United StatesThe Red Badge of Courage
by Stephen CranePage 1 of 2
 First published in 1895, The Red Badge of Courage is the amazing Civil War story of a farm boy turned soldier. Henry Fleming is a young Union soldier struggling with the horrors of war and the destruction of lives and property. Over the span of a few days, Henry must decide whether he is courageous enough to remain in the war, or so cowardly that he must flee and hide. | ||
To buy this book, click here or on the book cover.
Enrichment ActivitiesInternet ResourcesBooks by Stephen Crane
Enrichment Activities
- Act Out a Scene
Assign students, in groups of three or four, to act out a scene from The Red Badge of Courage. - Book Cover Design
Get students thinking about the main message of the book by having them design a new book cover. You can also have your class analyze the many book covers that the novel has been published with. - Classroom Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Hold a Lincoln-Douglas style debate and help students learn about major political issues. - Emancipation Proclamation
On January 1, 1863 President Lincoln presented the Emancipation Proclamation to free slaves. Read and analyze the entire speech with your students, as a whole class or small group activity. - Famous Abolitionists
Share with your students reference articles on Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, and Harriet Tubman. - Three Famous Americans in the Civil War
Students read several paragraphs about three Civil War heroes, and then answer questions.
Internet Resources
The American Civil War Homepage
Grade Levels: Middle, Secondary
A comprehensive collection of resources on the Civil War.
http://sunsite.utk.edu/civil-war/warweb.html
Online Version of Book
Grade Levels: Middle, Secondary
An online version of the 24-chapter novel by Stephen Crane.
http://www.literature.org/authors/crane-stephen/the-red-badge-of-courage/
Selected Civil War Photographs
Grade Levels: Middle, Secondary
Over 1,000 photographs of military personnel, preparations for battle, Confederate and Union officers and soldiers, and more.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html
Stephen Crane Biography
Grade Levels: Middle, Secondary
Crane was only 23 years old when The Red Badge of Courage was published. On this site you'll find more information about the life of this fascinating author.
http://portjervisny.com/craneroots.htm
Teaching Books with Movies
Grade Levels: Middle, Secondary
A teacher's guide on how to use the 1951 film in combination with the novel.
http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/red-badge-of-courage.html
End-of-the-Year Resources
The end of the school year is quickly approaching! Celebrate with fun activities, then prepare yourself and your students with report card advice, summer reading guides, summer math, and more.
Common Core Lessons & Resources
Is your school district adopting the Common Core? Work these new standards into your curriculum with our reading, writing, speaking, social studies, and math lessons and activities. Each piece of content incorporates the Common Core State Standards into the activity or lesson.
Top 10 Galleries
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June Calendar of Events
June is full of holidays and events that you can incorporate into your standard curriculum. Our Educators' Calendar outlines activities for each event, including: Summer Begins (6/21), Helen Keller's Birthday (6/27/1880), World War I Began (6/28/1914), and Meteor Day (6/30). Plus, celebrate Child Vision Awareness Month, National Rivers Month, and National Safety Month all June long!
Causes We Support: We Give Books
Visit We Give Books, an ever-growing, free online library of children's picture books! For every book read on the site, a brand-new book will be donated to a children's literacy campaign of your choosing. Read aloud to students or encourage them read independently, and you'll teach them to help others at the same time. Giving is as simple as reading!
