Characters
Choose the character you will play.
Empower your students to stand up for what’s right (like Sally Townsend) in the play “Newsies.” This play is based on a true story about brave kids who stood up for themselves—and won!
Art by Jose R. Ibáñez
Play,
Message in the Night
In 1780, a group of spies helped the Patriots win the Revolutionary War. This play is based on their daring adventures.
By Allison Friedman | Art by Jose R. Ibáñez
From the December 2023/January 2024 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will read a historical fiction play and identify the main character’s motivations for risking her life to spy for the Patriots.
Complexity Factors
Featured Skill:
Character,
Other Key Skills: character’s motivation, main idea, compare and contrast, plot, text features, cause and effect, inference, how a character changes, connecting to the text, opinion writing, narrative writing, explanatory writing
Standards
Narrators 1, 2, 3 (N1, N2, N3)
Sally Townsend, a young woman
Colonel Simcoe, a British colonel (ker-nel)
Robert Townsend, Sally’s older brother and a Patriot spy
Major André, the British spy chief
Abraham Woodhull, a Patriot spy
Caleb Brewster, a Patriot spy
Benjamin Tallmadge, the Patriot spy chief
George Washington, the leader of the Continental Army
Prologue
N1: Two hundred and fifty years ago, the United States was not yet a country.
N2: It was mostly wilderness, except for some land along the East Coast.
N3: This land was divided into 13 areas called colonies.
N1: The colonies were ruled by England.
N2: Many people thought this was unfair. They wanted to rule themselves.
N3: These people were known as Patriots.
N1: In 1775, a war broke out: the Revolutionary War.
N2: The Patriots formed the Continental Army, led by General George Washington.
N3: They were fighting the British Army, one of the most powerful armies in the world.
N1: To have a chance of winning the war, Washington needed more than strength—he needed smarts.
N2: He had to know what the enemy was planning.
N3: And for that, he needed spies.
N1: This story is based on the adventures of some of these spies.
Scene 1
The Townsend Home
Long Island, New York
April 1780
N2: Sally Townsend is hanging red coats in her family’s yard.
N3: She looks up and sees her older brother walking toward her.
Sally Townsend: How nice of you to visit!
N1: Just then, a British soldier in a red coat rides up on a horse.
Colonel Simcoe: Sally, I expect our uniforms to be cleaned today.
Sally (annoyed): They’ll be ready.
N2: British soldiers were staying with Sally’s family and other families who supported the British.
N3: Simcoe rides away.
Sally (sighing): All day, the British soldiers yell orders at us.
Robert Townsend: It isn’t right!
Sally: But our family promised to support England in the war.
Robert (quietly): That’s why I came. I need to tell you something.
Sally: What? You’re scaring me.
Robert: I can’t continue to support England. I’m helping the Patriots.
Sally: How?
Robert: By gathering information on the British Army.
Sally (shocked): You mean . . . spying?
N1: Robert nods.
Robert (whispering): I’ve joined a group called the Culper Spy Ring.
Sally: But if you get caught, you’ll be sent to jail . . . or worse!
Robert: Don’t you want our land to be free?
Sally: Yes, but it’s too dangerous!
Robert: Sometimes it’s worth risking everything for a cause you believe in.
Scene 2
The Townsend Home
July 1780
N2: Months later, Sally hears voices coming from Colonel Simcoe’s room.
Major André: My spies say there are troops in Rhode Island here to help the Patriots. But they’re weak.
Simcoe: If we attack soon, we could take over Rhode Island.
André: That would be a big loss for the Patriots.
Sally (to herself): The British are going to attack Rhode Island! Should I tell Robert? It’s risky.
N3: Then she remembers what Robert said.
Sally: I want our land to be free! I must be brave and tell Robert.
Scene 3
Robert Townsend’s Store
New York City
That night
N1: Sally approaches Robert’s store.
Sally (glancing over her shoulder): I must be sure that no one is following me.
N2: Sally knocks twice.
Robert (opening the door): Sally! What are you doing here?
N3: Sally sees another man inside.
Sally: I need to speak to you . . . alone.
Robert: It’s OK. This is Abraham Woodhull. He’s part of the Culper Spy Ring.
Sally: Then I have news for both of you.
