Entry #2 General Perry Benson

This lesson is a story about the events that occured during the defense of a town called St. Michaels in the War of 1812.  The book called The Town that Fooled the British is a story about St. Michaels, a town of many shipbuilders.  Their skillfully crafted ships were feared by even the British Navy who were seeking to destroy the town and its warships. The British were planning to target the town and were already traveling up the Chesapeake Bay.  General Perry Benson played a major role in defending the town.  He had fought in the Revolutionary War along side George Washington.  The people of St. Michaels, under the direction of General Benson, had tricked the British who were firing at them by turning out all the lights in the town and hanging lanterns high in the tree branches.  The British had nothing to aim at except the dim lights in the trees and completely overshot the town of St. Michaels.  Not a single home or ship was lost in the battle.  St. Michaels became the "town that fooled the British" for their great efforts under the General's leadership.  (Content)
My students and I would re-enact this battle by going to the woods outside our school and hanging lanterns (that the students would make) in the trees.  Some of the students would be the British and some would be the townspeople of St. Michaels.  I would read them the story The Town that Fooled the British and show them the pictures so they could have a better understanding.  We would re-enact this several times so every student would get a chance to play a different part.  (Creative Idea)
As a whole class we would discuss the War of 1812 and how it was a war for independence as was the Revolutionary War.  We would also discuss the story of The Town that Fooled the British which was a fictional story but the facts surrounding the defense of the town were real.  (8.1.6.b) We would identify which parts of the story are fictional and which parts are facts of history. (DOK 1)  We would also discuss the cause and effect of the efforts of the townspeople and General Benson during the battle. (8.3.6.d, 8.4.6.d) (DOK 2) Then, we would determine the author's purpose of this story and how it affects our interest in the war itself.  (DOK 3) We would end with the students applying the concept of "working together" as the townspeople and General Benson did during the battle and connecting this to situations at home or school. (DOK 4)
Domains: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2e, 3a, 3b, 3c