Introduction Activities to Teach Ghost Cadet

Introducing Post Civil War Novel by Elaine Marie Alphin

May 13, 2009

Here are some pre-reading activities to help your students grasp the concepts in this exciting civil war historical fiction novel.

Ghost Cadet by Elaine Marie Alphin [Scholastic Publishers, May 1, 1992] is a post civil war, historical fiction novel set in Virginia, and slanted from a southern perspective. It is tells the story of a cadet who was killed during the battle of New Market in Virginia over one hundred years ago. The cadet haunts the battlefield in search of his grandfather’s gold watch, which he cleverly hid from the union soldiers before his death. This work of fiction describes the events that take place as a shy young boy tries to help the cadet find the watch and rest in peace. Here are some activities to provide background knowledge about the civil war and create excitement about reading the story.

Building Historical Background Knowledge

Introducing this novel by describing the historical information may provide the necessary clarification to students. You can explain the perspectives of the two sides in this war, north and south, and have students identify which side Virginia belonged to and why. Then you can provide historical details about the battle of New Market. You may also want to explain what a cadet is and why such a young boy would have been fighting in a war. This information should provide clarification throughout the novel.

Comparing and Contrasting

You can have the students read the first chapter. There is enough information provided in the chapter for the students to use a graphic organizer, such as a Venn Diagram, to compare and contrast two of the characters, Benjy and his sister Fran. This comparison will also be useful later in the story to illustrate how these two characters develop in their new surroundings.

Making Predictions

Using the book jacket summary and the knowledge gained form chapter one, you can encourage the students to make several predictions. You can use the following prompts for making predictions.

As the students read the novel Ghost Cadet, they may gain a new southern perspective on the civil war. They may be surprised to learn how different their lives are from the cadet’s life. The students can also enjoy Benjy’s adventures as he gains self confidence and becomes a stronger, more independent person.

The copyright of the article Introduction Activities to Teach Ghost Cadet in Lesson Plans & Materials is owned by Kimberly Alston. Permission to republish Introduction Activities to Teach Ghost Cadet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.