SPRING 2008 WORKSHOP FOR 5TH GRADE TEACHERS
The Revolutionary War in Poetry, Prose, and Primary Sources: Integrating History and English Language Arts
Flyer with Application Form (PDF)

We are thrilled to collaborate with the Longfellow National Historic Site and Boston National Historic Park on our 2008 spring teacher workshop! Sessions will focus on using literature to enhance classroom study of the Revolutionary War, and will address skills and content the Massachusetts Frameworks for History and English Language Arts require 5th graders to master.

Please note that attendees must read several poems and two historical novels (Mr. Revere and I by Robert Lawson, 152 pp. and Guns for General Washington by Seymour Reit, 160 pp.), in advance of the sessions. Copies will be mailed to attendees upon registration.

Earn 12 PDPs by attending the course and writing one lesson plan, or One Graduate Credit (equal to 22.5 PDPs) from Framingham State College by paying an additional fee of $65 and writing five lesson plans or extensive reflections about each session.

SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 8:30 AM — 3:30 PM
Paul Revere House, Boston

MR. REVERE AND I, by Robert Lawson.
Told from the perspective of Paul Revere's horse, Sheherezade (Sherry), this fanciful novel has been enormously popular with young readers since its publication in 1953.
A Parade of Personalities: Do Robert Lawson's often humorous characterizations of Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Joseph Warren and Paul Revere, himself, capture the men's real personalities? Examine portraits, genealogical records and primary sources to determine where Lawson's portrayals are apt and where they miss the mark.
A Quick Trot Through Sherry's Boston: On period and modern maps, locate buildings and streets which Lawson vividly describes in his novel. Set off on a walking tour to visit some of these sites, comparing illustrations in the book to period engravings as you go.
On the Road Again: Paul Revere's Many Rides: What was the purpose of Revere's other rides and what can they tell us about issues confronting patriots in Boston?

Roxbury Heritage State Park, Roxbury, and Dorchester Heights Monument, South Boston
GUNS FOR GENERAL WASHINGTON, by Seymour Reit
Ridding Boston of Regulars: Young Heroes in Fact and Fiction
In his novel, Guns for General Washington, author Seymour Reit tells the dramatic story of young Henry Knox who, with the help of his teenaged brother William, dragged dozens of cannon from upstate New York to Boston in the dead of winter. This session takes up the story near the end of Reit's narrative. Explore the grounds of the Dillaway-Thomas House in Roxbury, which served as the staging area for fortifying Dorchester Heights. Learn more about the roles played by the young heroes in Reit's book as well as the story of a ten-year-old who served with his father on the Heights. Discuss techniques for successfully incorporating heroes from fact and fiction into your curriculum. At Dorchester Heights, discover the clever tricks the Continental army used to fortify the hill with astonishing speed in utter silence.

SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 8:30 AM — 3:30 PM
At Longfellow National Historic Site, Cambridge
Perspectives of Place: Long before the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow occupied this Brattle Street mansion, it served as the headquarters and home of General George Washington. Tour the house, learning how Washington, his wife Martha, advisors and servants used the spaces. In the archives, read letters General Washington wrote during the Siege of Boston as well as descriptions of daily events soldier Moses Sleeper recorded in a diary.
The Tempest Within — Washington's Struggle with Freed Blacks and Slaves in the Continental Army: Attend a dramatic performance developed by Longfellow National Historic Site staff that draws viewers into Washington's dilemma about permitting men of African descent to serve in the Continental Army. Discuss ideas for using primary sources to develop similar dramas on other topics with your students.
The Power of Place: Read "Paul Revere's Ride" aloud (including recently discovered lines excised from the published version!). Discuss the poem's accuracy and find out what inspired Longfellow to write it. Examine lesser known, but equally compelling Longfellow poems, such as "To a Child" and selections from "Poems of Places." Family letters and journal entries provide context for and insight into the works.

TO REGISTER for this two-day workshop, you may download the application form which is on page 2 of "Flyer with Application Form" link at the top of this page, or simply send a check for $45 payable to the Paul Revere House to Education Department, 19 North Square, Boston, MA 02113.

The fee covers the cost of all readings, morning snacks and lunch on the March 8. (On April 5, participants may either bring their lunches or buy them.)

With your check, please include this information:

• your name
• home address and phone number
• school name, address and phone number
• the grade you teach (preference given to 5th grade teachers and library/media specialists)
• email address
• lunch preference for March 8: chicken, tuna or vegetarian

Flyer with Application Form (PDF)