©
Copyright 2007 New Jersey Newspaper Foundation.
All Rights Reserved.
Serialized
Story Guide for Teachers, Students and Families
By Antonette
Bomentre-Walter and Chris Yatchyshyn
Chapter
5 - The Times that Try Men's Souls
Vocabulary
statesman - noun;
one versed in the principles of government
prohibiting - verb;
preventing from doing something; forbidding
by authority
awkward - adjective;
the wrong way; lacking dexterity or skill
aide-de-camp - noun;
a military assistant to a superior officer
correspondent - noun;
one who communicated with another by letter
mercenaries - noun;
soldiers hired by a foreign country to serve
solely for wages
strategists - noun;
persons skilled in the science and art of
military command exercised to meet the enemy in
combat under advantageous conditions
Recalling the Facts
1. The colonies had
thoughts of independence from which country?
2. What were the
colonists concerned about paying to the English?
3. When Franklin
asked Thomas Paine to write about the
English-American relations, what was the name of
the pamphlet he wrote?
4. Which pamphlet
name did Benjamin Rush decide would be a better
fit for the colonists?
5. What did Thomas
Paine do that worried Anna?
6. What job did Paine
have in the army?
7. In December 1776,
where did the Continental Army have a terrible
retreat?
8. Which of Paine's
articles did General Washington have his men read
before crossing the Delaware River on Christmas
Eve?
9. What was Thomas
Paine's new pen name that he used to sign his Crisis
articles?
Comprehension
Questions
1. What concerns was
Thomas Paine trying to voice? How did he do that?
2. Who left for
Philadelphia first and how long did it take the
other person to follow?
3. Where did
Frederich find Anna? What was she doing?
4. What did Thomas
Paine arm himself with when he went off to war?
Why?
5. What prompted
Thomas Paine to write the first of his 13 The
American Crisis articles?
In the News
Thomas Paine was described
as "America's first war correspondent"
writing articles that were published in
Philadelphia's newspapers throughout the war.
Search the newspapers of today and locate
articles and/or photos that were provided by
newspaper war correspondents of today. Find
your local newspaper: Link
to the directory of New Jersey newspapers OR Link
to the directory of Pennsylvania newspapers.
Take It to the Real
World
Some news correspondents
have their own television shows. Some shows were
created due to news situations. Look through
today's newspaper and locate the TV schedule.
List the shows that are news-related. How many
male correspondents are there as compared to
female correspondents? Find your local
newspaper: Link
to the directory of New Jersey newspapers OR Link
to the directory of Pennsylvania newspapers.
Make a Prediction
Will Thomas Paine's stand
for "unity in the colonies" make a
difference in the success of independence from
England? Explain your answer.
Essay Questions
- During
the war Thomas Paine wrote articles
instead of fighting. Which was more
valuable to the revolutionary cause,
writing or fighting? Why?
- Why did George Washington have the Crisis
I read to all his men before crossing
the Delaware River on his way to Trenton?
What was so important about that battle?
Answers to Comprehensive Questions and
Recalling the Facts
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