COLL019355-001-I Survived-Virtual Feild Trip-Edu Materials.indd

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Dear Educators, Librarians, Parents, Readers, and Fellow Revolutionaries,

As I work on I Survived books, I’m always wishing that I could bring readers along

with me on my research journeys. And ﬁ nally my dream is coming true.

I am writing with an invitation for you to join me on a virtual ﬁ eld trip to the

Museum of the American Revolution, an amazing new museum in Philadelphia.

The virtual ﬁ eld trip, called Beyond the Battleﬁ eld, is a 25-minute video

extravaganza in which I take kids (and teachers!) behind the scenes of the

museum.

They will delve into the background of the Revolution and War of Independence.

They will see historical treasures. They will meet historians and hear stories of

young people — like them — who were a part of America’s ﬁ ght for freedom.

Our goal is to bring this exciting and frightening time in history to life to your

students, to supplement your curriculum, and to open new doors of curiosity. It’s

a great companion to my book I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 and pairs

perfectly with a rich collection of ancillary resources, including my March/April

Storyworks article “Blood, Smoke, and Freedom” (available in multiple reading

levels), before and after viewing tips from our Top Teaching bloggers, a vocabulary

list, and discussion questions.

I can’t wait to hear what you think.

Huzzah! (That’s how they said “hooray!” in colonial times.)

Lauren Tarshis

Author of the New York Times Bestselling I SURVIVED Series

Editor of StoryWorks and StoryWorks Jr. Magazines

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How can I incorporate the virtual field trip into

my plans?

The free virtual ﬁ eld trip can be used to augment

a Revolutionary War or Colonial Times curriculum

unit, or as part of an ELA study on ﬁ ction/historical

ﬁ ction/non-ﬁ ction. Or keep it on ﬁ le for a substitute

day!

What grade level is this appropriate for?

The Beyond the Battleﬁ eld virtual ﬁ eld trip is

designed with supporting materials for grades 2–8,

but can be enjoyed by older viewers, too!

How long should I schedule for the virtual field trip?

The actual viewing time is 25 minutes, but classroom

engagement can be extended before and after

viewing with activities, readings, and discussion

questions from this Beyond the Battleﬁ eld

Classroom Kit.

How should I plan my viewing?

You can schedule your viewing in a number of ways:

watch independently, as a single class, across a grade

level, or multiple grades in a larger setting, such as an

auditorium, library, or community center.

What are the technical requirements for viewing?

The virtual ﬁ eld trip is a simple video played like any

other video on the internet. You will need access

to the internet, audio capability, and, depending on

crowd size, a projector for viewing. We recommend

testing ahead and contacting your audio visual

department as needed.

How should I prepare my reader/students for the

virtual field trip?

• Before the ﬁ eld trip, use the revolutionary

vocabulary handout in the Beyond the Battleﬁ eld

Classroom Kit to prepare students for the

language and concepts that they will explore.

• After the ﬁ eld trip, use the grade level-specific

discussion questions and answer keys in this

kit to engage further with the themes and

topics presented and extend their educational

experience.

• Explore Lauren Tarshis’s StoryWorks narrative

nonﬁ ction article “Blood, Smoke and Freedom,”

about the experiences of one of the young

soldiers featured in the virtual ﬁ eld trip

(available for free in multiple reading levels).

• For grades 3–5, explore the additional Beyond

the Battleﬁ eld classroom materials prepared by

Scholastic Top Teaching blogger Genia Connell.

• For grades 6–8, explore the additional Beyond

the Battleﬁ eld classroom materials prepared by

Scholastic Top Teaching blogger Mary Blow.

Do my students need to read I Survived the

American Revolution, 1776 before the virtual field

trip?

It is recommended (but not required) that you make

copies of I Survived the American Revolution, 1776

available to students prior to the virtual ﬁ eld trip.

When paired with the virtual ﬁ eld trip, the book

provides a ﬁ ctional counterpart that will help solidify

students’s understanding and comprehension of

the revolutionary era and events, and help them feel

more engaged and connected to the subject matter.

The above blogs by Genia Connell and Mary Blow

contain wonderful resources for exploring the book in

your classroom.

Is there a hashtag for the virtual field trip?

Yes! Please use #beyondthebattleﬁ eld. We’d love to

see photos and hear reactions from your students, so

be sure to include the hashtag and tag Scholastic in

any social posts.

