The National Guard:
Modern Minutemen
SUMMARY

The book gives the historical
background that led to the creation of the
National Guard. The author also discusses
the twentieth-century activities of the U.S.
National Guard, including civil rights
protection, riot protection, disaster relief,
and international defense.
LESSON VOCABULARY

citizen-soldiers
mobilize
relief
steed
volunteer

defending
National Guard
riot
troops

INTRODUCE THE BOOK
INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR

Discuss
with students the title and the author of
The National Guard: Modern Minutemen. Ask
them to think about what the book will be

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

READ THE BOOK
SET PURPOSE

Encourage students to set
a purpose for reading that will help them
remember what they have read. Suggest that
as they read they take notes on the most
important ideas. Remind students that writing
down the dates of historical events will help
them keep the sequence of events organized.

STRATEGY SUPPORT: GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS Ask
students what kinds of graphic organizers
might be most useful in putting the events
from historical narratives into chronological
order. (time lines or sequence charts)

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
PAGE 3

What question might you ask about the
Minutemen before reading this page? (Why
were they called Minutemen?)
PAGE 5

Who are the people who served as the
Minutemen? (They were farmers.)
PAGE 6

World War ll (1941); Korean War (1950);
Gulf War (1991); Iraq War (2003)
2. Possible responses: How does one join the
National Guard? How long do people serve?
the Internet
3. defend, defended, defending; mobilize,
mobilized, mobilizing
4. Possible response: Maine was part of
Massachusetts.
EXTEND UNDERSTANDING

Suggest that students
review the illustration of a recruiting poster on
page 9. Discuss why governments use recruiting posters. Ask: What words on this poster
encourage someone to become a soldier?

RESPONSE OPTIONS
WRITING

Encourage students to write a few
paragraphs about why they think people
decide to join the National Guard. Ask them
to write about whether they would want to join
the National Guard.

SOCIAL STUDIES
CONNECTION
Suggest to students
that they may wish to
go to the library to do additional

knowing the order in which events happen.
Discuss the sequence of events in America
that led to the formation of the National
Guard.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

To put historical
events in order, students might use a
numbered list or a graphic organizer such
as a time line or sequence chart.

ADDITIONAL SKILL INSTRUCTION
MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS

Remind students
that we look for the main idea in order to
understand the most important idea that the
author wishes to convey. Then we look for
details to support the main idea. Discuss
with students what the main idea of page 3
might be. Ask them for a detail that
supports the main idea of the page.

The National Guard: Modern Minutemen

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First

6. Iraq War

Second

7. Minutemen fought
in Massachusetts

Third

8. Riots in American Cities

Fourth

© Pearson Education 5

Directions Draw lines from the left column to the right column to show the order in which these
events occurred.

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The National Guard

Name

5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

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