Common Sense Reading Assignment.docx - Article Review-...

Article Review- Common Sense
Directions:
You will be using the following two articles to participate in a Socratic seminar. You will support
the articles from textbook information (Chapter 5 and 6).
1. Annotate as you read, highlight key ideas/circle words you don’t know/-write questions or
thoughts in the margins/underline parts that you think show arguments for independence
A. For each section, write a brief 1-2 sentence summary of Paine’s ideas/opinion.
2. What do you know about Paine that influences your opinion of him? How do you think other
colonists feel about him? Why do you think his position would influence the American people?
3. What past issues would encourage Paine’s position? List specific evidence to support this.
4. Name 3 important things that you learned from the article, and 3 questions you have for
him/his speech.
5. What connections can you make to information from your notes/the textbook. (give
references to where in your notes/the book this information can be found.) You need at least 3
connections.
6. Now focus on the last section “Thoughts on the Present State of American Affairs”, and
answer the following questions:
a) Imagine yourself sitting down to read Common Sense in January 1776. How does
Paine introduce his reasoning to you? Why does he write “I offer nothing more”
instead of “I offer you many reasons” or “I offer a detailed argument”?
b) In the paragraph that begins, “The sun never shined”, Paine writes one of the
most famous hyperboles in American writing. A hyperbole is an overstatement or
exaggeration to emphasize a point. What are the two examples of hyperbole in
this paragraph? With the hyperboles, how does Paine lead you to view the
“cause” of American independence?
c) How does Paine describe those who would reconcile with Great Britain? What
does his description of them tell you about his attitude toward them?
d) What role does Paine assign to America?
7. What contradictions do you have for him? What do you disagree with?