Newsies Worksheet Answer Key
Worksheet #1
1. By selling newspapers or “Carrying the Banner”.
2. Headlines make people excited to buy newspapers; the Newsies often exaggerate the
headlines to sell more papers.
3. The two newest Newsies that Jack takes under his wing are Davey/David and Les.
4. Jack dreams of being free, and moving to Santa Fe; away from the city, out into the
open air. He expresses this in the song “Santa Fe”
5. Medda Larkson; stage name, the Swedish Meadowlark.
6. David’s family is celebrating his Dad’s birthday a day early; they are also celebrating
Davey and Les bringing in money from their first day of selling newspapers.
7. B. Reinforcing what’s already happening in the story
Worksheet #2
1. Pulitzer increases how much it costs the Newises to buy papers, in order to make more
money.
2. The Newsies are unhappy and go on a strike.
3. The songs “The World Will Know” and “Seize the Day” reflect the Newsies decision to
strike and their newfound optimism and resolve.
4. A reporter, Bryan Denton, takes interest in the boys standing up to the newspaper
titans.
5. Jack goes to Brooklyn to recruit Spot Collins, another Newsie, to the cause of the strike.
6. In the fight that follows, Crutchie gets captured and taken to the refuge.
7. No correct answer, all answers potentially correct.
Worksheet #3
1. To the refuge; where Jack was held once before.
2. The Newsies fight the new kids hired to sell papers; the strikebreakers, meant to force
the Newsies back to work.
3. The song “King of New York” talks about the Newsies newfound fame in the papers as a
result of Bryan Denton reporting on their fight against the strikebreakers.
4. Sarah, Davey’s sister, comes to visit Jack.
5. Pulitzer and the Mayor plan to set a trap for Jack; to have him arrested and to use the
police to break up the Newsies strike during their rally at Medda’s theater.
6. Jack is captured, and sent to the refuge. The rally is broken up and the Newsies are
scattered.
7. No correct answer; any answer could be correct.
Worksheet #4
1. Pulitzer offers not to arrest the other Newsies if Jack works as a strikebreaker. He also
offers to pay Jack enough to get away from New York; a train ticket to whatever place
he wants.
2. A reprise is a song or part of a song that is repeated later in a show to emphasize a
theme. Jack sings a reprise of the song “Santa Fe” from earlier after talking to Crutchie.
3. Sarah is attacked by the Delancey brothers while Jack is out selling papers under his new
deal with Pulitzer. Jack steps in and saves Sarah from the thugs.
4. The Newsies use an old printing press in the basement of Pulitzers New York World to
print flyers rallying working kids all throughout the city.
5. Denton goes to the governor of New York, Theodore Roosevelt, to get the Newsies
some help fighting against Pulitzer and the Mayor.
6. The Newsies do succeed with their strike! They succeed because Pulitzer agrees to their
demands, and gives them a better deal for selling papers moving forward.
7. B. Carrying the Banner