Newsies

Social Studies: American history

Social-Emotional Learning: relationship skills (communication, teamwork); responsible decision-making (identifying problems, analyzing situations, solving problems, reflecting)

theme, text features, vocabulary, fluency, summarizing, plot, interpreting text, key idea, setting, cause and effect, inference, character’s motivation, main idea, narrative and explanatory writing

Set a Purpose for Reading/Explore Text Features/Watch a Video (10 minutes)

• Look at pages 22-23 with the class. Point out the labels “Play” and “Read-aloud play.” Then read the title and subtitle with students. Ask them to describe the illustration. 

• Explain that the photos and captions on pages 22-27 provide information about life in America in the late 1800s and early 1900s and will help them better understand the events of the play.

• Show or assign the video “In the Time of the Newsies: 1890-1915.”

• Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 22 and the Think and Write box on page 27.  Remind students to keep in mind  the Think and Read prompt as they read the play.

Introduce Vocabulary (15 minutes)

• While the play does not include definitions of vocabulary words with the text, a Vocabulary Skill Builder online previews eight challenging terms (available in your Resources tab). You may also play our Vocabulary Slideshow where images help students with comprehension.

• Vocabulary terms: stood up for, press, declares, strike, protest, crumples, demand, inspire

Bridging Decoding and Comprehension

• Storyworks 3 plays provide a perfect opportunity for students to build fluency.

• Remind students that the stage directions tell a reader or actor how to say a line or perform an action in the play. Direct students to page 26. Point to the word reading  in column 1. Read the dialogue aloud with appropriate expression or actions. Ask students to repeat after you.

• Before reading: Point out the Characters box on page 23. Remind students that this is a list of all the characters in the play. How many narrators are there? 

• First Read: Assign parts and read the play as a class. (If you’re meeting in a virtual classroom, have students write the name of the character they’re portraying on a piece of paper to tape or pin to their shirts—or help them change their display name to their character name. This will make it easier for everyone to follow along.)

• Second Read: Project, distribute, or assign the Close-Reading Questions (available in your Resources tab). Discuss them as a class, rereading lines or scenes as necessary.

• Pair each student with a partner to discuss the Critical-Thinking Questions. Then ask pairs to share their answers with the class.

• Alternatively, assign all or part of the Learning Journey Slideshow, which contains the questions—along with other activities from this lesson plan and a link to the play. It's available in your Resources tab. 

Close-Reading Questions (30 minutes)

1. Read the Prologue. What do you learn about the newsies in this part of the play? (summarizing/plot) The newsies were kids who sold newspapers on the street. They worked long days to help feed themselves and their families. They were poor and often homeless. They stood up for their rights when the newspaper owners treated them unfairly.

2. Read Scene 1. When Ani says that she needs to help her family, Sully responds, “Don’t we all.” What does he mean? (interpreting text) Sully means that the other newsies, including himself, have the same problem. They are poor and need to help their families by bringing in money for food.

3. Read Scene 2. Why does Boots say the newspapers “will be easy to sell”? (key idea) The newspaper stories are about America’s war with Spain. Because war news is interesting to read, more people will buy the newspapers.
   

4. Read Scene 3. When do the events in this scene take place? How does this affect the newsies’ business? (setting/cause and effect) The events take place in July 1899. Because the war with Spain has ended, fewer people are interested in buying newspapers.

5. Read Scene 4. Why do the kids decide to stand up for themselves by striking? (theme/plot) They decide to strike because the newspaper owners did not keep their promise to drop the price of the papers when the war ended.

6. Read Scene 5. Why do you think a man crumples up one of the flyers that Ani and Rose are passing out in the street? (inference/character’s motivation) The flyer says, “Don’t buy the newspapers.” The man probably crumples it up because he doesn’t support the newsies’ strike.

7. Read Scene 6. Why do the newsies decide to end their strike? (plot) William Randolph Hearst, the owner of the newspaper, offers to buy back every paper the newsies don’t sell if they agree to return to work. The newsies agree that his offer is a good deal, and they end their strike against the newspaper owners.

8. Read the Epilogue. Why does Ani say that “our bravery helped inspire change for the future”? (main idea) The newsies’ courage inspired important laws that were passed almost 40 years after their strike. These laws helped kids in the U.S. by limiting the number of hours they could work during a school week. Because of these new laws, all children now have the right to an education.

Critical-Thinking Question (10 minutes)

1. Think about Rose’s words in Scene 4: “Sometimes you have to give a little now to get more later.” What does she mean? What did the newsies get because of the strike? (theme) Rose believed that even though the kids wouldn’t earn any money during the strike, it would be worth it later. The strike would help them get a better deal with the newspaper owners. The strike worked, and the newsies did get a better deal. Almost 40 years later, a law was passed to help make sure that kids didn’t work in unsafe jobs or unfair situations.

Young Changemakers

The newsies’ strike in this play shows that kids can be powerful even if they are young.

Ask: Can you think of other examples of ways kids have taken action to make changes? Have you ever done something to try to make a change or improve the world around you? Perhaps you’re a committed recycler who cares about the planet. Or a good friend who tries to help when someone is having a hard time. Answers will vary. Students might have heard of changemakers like the climate activist Greta Thunberg or Marley Dias, who started #1000BlackGirlBooks. Closer to home, they might know of kids who have made changes in their school or community. Finally, kids might talk about ways they have helped others during the pandemic or at other times. Remind your students that even small actions can be powerful.

Featured Skill: Theme

• Distribute the Theme Skill Builder (available in your Resources tab) and have students complete it in class or for homework.

• Ask students to write a response to the prompt in the Think and Write box at the end of the play. Remind them to write an exciting headline for their newspaper article.

• Our new Learning Journey Slideshow is designed to make your life easier. Have students move through at their own pace or assign smaller chunks for different days. You can also customize the slideshow to your liking.

• Gather a small group in your remote classroom for a virtual play reading. Share the play on your screen and assign parts. (Students might read more than one part, depending on the size of the group.) Then read the play aloud together. Encourage students to be expressive as they read! Repeat with other groups until all students have had a chance to participate.