The purpose of these plans is to provide the teacher with background information to the book as well as ideas for pre-teaching and extension activities. Included is also a set of questions for each Chapter and a resources page with web sites and books listed. We will begin with a brief education behind the ideas in the book, recommendations for teaching with it, specific questions and finally ideas for further research.

First of all, let us remember that all of the Young Heroes of History books are designed to be used either as stand alone books or as part of a ten volume family saga. It is not necessary to purchase other books if a teacher only wants to focus on the issues in Nowhere to Turn.

In Book One, Send ‘Em South, we are introduced to David and George Adams. They are two young Irish boys who live in Boston at a time when the Irish were severely mistreated and abused by the people of Boston. Fortunately for David, his father married a relatively wealthy Abolitionist woman. This allowed the family to move out of the slums. The entire Irish family, including George and his father, were allowed to rent a house from David’s grandfather even though he openly dislikes the Irish.

Years later, David’s parents have left him in Boston to move to the dangerous Kansas territory. As avid abolitionists, they hope to help make the newly forming state slave free. While they are gone, David and George discover Lisa, a fugitive slave girl trying to escape the slave catchers who have come to find her. Although George does not really want to help, David brings him along in his attempt to help Lisa remain free. By the end of the book, David has apparently failed and Lisa is returned to the plantation in Georgia.

In Book Two, On the Trail of John Brown’s Body we see the two cousins, David and George desperately trying to remain best friends despite the split that is going on in their family and in the country over the slavery issue. Unfortunately for them both, David’s father and grandfather are deeply involved in a secret plot with the mysterious John Brown. When David unwittingly steals money from his grandfather and runs away to Kansas, he sets in motion a series of events that will imperil the entire family.

David’s grandfather sends George after David. Then he hires a mysterious stranger to follow them. Throughout George’s travels and even in Kansas, this stranger becomes a constant threat. Once in Kansas, the boys experience first hand the danger and violence of "Bleeding Kansas." To make matters worse David’s mother is ill and his father keeps disappearing for days at a time. The only time things seem normal is when David, George, their new friend Charles and their fathers play a friendly game of baseball.

When the mystery finally begins to make itself known, things only get worse. David’s father is involved with John Brown and has gone off to Harper’s Ferry to end slavery forever! Only George and David can stop him but they don’t know whether they should! George ends up kidnapped by Brown’s men and it looks like he might even die when Brown attacks the town and makes George and other citizens his hostages!

In Book Three  Off to Fight, George and his father have left the family and moved to Virginia. They have made the state their home after the John Brown raid made them fear and despise the extremes of the abolitionist movement.

George’s priorities however are simply to be a 13 year old boy, have fun and hang out with the guys. He finds that the only way he can make friends in Richmond, Virginia is to join a gang. Things go well for George and his new  found friends until the state of Virginia secedes from the Union and calls for volunteers.

Hoping to join his older friends, George joins up as a drummer boy and is eventually promoted. Unfortunately, war is not the fun adventure George thought it would be. When the Federals attack Fredericksburg and destroy the town George sees firsthand the devastation of war.

A young girl living in Fredericksburg becomes victim to the Union bombardment as her house is destroyed and her parents killed. Hiding in the woods, trying to survive, Allison is discovered by George and eventually learns to trust him. The only problem is that George is a soldier and he must go off to fight and leave Allison all alone!

Thomas is an unhappy boy.  His older brother David has disappeared  (at the end of Book Two).  His favorite cousin George has moved South.  His parents are dead and he has been forced to move with his Uncle to a farm in Pennsylvania.  He finds his life boring and monotonous. 

Nowhere To Turn is a book about choices.  Throughout the book Thomas finds he makes the wrong choices for the wrong reasons.  He chooses to run away.  He chooses to join the army.  He chooses to run from battle and he chooses to hide his secret from his family and friends.  By the time of the Battle of Antietam Thomas has no choices left and finds himself with Nowhere to Turn.  

