Jethro’s War Timeline

This timeline-based worksheet is designed for students in Grades 6 and 7 to strengthen historical understanding, literary comprehension, and chronological reasoning through Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt. Learners sequence major Civil War events alongside key moments from Jethro Creighton’s life, connecting national history to personal experience and analyzing how large-scale conflict shapes individuals and families.

Learning Goals

• Connecting Literature and History (Grades 6-7)
  Students link fictional events from the novel to real Civil War milestones.
• Chronological Reasoning & Sequencing
  Learners place historical and narrative events in correct order to show cause and effect.
• Understanding Historical Impact on Characters
  Activities highlight how events like the Battle of Shiloh, the Emancipation Proclamation, and Lincoln’s assassination affect the Creighton family.
• Summarizing & Comparing Perspectives
  Students observe how personal stories reflect broader national struggles.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource
  Designed by educators to align with middle school ELA and U.S. history standards.
• Integrated Timeline Format
  Side-by-side sequencing helps students visualize connections between history and fiction.
• Extension Opportunity
  Double-timeline option deepens analysis and supports visual learners.
• Builds Cause-and-Effect Understanding
  Reinforces how historical events influence emotions, decisions, and family dynamics.
• Flexible Classroom Use
  Ideal for literature units, history integration, review activities, or assessments.
• Printable & No-Prep
  Ready for classroom or homeschool use with minimal preparation.

This Jethro’s War Timeline worksheet helps students see how Across Five Aprils weaves personal narrative into real historical events. By sequencing and comparing timelines, learners strengthen comprehension, historical awareness, and critical thinking about how war shapes both nations and individual lives. Whether used in an ELA classroom, a history lesson, or an integrated humanities unit, this printable resource offers meaningful practice connecting fiction and history.

This worksheet is part of our Across Five Aprils collection.