Beyond the Battlefield Virtual Field Trip FAQ

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colonies: areas that have been settled by people from another country and are

controlled by that country

colonist: a person who lives in a colony or helps create a colony

ferried: carried from one place to another in a vehicle (such as a boat)

memoir: a piece of writing in which a person describes his or her past experiences

musket: a type of long gun used by soldiers from the 1500s to the 1800s

regiment: a military unit made up of two or more large groups of soldiers

slaves: people who are owned by other people and forced to work for them

without pay

enslaved: forced to be a slave

territory: a large area of land

wilderness: a wild and natural area in which few people live, such as a forest

revolution: a drastic change in the way something is done

Declaration of Independence: a document declaring the freedom of the 13

American colonies from British rule. It was adopted on July 4, 1776.

independent: not controlled by other people or things

militia: a group of people who are trained to ﬁ ght but are not ofﬁ cial soldiers

historian: a person who studies or writes about history

Loyalist: during the time of the Revolutionary War, an American who was loyal to

the king and did not want the 13 colonies to separate from Great Britain

native peoples: the ﬁ rst people to live in an area, before the arrival of settlers or

colonists

Key Revolutionary War Vocabulary

To further your students’s vocabulary discussion visit the multimedia slide show.

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Discussion Questions Grades 2–4

Directions:

Watch the Beyond the Battleﬁ eld Virtual Field Trip, hosted by Lauren Tarshis.

Then answer the questions below.

1. The ﬁ eld trip starts more than 250 years ago when America was made up of 13 colonies. Who

was in charge of the colonies? What made the colonists angry, and what did they do? (1:53–3:49)

2. Assistant Curator Matthew Skic says he thinks that July 1776 was the most important part of

the American Revolution. What does he tell you about and show you that helps you understand

why? (6:05–7:09)

3. What was the ﬁ rst battle that 15-year-old Josesph Plumb Martin fought in? What was important

about this battle? (7:12–8:05)

4. Lauren and Matthew show you a number of items used by Revolutionary War soldiers, like

Joseph. Choose one and describe what it’s for. What do you ﬁ nd interesting about it?

Choices: a. canteen (9:45); b. knapsack (10:19); c. pocketbook (10:41); d. musket (11:12);

e. cartridge box (12:16)

5. What was ﬁ ghting in the war like for Joseph and other American soldiers? What challenges were

they up against? (12:46–14:02)

6. Why did London Pleasants join the British army? (14:28–16:12)

7. What do you see and hear about the different types of people who were involved in the war?

(18:55–19:54)

8. Lauren says that many historians think the “most remarkable part of George Washington’s life”

was when he was a general in the Revolutionary War. Why? (21:04–23:16)

Think About It! After watching Beyond the Battleﬁ eld, what do you think is one important reason

people fought for America’s freedom in the Revolutionary War? Answer in a well-written paragraph

on a separate sheet of paper.

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Discussion Answers Grades 2–4

Answers will vary but should be similar to:

1. Great Britain, ruled by King George III, was in charge of the colonies. The colonists became angry

because they no longer wanted to be ruled by the British government. They wanted more control

over their own laws and future. In 1775, American ﬁ ghters went to war against the British.

2. Matthew Skic says July 1776 is important because that was when the Continental Congress

signed the Declaration of Independence, announcing that the colonies would no longer be

ruled by Great Britain. He shows a copy of the Declaration in a newspaper, which is where most

Americans would have found out about it. Matthew explains that this action allowed Americans

to form a new kind of government that other countries had never tried before, ruled by regular

people instead of a king or a queen.

3. The ﬁ rst battle that Joseph Plumb Martin fought in was the Battle of Brooklyn. This was the ﬁ rst

major battle of the Revolutionary War, and it was the biggest one.

4. Answers will vary.

5. Fighting in the war was difﬁ cult and horrifying. Joseph saw other soldiers wounded and killed

in bloody battles. The American soldiers were outnumbered by the British. The British also had

better weapons. Plus, they had the help of experienced German soldiers called Hessians.

6. London Pleasants joined the British army because he had been enslaved on a plantation in

Virginia, and the British offered freedom to enslaved people who would ﬁ ght on their side.

London took the risk of running away to join the British, and after the war he became free.

7. You see African Americans, Native Americans, and women. They all participated in the Revolution

in different ways. Free and enslaved African Americans fought on both sides of the war. Native

Americans did also, depending on which nation they belonged to. Women were important for

supporting the American troops. They cleaned and did laundry, and the soldiers wouldn’t have

survived without them.

8. Before the war, George Washington had a good life. He was not prepared to lead troops in

battle. But he believed so strongly in the idea of freedom from Britain that he left his good life

and took on the role of general. He failed at ﬁ rst, like in the terrible Battle of Brooklyn. But he

kept ﬁ ghting and ﬁ nally led the Americans to victory.

Think About It! Answers will vary, but students will probably mention people’s desire to be

free from Great Britain and rule themselves. They wanted a chance to have their own laws and

government, run by the people.