By examining Thomas’ character, students learn about how to make choices.  They learn about consequences and the effect their actions have on others. 

·         To provide background information on the early battles of the Civil War as part of the everyday descriptions.

·         To introduce major characters and places such as Washington D.C., Sharpsburg Maryland; General George B. McClellan, General Robert E. Lee, and Abraham Lincoln and portray them as they appeared to the people of the times.

·         To portray the horror of war as seen through the eyes of the soldiers.

·         To examine the Northern view of the war as seen through its soldiers and civilians.

·         To portray the role of mascots during the war.

·         To evaluate the time period through the eyes of the people who lived it.

·         To portray the events in a non-biased way in order to allow the reader to evaluate and judge.

·         To describe the issues of the times in contemporary terms.

·         To include the everyday concerns of people of the time period in order to put the larger issues into perspective.

·         To portray the individuals as people similar to ourselves that the reader can relate to.

·         To instill an appreciation of history.

·         To provide the reader with questions and issues for debate and discussion.

The most important issue in Nowhere to Turn  is choices.  The main character, Thomas, is faced with many choices throughout the book and he continuously makes the wrong ones.  He runs from everything he can’t deal with leaving him with Nowhere to Turn by the end.  This has obvious messages to students as they consider how to deal with obstacles present in their own lives.

Another problem we tackle is that today’s students view the Civil War as a basic fight between North and South with the North as the good guy and the South as the bad guy.  They believe that the Northern Soldier boldly went off to free the slave or fight for the Union.

Nowhere to Turn dispels these myths.  Debate and criticism between Northerners is a strong theme in the book.  Whether the South should be let go, how they should fight them and if they should fight them at all are all debated by the characters. 

In addition, the horrors of war are dealt with.  We see a terrible rout at Ball’s Bluff and the Carnage of Antietam.  Our main character Thomas deals with the issue of courage and duty and honor. 

Finally, the issue of how should mascots be treated in a war is also touched upon.  The role they played, the importance they had to the everyday soldier were all important issues of the day.

The quick answer to this question is middle level readers, usually around the age of 11-15. However, understanding the uniqueness of individuals, there are of course many ways to adapt the reading level for different needs. The book is appropriate for younger readers who read above level or have an interest in the civil war or history. Finally, it can also be used with younger learners in a group reading where an adult is present. The book may also be used by older students and indeed has been used in grades as high as 11.

The answer to this question of course depends on to what degree the teacher wants to cover material. A basic understanding of the causes of the war is a good starting point. Expanding this to discuss how the war progressed and definition of secession is the next logical area to discuss. At minimum, students should be aware of the following:

Secession: The act of leaving a group. In this case, the declarations of Independence that the Southern States declare when leaving the United States of America.

The Confederacy: The term used to describe the group of states that secede and form a new government based upon a confederation style as seen in the original Articles of Confederation.

Union: Term used to apply to the Northern government; the United States of America.

Abolitionism: The idea and active desire to end slavery rapidly and sometimes through “extreme” measures.

The Election of 1860: The Presidential election that brought Abraham Lincoln into office and caused 7 Southern States to instantly secede.  Four more would follow.

Copperheads:  Northern Politicians who were in favor of ending the war.

Regiment:  A unit of men in the army organized by a town or a group of people totaling 1,000 men.

**Special Note: Much of the information needed to cover these topics can be found on the various web sites listed at the end of these plans.

*Discuss the history of slavery and its conditions.

*Examine the Constitutional Convention.  Was there anything in the document about State’s Rights?

*Examine the expansion of Slavery by looking at the various compromises: 3/5; Missouri; 1850.

*Examine the Geography of the United States at the time. Identify Southern and Northern states as well as the territories.

*Review the election of 1860. What states voted for Lincoln?

*Read the reasons for secession given by Southern States in their declarations of Independence.

*Read Lincoln’s Inaugural Address and discuss his attitudes towards Secession.

