Family Times
Daily Questions
Prior Knowledge
Sequence
Vocabulary
Inflected Endings
Predictions
Guided Comprehension
Setting and Theme
Personification
Independent Readers
Revolutionary War Women
Additional Resources
Study Skills
Genre: Poem
Vocabulary Strategy: Word Structure
Comprehension Skill: Sequence
Comprehension Strategy: Graphic Organizers
Weekly Questions:
How can people promote freedom?
Daily Questions:
What risks did Paul Revere and his friend face that night?
How did Paul Revere promote freedom?
What did you learn about women in the Revolution that
surprised you?
Activate Prior Knowledge
Independence
from England
freedom
Picnics
Parades
Revolutionary War
Celebrations
Fourth of July
barbeques
Flag waving
victory
Sequence
•
The sequence of events is the order in which they take place, from first to
last.
• Clue words such as first, next, and then may show sequence in a story or
article, but not always. Other clues are dates and time a day.
• Two events can happen at the same time. While and at the same time are
clue words.
Date
Date
First Event
Second
Event
Third Event
Final Event
Strategy: Graphic Organizers
Active readers often create graphic
organizers to help them understand
and remember what they read. A
time line like the one below can
help you keep track of the
sequence of events.
Write
1. Read “Before the Midnight Ride.” Make a
graphic organizer like the one above to
show the sequence of events in the article.
2. Jot down three questions about the
sequence of events. Look for answers in the
article and do library research. Write your
questions and answers.
Vocabulary List
Fate
Fearless
Glimmer
Lingers
Magnified
Somber
Steed
Introduce Vocabulary
Dear Diary,
Father asked me to take the steed to the barn after dinner. Our horse, Belle,
always lingers near the house at sunset. Belle waits there, hoping for some extra grain.
Just then, I could see the sun glimmer near the horizon. I tried to sneak up on Belle so
she wouldn’t run off, but the sound of my walking was magnified by the new heels on
my boots. The minute Belle heard me coming, she galloped away into the somber dusk.
I yelled a warning for her to stop, but Belle is fearless with me. Despite my shouts, she
just looked at me as if to say, “Ha! Ha!”
Just wait until father comes out for her. Then her fate will be sealed!
Number a sheet of paper 1-7. Reread one or two sentences at a
time. Look at how the vocabulary words are used. Write down a
synonym or meaning for each vocabulary word.
Ask students explain context clues that helped figure out the
meaning.
Fate
What becomes of someone or something.
Fearless
Without fear; afraid of nothing.
Glimmer
A faint, unsteady light
Lingers
Stays on; goes slowly, as if unwilling to leave.
Magnified
Caused something to look larger than it actually
is.
Somber
Having deep shadows; dark; gloomy.
Steed
A horse, especially a riding horse
More Words to Know:
Belfry: A space in a tower in which bells may be
hung
Grenadiers: Members of a specially chosen unit
of foot soldiers
Stealthy: Done in a secret manner
Practice Lesson Vocabulary:
Is a soldier Somber when marching off to war?
Would a steed ever race across a field?
Would a fearless soldier be afraid?
If an image is magnified, how does it look?
What does it mean if a rainstorm lingers for days?
What did Paul Revere see glimmer from the belfry?
Vocabulary Strategy
Inflected endings: -s, -ed, and –ing
The inflected ending –s, -ed, and –ing may be added to verbs. You can use these endings
to help you figure out the meanings of unfamiliar verbs.
1. Cover the ending and read the base form of the word.
2. Reread the sentence and make sure the word is a verb, that it shows action. (Nouns
can also end in –s.)
3. Now look in the sentence for clues about what the word may mean.
4. See if your meaning makes sense in the sentence.
As you read “War Heroes in Stone,” look for verbs that end with –s, -ed, or –ing. Think
about the endings and the way the words are used to help you figure out their
meanings.
Genre: Poem
A poem is a composition arranged in lines.
Some poems have rhyme, and some have
both. As you read this narrative poem- a
long poem that tells a story- notice the
rhyme and rhythm.
How does Paul
Revere feel
during his ride?
Preview and Predict
Look at the poem title and illustrations. Identify the
subject of the poem and predict why the ride was made.
Use lesson vocabulary words in the discussion.
Guided Comprehension:
What is the poem’s setting? Identify the time of the events in the poem.
Reread the second stanza. Name the main idea and one supporting detail.
