Jethro’s War Timeline

In this timeline activity, students sequence major Civil War events alongside key moments from Irene Hunt’s Across Five Aprils. By placing events in chronological order, learners connect national history with Jethro Creighton’s personal experiences during the war. This activity enhances historical comprehension by requiring analysis of cause and effect across both fiction and nonfiction contexts. Students identify pivotal moments such as Lincoln’s assassination, the Battle of Shiloh, and the Emancipation Proclamation, while observing their emotional and social impact on the Creighton family. The extension task deepens engagement by having students construct a double timeline to visualize parallel developments in history and the novel.

Curriculum Matched Skills

English Language Arts – Analyzing Connections Between Literature and Historical Events

History – Understanding Major Events and Outcomes of the U.S. Civil War

English Language Arts – Sequencing and Summarizing Narrative Events

Critical Thinking – Comparing Fictional and Historical Perspectives

This worksheet is part of our Across Five Aprils collection.