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TEACHER’S GUIDE TO 1632 BY ERIC FLINT


Contents:

Recommended reading levels: The reading level of 1632 has received a Lexile measure of 0650L. Because of the mature nature of some of the material included in the book, including rape, violence, and sexually explicit scenes, classroom use of the book is probably most appropriate for upper-level high school students. The book would be particularly effective for upper-level classes in history and Western civilization.



Biographical information on Eric Flint:


Eric Flint is a popular, prolific, and critically acclaimed author of alternate history, fantasy, and science fiction. He was born in Southern California in 1947, graduated from high school in Los Angeles, and went on to receive a B.A. from UCLA in 1968. He spent three years working on a Ph.D. in Southern African history, but abandoned an academic career when he became a socialist and political activist. For the next thirty years, he worked in a variety of jobs, including longshoreman, truck driver, and machinist. He had written for many years, but decided to get serious about writing professionally in 1992. Since then, as author and co-author, he has written dozens of successful novels, novellas, and short stories.


Biographical resources on the web:



Suggested class activity: Have your students read the autobiographical information on Flint’s website before they begin the book. Ask them to make notes as they read and, when they finish, write essays on how 1632 reflects Flint’s history as a socialist, political activist, and manual laborer.


For further information on Eric Flint and his work:


Bibliographies:


You can find bibliographies of Flint’s work at his own website (http://www.ericflint.net/index.php/bibliography/), at the website of the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (isfdb.org) (http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Eric_Flint), and on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Flint).



1632 background:


Flint published 1632 with Baen Books in 2000. It is part of the genre known as alternate history. In 1632, a cosmic incident upsets the space/time continuum and a new version of seventeenth century European history unfolds. It was a popular book and spawned a number of sequels and spin-offs set in what has come to be known as the 163x series, the Ring of Fire series, or the Assiti Shards. The series inspired its own fan site, as well as an e-zine for works written by other authors within the 1632 universe. Students may be interested in exploring The Official 1632 Fan Site (http://1632.org/) and the e-zine, The Grantville Gazette (http://www.grantvillegazette.com/).



Plot Summary: The small mining town of Grantville is celebrating the marriage of Tim Simpson and Rita Stearns. In the middle of the wedding reception, a blinding flash and a thunderous crash startle everyone. When the shaken citizens go exploring and piece together all the evidence they can gather, they conclude that their six mile hemisphere of modern-day West Virginia has somehow been transported to seventeenth century Thuringia in Germany in the midst of the Thirty Years War. Surrounded by violence, rape, pillage and suffering, they resolve to bring American democracy, decency, justice and firepower to their part of the Holy Roman Empire.



Major Characters:




GUIDE TO PART 1—prologue and chapters 1—14



Prepare to Read…

Chapter Summaries:



Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions—multiple choice/short answer questions to testing reading comprehension:


1. What is the Grantville disaster? What caused it? (prologue)

2. Why do the Simpsons disapprove of Tom’s choice of a wife? (chap. 1)

3. Why do Mike Stearns and Dr. Nichol’s hit it off immediately? (chap. 1)

4. Which of the Grantville men is the first one wounded by the foreign mercenaries?

a.Dan Frost

b.Mike Stearns

c.James Nichols

d.John Simpson

5. Why is the young girl they encounter at the “wall” running away?

a.because of the explosion they all heard

b.because the soldiers were trying to rape her

c.because she is afraid of Mike and the other miners

d.because her parents beat her

6. What language do the mercenaries seem to be speaking when the miners first encounter them?

a.Spanish

b.Dutch

c.German

d.English

7. When Mike first sees one of the Abrabanels, he concludes that the movie they all must be in is

a.Deliverance

b.Texas Chainsaw Massacre

c.The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

d.Cleopatra

8. The Jews who were expelled from Spain and Portugal in the late middle ages were called

a.the Sephardim

b.the Ashkenazim

c.the Hidalgim

d.the Orthodox

9. Marranos are

a.Spanish noblemen

b.“secret Jews”

c.long spears or pikes used by soldiers

d.a Spanish dish of rice and beans Rebecca teaches Mike to make

10. Rebecca tells Mike that she and her father left Amsterdam because

a.they are bankers traveling to do business in Germany.

b.they are fleeing Christian persecution.

c.Balthazar was expelled by the Jewish community for heresy.

d.they thought the Jews in Amsterdam had abandoned the faith of their fathers.

