April Morning

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-2

Reading Check

1. Where does Adam live?

2. What did Adam’s father memorize when he was a child?

3. Who does Adam use as an example of someone who destroys people’s faith?

4. Who visits the Cooper family at dinner?

5. What do the townspeople debate should be made of flour versus maize?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is Adam’s relationship with his father like?

2. How do Granny and Adam feel differently about doubt?

3. Why is Joseph Simmons estranged from his brothers, and how does Adam feel about it?

4. What is the role of morality in the novel?

Paired Resource

“Samuel Adams (1722-1803)”

• This article describes the role of Samuel Adams in the American Revolution.
• Shared themes include Coming of Age Through Trauma and The Tenets of Faith Versus the Application of Reason.
• What was Samuel Adams’s role in the American Revolution? How did he respond to the Sugar Act? What was Adams among the first to do, and how did he make use of newspapers and propaganda? What was his role after the Tea Act passed?

“Why Were Red Coats Red?”

• This 3-minute video explores the reasoning behind the red uniforms in Great Britain.
• Shared themes include Warfare’s Proper Role in Society.
• Why might red be a poor choice of color on the battlefield? What theories support Britain’s use of red for their uniforms? What does the color have to do with cost?  

Chapters 3-4

Reading Check

1. Who died in Levi’s dream?

2. How many men are in the local militia?

3. Who recommends the militia should keep their weapons fully cocked?

4. Where does Adam hide after the British attack the colonial militia?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How does Moses feel about superstition?

2. What does the rider who enters the town at night claim the British forces intend to do?

3. What is Moses’s reaction to Adam’s desire to join the militia, and why does he respond that way?

4. Why do the British soldiers attack the colonial militia, and what was the militia’s intended goal?

Paired Resource

“How Kids Helped During the Revolutionary War”

• This article describes the ways in which children participated in the Revolutionary War.
• Shared themes include Coming of Age Through Trauma and Warfare’s Proper Role in Society.
• How old were boys supposed to be before joining the military? In what ways did children assist if they were too young to enlist? How did some children assist if family members were at war? In what ways are these facts represented in the novel?

“History Brief: Patriots and Loyalists”

• This 4-minute video explains the division in the colonies between those loyal to the British crown and those who fought for an independent America.
• Shared themes include The Tenets of Faith Versus the Application of Reason.
• Who did the Patriots support during the Revolutionary War? Who are examples of famous Patriots? Who were the Loyalists during the Revolutionary War? Where were most of the Loyalists located?

Chapters 5-6

Reading Check

1. Who does Adam journey with after leaving the smokehouse?

2. Where is the prearranged assembly point for the Lexington militia?

3. Who asks Adam to break the news to Ruth if he is killed in battle?

4. What city have the British occupied after the skirmish with the Lexington militia?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Solomon tell Adam, “You’ve lost your youth and come to manhood, all in a few hours”? (Chapter 5)

2. What are the disagreements among the colonials about the reason for fighting?

3. What is the distinction Adam makes between himself and Chandler?

4. Which one of Chandler’s actions causes Joseph to believe he is dishonorable?

Chapters 7-8

Reading Check

1. Where does a fire break out, alarming Joseph and Adam?

2. Where has the battle moved when Adam awakens?

3. How many people are needed for the siege of Boston?

4. What is the name of the game that Adam remembers playing when he was twelve?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. Why does Joseph believe there will be no diplomatic solutions to the war?

2. Why do the colonial troops have a tactical advantage over the British troops?

3. How does Adam compare his childhood to his newfound adulthood?

4. Why might Adam have a valid reason if he chooses not to fight in Boston?

Paired Resource

“Battles of Lexington and Concord”

• This article describes the historical events surrounding the Battles of Lexington and Concord that sparked the American Revolution.
• Shared themes include Coming of Age Through Trauma, The Tenets of Faith Versus the Application of Reason, and Warfare’s Proper Role in Society.
• What led to the Battles of Lexington and Concord? What were the roles of Joseph Warren, Samuel Prescott, and Paul Revere leading up to the battle in Lexington? How is that portrayed in the novel? Who fired the first shot at Lexington? Is this scene historically accurate?

Recommended Next Reads

The Year of the Hangman by Gary L. Blackwood

• This novel is about the son of a London gentleman who is caught in the crossfire of the Revolutionary War. This reimagining explores what might have occurred had the colonials lost.
• Shared themes include Coming-of-Age Through Trauma and Warfare’s Proper Role in Society.
• Shared topics include Revolutionary War, sympathy for enemies, and children during wartime.
• The Year of the Hangman on SuperSummary

Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen

• This novel is about a 13-year-old boy who lives on the frontier of a British colony during the Revolutionary War when his family is unexpectedly attacked by British soldiers.
• Shared themes include Coming of Age Through Trauma.
• Shared topics include Revolutionary War, children during wartime, and coming of age.
• Woods Runner on SuperSummary