
Discuss and Revisit the Text
Personal Response
Invite students to share their personal responses to the text.
Suggested language: What was the most surprising fact you learned in this text?
What else would you like to learn about the Redcoats?
Ways of Thinking
As you discuss the text, help students understand these points:
Thinking Within the Text
Thinking Beyond the Text
Thinking About the Text
• The Redcoats were sent to
America to make sure that
Americans obeyed British laws.
• The Americans’ treatment of
British soldiers contributed to
their defeat.
• Headings in the form of
questions provide content clues.
• The life of a British soldier
in America was quite harsh,
because they were treated badly
by British officers.
• Groups of people had concerns
about what an independent
America would be like.
• Other groups of people
joined the British to fight the
Americans.
• A labeled illustration of a British
uniform provides easy-toassimilate information.
• A primary source adds
authenticity to the text.
© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.
Choices for Further Support
• Fluency Invite students to choose a section of text from Chapter 3 to read aloud.
Remind them to let punctuation guide the length of their pauses. Tell students that
they should take short pauses at commas and full stops at periods and question
marks.
• Comprehension Based on your observations of the students’ reading and discussion,
revisit parts of the text to clarify or extend comprehension. Remind students to go
back to the text to support their ideas.
• Phonics/Word Work Explain that the word part uni– comes from the same Latin word
meaning “one.” Point out that the word uniform begins with the prefix uni–. Create a
word web and challenge students to think of other words that begin with uni– (united,
unicorn, unique).
Grade 5
3
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Writing about Reading
Critical Thinking
Have students complete the Vocabulary questions on BLM 12.1.
Responding
Have students use their Reader’s Notebook to complete the vocabulary activities on page
15. Remind them to answer the Word Teaser on page 16. (Answer: advantages, benefits)
Reading Nonfiction
Nonfiction Features:
Captions and Headings Remind students that nonfiction has many features to help
readers find and understand important information. Captions and headings are two of
these features. Explain that captions can be short phrases that identify the subject of a
graphic aid. They can also be longer sentences that supply additional information, as they
do in this text. Have student go back and read the captions on pages 5–7 and summarize
the ideas presented in the main text.
Headings are another important source of information. They usually identify the main idea
of the text that follows. Point out that the headings in this text are in the form of questions.
Have students state their opinions about this text feature. Ask students what they expect
the section under a heading that is a question to do. Lead them to see that they can expect
the text to answer the question.
Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the Text
Have students write a response to the prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they
think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understandings.
Assessment Prompts
• What can the reader conclude about Loyalists?
• How does the author organize the information under each heading in Chapter 2?
• What is the most important thing that the author wants readers to understand about
British soldiers?
Grade 5
4
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English Language Development
Reading Support Pair beginning and intermediate readers to read the text softly, or
have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind student that life of a British
soldier wasn’t easy.
Cognates This text includes many cognates. Point out the English words and their
Spanish equivalents: uniform (uniforme), ammunition (municíon), families (familias),
colonies (colonias), and democracy (democracia).
Oral Language Development
Check student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’
English proficiency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.
Beginning/Early Intermediate
Intermediate
Early Advanced/ Advanced
Speaker 1: What were the British
soldiers usually called?
Speaker 1: Why were British soldiers
called Redcoats?
Speaker 2: Redcoats
Speaker 2: The British soldiers’ jackets
were red.
Speaker 1: Why did many African
Americans join the British army
and navy?
Speaker 1: What were Loyalists?
Speaker 2: Americans who wanted to
stay British
Speaker 1: What is one group of
Americans that fought with the
British?
Speaker 1: What was a Loyalist?
Speaker 2: A loyalist was an American
who wanted to stay British.
Speaker 2: Since they didn’t know
if an independent America would
prohibit slavery, they thought
it was better if America did not
gain independence.
Speaker 2: African Americans
Lesson 12
Name
Date
Target Vocabulary
BLACKLINE MASTER 12.1
Redcoats in America
Target Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks in the Column Chart below with synonyms and
antonyms of the Target Vocabulary words. Then complete the
Column Chart with the remaining Target Vocabulary words.
Possible responses shown.
Vocabulary
benefit
temporary
previously
rebellious
repeal
contrary
midst
Word and Definition
benefit: something of help
advantages
prohibit
objected
Synonym (same or similar
meaning as the Target
Vocabulary word)
advantage, profit
Antonym (opposite or nearly
opposite meaning of the
Target Vocabulary word)
drawback,
disadvantage
repeal: do away with
abolish,
keep, maintain
cancel
temporary: brief
short
permanent, long
contrary: against
opposite
with, in agreement
3
Target Vocabulary
Grade 5, Unit 3: Revolution!
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Grade 5
5
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Name
Date
Redcoats in America
Thinking Beyond the Text
Think about the questions below. Then write your answer in one or two
paragraphs.
Remember that when you think beyond the text, you use your personal
knowledge to reach new understandings.
On page 3, the text says, “Britain had the most powerful army in the world,
but the rebellious Americans won anyway.” What are three reasons that you
think the Americans defeated the British? Which of your reasons do you
think was the most important? Why? Explain your answer giving examples
from the text.
Grade 5
6
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Lesson 12
Name
BLACKLINE MASTER 12.1
Date
Target Vocabulary
Redcoats in America
Target Vocabulary
Fill in the blanks in the Column Chart below with synonyms and
antonyms of the Target Vocabulary words. Then complete the Column
Chart with the remaining Target Vocabulary words.
Vocabulary
benefit
temporary
previously
rebellious
repeal
contrary
midst
Word and Definition
advantages
prohibit
objected
Synonym (same or similar
meaning as the Target
Vocabulary word)
Antonym (opposite or nearly
opposite meaning of the
Target Vocabulary word)
benefit: something of help
advantage, profit
drawback,
repeal: do away with
abolish,
keep, maintain
Grade 5
7
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Student
Lesson 12
Date
BLackline master 12.23
Redcoats in America • level t
page
Redcoats in America
Running Record Form
Selection Text
3
Errors
Self-Corrections
Accuracy Rate
Total SelfCorrections
In the late 1700s, America was a British colony ruled by
the king of England. He sent British soldiers to America to
make sure his laws were obeyed.
Americans were not happy with British rule. They hated
the British soldiers, who were called “Redcoats” for the color
of their uniforms. Some wanted the king to repeal taxes they
thought were unfair. In time, many wanted independence from
Britain. That led to war.
British soldiers fought in America for six years. Britain had
the most powerful army in the world, but the rebellious
Americans won anyway. What was life like for these soldiers
far from home?
Comments:
(# words read
correctly/105 ×
100)
%
Read word correctly
Code
✓
cat
Repeated word,
sentence, or phrase
®
Omission
—
cat
cat
Grade 5
Behavior
Error
0
0
1
8
Substitution
Code
cut
cat
1
Self-corrects
cat
cut sc
0
Insertion
the
1
Word told
T
cat
cat
ˆ
Error
1414144
Behavior
1
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