THE ELEMENTARY COMMON SENSE OF THOMAS PAINE: An Interactive Adaptation for All Ages (Paperback)

by Mark Wilensky (Author)
Key Phrases: other free activities, adapted text, authority aforesaid, Great Britain, Thomas Paine, Common Sense (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Few books or pamphlets have had as much influence on the course of human history as Thomas Paine's Common Sense. The Declaration of Independence severed political bonds with England, but it was Paine's dynamic pamphlet that conceptualized the idea of unity and freedom months before Thomas Jefferson put pen to parchment. Paine's publication energized a vast number of colonists to embark on a long and bloody war that imperiled their livelihoods and dismantled their cultural identity-all in the hope of creating a new nation constructed upon the concepts of liberty and independence.

Although many people know of Tom Paine and his famous Common Sense, the historic pamphlet has not been readily accessible or widely read. But it needs to be, because it is one of our nation's most important founding documents.

Fifth-grade history teacher Mark Wilensky rectifies this oversight with the publication of The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine: An Interactive Adaptation for All Ages. This remarkable interactive version is adapted for young and old alike, and makes Paine's words and the concepts he espoused widely available to everyone.

Wilensky's interactive Common Sense offers a rich array of colonial history sprinkled with audio, video, and text graphics linked to a dynamic online website. This adaptation includes the original Common Sense, a new adapted version in plain language everyone can understand today, an extensive chronology of important pre-revolutionary events leading up to the publication of Paine's pamphlet, and adapted versions of the Olive Branch Petition, A Proclamation For Suppressing Rebellion And Sedition, and the Boston Port Act. Wilensky also includes a wide variety of insights on colonial coins and mercantilism, and many humorous illustrations designed to convey the important concepts of independence and liberty.

Instructors and parents will especially appreciate Wilensky's decision to include supplementary materials such as teaching plans for classroom and home schooling use. These include a wide variety of activities to engage students, all based on National Curriculum Standards.

Colonial America was a continent with multiple cultures and customs spanning vast geographic distances. Tom Paine's amazing persuasive essay Common Sense unified these seemingly conflicting characteristics into the most remarkable nation ever founded in the history of mankind. The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine will reignite the ardor of our Founding Fathers for a new generation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Savas Beatie; 1st edition (December 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932714367
• ISBN-13: 978-1932714364
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #295,746 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Connection for my Students, March 16, 2008

By	RJ Davis (littleton, co United States) - See all my reviews

As a 5th grade teacher that has to teach all subject areas to a self-contained classroom, I am always trying to find a way to link lessons from various subjects together.

For Social Studies I am required to teach American history from the early colonies through the Revolutionary War. I ran across this book and asked my school librarian if she could buy a few copies to see if I could use them for guided reading discussions during my students' literacy time (by the way, the book includes guided reading questions after each chapter). I was amazed at how well it made the issues we were discussing in Social Studies come alive.

This book is an easy read for my students and I love it because it gives them access to what I have always thought to be one of the most important pieces of writing from early American history. After having several of my students read the book, two of them actually went online and downloaded the audio-book of Paine's original version (these kids and their iPods!) and three others became so excited and inspired by Paine's arguments that they wrote their own version of Common Sense and presented it to the class during one of our Revolutionary War simulations in Social Studies. Paine, one of them said, was a true American hero for standing up for what was right even if others disagreed with him. Almost all of the students who read this really got into all the activities this book offers online (there is an icon on several pages that asks readers to go online for interactive activities that correspond with the text on that particular page) and for the first time in a long time, I had students getting on their computers at home to - get this - READ HISTORY.

Wow. All of that from bringing this book into my classroom. I have since ordered a classroom set and it will be a part of what I do for years to come.

If you're a teacher of early American history, this book is a "must-have" in your classroom. It teaches, it enriches, and it inspires. Wonderful.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Introduction to the Overlooked Founding Document, February 20, 2008

By	Sam Adams (Near Valley Forge) - See all my reviews

What? Paine's Common Sense adapted for all ages? That was the question I asked myself when I came across this book for the first time. I was one of the first reviewers on the last edition (5 stars) and became extremely curious on why a larger publisher had picked it up. Happily, and even surprisingly, the new version is a stunner. Clocking in at 216 pages (Amazon shows it at 192, which is wrong) the original version was a mere 100 pages. Philosophically, this new book is much more expansive and ambitious, adding in adapted versions of The Boston Port Act, The Olive Branch Petition, and King George III's Proclamation for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition. Every one a major contributing factor to the start of the American Revolution. Brilliant inclusions, because these documents are subtly referenced in Thomas Paine's rant against the Monarchy in his Common Sense pamphlet. I had never read the Olive Branch Petition or Port Act before, mainly because of "Olde English"...although, I had read about their tremendous effect on the colonists. All are fascinating, in their purpose and historical context. Next, I loved the humorous illustrations in the book, and happily--there are more of them in this edition. They clarify much of the text in key areas. (Look for the logo on the chamberpot in the Quartering Act cartoon, I'm still laughing.)

A stranger and more entertaining history book probably does not exist. But I can't imagine any age group not learning a lot about American History, and the effect of Paine's Common Sense on galvanizing revolution, through these adaptations. This book adds more depth to the understanding of early American documents, and history, than most others I have ever seen. And, like Paine's purpose in 1776, this book too is written in language for everyone. PLUS, the original Common Sense is included as well...so you can compare the two and better understand the original.

PS: The website that goes with the book has a game where you get to be a Colonial Police Sketch Artist and design a King George III Wanted Poster. I have no idea how to critique it, nor should I probably try, but I was very entertained.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars American history, October 31, 2008

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Ben Weldon (age 11) for Reader Views (10/08)

"The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine" by Mark Wilensky is a kid-friendly book about Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet "Common Sense" and the situation of the colonies at that time. The author's goal is to teach kids about history without condemning them to picking through the lengthy and archaic language of the original text without really understanding it. He breaks down the original document section by section so that it is easier to understand.

Thomas Paine wrote "Common Sense" to convince the colonists to turn against the king and become independent. He also tried to prove to them that they could win a war against England.

The first hundred pages of this book provide biographical information about Thomas Paine and summarize "Common Sense." It also includes information on coinage and some of the petitions against and from the king. At the end of each chapter the author summarizes the main points of that chapter. The next fifty pages are classroom activities. The last quarter of the book is the original text of "Common Sense." This book also gives the reader access to more information online.

I would recommend "The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine" by Mark Wilensky to history teachers because it includes a lot of classroom activities. The book is easy to read and provides definitions throughout, but I don't think most kids would find it very entertaining or fun reading. The book was interesting and I think that people who want to learn more about the colonies and other historic events of that time may enjoy reading this book.