The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere

We had just finished reading a Revolutionary War novel in my eighth grade reading class, and I wanted to do a project with the students to extend the learning in this timeframe.  I thought about memorizing the Preamble of the Constitution (I can still . . . mostly . . . recite it from my junior high assignment), but I decided I needed to add a poetry element. 

 

 

 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" came to mind.  I found several books that illustrated the poem.  I read the poem to the class, showing the book illustrations.  I then divided the class in pairs and assigned stanzas to each group.  The class as a whole created "Sparks Notes" complete with illustrations to coincide with the poem.  The project turned out well, and I will probably repeat it (with minor modifications) next year.