May 2, 2012

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June 23, 1862

Each unit discovered that the enemy was camped in the woods ahead. They occasionally heard the crack of gunfire in the distance and even saw smoke-either from gunpowder or possibly campfires drifting above the trees. The company

commander ordered that two soldiers from each unit be placed on

picket duty that night. Picket duty meant standing guard a few hundred yards

from your army's camp and watching for a sneak attack by the enemy in the middle of the night. The soldiers on picket duty warn the rest of the army by firing on the enemy.

The soldiers on picket duty were positioned in the woods near the edge of an open field. Across the field was the woods where the enemy was camped. Moonlight helped them see out into the open field, but when clouds passed in front of the moon, the night turned pitch black!  The soldiers couldn’t even see their own hand held out in front of their face.  After hearing a rustling in the trees off to your left, these soldiers had to make a split second decision about whether or not to fire towards the sound to alert the soldier’s in their camp.  Unfortunately, like Stonewall Jackson, some soldiers were shoot by men in their own unit on picket duty!

The commander also asked that a soldier from each unit be chosen to sneak up on the enemy camp and spy on them. This soldier was sent to gather as much information as possible and report back to the company commander. Some soldiers were able to sneak in and out of the enemy’s camp without being noticed, while others were fired upon and injured. Thankfully, some of our soldiers on picket duty had the medical expertise to help the wounded.

In math we moved into solving single and two-step equations with variables.  Tim and Modby helped explain algebraic equations better, and the students were able to use our Active Expressions to stay engaged and participate throughout the lesson.

Homework 5/2/12

Language Arts: Civil War- The Leaders

Math: A Speedy Flyer (YOU MUST SHOW YOUR WORK :)