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Common Sense (Mr. Betts' Class)

From Mr. Betts' Class

Common Sense (Mr. Betts' Class)
3 min5th6thSocial Studies
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Summary

A parody song on Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet 'Common Sense' and how it convinced ordinary colonists to support independence. A good look at how ideas and writing move people.

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Teaching resources

Discussion questions

Discussion

A parody song on Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet 'Common Sense' and how it convinced ordinary colonists to support independence.

  1. What was Thomas Paine trying to convince colonists to do?
  2. Why can a piece of writing be as powerful as an army?
  3. Who was Paine writing for -- experts, or everyday people?

Quick work-a-long

Vocabulary: pamphlet, persuade, independence.

Try it: Write one persuasive sentence to convince a friend to agree with you about something.