As I read Wood's writing, The Revolution, he briefly mentions Paul Revere's courageous ride to alert the Minute Men! Wood's comments are minimal, compared to Hakim's chapter 14, One If by Land, Two If by Sea. Wood's writing is matter of fact and moves on to other details for the Revolution. Hakim reminded me Paul Revere was a silversmith. She also informed me and named Billy Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott as important individuals of this critical, historic event. She took the time to explain each man's character and role as they warned the communities. This was informative to me. As a second grade social studies teacher, I will be using the information in Hakim's chapter. This material will quickly engaged my students with Paul Revere. Hakim uses multiple ways to engage the left brain and right brain student by capturing the attention of the reader to enter the past with courage and enthusiasm. She uses pictures, captions, a map with three trails, a story line, song and poetry, two newspapers: the Salem Gazette and London Gazette, 1775. I appreciate the primary sources added in her writings. The personal story of Mrs. Davis giving her account of her husband last day alive, puts liberty and freedom for Americans into a sober appreciation.
The children in my classroom will anticipate, predict, pretend and try to go back in time to feel and sense the urgency of this historic night. The map showing Paul Revere's path, Dawes and Prescott's paths will also create discussion. Reflecting on my previous second grade class, 2011-2012, I can already imagine, see and hear my children enjoying this material. They would have loved it! As I am writing this blog, I am anticipating reading Longfellow's poem to my incoming class with the rhythm of a horse's gallop! We will become soldiers of the past, The Red Coats singing Yankee Doodle and then we will be the Patriots/Minute Men, the colonists who won and we are still singing the song today! There will discussion regarding the character qualities Paul Revere had to have to accomplish his important task of warning the farmers and people living in the countryside. We will go to the library and use the our technology skills to research Paul Revere. This information will be additional reading material during our classroom READ ALOUD time, READ TO SELF AND READ TO SOMEONE. We will also do some writing composition on this brave American hero! As the year progress, it may be possible for one of my students to want to become Paul Revere for our WAX MUSEUM. This is usually a March activity for our social studies class. Integrated instruction will be purposefully set for meeting essential questions in the curriculum, using Hakim's chapter fourteen. For Second Grade, this history has drama, excitement and fortitude. Personally, my second graders will enjoy the history and biography of Paul Revere, as we go back in time to appreciate the efforts of our forefathers commitment to liberty and justice for all!
