• The Black Regiment of the American Revolution
• Brainstorm A Story
• Critique Guide
• Magazines that Publish Young Authors

The Black Regiment of the American Revolution
by Linda Crotta Brennan, illustrated by Cheryl Kirk Noll
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In 1778 Rhode Island offered slaves freedom in exchange for fighting in the Continental Army. The "Black Regiment" became one of the finest military units fighting for independence in the Revolutionary War.

Classroom Activities:

READ the description of the men who were part of the Black Regiment on page 5. What was the same about them? What was different?

DISCUSS the reasons why the French didn't help the Americans during the Battle of Rhode Island. Do you think they could have helped? What might have happened if the French had fought in the Battle of Rhode Island?

IDENTIFY why it was important for the Black Regiment to hold their line against the Hessians in the Battle of Rhode Island. What might have happened if the Hessians had beaten them?

THINK ABOUT the weapons people used during the Revolutionary War. WRITE about how the weapons affected the way they fought battles.

SEARCH for all the names of the men in the Black Regiment mentioned in the book. Pick one of those men. DRAW a picture of what he might have looked like. WRITE about him, using the facts in the book and your imagination.

Imagine that you were a member of the Black Regiment. WRITE about something that happened to you during the Revolutionary War.

RESEARCH other Black heroes from the Revolutionary War. FIND OUT what those men did for their country.

LIST the places where the Black Regiment was stationed during the Revolutionary War. (Tiverton, RI; Newport, RI; Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY; Yorktown, VA; Saratoga, NY.) FIND all those places on a map of the first 13 states.

LIST some of the problems the men of the Black Regiment faced after the war was over. What are some of the problems minorities face now? How are they the same? How are they different?

Do you THINK the men of the Black Regiment changed the way people thought about slavery? How and why?

Why do you THINK Rhode Island decided to abolish slavery gradually? Do you think that was the right way to do it? Why or why not?

Brainstorm A Story
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1. Start with a Character: What is he/she like? What does she/he care about?
    
2. Give that character a problem
   .
3. Who is in the story with the character?
    
4. Where and when is the story?

Critique Guide: Questions To Ask
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Fiction:

Who is the main character?

What are the characters like?

Does your story have enough conflict?

I want to know more about (a character, a place, what happened).

Do you need this character or scene?

The (beginning, middle, or end) needs to be (longer or shorter).

I was confused when...

Did you show with dialogue, action, and description?

I'd like to hear the characters talk to each other.

There should be more action when...

Could you include more description of...(five senses)

Does the first paragraph introduce the main topic.

I'd like to know more about...

Could you change the order of...

Could you tell me what really excites you about your topic?

Could you use more sensory description and action?

Is this really true?

At the end, could you tell me what I should have learned, or where I can go to learn more?

Magazines that Publish Young Authors
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The Apprentice Writer Box GG Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA 17870-1001 www.susqu.edu/writers ages: 14-18 type: personal narratives, photo essays, profiles, interviews, plays, fiction and poetry.   The Claremont Review 4980 Wesley Road Victoria, British Columbia V8Y 1Y9 Canada www.members.home.net/review ages: 13-18 type: short stories, poetry, plays   Cricket 315 Fifth St. Peru, IL 61354 www.cricketmag.com ages: 9-14 type: short stories, poems, art   Highlights for Children 803 Church St. Honesdale, PA 18431 www.highlightsforchildren.com ages: 2-12 type: short stories, poetry, art   High School Writer Writer Publications PO Box 718 Grand Rapids, MN 55744-0718 ages: 11-18 type: articles, fiction, poetry   Kiwibox.com Suite 1602 330 West 38th St New York, NY 10018 lin@kiwibox.net Age: 14-21 Type: fiction, articles

The Leading Edge 3163 JKHB Provo, UT 84606 Age: teens Type: articles and fiction   Merlyn's Pen, Inc. The Merlyn's Pen Foundation 11 South Angell St., Suite 301, Providence, RI 02906 Email: merlyn@merlynspen.org www.merlynspen.org Grades: 6-12 Type: short stories, nonfiction, poems, art   New Moon PO Box 3587 Duluth, MN 55803-3587 www.newmoon.org age: 8-14 girls type: to 600 words, Non-fiction   Teen Ink Box 30 Newton, MA 02461 Submissions@TeenInk.com Age: teens Type: articles, fiction, art   Teen Voices PO Box 12-027 Boston, MA 02112-0027 Age: 12-20 Type: articles and artwork   Young People's Press 374 Fraser Street North Bay, Ontario P1B 2W7 Canada Age: 14-24 Type: article, artwork www.ypp.net