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Discussion Questions Grades 4–6

Directions:

Watch the Beyond the Battleﬁ eld Virtual Field Trip, hosted by Lauren Tarshis. Then answer the

questions below.

1. Based on the second section of the video, how was America in the 1600s and early 1700s

different from America today? What kinds of people lived there? (1:52–3:10)

2. What does the section of the video from 3:11 to 3:34 explain? How do the narration, visuals,

music, and sound effects in this section help you understand the feelings of American colonists

at this time?

3. According to museum curator Matthew Skic, what was the most important part of the

Revolutionary War? Explain why this event was important, using evidence from the video.

4. What was the ﬁ rst battle that 15-year-old Joseph Plumb Martin fought in? What was signiﬁ cant

about this battle?

5. Think about the Revolutionary War objects that Skic shows Tarshis from 9:36 to 12:31 of the

video. Based on this section, what can we learn by studying objects from the past? Explain using

examples from the section.

6. How does the section about Martin’s experience on the battleﬁ eld help you understand the

horrors of being a Revolutionary War soldier? Consider the music, narration, and visuals.

(12:31–13:01)

7. According to the section of the video from 13:20 to 14:02, what advantages did the British army

have over the American army?

8. How were London Pleasants’s reasons for becoming a soldier different from Joseph Plumb

Martin’s? Compare and contrast Pleasants’s experience of the war with Martin’s, using details

from the video.

9. Toward the end of her conversation with Skic, Tarshis says that “many different types of

people were involved in this Revolutionary War.” How do the images in this section support her

statement? (18:59–19:33)

10. According to Tarshis, what made General George Washington a hero? Explain using details from

the section about Washington. (20:31–23:18)

Think About It! In the beginning of the ﬁ eld trip, museum educator Adrienne Whaley says that “the

ideas of the American Revolution are so important to us today.” Based on what you saw, what do

you think she means?

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Discussion Answers Grades 4–6

Answers will vary but should be similar to:

1. In the 1600s and early 1700s, America wasn’t yet a country; it was made up of 13 colonies that

were owned and controlled by Great Britain. People who lived in these colonies included settlers

from European countries, African people who had been brought over and forced to work as

slaves, and Native Americans from dozens of tribes and nations.

2. This section explains that Americans grew more and more angry at England and its king,

because they wanted more control over America’s laws and future. This led to the outbreak of

the Revolutionary War in 1775. Images of furious-looking colonists, tense drum music, shouting

sound effects, and narration like “anger exploded into war” all help you understand the feelings

of American colonists at this time.

3. According to Matthew Skic, the most important part of the Revolutionary War was when the

Continental Congress issued the Declaration of Independence in July of 1776. The Declaration

stated that America would have a government that was directed by the people, rather than a

king or queen, which was a new idea at the time. The idea was so inspiring to American colonists

that they were willing to ﬁ ght for it in the American Revolution.

4. The ﬁ rst battle Joseph fought in was the Battle of Brooklyn in 1776. This battle, which took place

soon after the Declaration of Independence was signed, was the biggest of the entire war—and

yet not many people have heard about it.

5. By studying objects from the past, we can learn about what everyday life was like for people

living in that time period. For example, by studying the type of knapsack used by Revolutionary

War soldiers, you can imagine a young soldier like Joseph carrying one ﬁ lled with clothing and

other necessities for life on the battleﬁ eld.

6. The section features dramatic footage of soldiers ﬁ ring muskets, running through smoky

battleﬁ elds, and lying wounded in the grass. Scary drum music plays as Skic explains that Joseph

would have seen “blood on the ﬁ eld” and “soldiers retreating for their lives.” All of this helps you

understand the horrors of being a Revolutionary War soldier.

7. The British army had more soldiers, better weapons, and more cannons than the American army.

They also had help from the Hessians, German soldiers who were among the best in the world.

8. Joseph Plumb Martin fought as a soldier in the American army because he believed in the cause

of independence from England. London Pleasants, who was enslaved, fought because the British

promised him freedom in exchange for joining their army. London was a trumpeter in the British

army, which meant that, unlike Joseph, he was not shooting a musket. But both young soldiers

saw horrible things and faced terrible dangers on the battleﬁ eld—and the danger London faced

was even greater, because as an enslaved person, he could be whipped or killed if the Americans

captured him.

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Discussion Answers Grades 4–6 (Continued)

9. The section features images of people from a variety of different groups, such as an African-

American soldier, a member of the Oneida Indian nation, an enslaved woman, and a British

soldier.

10. According to Tarshis, Washington was a hero because he never gave up ﬁ ghting for America’s

freedom, even as he faced tough challenges and painful failures. Though he did not want to

lead the Continental Army at ﬁ rst—because he had a happy life and little experience in war—he

agreed because he believed strongly in American independence. And even after his humiliating

defeat in the Battle of Brooklyn, he “worked hard to learn from his mistakes,” as Tarshis explains,

and persisted through “dark days” and “doubts.” His refusal to quit eventually led the Americans

to victory.

