Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds
Moss, M., & Hendrix, J. (2011). Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, a Civil War Hero. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.
Reading Level: AD820L
Why Should You Read This Book?
- It covers American history in a fast paced, entertaining way.
- The story focuses on a real person that once existed, which can help aid kids in learning about different biographies.
- The book addresses the poignant topic of gender verses sex. Although this concept may be too advanced to discuss in detail with elementary schoolers, seeing diversity represented in text will be beneficial for them.
- The book briefly touched upon race through showing how hard the work was for African Americans in the war and how they were treated.
- This book works well in integrating social studies into ELA.
This book would make for a splendid read aloud.
Key Words
History, War, Women's Rights, Biographies, Individuality
Vocabulary:
Peachy: excellent, wonderful
Canteen: a small container that can hold liquid
Revolt: an uprising against an authority
Cherish: to value and care about something
Ramparts: mounds in the earth that serve the purpose of a barricade.
Sentry: someone standing guard
Online Resources:
BrainPop
This website contains an interesting animated video for the students that they will most definitely enjoy. There is also a quiz available about the Civil War.
Mr. Nussbaum!
This website contains just about all the information you could think of covering in a Civil War unit. There are pages dedicated to: causes and effects, significant battles and people, Abraham Lincoln, African Americans in the war, and women in the war.
Reading Strategy:
Before reading, ask the students what they know about wars, particularly the Civil War. Explain to the students that the war was caused because some people believed in ending slavery and they were willing to fight for it.
During reading, ask the students questions such as: "Was it important for Sarah to stay disguised?" and "Do people still need to wear disguises to accomplish something?"
After reading, ask the students what they learned from the text and ask them if they would be willing to fight for something they believed in.
Writing Strategy:
This book would give the students the opportunity to write a persuasive piece about what they would be willing to fight for. Explain to the students that they are going to be writing to an authority figure (parent, principal, president) to encourage them to fight with them for a cause they believe in. Go around the class and garner ideas before the students begin writing. Once the students finish their writing, have them share it then have them deliver or mail their pieces to the person they were trying to persuade.