11. At the beginning of this chapter, something has so enraged Gustav II Adolf, the King of Sweden, that he is cursing and breaking furniture. What event has caused this rage?

a.Richelieu’s betrayal

b.The fact that the courier expected from Holland has been killed

c.The massacre of Magdeburg

d.The loss of the battle of Hesse

12. Gustav II Adolph is

a.a devout Protestant

b.a devout Catholic

c.a“secret Jew”

d.an agnostic who is using religion for political purposes

13. Why does the king think he can’t stop Tilly and his forces and save Thuringia?

a.the geography favors Tilly

b.Gustav II Adolph does not have sufficient forces

c.neither of the above

d.both (a) and (b)

14. Who becomes the chairman of the emergency committee to structure the new government?

a.John Simpson

b.Rebecca Abrabanel

c.James Nichols

d.Mike Stearns

15. What war do the Americans find themselves confronting?

a.The War of the Roses

b.The 30 Years War

c.The Revolutionary War

d.The 100 Years War

16. What harsh reality does Melissa Mailey, the liberal history teacher, have a hard time coming to terms with during the first emergency meeting of the Grantville cabinet?

17. There are several immediate problems they realize they must deal with to survive and thrive in the new world they find themselves in. What are three of them?

18. What two things do Mackay’s men and many of the Americans first find they have in common?

19. The Scots are astonished by several things during their first visit to Grantville. What are two of them?

20. Why were Puritans in England more favorably inclined to the Jews than the established Church of England?

21. Why did Morris Roth’s grandfather settle in West Virginia, even though he was the only Jew in Grantville when he arrived.


Answers:


1.The Grantville disaster is the “exchange” of a hemisphere of territory between modern day West Virginia and seventeenth century Thuringia. A shaving from an Assiti art project using space/time caused the disaster.

2.The Simpsons disapprove of Tom’s choice of a wife because they consider her, her family and the town she lives in lower class.

3.They recognize in each other men who have come up the hard way, led adventurous lives, overcome obstacles through their own initiative and become successful in their own ways.

4.a

5.b

6.c

7.d

8.a

9.b

10.c

11.c

12.a

13.d

14.d

15.b

16.That Grantville must have an army for defense, and that some of the young men from the high school will have to serve in it.

17.Several are listed in chapter 8, including the need for a new low-tech power plant; finding sources of coal, oil, and natural gas; the need for an army for defense; food production and supplies; the need to ration gasoline; and the creation of an infrastructure for finance.

18.That they speak English and have Scottish ancestry.

19.The scanty uniforms of the cheerleaders, the motorized vehicles, and the fact that people of different religious beliefs live together peacefully in the town.

20.Their scholars were interested in the Hebrew texts as part of their attempt to “purify” Christianity. Their devotion to the literal text of the Bible leads them to the conclusion that the Jews have a special place in God’s will. They have much in common with the Jews, since both peoples admire hard work and thrift, admire those who acquire wealth as favored by God, and encourage literacy.

21.Because Michael’s grandfather, Tom Stearns, was a sergeant in the American unit that liberated him from Buchenwald in WW II. Tom invited him to come to Grantville, and he wanted to be near the man who liberated him from Buchenwald. It was the safest place he could imagine.


Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions—these questions may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions:


  1. In exploring the conflict over Tom and Rita’s marriage, Flint raises issues of class conflict and prejudice that will unfold throughout his story. Discuss the ways in which these issues are reflected in chapter 1.
  2. The citizens of Grantville are very well armed for their first encounter with the bad guys. Do you think Flint’s assumptions about gun ownership among this population are realistic? Explain your view. (chap. 2)
  3. Who were Maimonodes, Karaites and Averroes? How does the fact the Balthazar studied them explain his expulsion from Amsterdam for heresy? (chap. 4)
  4. Why does Rebecca assume Mike is a hidalgo? (chap. 4)
  5. Why does Rebecca identify James Nichols as a Moor and associate him with Islamic medicine? (chap. 4)
  6. What did you learn about Gustav II Adolph’s character and temperament from this chapter? Is it consistent with what you learned in your research on the historical King of Sweden? (chap. 6)
  7. 7.One of the themes you will see running throughout 1632 is the theme of class conflict. How does that theme play out in this chapter? (chap. 6)
  8. What is Mike’s argument for not shutting out refugees from the surrounding population? Do you agree or disagree? What parallels to you see with the current immigration debate in the United States, if any? (chap. 7)
  9. How does Simpson’s bid for power, and Mike’s reaction to it, underscore Flint’s exploration of class issues? How does this relate to the refugee question they face? Why is Mike’s sarcastic references to “downsizing” and “pink slips” particularly relevant? (chap. 7)
  10. 1What was the Inquisition, and why do Rebecca and her father fear it? (chap. 11)

Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration—suggestions for class activities and projects:

  1. Investigate some of the arms and armor that the German mercenaries and the miners have in the first battle—swords, single-shot muzzle loaders, matchlocks, cuirass, rifles, modern handguns, and shotguns. What advantages and disadvantages did the miners face in the fight? (chap. 2)
  2. Have your students create a project on the Sephardim and/or general attitudes toward Jews during the period of the book. (chap. 4)
  3. Investigate the poem Rebecca thinks of during the battle and its author, Samuel ibn Negrela (993-1056). (chap. 4) See Joseph Jacobs and Isaac Broydé, “Samuel Ha-Nagid (Samuel Haleviben Joseph Ibn Nagdela,” The Jewish Encyclopedia, http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=183&letter=S&search=samuel%20ibn%20nagrela
  4. The cuisine developed by Sepharic Jews reflects their adaptations to the countries of the Jewish diaspora. Ask different students and/or parents to volunteer to research and cook Sephardic dishes to bring to class for everyone to try. You might have students present projects or papers and invite others to the class. Some resources for ideas and recipes: “Kosher Food,” About.com, http://kosherfood.about.com/od/sephardiccuisine/Jewish_Sephardic_Cuisine.htm; “Cuisine of the Sephardic Jews,” Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuisine_of_the_Sephardic_Jews; “What is Sephardic Cuisine,” The Global Gourmet,http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg0497/sephardic.html#axzz148klsUtE >and Joyce Goldstein, Sephardic Flavors: Jewish Cooking of the Mediterranean, Chronicle Books, 2000.
  5. Investigate the causes of the Thirty Years War. (chap. 5)
  6. Research and discuss a popular problem in philosophical ethics: the life boat dilemma. What relevance does it have to the Americans’ situation? Set up a classroom debate on a “life boat” scenario. (chap. 7)
  7. Investigate the history of the ideas of religious freedom and tolerance. What was the state of these ideas in 1632? How did they develop in the United States? (chap. 11 and chap. 12)
  8. The debate about the Shakespeare authorship has a long and lively history. Investigate the various theories of authorship and have a classroom debate on the topic. (chap. 14)



GUIDE TO PART 2—chapters 15—33



Prepare to Read…

Chapter Summaries:

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions—multiple choice/short answer questions to testing reading comprehension:


1. Who formed the heart of the tercio in this chapter?

a.pikemen

b.cavalry

c.arquebusiers

d.riflemen

2. Why is Mike so confident of victory even though his forces are badly outnumbered?

a.His men aren’t mercenaries

b.The Scots are more courageous than Tilly’s men

c.The Americans have rifles and machine guns

d.Hoffman’s men are fighting on his side

3. Who does Gretchen meet and think of as “The Duchess”?

a.Rebecca Abrabanel

b.Judith Roth

c.Rita Stearns

d.Melissa Mailey

4. When does the emergency committee decide to schedule Jeff and Gretchen’s wedding?

a.immediately

b.July 4th

c.Christmas

d.As a New Year celebration


Answers:


1.a

2.c

3.d

4.b


Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions—these questions may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions:

  1. Discuss Flint’s take on the “religious” nature of the Thirty Years War. (chap. 15)
  2. Comment on this sentence: “For the first time in her life, one of the world’s mighty had gazed upon Gretchen Richter, and seen nothing but another human being.” (chap. 22)
  3. Discuss Melissa Mailey’s conversion from some of her life-long liberal principles. What ideas does she give up and why? What arguments would modern conservatives make that the reasons for her conversion apply just as well today? (chap. 23)
  4. What parallels do you see between the debate in chapter 26 and current immigration arguments in the United States? Discuss.
  5. As a class, read the Bill of Rights. Why do you think Hans (a) found it insane and (b) fell in love with it? (chap. 32)



Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration—suggestions for class activities and projects:

  1. Many people involved in the Thirty Years War were convinced that the apocalypse had come. Investigate some of the apocalyptic imagery in this chapter, including the references to the “Beast” and the “Lord of Flies.” Look at some of the woodcuts from the era that refer to the apocalypse. (chap. 15)
  2. In chapter 33, Mike puts forth his proposal for suffrage in the new territory. What is his proposal? What does the class think standards for suffrage should be in the U.S.?