Think About It! Answers will vary. Students may say that the colonists were ﬁ ghting for the right to

have a say in how their country was run, and that this right is fundamental in America today.

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Discussion Questions Grades 6–8

1. Based on the second section of the video, how was America in the 1600s and early 1700s

different from America today? (1:52–3:10)

2. What is the mood of the video from 3:12 to 4:29? Why? How do the narration, visuals, music, and

sound effects in this section help create the mood?

3. According to museum curator Matthew Skic, how would a government inspired by the

Declaration of Independence be different from other governments colonists were familiar with?

4. How did Joseph Plumb Martin’s book about his experience in the war help author Lauren Tarshis

write her book I Survived the American Revolution, 1776? Consider what Lauren Tarshis says in

the section of the video from 7:09 to 9:35.

5. Think about the Revolutionary War objects that Skic shows Tarshis from 9:36 to 12:31 of the

video. Based on this section, what can we learn by studying objects from the past? Explain using

examples from the section.

6. How does the section about Martin’s experience on the battleﬁ eld help you understand the

horrors of being a Revolutionary War soldier? Consider the music, narration, and visuals.

(12:31–13:01)

7. According to the section of the video from 13:20 to 14:27, what role did the Hessian soldiers play

in the Revolutionary War? How was their presence helpful to the British?

8. Lauren Tarshis says that London Pleasants was taking a “double risk” by joining the British army.

What does she mean? Why was it risky for Pleasants to sign up to ﬁ ght? (15:39)

9. According to the section of the video from 19:34 to 20:19, what role did women play in the

Revolutionary War?

10. In the section about George Washington, what is Tarshis’s tone (or attitude)? Explain using

evidence from the video. (20:31–23:18)

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Discussion Answers Grades 6–8

Answers will vary, but may be similar to:

1. In the 1600s and early 1700s, America wasn’t yet a country; it was made up of 13 colonies that

were owned and controlled by Great Britain. People who lived in these colonies included settlers

from European countries, African people who had been brought over and forced to work as

slaves, and Native Americans from dozens of tribes and nations.

2. The mood of this section of the video is tense and dramatic because Tarshis is explaining how

the Americans grew more and more angry at England and its king. Images of furious-looking

colonists, tense drum music, shouting sound effects, and narration like “anger exploded into war”

all help to create this tense and dramatic mood.

3. According to museum curator Matthew Skic, the Declaration of Independence introduced the

idea of a country’s government being directed by its own people, rather than a king or queen.

4. Joseph Plumb Martin’s book helped Lauren Tarshis gather accurate historical details about the

Revolutionary War and understand what it was really like to be a solider in the war.

5. By studying objects from the past, we can learn about what everyday life was like for people

living in that time period. For example, by studying the type of knapsack used by Revolutionary

War soldiers, you can imagine a young soldier like Joseph carrying one ﬁ lled with clothing and

other necessities for life on the battleﬁ eld.

6. The section features dramatic footage of soldiers ﬁ ring muskets, running through smoky

battleﬁ elds, and lying wounded in the grass. Scary drum music plays as Skic explains that Joseph

would have seen “blood on the ﬁ eld” and “soldiers retreating for their lives.” All of this helps you

understand the horrors of being a Revolutionary War soldier.

7. The Hessian soldiers provided more manpower to the British army. Hessian soldiers were among

the best in the world, and according to curator Matthew Skic, the sight of these soldiers in their

ornate uniforms would have been very intimidating to the much less experienced American

soldiers.

8. Lauren Tarshis means that as an enslaved person, the danger London faced was even greater

than that of other soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War. Though Pleasants was given his

freedom by the British army, if the Americans had captured him, he could have beeen sold back

into slavery, whipped, or killed.

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Discussion Answers Grades 6–8 (Continued)

9. Women played an important role in the Revolutionary War. Although they could not be soldiers,

they provided vital support to the American army. Women would follow the army, cleaning and

doing laundry for the troops. According to Lauren Tarshis and Matthew Skic, the Americans

would not have won the war without the support of women. Additionally, some women like

Abigail Adams played a part in formulating the idea of the Revolution before the war even

began.

10. Tarshis’s tone is admiring as she talks about General George Washington. Tarshis says

Washington believed strongly in American independence and was “willing to risk everything to

ﬁ ght for that cause.” She says that even after his humiliating defeat in the Battle of Brooklyn,

Washington “worked hard to learn from his mistakes,” and persisted through “dark days” and

“doubts.” These details show that Tarshis admires Washington for his conviction, courage, and

resilience.

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