The Fighting Ground

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

CREATIVE WRITING: “A Day in the Life of Jonathan’s Companions”

In this activity, students will write a creative retelling that follows one of the other characters referenced in the novel.

Avi’s novel follows Jonathan over the course of a single day. For this Activity, you will select one other character to follow during the same 24-hour period: Jonathan’s father, Jonathan’s mother, Jonathan’s brother, the Corporal, or the boy. Using the text as a guide, consider the following questions as you prepare your piece:

• Which character will your story follow? What relationship does this person have with Jonathan?
• How does this person feel about war? How do they feel about the fighting between the colonists and the British?
• What does this person do over the 24-hour period? How do their actions match the plot progression in the novel?
• What happens at the end of the story? How has the war affected this person’s views?

After drafting your piece, share it with the class. In a post-discussion presentation, reflect on the ways that your creative retelling focused on the themes of Glory Versus Tragedy in War, Adapting to a Crisis, and/or Kindness or Brutality in a Crisis. Finally, compare your approach to that of your classmates. What choices were most effective and why? How did changing the perspective of the story impact the narrative?

Teaching Suggestion: This Activity invites students to consider the characterization and plot details in the context of a creative writing exercise. It might help to remind students to follow the story trajectory of introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution in their pieces.

Differentiation Suggestion: For a more challenging creative writing exercise that explores different historical eras, the following prompt may be used in lieu of the above: Using Avi’s novel as a framework, select one other war and create a young soldier to follow throughout a 24-hour period. What are some of the challenges this person faces? Why does this person want to enlist? Is the battle as they envisioned it? Why or why not? Explain.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Jonathan’s father and brother both have served in the American Revolutionary Army, yet his father doesn’t want Jonathan to enlist.

• Why doesn’t Jonathan’s father want Jonathan to enlist in the war? (topic sentence)
• Compare and contrast Jonathan’s point of view of war before and after fighting in it. Include at least two examples in your response.
• In your concluding sentence, consider how the characterizations of Jonathan and his father speak to the theme Glory Versus Tragedy in War.

2. Bewildered, exhausted, and frightened, Jonathan tries to be closer to his captors.

• Why does Jonathan try to be closer to his captors? Is he successful? (topic sentence)
• Select two examples from the text and explain how they exemplify why Jonathan wants to be closer to his captors.
• In your concluding sentence, discuss how Jonathan’s thinking connects to the novel’s theme of Adapting to a Crisis.

3. Jonathan wants to be a good American soldier, yet he also wants to help the Hessians, making him confused about his loyalties.

• Why might loyalty to the homeland and compassion for the enemy not be in conflict? (topic sentence)
• Using two examples from the text, discuss how Jonathan could uphold both of these motives.
• In your concluding sentence, reflect on how this inner conflict speaks to the theme of Kindness or Brutality in a Crisis.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by textual details, and a conclusion.

1. Consider the role of the Hessians in the novel. Historically, why were they a part of the American Revolution? What is their reputation among Americans in the book, and why? How does Jonathan feel about and react to these soldiers?

2. The soldiers have mixed views on the Corporal. Suggest two reasons why the Corporal might be perceived as a great warrior and two reasons why he might be perceived as overzealous. What is Jonathan’s point of view? How does his view of the Corporal connect with his view of war altogether?

3. In a short period of time, Jonathan experiences tremendous growth. Identify two of his character traits that mature over the course of the novel. What does this growth say about the nature of war in general?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer Questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, exams, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. As Jonathan reflects on life as a soldier, he considers how he “had heard his father and his father’s friends talk many times about the tyrannical British; their cruel mercenary allies, the German-speaking Hessians; and the hated Tories, those American traitors who had sided with the brutal English king.” Based on this quote, which of the following phrases best supports the political views of Jonathan’s father?

A) He supports the independence of the colonies.

B) He believes in the establishment of the Confederacy.

C) He prefers life in a colony under the empire.

D) He advocates for the abolition of slavery.

2. How does Jonathan feel about the idea of handling a gun?

A) Afraid

B) Cautious

C) Concerned

D) Proud

3. Which one of the following phrases best describes how many adults react upon seeing Jonathan as part of the war effort?

A) Relieved that Jonathan’s mother allowed him

B) Skeptical if Jonathan’s father truly gave permission

C) Concerned that Jonathan’s brother is no longer alive

D) Apathetic to Jonathan’s presence altogether

4. What does Jonathan realize is the best way to learn about what is happening with the war?

A) Asking many questions

B) Reading a lot of books

C) Speaking with the enemy forces

D) Listening to his companions

5. As music pierces the air, the men “just stood there, listening to the drum. It came loud and regular, like an angry clock” (Page 35). Which one of the following literary terms is used in this quote?

A) Allusion

B) Metaphor

C) Personification

D) Simile

6. Which one of the following words best describes how Jonathan feels after the battle with the Hessians when he is in the woods?

A) Exhausted

B) Enthusiastic

C) Excited

D) Engaged

7. As he reflects on the brief battle with the Hessians, which of the following words best describes how Jonathan feels about the war effort he participated in?

A) Meaningful

B) Senseless

C) Relevant

D) Significant

8. What role does the character of the Frenchman play in the novel?

A) A translator for the young boy

B) An example of mutinous actions

C) A representation of the role that the French played in supporting the Hessians

D) A personification of the love of war

9. Which one of the following words best describes the appearance of the Corporal?

A) Polished

B) Lavish

C) Ornate

D) Paupered

10. Based on the ending of the novel, which of the following actions will Jonathan most likely take next?

A) He will join the Hessian army.

B) He will buy a new gun for the tavern.

C) He will travel to England.

D) He will reflect on the tumultuous events he experienced.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating textual details to support your response.

1. What is the narration style of the novel? Who is the protagonist, and who is the antagonist?

2. What is the setting of the novel? Include the location as well as the time period.