Common Sense

Common Sense by Thomas Paine

Instructions:

1. You will read both excerpts from Common Sense by Thomas Paine.

2. Answer the questions about tone, emotion, and argument.

3. Then, compare your answers with a partner .

4. Finish with the written task at the end.

Comparing Excerpts

Directions: Work with a partner who read a different excerpt.
Together, complete the chart below

Criteria for Success:
✅ I identify the author’s tone and give textual evidence.
✅ I explain how Paine uses emotional appeal to persuade readers.
✅ I connect his message to colonial experiences under British rule.
✅ I explain what made Paine’s ideas seem like “common sense.”

Prompt:
In two well-written paragraphs, explain how Thomas Paine uses tone and emotional appeal to build an argument against British rule and support the American Revolution.

Then, explain why you think he titled his work Common Sense.
What was “common sense” to colonists in 1776?