SKILLS COVERED: developing listening skills, synthesis and evaluation skills; reading strategies; creative writing

GENERAL GOALS: to introduce the story of Paul Revere and the historical background; to teach the basics of storytelling

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: to teach listening and reading for finding specific information; to teach to find the most important information and to recycle it; to teach to tell a story with the help of acquired information. 

MATERIALS/VISUAL AIDS: worksheets (see appendix), smartboard or projector+screen, high-speed Internet access (best done in computer class)
The painting also can be found here:
http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/collection_database/modern_art/
the_midnight_ride_of_paul_revere_grant_wood/objectview.aspx?collID=21&OID=210008802

Pre-task: it is highly recommended to read the article about Grant Wood’s The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” in Picturing America Teachers Resource Book.

Exercise 1. Listening
Watch a short video “Paul Revere, Messenger of Revolution” on the following web-site http://www.earlyamerica.com/paul_revere.htm .
Before that each student receives a worksheet (see Appendix 1 for Pre-Intermediate Level and Appendix 2 for Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate Levels). Students should find out more info about the following words and word expressions that are written in Worksheet. Pre-Intermediate students can answer only whom they concerned (e.g. clattering of hooves – Paul Revere’s horse, silversmith – Paul Revere), Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate students should also give some context.

Exercise 2. Reading
Project the following web-site link on the smartboard/screen or if in computer class go to the following page:

Pre-Intermediate students read the text and answer the questions (see Appendix 1). Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate students do webquest on web-site: www.paul-revere-heritage.com and find answers to questions (see Appendix 2).

Exercise 3. Speaking and Writing
Go to http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/36/Heroesamerhistory92736.jpg and open a cartoon that is dedicated to Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride. Let students carefully examine it and compare with Grant Wood’s painting. What do they have in common? What is different? Does “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” look like a cartoon, too?

Group work (3-5 students). Each group receives a worksheet (see Appendix 3). They should try themselves as cartoonists and create an entertaining cartoon out of Grant Wood’s painting simply by filling in the gaps using the information students found on the website or creating some lines by themselves. Then groups put their cartoons on the wall/blackboard and do a museum walk. As a follow-up activity, students may write a dialogue between the villagers, Deacon, and Paul Revere.

Home-task:
Compare Grant Wood’s painting “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” to similar Russian paintings. Students can use the web-site of Tretyakov Gallery as a resource (www.tretyakovgallery.com) and a write a short essay/ make PowerPoint presentation about characters and historical background of the picture.

Recommended paintings:

Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate Students can perform their own webquest and find out the historical background of the paintings.

References:

Appendix 1 Worksheet for Pre-Intermediate Level
Paul Revere, Messenger of Revolution movie

Whom do these word expressions concern?

Questions to the text “The Real Story of Revere’s Ride”

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Appendix 2 Worksheet for Intermediate and Upper-Intermediate Level
Whom do these word expressions concern?
What was the context?

Webquest.
Go to www.paul-revere-heritage.com and find more about Paul Revere’s Ride! Find out the following:

Appendix 3 Student’s Worksheet

You are making a cartoon for your city’s local newspaper about Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. Tell this story with the help of Grant Wood’s painting. Print out the picture and make speech bubbles as shown above (you can also print them out and glue to the picture). Write the missing lines in those speech bubbles. You are welcome to give name to the villagers and to mention their professions.

Introduction (outline time and historic background) __________________________________________
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Villager 1:____________________________________________________________________________
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Villager 2:___________________________________________________________________________
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Villager 3:___________________________________________________________________________
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Villager 4 with a child:_________________________________________________________________
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Paul Revere:_________________________________________________________________________
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Story Ending:_________________________________________________________________________