*Review the different advantages and disadvantages both North and South had in the coming war.

*Review the battle of Bull Run.

These questions are designed to be used by many levels of students. They are broken down into simple recall and understanding, in-depth and critical thinking questions, and extension/discussion questions. Feel free to use whatever questions meet the needs of the age group you are using.

1.  Describe Alfie.

2.  Where did Thomas get Alfie?

3.  What is Thomas’ nickname?  Why do the boys call him that?

4.  Who saves Thomas from Taylor?

5. Why do the boys make fun of Thomas?

6.  Why does Thomas not like being helped by his sister?

7. Why do children make fun of each other?  Is it just because they are mean?

1.  Who is home when Thomas and Mary return with Alfie?

2.  What injury has happened to Alfie?

Understanding:

3. Whose side does Thomas say Joshua always takes?

4.  How does Aunt Patricia treat Mary?

Discussion:

5.  Why do you think Aunt Patricia and her children treat Thomas and Mary different?  Does this kind of thing still happen today?

Research:

6.  Thomas says that his cousins might be mad “cuz dad was involved with that whole John Brown thing”.    Who was John Brown?  Why might his followers be unpopular even in the North?

CHAPTER 3

Recall :

1.  Describe Uncle Robert.

2.  What did Thomas want from his Uncle?

3.  What news did Uncle Robert have?

4.  How long did people expect the war to last?

Critical Thinking:

5. Why can Thomas’ cousins join the war and Thomas cannot?

6.  Why do you think boys as young as 15 were allowed to fight?

In Depth:

7. List each member in the family and describe their reaction to the news of the war.  You may use quotes if you like.

CHAPTER 4

Recall:

1.  Why is Joshua going into town?

2.  What news does he bring back?

3.  What is the family’s reaction?

Critical Thinking:

4.  Why do you think Joey, Bobby and Peter abruptly leave?

5.  Why is Mary so upset?

6.  What is Thomas’ reaction to the news and what does he plan to do about it?

Research/Extension:

Using the internet:

7. Find out what regiments and/or companies in your hometown were involved in the war.   What were the men’s names? What happened to them?

8.  To what degree did boys fight in the Civil War?  How did they join, what were their numbers like and were their any famous boys who fought?

CHAPTER 5

Recall:

1. Describe Thomas’ life as a soldier.  What one word would you use to describe it?

2.  Why does Chester not like Thomas?

3.  What is the name of Thomas’ Regiment?

4.  What kinds of men are in it?

5.  What is Mary doing at home to help in the war effort?

6.  Who is Blue?  How did Thomas find him?

Research:

7. Investigate the use of Mascots in the Army.  What kind of animals have they been?  What uses have they had?  Have there been any famous ones?

CHAPTER 6

Recall:

1.  What was Blue’s only “flaw”?

2.  What do Mark and Thomas have in common?

3.  Where had the game of Baseball started?

4.  How is the game interrupted?

5.  Who is Chris and what does he like to do?

Critical Thinking:

6.  What rules of Baseball do you find different?

7.  Why is Blue allowed to play?

CHAPTER 7

Recall:

1.   Describe Ball’s Bluff.

2.  How many men are in a company?  A regiment?

3.  What happened to Mark?

4.  What did the Union soldiers do when they retreated?

Critical Thinking:

5. Why did the soldiers think that General McClellan would be better for the army?

6.  Why were dogs allowed to be mascots in battles?

Discussion:

7.  What was Thomas’ reaction when he killed the first soldier?  Is he a murderer?

CHAPTER 8

Recall:

1.   Who does Thomas see when he first wakes up?

2.  What wound had Thomas received?

3.  What clues tell Aunt Patricia that Thomas is faking?

4.  What is her reaction to the news? 

Critical Thinking:

5.  Do you think Blue saved Thomas?  Do you know for sure?  Is this something that a dog would or could do?

6.  What did Thomas expect the war to be like?

Discussion:

