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What's in this Guide
This CD was created to help parents and teachers better understand
the topics woven into each chapter of the fictional history
novel, My Brother Sam is Dead, and provide them with the resources
needed to effectively teach it in their classrooms.
I have broken out this CD into two sections:
- Guide to MBSD and
- Teaching Resources
In the Guide to MBSD folder you will find:
1. Chapter by Chapter Summary & Analysis of My Brother
Sam is Dead
This document includes a summary and analysis of the most
important topics in each chapter. At the end of each chapter
summary you will find classroom discussions ideas, classroom
questions and a link to an online, self-grading test (test
results can be emailed directly to you).
2. Real Life vs. Events Fictionalized in My Brother Sam
is Dead
This document points out real life people and events vs. My
Brother Sam is Dead people and events. I do this using quotes
that come directly from the novel; below the quotes are the
historical facts these quotes are based on.
3. My Brother Sam is Dead Maps of Redding, Connecticut
Maps of Redding, Connecticut provides a visual of the locations
in the novel. Students will see:
- Where Redding, Connecticut is located.
- Map of Redding that relates to My Brother Sam is Dead.
- Map of Westchester & Fairfield County that relates to
My Brother Sam is Dead.
- Modern map of people and places related to My Brother
Sam is Dead in Redding.
- Map of Westchester & Fairfield County with stars showing
Tim and Life's cattle drive route to Verplancks Point.
- Map of Lower Fairfield County showing the route the British
Troops took when they raided the storage facilities at Danbury
in April of 1777.
- Link to an Interactive Google Map of all the locations
that relate to the novel.
4. Short Summary of My Brother Sam is Dead & the Topics
it Covers
This document provides a short summary of the novel's storyline
and the topics that are covered in its chapters. Many teachers
distribute this document to students and their parents prior
to bringing the novel into their classroom.
5. Places you can Visit Related to My Brother Sam is Dead
For those within driving distance to Southwestern Connecticut,
there is plenty to explore in relation to this novel. This
document points out the most relevant destinations, their
tie-in with the novel and how to get there.
6. The Setting of the Novel, Redding, Connecticut
Background information on Redding, Connecticut and the important
role it played during the Revolutionary War.
7. The Real People Fictionalized in the Novel
Background information on each of the families and individuals
fictionalized by the authors in the novel. Tim Meeker, William
Heron, John Read, Jerry Sanford, Tom Warrups and many, many
more…
8. Why is My Brother Sam is Dead Censored by Some Watch
Groups?
Why the novel earned a Top 10 listing on the American Way's
most challenged book list in 1996. My response to these challenges.
In the Teaching Resources folder you will find six
sub-folders:
1. Colonial Topics Materials that provide students
with visual examples of topics touched on in the novel: sleeping
lofts, paper money, droving, etc…
2. Lesson Plans & Ideas Parent letters, lesson plans
and examples of how others are using historical fiction novels
in their classrooms. Online teaching tools and chapter quizzes
are located at my History of Redding website.
3. Maps Collection of maps that relate to both My
Brother Sam is Dead and the Revolutionary War.
4. My Brother Sam is Dead Topics These documents explore
each of the topics that are woven into My Brother Sam is Dead's
storyline.
5. Photos Collection of photos sorted by folder to
show students the places relevant to My Brother Sam is Dead
in the present day.
6. Revolutionary War Documents & Resources Collection
of primary source and secondary source documents, and newsletters
that explore a diverse range of topics.
*The contents of this CD are intended for personal and classroom
usage. I have kept the information in Word document format
to make it easy for parents and teachers to cut and paste
the material to create their own resources and lesson plans.
To request this CD, email bcolley@snet.net
Be sure to use My Brother Sam is Dead in the e-mail subject
area, that helps.
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