II. Introducing Longfellow s Paul Revere: Instructions for teachers Literature and Culture: B2, B3 Informational Texts: D5, D6, D7

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1 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: An American Studies Approach for Middle School Lesson Plan A resource developed through the Longfellow and the Forging of American Identity program Authors: Judith Donahue, Language Arts Teacher, 7 th and 8 th grades, and Pamela Goucher, Librarian, Freeport Middle School, Freeport, Maine Suggested Grade Level: 6-12 Subject Area: Language Arts, Social Studies Time Required: This unit can be completed in four weeks. Learning Results: English Language Arts I. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow s Poetry: Giving students a biographical background Process of Reading: A2, A7, A11 Informational Text: D2, D3, D4, D5, D6 Processes of Writing and Speaking: E1, E2, E3 II. Introducing Longfellow s Paul Revere: Instructions for teachers Literature and Culture: B2, B3 Informational Texts: D5, D6, D7 III. American Studies Analysis and Discussion: Transition to Contextual Analysis of Longfellow s Paul Revere s Ride Process of Reading: A5, A6, A7, A8, A9, A10 Literature and Culture: B3, B6, B7 Learning Objectives: To place Longfellow s poetry in the context of his life and times. Lesson Outline with Materials Required: Materials are listed by lesson plan document packet: I. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow s Poetry: Giving students a biographical background (document packet includes): A. Teacher instructions B. An American Bard Assignment Sheet C. Biography outline for An American Bard Created by Judith Donahue and Pamela Goucher Page 1 of 5

2 II. Introducing Longfellow s Paul Revere: Instructions for teachers (document packet includes): A. Reading Activities 1. Pre-reading map work a. Maps (list of labels included in teacher's instructions) 2. Read-aloud materials a. Poem w/ line numbers 3. Labeling Revere's and Dawes' routes 4. Reading Comprehension a. Paul Revere s Ride Fact Retrieval b. Paul Revere s Ride Fact Retrieval Answer Key 5. The language of the poem a. The Mood of Paul Revere s Ride b. The Mood of Paul Revere s Ride Answer Key c. Longfellow s Message in Paul Revere s Ride d. Longfellow s Message/Answer Key B. Historical Context 1. link to a map showing the routes of Revere, Dawes and the British 2. Paul Revere s testimony of his midnight ride to Lexington III. American Studies Analysis and Discussion: Transition to Contextual Analysis of Longfellow s Paul Revere s Ride (document packet includes): A. Discussion of 1860 date B. Creation of a hero 1. A brief biographical sketch of Paul Revere 2. The Midnight Ride of William Dawes C. Connections to Longfellow s past: Longfellow s Inspiration 1. General Peleg Wadsworth: Revolutionary War Hero 2. George Washington/Craigie House Background D. Viewing Longfellow's Civil War poetry 1. Biography of Charles Sumner 2. Longfellow s anti-slavery poetry a. The Slave's Dream b. A request from Charles Sumner for slavery poems c. Additional anti-slavery poems (optional) d. Paul Revere's Ride E. Longfellow s personal connection with the Civil War 1. Christmas Bells 2. Longfellow's personal life a. Civil War Casualties b. Son Charley's Civil War experiences, from Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life c. Labeled Christmas Bells F. Closing discussion of importance of American Studies approach - How is poem changed? Created by Judith Donahue and Pamela Goucher Page 2 of 5

3 Introduction: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was truly a man of his time and of his nation; this native of Portland, Maine and graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine became an American icon. Lines from his poems intersperse our daily speech and the characters of his long narrative poems have become part of American myth. Longfellow s fame was international; scholars, politicians, heads-of-state and everyday people read and memorized his poems. Our goal is to show that just as Longfellow reacted to and participated in his times, so his poetry participated in shaping and defining American culture and literature. The following unit plan introduces and demonstrates an American Studies approach to the life and work of Longfellow. Because the collaborative work that forms the basis for this unit was partially responsible for leading the two of us to complete the American & New England Studies Masters program at University of Southern Maine, we returned there for a working definition of American Studies approach as it applies to the grade level classroom. Joe Conforti, who was director at the time we both went through the program, offered some useful clarifying comments and explanation. He reminded us that such a focus provides a holistic approach to the life and work of an author. It sets a work of literature in a broad cultural and historical context as well as in the context of the poet s life. The aim of an American Studies approach is to broaden the context of a work to illuminate the American past (Conforti) for your students. We have found this approach to have multiple benefits at the classroom and research level. It brings the poems and the poet alive for students and connects with other curricular work, especially social studies. When linked with a Maine history unit, it helps to place Portland and Maine in an historical and cultural context. It also provides an inviting atmosphere for the in-depth study of the mechanics of Longfellow s poetry. What follows is a set of lesson plans that form a unit of study. The biographical anchor that we have used for this unit is an out-of-print biography An American Bard: The story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, by Ruth Langland Holberg, Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, c1963. Permission has been requested to make this work available as a downloadable file off this web page, but in the meantime, used copies are readily and cheaply available from various vendors. The poem we have chosen to demonstrate our approach is Paul Revere s Ride. The worksheets were developed by Judy Donahue, the explanatory essays researched and written by the two of us, and our sources are cited below. We have also included a list of helpful links. When possible we have included helpful material in text format, or have supplied site links. Our complete unit includes other Longfellow poems with the same approach, but in the interest of time and space, they are not included. Please feel free to contact us with questions and comments. Created by Judith Donahue and Pamela Goucher Page 3 of 5

4 Bibliography Calhoun, Charles. Longfellow: A Rediscovered Life. Boston: Beacon Press, Conforti, Joseph. Interview with Pamela Goucher. 7/26/2004. Fischer, David Hackett. Paul Revere s Ride. New York: Oxford University Press, Holberg, Ruth Langland. An American Bard: The Story of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Company, Kennedy, Robert C. "Charles Sumner. Finding Precedent: The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson HarpWeek. < Mitchell, Robert. The House Which Washington has rendered sacred. Longfellow House Bulletin June 2000: 4:1. Created by Judith Donahue and Pamela Goucher Page 4 of 5

5 Longfellow National Historic Site List of Useful Links For a complete account of Peleg Wadsworth s bravery in action Poets Corner: text of poems Paul Revere s testimony about his ride. Summary and map of the midnight rides of Revere, Dawes and the British. The Free Features provide a look at some of the important issues of Longfellow s times using text, illustrations, and cartoons taken from Harper s Weekly magazine. Created by Judith Donahue and Pamela Goucher Page 5 of 5