7.  Is Thomas a coward?  Why/ why not?

CHAPTER 9

Recall:

1. How did Thomas’ family treat him?

2.  How is the war going for the Union?

3. What is the opinion of Bobby and Peter about what the Union should do about the Confederacy?

Critical Thinking

4.  Why was Thomas’ bandages like a “badge of shame”?

5.  Why does Peter think that the Union Army is doing so poorly?

CHAPTER 10

Recall:

1.   How did people react when they learned Thomas’ secret?  Describe the various opinions.

2.  The war is going badly for the Union.  What did President Lincoln have to do in the summer to try to make up for this?

3.  What has happened to Mark?  Describe his situation.

4.  What does Thomas’ older brother David ask him to do?

Critical Thinking:

5.  What does David believe this war is all about?

6.  What does he compare it to?

7.  What does he claim is the reason most Northerners are fighting?

Discussion:

8.  What does Mary say Thomas does every time he has a problem?  Have you ever done this?  Why?

Research/Extension:

9.  How were prisoners of war treated?  Using books and the internet, discover how both and North and South treated their prisoners.  (You may want to study the infamous Andersonville prison.)

CHAPTER 11

Recall:

1. What does Thomas do with his sister Helen in the grass?

2. What problem does he have when doing this?

3.  Who shows up at Thomas’ house?

4.  What do they want?

5.  What ends the fight?

Critical Thinking:

6. Describe the pressure Thomas is under.  What does he think everyone is trying to do to him?  Have you ever felt that people are doing this to you?

7.  What has Thomas proven to everyone?

CHAPTER 12

Recall:

1. What happened to Alfie?

2.  What does Mary tell Thomas she is going to do?

3.   When do they arrive in Washington D.C.?

4.  What is the city like on the day they arrive?

5.  What news do they hear about General Lee?

6.  Where do they think he may be headed?

Research/Extension:

7.  Thomas and Mary are afraid that England and France might help the Confederacy.  What role did foreign countries take in our Civil War?  How did the Battle of Antietam affect these roles?

CHAPTER 13

Recall:

1. What corps is Thomas in?

2.  What did Mary do once Thomas went to look for his corps?

3.  What did Blue find in the grass?

4.  Why did Thomas not want anyone to know he found the Special Order?

Critical Thinking:

5.  Why do Mary and Thomas fear General Lee’s invasion?  According to them, what has his battle record been like?

6.  How would having a copy of Special Order 191 help the Northern army?

Research?Extension:

7.  The man who takes Mary and Thomas to the battlefield says that  AMaryland may be a border state but that doesn=t mean that I=m no less loyal than the rest of you.”   What is a border state? Identify the three border states.   What role did they play in the war? 

8.  Research the origins of Special Order 191?  Who left it there?  Was it a trick?  What did General McClellan do with it specifically? 

CHAPTER 14

Recall:

1. How did Thomas’ regiment treat him when he returned?

2.  What had changed since Thomas left?

Critical Thinking:

3.  How does Chester know Thomas won’t run again?

CHAPTER 15

Recall:

1. What  town borders the Antietam Creek? (**This town is how the Confederates refer to the battle.)

2.  Who came running at Thomas’ regiment?

3.  Describe the battle that Thomas found himself in.

4.  What happened to Blue?

 CHAPTER 16

Recall:

1.  What game does Blue play with Thomas and Chris?

 2.  What did Thomas realize about himself?

Critical Thinking:

3.  Describe why Blue was so special to all the men.  How did he make them feel?

Summary:

1.  What did Thomas learn about himself and about warfare?

2.  Describe the losses at Antietam.  Why was it such a terrible battle?

3.  How can mascots help soldiers deal with life in the army?  Should they continue to be used even though their lives are at risk?

4.  Why do you think Thomas kept running?  Is he a coward?  What made him finally realize that he couldn’t run anymore?

Suggested Post Activities:

*Discuss the nature of courage.  Perhaps mention FDR’s famous quote  “The Only thing we have to fear is fear itself”. 