Based on the first page, what do you think the theme, or the big idea, of the
poem will be?
What was Paul Revere’s friend doing before he heard the British soldiers
marching to their boats?
What caused Paul Revere’s friend to climb the tower of Old North Church?
Why do you think Paul Revere’s friend feels “secret dread”?
What does the phrase “ a line of black that bends and floats” in the first verse on
p.240 mean?
What events could you add to a time line to help identify the order of events?
Guided Comprehension Continued:
Summarize the facts you’ve learned from the poem so far and think about the impact
this event has had on you life.
How do you think Paul Revere is feeling at this point in the poem?
What events during the start of Paul Revere’s ride could you add to a time line?
What does Paul Revere do right before he comes into Medford town?
Identify the base word and ending of galloped in the first sentence. What is the meaning
of the word?
How would you describe the mood, or feeling, of the poem at this point? Does it reflect
Paul Revere’s mood?
What do you think the author’s opinion is of the farmers of Concord?
How much time has passed during the ride?
How is this poem different from other stories you have read about the Revolutionary
War? Why do you think Longfellow chose to tell this story as a poem?
Setting and Theme (TM 237)
Setting is the time and place the events in a story or
poem occur.
•
• Theme is the big idea of a selection.
• Model how to determine the setting, using the
poem’s first two stanzas.
Reread the last stanza. Which clues reinforce the
correct setting.
a) Charlestown shore, bay, moon
b) “Goodnight,” prison bar, reflection
Personification
Personification is giving human traits to animals, objects, forces of nature,
and abstract ideas. These characteristics can be feelings, the ability to talk,
intelligence, or personality. Writers use personification to :
• Make fiction seem more real.
• Make nonfiction more lively.
Look on p. 239. Notice the use of personification of wind.
What are the human characteristics of wind?
Work with a partner to locate examples of personification in the story.
Come up with 3-4 examples on your own.
SUMMARY
The author describes the activities
of Paul Revere before the early battles
of the American Revolution. In addition,
the author sets the stage for the conflict
behind the American Revolution by reviewing
the disagreements between the American
colonists and the British.
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
PAGE 4 What was the purpose of a liberty tree?
PAGES 5–6 What event came before the American Revolution that caused the British
to go deeply into debt?
PAGE 7 Why did the colonists oppose taxation so fiercely?
PAGES 11–12 How did a misunderstanding about the Boston Massacre contribute to
tensions between Americans and the British?
SUMMARY
The author tells the real story of Paul
Revere’s ride at the beginning of the
American Revolution. She explains how
Revere and others warned colonial
leaders such as John Hancock and Samuel
Adams to be well prepared to raise arms
against the British.
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
PAGE 4 What event came before Paul Revere’s boat trip to Lexington?
PAGE 8 Why did it make sense for William Dawes to travel to Lexington when Paul Revere
was also headed there?
PAGE 13 Why did Paul Revere tell the British that they should flee Lexington?
PAGE 16 What conclusions can you draw about the meaning of the phrase “the shot heard
round the world”?
SUMMARY
The book gives the historical background that led
to the creation of the National Guard. The author
also discusses the twentieth-century activities of
the U.S. National Guard, including civil rights
protection, riot protection, disaster relief, and
international defense.
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
PAGE 3 What question might you ask about the
Minutemen before reading this page?
PAGE 5 Who are the people who served as the
Minutemen?
PAGE 6 What was the earliest evidence of a group of
fighting volunteers in the United States?
PAGE 20 What is the main idea on page 20?
PAGE 20 What is a detail on page 20 that supports the
main idea?
Genre: Web Site
• Web pages are found on Internet Web Sites.
• A web page contains information about a topic or
topics.
Text Features:
• Often this information is broken down into
subtopics. Each subtopic is a link.
• The links on this page are in blue and underlined.
When you click on a link, you move to another page.
What is the main topic of the Web page shown on p.251, and what are the
subtopics?
Why are the women’s names on p. 251 underlined?
What steps has the writer taken so far?
What organizer would best show facts about Sampson?
Think about the two selections and what lessons you learn
from reading about Paul Revere and Deborah Sampson.
Imagine that you are explaining the lessons you learned to a
friend. Write down what you would say.
Additional Resources:
Personification
Personification 2
Poetry for Teachers
Paul Revere House
Paul Revere Short Movie
Midnight Ride of Paul
Revere Site