Wednesday, June 27, 2012
I confess I read this weeks ago and never had a chance to sit down and post an entry. I chose to read about events leading up to the first battle of the Revolution ... specifically Paul Revere's ride which in my mind has been sensationalized by history. Just about every student has heard about it but only the glamorized version with very little facts. Gordon Wood's book is good for presenting the facts but the readability is more difficult....even for adults. Hakim's book presents the facts like a novel, easy to follow with many side notes to "fill in" the history behind the event. How many of our students know that there were 3 men riding out with the warning?? And how many know that Paul Revere never made the complete trip because he was stopped by a British patrol? Wood's book mentioned that he rode with scouts but no mention was made of his being stopped. Hakim's book really "paints" a better picture in your mind.
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I'll put my plug in again to remember that Hakim and Wood are writing for different audiences. Hakim chooses to go into a bit more depth on many fewer topics, while Wood is giving an overview of the entire Revolution.
ReplyDeleteIt might be a fun activity to compare the poem Paul Revere's ride with the actual events, as a way to talk about how history gets glorified and badly interpreted.