*Research the origins of the civil war. Debate whether it could have been avoided.

*Research the battle of Antietam. Why was it fought and what implications did it have?

*Discuss the reasons why the Confederacy wanted French and English recognition.  What prevented it?  Compare to French help in the American Revolution.

*Lecture on the different battle strategies of both sides.  Discuss how the South felt the need to take the battle beyond their borders.

*Present the attitudes of Northerners who were against the war.  (Copperheads)  Discuss and debate not only the causes for the war and the right of secession but also how the war should be carried out.

*Use the enclosed primary source documents to research and discuss the Post Antietam response by the Union.  (General McClellan was eventually fired by President Lincoln for failing to pursue Lee after the Battle.  During the months following the battle several telegrams were exchanged between the two.  Included is a telegram from Lincoln to McClellan as well as a letter from the President’s Wife Mary, urging him to get rid of the General.  More telegrams can be found on http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html

using the search word Antietam.)

For more ideas or background information, consult the following web-sites:

United States Civil War Center

http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/cwc/civlink.htm

Home Page of the National Park Service at the Battle of Antietam

http://www.nps.gov/anti/index.htm

Literature of the Civil War Lesson Plans

http://7-12educators.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yale.edu%2Fynhti%2Fcurriculum%2Funits%2F1997%2F2%2F97.02.02.x.html

Lesson Plans on the Civil War itself

http://7-12educators.miningco.com/cs/historycwlessons/index.htm

Lessons plans and info on slavery and black history

http://7-12educators.miningco.com/cs/slavery/index.htm

American Civil War Timeline

http://www.americancivilwar.com/tl/timeline.html

The 71^st Pennsylvania Web site

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/1216/71stpenn.html

Antietam Order of Battle and other primary sourves

http://civilwarhome.com/antietam.htm

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html

The complete Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress consists of approximately 20,000 documents

Or, consult these sources used in the research of Nowhere to Turn

Alexander Cartwright and the Knickerbockers Baseball Before Professionalism Web Page http://www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Bleachers/5573/knicks.htm June 9, 2000.

Boyer, Paul S.; Clark Clifford E. Jr., et al.  The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People.  Lexington, Mass.:   D.C. Heath,  1990.

Billings, John D.  Hardtack and Coffee Boston: George M. Smith & Co., 1887.

Catton, Bruce.  Hayfoot, Strawfoot: The Civil War Soldier American Heritage.  New York: American Heritage, April 1957.

Cobblestone.  The Battle of Antietam Peterborough, NH.: Cobblestone Publishing Co., October, 1997.

Davis, Burke.  Boys in the Civil War http://www.civilwarhome.com/boysinwar.htm Feb. 10,2000.

Jones, Wilbur D. Special Orders 191 excerpt, less illustrations from Giants in the

Cornfield: The 27th Indiana Infantry:   http://www.aeb.com/brdowney/so191.html

Lash, Gary The Battle of Antietam wysiwyg://http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/1216/antietam.html May 31, 2000.

Lash, Gary The Battle of Ball=s Bluff wysiwyg://http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/1216/ballsblu.html Feb. 10, 2000.

Lash, Gary Edward Baker=s California Regiment wysiwyg://http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/1216/71stpenn.html June 15, 1998.

McCutcheon, Marc.   Everyday Life in the 1800s  Cincinnati:   Writer=s Digest Books,  1993.

McPherson, James M.  Battle Cry of Freedom  New York:   Oxford University Press, 1988.

Murphy, Jim.  The Boys= War New York: Clarion Books, 1990.

O=Shea Richard, Greenspan, David.  American Heritage:  Battle Maps of the Civil War New York: Smithmark, 1992.

Priest, John Michael.  Before Antietam: The Battle for South Mountain Shippensburg, Pa.: White Mane Publ., 1992.