N1: Sally reports what she heard.
Abraham Woodhull: We have to get a message to General Washington—at once!
N2: Robert grabs a blank piece of paper. Then he dips a pen into a pot of ink and begins writing.
N3: After a minute, he holds up the paper. But it still appears blank.
Sally: Is your pen broken?
Robert: No—it’s invisible ink.
Abraham: Only a person using a special liquid can reveal the message.
Sally (shocked): Wow!
Robert: We also write in code. I used a secret code name for you.
Abraham: It’s “355,” which means “lady.” That way, nobody will know who you are.
Robert: Thank you, Sally. You may have just saved Rhode Island!
Scene 4
Long Island
Later that night
N1: Abraham carries the message to Long Island.
N2: He hands the letter to a big, bearded man.
Abraham: You know where to take this. And be careful—British ships are everywhere.
Caleb Brewster: Don’t worry. The Brits are no match for the Culper Spy Ring!
N3: Caleb rows a boat to Connecticut, where another man waits.
Caleb: Here you go.
Benjamin Tallmadge: I’ll take this to the general.
N1: Hours later, Benjamin arrives at Washington’s camp.
Benjamin: Sir, our spies say the British are planning to attack Rhode Island.
George Washington: No, not Rhode Island!
Benjamin: The message is from a new Culper spy . . . a woman called 355. But our spies swear she’s reliable.
Washington: OK. I trust the Culper Spy Ring. Let’s come up with a plan to stop the British!
Scene 5
The Townsend Home
August 1780
N2: A week later, Sally hears Major André talking in Colonel Simcoe’s room.
N3: She tiptoes near.
André: Colonel, Washington knew about our plan to attack Rhode Island! The plan failed.
Simcoe: There must be a spy among us.
André: But who?
N1: Sally smiles to herself.
Scene 6
A Tavern on Long Island
April 1783
N2: The Patriots have won the war!
N3: The Culper Spy Ring gathers to celebrate.
N1: As they laugh, Washington walks in.
Washington: It’s the Culper Spy Ring! You helped us win the war.
Sally (raising a glass): To freedom!
Everyone: To freedom!
Think and Write Contest
Pretend you’re Sally. Using details from the play, write a top-secret diary entry telling why you decided to become a spy. Five winners will each receive a signed copy of the graphic novel I Survived the American Revolution, 1776. See our contest page for details.
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Can't Miss Teaching Extras
Read about another brave child in the American Revolution in “Blood, Smoke, and Freedom”—a Big Read about a 15-year-old boy who fought during all eight years of the war.
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan
Table of Contents
5. Differentiate and Customize
Struggling Readers, Multilingual Learners, Advanced Readers, Creative Writing
1. Preparing to Read
Set a Purpose for Reading/Preview Text Features
- To build students’ background knowledge, have them read this issue’s Time Machine feature, “Washington’s Secret Attack.” You can also present the background builder slideshow to provide helpful information on the American Revolution.
- Instruct students to study the title and subtitle on page 24 and the illustration on page 25. Ask them to describe the illustration and predict what the play will be about.
- Call on volunteers to read aloud the Think and Read box on page 24 and the Think and Write box on page 29.
Introduce Vocabulary
The play includes bolded vocabulary terms in the text but does not include definitions. A Vocabulary Skill Builder online previews the vocabulary terms (wilderness, colonies, cause, invisible, and reliable). You may also show our Vocabulary Slideshow.
The play includes bolded vocabulary terms in the text but does not include definitions. A Vocabulary Skill Builder online previews the vocabulary terms (wilderness, colonies, cause, invisible, and reliable). You may also show our Vocabulary Slideshow.
2. Close Reading
Author’s Note From Allison Friedman:
All the characters in this play are based on real people, and the events are based on the real-life adventures of the Culper Spy Ring. Most of the Culper spies were childhood friends who grew up together on Long Island in the town of Setauket, so they knew they could trust one another. The spies really did help thwart an attack on Rhode Island. But even 250 years later, many mysteries about the ring remain—including the identity of 355, the group’s lady spy. Some have speculated that she was Sally Townsend, Robert Townsend’s younger sister, and this is the theory that inspired our main character. Maybe your students will want to read more about the spy ring and develop theories of their own!
