i survived the american revolution essay

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I Survived the American Revolution, 1776

Written by Lauren Tarshis Review by Linda Harris Sittig

This book is a part of the popular “I Survived” series, written for upper elementary readers to bring them a first-person narrative of important events in world history.

Set in the summer of 1776, the story is told through the perspective of Nathaniel Fox, an eleven-year-old boy who gets caught in the middle of the Battle of Brooklyn, the largest battle fought during the American Revolution. As an orphan, Nathaniel has been living with his despicable uncle, Uriah Storch, in Norwalk, Connecticut, when he decides to run away. Stowing away on a ship bound for New York, Nate arrives in New York City to find its streets packed with colonial soldiers.

Within hours, British ships arrive off port and begin firing on the city. Nate is caught without cover on the streets, and runs for his life. He arrives at a city green north of the city, and rests at the military encampment where he is taken in as a camp assistant. For the next several weeks Nate does more physical labor than he ever thought possible. The story climaxes as the Battle of Brooklyn, in full swing, helps Nate to learn firsthand about the perils of warfare. Nate survives, but has grown up through the process of being immersed in the American Revolution.

Well-researched and packed full of action, this book should appeal to elementary students who are learning about the American Revolution. I enjoyed the development of the characters, but felt the ending occurred too rapidly once the battle was over.

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The I Survived Book Club is the new online resource for our ever-growing library of ACTIVITIES to help build engagement with the I Survived series, including the historical fiction novels, the graphic novels, and the I Survived True Stories non-fiction titles.  These resources will give you deeper ways of using our books in your classrooms, homes, and libraries.  We will be adding and upgrading the choices here (Activities for kids to do on their own and TEACHING RESOURCES for supervised work in the classroom and homeschooling settings). New videos will preview each book and provide fascinating background knowledge. The printable activities are designed to be fun and also support reading comprehension.

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• I Survived Book Club - I Survived the American Revolution, 1776

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• #12: I Survived The Joplin Tornado, 2011
• #13: I Survived The Hindenburg Disaster, 1937
• #14: I Survived The Eruption Of Mount St. Helens, 1980
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• #16: I Survived The Children’s Blizzard, 1888
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I Survived the American Revolution, 1776

42 pages • 1 hour read

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-13

Chapters 14-18

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Bravery and Sacrifice in Pursuit of Freedom

This theme heavily pervades the more action-packed scenes of the novel, for the American soldiers are fighting for their freedom against all odds and must face a foe that is better equipped and better trained. Many of the American soldiers are ordinary people who have never had any formal military training. As Paul tells Nate , “We were all just regular fellows-farmers, bakers, shopkeepers, shoemakers, sailors. Some of us didn’t even know how to shoot” (54). During this time frame, however, the British army is the largest and most powerful fighting force in the world. Thus, the Americans are knowingly fighting a superior army in order to gain their freedom from British rule, and their tenacity pays off. As Paul explains to Nate: “[A]t Bunker Hill, we showed them what a bunch of Yankee Doodles can do” (83). Despite the British soldiers’ tendency to mock the Americans, these decisive engagements make it clear that even with fewer resources and less training, the American soldiers can hold their own in battle.

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I Survived #15: I Survived the American Revolution, 1776

By Lauren Tarshis   

Scholastic Inc | ISBN 9780545919739 Paperback 144 Pages | 5.24" x 7.59" | Ages 7 to 10

Scholastic Inc | ISBN 9780545919753 Ebook 144 Pages | Ages 7 to 10

This Revolutionary War had started as a thrilling fight for freedom. The 13 American colonies were breaking apart from England, away from King George III. The colonies would band together to become a brand-new country: The United States of America!

But King George was like a snake with America gripped in his fangs — and he didn't want to let go. So now it was war — brutal, bloody war. And America was being crushed by the mighty British army. Thousands of American troops were either dead or dying in filthy British prison ships. General George Washington's army was in tatters.

All Nate wanted was to find his father...and to get out of here alive.

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I Survived the American Revolution, 1776

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review: I Survived: The American Revolution, 1776

This is an excellent young adult chapter book covering the Battle of Brooklyn during the Revolutionary War. The main character is eleven-year-old Nate, who escaped from an abusive uncle only to find himself in the midst of an army camp. There, however, he reunites with a friend from his sailing days with his late father, and he becomes a camp aide. He meets George Washington and sees many gruesome and terrible things over the course of several months.

One of the first things I noticed is that this story shows young readers bravery through thought and reasoning. When Nate was afraid, he remembered stories his father had told him about a kind pirate, and he rationalized what “Slash O’Shea” would do in his situation. Injustices are discussed, such as the issue of slavery and the effects of the war on ordinary people. There is a good bit of background information at the end that the author has included to discuss research and further reading on the subject.

The “I Survived” series is an interesting and popular set of 15 books starting in AD 79 and ending in 2011. They will interest even reluctant readers with subjects such as the destruction of Pompeii, the Great Chicago Fire, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the Joplin tornado. I highly recommend this volume as a great tool for educators teaching about the Revolutionary War, or simply as an exciting and enjoyable read for grades 4 & up.

1 thought on “ review: I Survived: The American Revolution, 1776 ”

I like this book a lot, but I would like to know more about Slash O’Shea

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I Survived the American Revolution, 1776: Analysis, Test & Assessment Pack.

Description

I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis: 30+ pages of Analysis, Reading Comprehension questions and Assessment pack.

The product includes:

Analysis (5 Pages) : Setting, characters, themes.

Test: (5 Pages): 30 Reading comprehension questions with answer keys+ 10 Essay questions.

Assessment pack (22 Pages): The pack includes a variety of tests and questions to assess your students understanding of The the book

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