Across Five Aprils
By Irene Hunt
Study Project
Chapter 1 and 2 Before you read: 1. Use a dictionary to write an understandable definition and sentence for each of the following: a. mellow p.8 b. furrow p.8 c. Destiny p.9 d. apathy p.11 e. pretext p.11 f. somber p.12 g. melancholy p.12 h. comeuppance p.12 i. furor p.14 j. acrid p.19 k. sorghum p.20 2. Research the following and write two sentences about the importance of each: a. Copernicus b. John Brown c. William Lloyd Garrison d. Charles Sumner e. Fort Sumter 3. On the map, draw the Mason‐Dixon line. Write two sentences telling what it was. After you read: 4. Research the two wars described on p. 15 at the top of the page. What were the names of the wars? Briefly describe the events of the wars. 5. On p. 28‐31 the book discusses several factors which led to the Civil War. Make a complete list of them here: Chapter 3 Before you read: 1. Use a dictionary to write a definition and sentence for each of the following: a. bunting p. 37 b. tedium p. 37 c. fiasco p. 38 d. blithely p. 42 e. wastrel p.42 2. Research the following and write two sentences about the importance of each: a. General George McClellan b. Seward c. Chase d. Thad Stevens e. Wendell Phillips f. Henry W. Beecher g. Jefferson Davis h. Robert E. Lee 3. Briefly describe what happened in each battle listed below. Then mark their location on the map. Also label the states of Missouri, Virginia, Illinois, and Kentucky. Trace the Mississippi River. Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas) Ball’s Bluff Wilson’s Creek
After you read: 1. On page 41, Bill talks about the major issues of the Civil War. List the issues he discusses. In a couple of sentences, tell which side you would fight for in the war and why. 2. There is a metaphor comparing two things at the top of page 44. What two things are compared? ________________ & ____________________. Carefully draw the scene the author describes at the bottom of page 43, beginning with “At the foot of the hill” and ending on page 44 with the sentence “A line of wild geese flew southward.” Chapter 4 Before you read: 1. Use a dictionary to write a definition and sentence for each of the following: a. mimicry b. attainment c. intellectual d. pompous 2. Write about two sentences telling the importance of each of these in the Civil War: a. Fort Henry in Tennessee b. Ulysses S. Grant c. Fort Donelson d. ironclads e. the Essex (ship) f. Albert Sidney Johnston 3. Briefly describe what happened to President Lincoln’s son Willie. ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ 4. Find out what the phrase “Et tu, Brute” means. To what does it refer? ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ 5. Mark the following on the map: *Mississippi River, *Kentucky, *Missouri, *Tennessee River, *Cumberland River, *Ohio River, *Clarksville, TN, * Nashville, TN, *Fort Donelson, *Fort Henry, *Memphis, TN, *Tennessee, *Mississippi, *Louisiana, and *the Confederate line as described by Shad on page 57. Chapter 5 1. Research the following. Write two or more sentences about them: a. Franz Sigel b. General Curtis c. “Bobby Lee” d. Van Dorn e. McCulloch f. Pike (Indians) g. Thomas Paine h. “Copperhead” i. Battle of Pea Ridge 2. What is a “passel” of something? See p. 67 and p. 70. 3. Mark Newton, Illinois and the Embarrass River on your CH 4 map. Chapter 8 Before you read: 1. Research the following. Write a short paragraph about their importance during the Civil War. a. Admiral Farragut __________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________ 2. Write a definition and sentence for each of the following words: a. dissuaded b. keener c. disillusioned 3. Mark on the map the following: *New Orleans, *New Madrid, *the fort at Island 10 (see p.119), *Baton Rouge, *Vicksburg, *Cumberland Gap (see p.120), *Battle of Antietam, *Rappahannock River, *Fredericksburg VA, *Stones River TN. After you read: 4. What did Jethro do (bottom of p. 123‐ top of p. 124) which showed respect? Do you think modern kids would have done the same? What would you have done? ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ 5. Discuss the tremendous temptation that desertion would pose to a war‐sick and battle‐weary soldier. Include in your answer a list of the discouraging elements which would contribute to this temptation. What was the one thing that would keep a soldier from discouragement and desertion? Answer in a full paragraph. ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ Chapter 11 1. For the following words, write a dictionary definition, and then rewrite the phrase from the book, substituting a synonym for the vocabulary word. a. traitorous complicity (p. 161) b. jubilation c. reversal d. provender (p. 162) e. vindictiveness (p. 165) f. clemency g. tenacity h. proclamation i. amnesty j. deluded k. degradation l. detractors m. relegated n. obscurity (p. 166) o. viscious p. invective q. asset (p. 167) r. blundering s. betrayal t. cynically u. advent 2. Why do you think the Gettysburg Address was so important? ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________ 3. Of the following battles, research one and write a mini‐report about it. Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Battle of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Petersburg, Mobile Bay, Shenandoah Valley, Atlanta. ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ 4. Of the following people, research one and write a mini‐report. General Longstreet, General George Thomas, General William T. Sherman, Admiral Farragut, General Early, General Hood, Phillip Sheridan. ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ Chapter 12 Before you read: 1. Choose 10 of the following words, write a dictionary definition, and then rewrite the phrase from the book, substituting a synonym for the vocabulary word. a. plunder (p. 176) b. atrocity c. secesh d. angular (p. 178) e. taut f. aimlessly g. wrench h. imminence (p. 179) i. bigots (p. 180) j. mockery k. pawns l. exploited m. permeating (p. 181) n. radiance o. delinquent (p. 182) p. lament q. irreparable r. huskily After you read: 2. Describe General Willam T. Sherman’s march to the sea and his capture of Savannah, Georgia. ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ 3. Discuss Ross Milton’s statement on p. 179, “Don’t expect peace to be a perfect pearl, Jeth.” ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ 4. Discuss the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. When was it ratified, and what did it accomplish? ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ 5. Describe Lee’s surrender to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. How do you think each man was feeling? ___________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________ 6. Research the events surrounding Lincoln’s assassination. Write a mini‐report. ___________________________________________________________________
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