G.VanMeter

Murphy, Jim. (2003). //A american plague: the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epicemic of 1793.// New York:Houghton Mifflin Company. **ISBN:** 0-395-77608-2
 * APA Citation:**

Newberry Honor Book, National Book Award Finalist, The Robert F. Sibert Award
 * Awards:**

This book does an excellent job of depicting the life in Philadelphia, the nations capital, was struck by yellow fever. The author details medical practices vividly and uses qoutes throughout the book to make it realistic to every reader. The day to day struggles make you feel like you are right there and you want to keep reading to find out what happens next. Dr. Benjamin Rush is a doctor who first identifies the disease as "yellow fever", but it is still disputed by others. Surprisingly, the Free African Society become heros, while others flee the city, they take care of those left behind. George Washington is a key character that is often quoted and this shows just how close he came to this terrible plague. After months and months of people leaving, finally cold weather comes and slowly people return to the city that has learned some lessons from this terrible disease.
 * Summary:**

This book would be a great source for teaching early colonial times in U.S. history. I enjoyed the quotes the author incerts throughtout the reading to make you feel apart of this terrible plague. It gives an excellent desription of the conditions in Philadelphia that anyone can relate. I like how the causes and cure for this disease is constantly questioned. It made me realize just how hard life was back in the late 18th century.
 * Critique:**

KY.9-12.R.D.EU.3 Students will understand that determining the usefulness of text for a specific purpose, evaluating language and textual elements, and analyzing the author's style are all ways to critically examine texts.
 * Curriculum Connection:**

YA Non-Fiction
 * Genre:**

I would read the first few pages of the book then ask the following queries: What is the author trying to say here? What is the author's message? What is the author talking about? Then I would also use follow-up queries like: what does the author mean here? Then assign the rest of the chapter and ask them to answer any two of the following Does the author explain it clearly?Does this make sense with what the author said before? how does this connect with what the suthor has told us here? Does the author tell us why? Why do you think the author is telling us now? Then for the next chapter, ask them to pick two different questions to answer. I will ask students to give their queries and answers after the end of each chapter assigned.
 * Classroom Activity Using Developing Content Area Literacy:**
 * 16 Questioning the Author (QtA)**

Antonacci, Patricia A.& Catherine M. O'Callaghan (2011). //Developing content area literacy.// Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.
 * Reference:**