Paul Revere's Ride
In this cross-curricular, Common Core-aligned lesson, students will learn about Paul Revere’s famous ride on April 18, 1775, and its role in the burgeoning American Revolution. They’ll watch Flocabulary’s American Revolution video and read a letter from Paul Revere himself describing the events of that night 23 years later, in 1798. They will then compare and contrast the two accounts.
Objectives
- Discuss important events that led to the American Revolution.
- Compare and contrast two accounts of Paul Revere’s ride.
Common Core State Standards
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.3
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.9
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.1
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.9
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.1
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.9
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.1
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1
Additional Standards
- C3
Products Created
- Venn diagram comparing and contrasting Flocabulary’s American Revolution video and Paul Revere’s letter to Jeremy Belknap
- Class discussion about primary and secondary sources
Time
1-2 class periods
Sequence
- As a warmup, ask students if they know the story of Paul Revere’s midnight ride. If students are unsure, you might ask if they remember any particular details or phrases, such as riding on horseback or “One if by land, two if by sea.”
- Play Flocabulary’s American Revolution video.
- Turn on Discussion Mode and play the second verse of the video again, pausing to discuss the prompts that come up.
- Tell students that they will be comparing and contrasting two accounts of Paul Revere’s ride: the one in Flocabulary’s video and one in a letter written by Revere himself in 1798, 23 years after the event.
- Hand out copies of the song Lyrics, Paul Revere’s letter to Jeremy Belknap and Flocabulary’s Venn Diagram worksheet.
- Have students work independently, in groups or in partners to read Paul Revere’s letter to Jeremy Belknap. Walk around the room to monitor students’ work and answer any questions they may have.
- Go over Revere’s letter as a class to ensure students understand the events described in the letter. Ask students which details they found most surprising, compelling and/or exciting.
- Have students work independently, in groups or in partners to fill in the Venn diagram worksheet comparing and contrasting the two accounts. They may refer back to the handouts of Revere’s letter and Flocabulary’s lyrics as needed. Explain that similarities and differences can be in the content, point of view, length, tone, mood and/or other areas. Walk around the room to monitor students’ work and answer questions.
- Go over the Venn diagrams as a class, letting students share out some of their answers in each category.
- Explain that Paul Revere’s letter is a primary source, written by the person who actually experienced the event in question, while Flocabulary’s video is a secondary source, information that someone has researched, gathered and shaped. Ask students if they can think of any other examples of primary and secondary sources. Ask students about the benefits of each type of source.
Wrap Up/Extensions
- Watch Flocabulary’s American Revolution video again. Have students write a journal entry or letter from the point of view of a pro-Revolution colonist or an anti-Revolution British supporter.
Primary Videos
Materials
- Flocabulary’s American Revolution video
- Copies of Flocabulary’s American Revolution Lyrics, if desired.
- Copies of Paul Revere’s letter to Jeremy Belknap
- Copies of Flocabulary’s Venn Diagram worksheet
- Pens/pencils