11 teacher’s guide fife and drum boys -...

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L E S S O N 1 1 T E A C H E R ’ S G U I D E

Fife and Drum Boysby C.M. Sanchez

Fountas-Pinnell Level SHistorical FictionSelection SummaryDuring the Battle of Saratoga, a young drummer and a fi fer perform important duties for the Continental Army. Their bravery and playing skills help convey commands to the American troops, leading to victory.

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Characteristics of the Text Genre • Historical fi ction

Text Structure • Third-person narrative organized in four short chapters, along with a foreword and an endnote

• Color illustrations help visualize characters and actionContent • Revolutionary War Battle of Saratoga

• Fife and drum boys• Working together to achieve a goal• Not giving up despite making mistakes

Themes and Ideas • Volunteers of all ages can make an impact. • Practice makes perfect.

Language and Literary Features

• Conversational language• Dialogue• Historical description

Sentence Complexity • A mix of short and complex sentences.• Dashes and exclamations• Italics for interior thought and emphasis

Vocabulary • Some historical and battle language, with most words explained in the text: redcoats, muskets, gunpowder

Words • Multisyllable words formed from base words: representatives, ContinentalIllustrations • Color illustrations support the text.

• Captions for illustrationsBook and Print Features • Thirteen pages of text, easy-to-read chapter headings, and illustrations on most pages

• Foreword and endnote© 2006. Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, Heinemann, Portsmouth, N.H.

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Target Vocabulary

bracing – placing oneself against a support to keep from being knocked over

conduct – behavior cramped – small and tightly

packed

distracted – to have one’s attention drawn away, p. 13

embark – to set out on an adventure or task, p. 3

pressing – urgent representatives – people chosen

to speak for others, p. 5

shattered – to have broken suddenly into many smaller pieces, p. 13

surveyed – to have looked over its parts and features

viewpoint – a way of thinking about something, p. 2

Fife and Drum Boys by C.M. Sanchez

Build BackgroundHelp students use their historical knowledge of the American Revolution to visualize the story. Build interest by asking a question such as the following: Why do you think drummers were needed in battles in the American Revolution? Read the title and author and talk about the cover illustration. Note the four chapter heads. Tell students that this story is historical fi ction so that while some of the characters are not real, the story is based on real events.

Introduce the TextGuide students through the text, noting important ideas, and helping with unfamiliar language and vocabulary so they can read the text successfully. Here are some suggestions:

: Have students turn to the foreword and read the fi rst paragraph aloud. Explain that the foreword of a book gives background information for the story that follows. Explain that the story is set at the time of the Battle of Saratoga, and that the Continental Army was the Patriot side, fi ghting against the British.

Page 3: Direct students to the chapter heading. Suggested language: The chapter heading tells us that someone is reporting for duty. What kind of duties do you think the drummer might have? Look at the highlighted word. What does it mean to embark on an adventure?

Page 5: The text says Will has a personal reason that makes the approaching battle urgent. Ask: What does it mean for something to be urgent?

Pages 6–7: Point out the chapter title and have students look at the illustration on page 7 and read the caption and fi rst two sentences of text on the page. Ask: What might the problems of this story be?

Now go back to the beginning and read to fi nd out what happens to Will and to the Continental Army at the Battle of Saratoga.

2 Lesson 11: Fife and Drum BoysGrade 5© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company

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ReadHave students read silently while you listen to individual students read aloud. Support their problem solving and fl uency as needed.

Remind students to use the Visualize Strategy and to use details from the text to help form pictures in their mind of what they are reading.

Discuss and Revisit the TextPersonal ResponseInvite students to share their personal responses to the book. Suggested language: Have you ever wondered what battle might be like? What does Will fi nd out about battle?

Ways of ThinkingAs you discuss the text, help students understand these points:

Thinking Within the Text Thinking Beyond the Text Thinking About the Text

• Will is eager to play his drum to convey commands to the army, but he makes a terrible error.

• As Will practices with Tom, he gains confi dence for the upcoming battle.

• Will performs well during the battle but is injured afterward. The next day he fi nds out the Continental Army beat the British.

• It is possible to still have an important impact despite your age.

• The more you practice, the better you will become at what you’re trying to do.

• Having a personal reason to fi ght for a cause can increase your urgency.

• The dialogue sounds realistic, the way a 13-year-old boy actually talks.

• The chapter heads hint at the upcoming action.

• The author includes exciting details about the Battle of Saratoga to keep readers turning the pages.

© 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 scene from the text to act out in demonstrating

phrased fl uent reading. Remind them to pay attention to punctuation, and to stress certain words to sound as if the main character, Will, were actually speaking.

• 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 Provide practice as needed with words and word parts, using examples from the text. Remind students that the root -dis often means “to detract from something.” An example from the text is distracted on page 13. Other examples include disturb, dissipate, disarm, and discard.


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Writing about ReadingCritical ThinkingHave students complete the Critical Thinking questions on BLM 11.7.

RespondingHave students complete the activities at the back of the book, using their Reader’s Notebook. Use the instruction below as needed to reinforce or extend understanding of the comprehension skill.

Target Comprehension SkillCause and Effect

Target Comprehension Skill Remind students that they can ask why something

happened to determine the cause, and ask what happened to determine the effect. Tell them to pay attention to signal words such as because, so, and since. Model how to add details to the Graphic Organizer, using a “Think Aloud” like the one below:

Think Aloud

When Will played the wrong drum signals, the company grabbed their muskets, believing they were under attack. Later, when he played the correct signals, the company marched into battle. List these two causes and their effects in the chart.