GUIDE TO PART 3—chapters 34 - 36



Prepare to Read…


Chapter Summaries:

Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions—these questions may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions:

  1. What are some of the reasons people have given for calling Gustav II Adolph the Father of Modern War?
  2. How does the battlefield monument Flint refers to in chapter 34 explain the significance of the Battle of Breitenfield? Why was Gustav’s victory such a significant point in Western history?

Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:

  1. Read Don Hollway’s article, “Thirty Years War: Battle of Breitenfeld,” from Military History, February 1996 at the website HistoryNet.com (http://www.historynet.com/thirty-years-war-battle-of-breitenfeld.htm/1). Compare his account of the battle with Flint’s. How does each of them account for the victory?



GUIDE TO PART 4—chapters 37 - 44



Prepare to Read…


Chapter Summaries:


Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions—multiple choice/short answer questions to testing reading comprehension:


1. Why haven’t the American integrated their army instead of keeping Americans and Germans in separate contingents?

a.prejudice

b.language barrier

c.the Germans haven’t learned to shoot with rifles

d.the Americans don’t trust the Germans not to defect

2. The new German recruits in Grantville’s army go into the battle of Jena armed with

a.rifles

b.arquebuses

c.pikes

d.shotguns fitted with bayonets

3. Who turns out to be the best sharpshooter in the new American army?

a.Julie Sims

b.Mike Stearns

c.Jeff Higgins

d.Gretchen Higgins

4. What is Rebecca’s solution to the new territory’s need for hard currency?

a.print money

b.get a loan from the French

c.recruit her banking relatives

d.turn to barter instead of currency

5. What is the name of the political party founded by Mike and the other members of the emergency committee?


Answers:


1.c

2.d

3.a

4.c

5.The Fourth of July Party

Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions—these questions may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions:

Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:



GUIDE TO PART 5—chapters 45 - 48


Prepare to Read…

Chapter Summaries:

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions—multiple choice/short answer questions to testing reading comprehension:


1. When the king says that he is “Vasa,” he is referring to

a.the line of his grandfather, Gustav Vasa

b.the Swedish word for king

c.the sect of Protestantism to which he belongs

d.the fact that he is anointed by God

2. Gustav concludes that the presence of the Americans is

a.Satan’s work

b.witchcraft

c.God’s will

d.a cosmic accident

3. What help does Rebecca offer the king of Sweden?


Answers:


1.a

2.c

3.A conduit for supplies and credit from her relatives


Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions—this question may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as a short writing assignment, or as a test question:

Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:



GUIDE TO PART 6—chapters 49 - 58



Prepare to Read…


Chapter Summaries:

Quiz/Reading Comprehension Questions—multiple choice/short answer questions to testing reading comprehension:


1. According to the book, Cardinal Richelieu’s primary motivation is

a.doing the will of God

b.building his personal wealth and power

c.love of the Church

d.advancing the interests of France

2. Which of Gustav’s allies betrays him?

a.Bernard of Saxe-Weimar

b.William of Hesse

c.the Americans

d.the Dutch

3. Who is Captain Gars?

a.the bastard son of the king of Sweden

b.Gustav II Adolph in disguise

c.Wallenstein’s best cavalry officer

d.Mackay’s second in command

4. The Americans first bombard Wartburg castle with

a.napalm

b.cannon fire

c.music

d.burning oil

5. When the Croats attack, the Americans at the high school put up a barricade of

a.school busses

b.APCs

c.burning tires

d.coal trucks


Answers:


1.d

2.a

3.b

4.c

5.a


Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions—these questions may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions:

  1. Do you think the Americans were morally right in their decision to use napalm on the castle? What are the pros and cons? What ethical standard did you use to make your decision? (chap. 55)
  2. Do you think the book is right in its assessment of Cardinal Richelieu’s motivations?




GUIDE TO PART 7—chapters 59 - 61



Prepare to Read…

Chapter Summaries:

Suggestions for Reflection and Discussion Questions—these questions may be used to initiate classroom discussion, as short writing assignments, or as test questions:

  1. Discuss the competing visions for the new America expressed in this part of the book. What are the arguments for each? Which vision do you think is closer to where we find ourselves in modern-day America?
  2. How do the Americans and Adolph II Gustav resolve the question of the separation of church and state?
  3. How does Gustav convince Axel Oxenstierna that he has made the right decision?

Suggested Activities / Inquiry-Based Exploration:

  1. Have your class create a project based on the development of the idea of separation between church and state. What is its history?
  2. Have each member of the class pick one of the book’s characters to analyze. How did they grow over the course of the book? What virtues did they have or develop that enabled them to survive and contribute to the new American territory?




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