Guide to My Brother Sam is Dead

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:

1. Guide to MBSD and
2. 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.

The Complete Guide to the Novel is now available in Word Format: My Brother Sam is Dead Guide