Practice the SkillEncourage students to share their examples of another story in which one character makes an embarrassing mistake that causes a problem.

Writing Prompt: Thinking Beyond the TextHave students write a response to the writing prompt on page 6. Remind them that when they think beyond the text, they use their personal knowledge to reach new understanding.

Assessment Prompts• What can the reader conclude about the important roles that a drummer and fi fer

play?

• Tom helps restore Will’s confi dence to show that

________________________________________________________________.

• Which sentences on pages 12 and 13 show Will’s determination?



CauseCaptain Crawford tells Will Stone to play a drum signal to wake the company and call them to breakfast.

CauseWill accidentally drums the signal for “We’re under attack!”

Effect?

Cause?

RespondingTARGET SKILL Cause and Effect What

happens when Captain Crawford tells Will to

wake up the company? Copy and complete the

chart below.

Write About It

Text to Self Will starts his career as an army drummer

by making a mistake. He recovers from his mistake

and performs well in battle. Think about a time when

you made a mistake and then recovered from it.

Write a paragraph that explains what happened.

15

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Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What did Will fear might result from a British

victory at Saratoga?

2. Think within the text How did Tom help Will?

3. Think beyond the text What do you think Will learned about

completing important jobs?

4. Think about the text Why do you think the author chose to tell the

story of the Battle of Saratoga from the point of view of a thirteen-

year-old boy?

Making Connections Will was determined not to make another mistake after his embarassing moment. Describe a time when you were embarassed, but were still determined to do something.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

9

Fife and Drum BoysCritical Thinking

Critical Thinking© Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Lesson 11B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 1 . 7

Grade 5, Unit 3: Revolution!

Name Date

He was afraid his father might be arrested and hanged as a traitor.

He comforted and looked after Will.

He learned that if you stick with something, you can get better at

it, and thus can make an important contribution.

The author wanted the target audience of young people to be able

to identify with Will. This would help readers better visualize the

battle and its impact.

Possible responses shown.

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English Language DevelopmentReading Support Pair advanced and intermediate readers to read the story softly, or have students listen to the audio or online recordings. Remind them that after making a mistake, Will practices to get ready for the battle.

Cognates The story includes many cognates. Point out the English words and their Spanish equivalents: representatives (representativos), battle (batalla), and independence (independencia).

Oral Language DevelopmentCheck student comprehension, using a dialogue that best matches your students’ English profi ciency level. Speaker 1 is the teacher, Speaker 2 is the student.

Beginning/Early Intermediate Intermediate Early Advanced/ Advanced

Speaker 1: What musical instrument does Will play?

Speaker 2: the drum

Speaker 1: Where did the battle take place?

Speaker 2: Saratoga, New York

Speaker 1: What did Tom give Will to eat?

Speaker 2: fi re cake

Speaker 1: Instead of breakfast, where did Will’s command send the soldiers?

Speaker 2: It sent them to the battlefi eld.

Speaker 1: Why was Will concerned about his father?

Speaker 2: His father could be thrown in jail for handing out anti-British pamphlets.

Speaker 1: Why did Tom tell Will that they would be playing “Yankee Doodle” soon?

Speaker 2: He believed that the British soldiers were getting weaker and that the Continental Army would be victorious. The boys would play the song to celebrate.



Name Date

Fife and Drum BoysThinking 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.

At the beginning of the story, Will is nervous about playing the drum for the first time in battle. What do you think he learns from the experience of being in a battle? What advice do you think he might give to someone facing his or her first battle?



Critical ThinkingRead and answer the questions.

1. Think within the text What did Will fear might result from a British

victory at Saratoga?

2. Think within the text How did Tom help Will?

3. Think beyond the text What do you think Will learned about

completing important jobs?

4. Think about the text Why do you think the author chose to tell the

story of the Battle of Saratoga from the point of view of a thirteen-

year-old boy?

Making Connections Will was determined not to make another mistake after his embarassing moment. Describe a time when you were embarassed, but were still determined to do something.

Write your answer in your Reader’s Notebook.

Fife and Drum BoysCritical Thinking

Lesson 11B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 1 . 7

Name Date



1414

319

Student Date Lesson 11

B L A C K L I N E M A S T E R 1 1 . 1 1

Fife and Drum BoysRunning Record Form

Fife and Drum Boys • LEVEL S

Behavior Code Error

Read word correctly ✓cat 0

Repeated word, sentence, or phrase

®cat

0

Omission —cat 1

Behavior Code Error

Substitution cutcat 1

Self-corrects cut sccat 0

Insertion the

ˆcat 1

Word told Tcat 1

page Selection Text Errors Self-Corrections

7 Will gasped in horror. In his nervousness, he had played the

wrong command! He’d sent the soldiers running for the

battlefield instead of to the breakfast table.

Captain Crawford quickly called the men to come back. Then

he strode toward Will.

“What were you thinking, boy?” the captain demanded. “We

face the enemy in hours. In battle, your drum is the very voice

and tongue of the commander! Much depends on you. There

must be no more mistakes.” He glared down at Will. Then he

briskly walked away.

Will’s face burned with embarrassment. What a terrible start to

his army service!

Comments: Accuracy Rate (# words read correctly/101 ×

100)

%

Total Self- Corrections



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