Storyworks 3 plays provide a perfect opportunity for students to build fluency.
Perform the plays as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the audio Read-Aloud.
Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, assign all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.)
Storyworks 3 plays provide a perfect opportunity for students to build fluency.
Perform the plays as a class or have students follow along as they listen to the audio Read-Aloud.
Project or assign the Close-Reading and Critical-Thinking Questions. (Alternatively, assign all or part of the Learning Journey Slide Deck.)
Close-Reading Questions
- Read the Prologue of “Message in the Night.” Why did George Washington need spies during the Revolutionary War? George Washington needed spies because the colonies were fighting the British Army, one of the most powerful armies in the world. He needed spies to know what the powerful British Army was planning. (main idea)
- Read Scene 1. How do Sally and Robert feel about spying on the British Army? Do the characters feel the same way? No, Sally and Robert don’t feel the same way. Sally thinks it’s too dangerous, but Robert thinks it’s worth it. He says it’s worth risking everything for something you believe in. (compare and contrast)
- Read Scene 2. Why does Sally decide to tell her brother about the British Army’s plan to attack Rhode Island? Sally remembers her brother’s words about risking everything for a cause you believe in. She realizes she must be brave and tell Robert about the British Army’s plan. (character’s motivation)
- Read Scene 3. What happens after Sally tells her brother and Abraham Woodhull about the British Army’s plans? Robert uses invisible ink to write a message in code to General Washington about the British Army’s plans. In the message, Robert uses a secret code name for Sally so no one will know who she is. Her code name is “355.” This means “lady.” (plot)
- Read Scene 4. How does the map on page 26 of the Culper Spies’ route help you understand what happens in this scene? The map shows the route that the Culper Spy Ring took in this scene. They traveled from New York City to Long Island to Connecticut. Then they traveled to George Washington’s camp. (text features)
- What happens after George Washington gets the message from a Culper Spy called 355? George Washington says he trusts the Culper Spy Ring. He decides to come up with a plan to stop the British attack on Rhode Island. (cause and effect)
- Read Scenes 5 and 6. Why does General Washington say the Culper Spy Ring helped the Patriots win the war? General Washington says the Culper Spy Ring helped the Patriots win the war because they gave him important information about the British Army’s plan to attack Rhode Island. (inference)
Critical-Thinking Questions
- How do Sally’s feelings about spying on the British Army change from the beginning of the play to the end? Answers may vary. Sample response: At first, Sally is worried about Robert spying on the British Army. She thinks it’s too dangerous and he could get sent to jail or worse. Then she learns from Robert that it’s worth risking everything for a cause you believe in. She changes her mind and realizes how important it is to help the Culper Spy Ring. She tells the Culper Spy Ring important information she hears the British Army say about Rhode Island. (how a character changes)
- Imagine you are living in the 13 colonies in 1780. Would you want to join the Culper Spy Ring? Why or why not? Answers will vary. (opinion writing, connecting to the text)
3. Skill Building and Writing
Featured Skill: Character's Motivation
- Distribute or digitally assign the Character's Motivation Skill Builder.
- Ask students to write a response to the Think and Write prompt on page 29.
Science Connection: Secret Code
- Distribute our skill builder for students to learn the secret code used by the Culper Spy Ring!
Differentiate and Customize
For Striving Readers
To help striving readers understand the plot, play the audio read-aloud as students follow along in their magazines. Pause at the end of each scene to discuss what happened, and together write a one- or two-sentence summary. Use this as an opportunity to highlight when and how the characters act as spies. Which actions do they take to spy on the British Army? How do these actions help the Patriots? When students read the articles online in Presentation View, they can use the highlighter tool to mark the text.
For Multilingual Learners
Gauge your multilingual learners’ knowledge of the American Revolution and work with them to build on it, as needed. Read through the play and circle any unfamiliar words or terms. As a whole class or small group, look up the meanings of the words or terms. Use pictures or videos online to help.
For Advanced Readers
Read the Author’s Note from the Close Reading section of this lesson plan to students. Have them research the Culper Spy Ring in pairs or small groups and come up with a theory about who 355 was. They should then share their theory with the rest of the class.
Text-to-Speech