Painting: Fifth Avenue in New York seen from above, its tall pale buildings almost dissolving in the light; dozens of American, British and French flags hang over the street, and a dense crowd fills the avenue below.
Childe Hassam (1859-1935), Allies Day, May 1917, 1917. Oil on canvas, 92.7 × 76.8 cm. National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., gift of Ethelyn McKinney in memory of her brother, Glenn Ford McKinney (1943.9.1).Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, covered with the flags of the United States and its allies, a few weeks after the country entered the First World War. Today, marathon runners climb the same avenue, further north, in the last miles of the race.Image: National Gallery of Art, Open Access · CC0, public domain · NGA collection page · Wikimedia Commons
English · Terminale générale · LVA B2 · Adapted version

Hijacking the Grid

The New York City Marathon as an Urban and Social Disruptor

Six sessions · a real video · a debate · an interview · a B2 assessment

Axe du programme (lycées)

Axe 1. Espace privé et espace public, associé à l’axe 5. Citoyenneté et mondes virtuels. Classe terminale, voie générale.

Niveau CECRL

B2 : niveau visé en fin de terminale en LVA (B1 en LVB). Tâches guidées pour les élèves encore en B1+.

Problématique

How does the New York City Marathon temporarily hijack the city’s inequalities and turn its streets into a theater of psychological resilience?

Objectifs linguistiques

L’inversion emphatique après un adverbe négatif ou restrictif (Never, Seldom, Rarely, Not only, No sooner… than, Only when, Under no circumstances) ; le lexique de l’effort extrême, de la rupture urbaine, de l’élitisme et de l’inclusivité ; argumenter, nuancer, interviewer.

Ancrage culturel

L’histoire du tracé : des boucles de Central Park (1970) aux cinq boroughs (1976), cinquante ans de parcours en 2026 ; les ponts, la foule et ses publics ; le maire Zohran Mamdani, bénévole à un ravitaillement le 1er novembre 2026 ; Fifth Avenue peinte par Childe Hassam.

Place dans le programme

Texte officiel : Programme d’anglais pour les classes de lycée général et technologique, arrêté du 5 mai 2025, publié au Bulletin officiel n° 22 du 29 mai 2025. Classe terminale.

RepèreTexte du BO
Axe 1. Espace privé et espace public« Quels sont les espaces de rencontre et les transitions entre l’espace privé et l’espace public ? Dans quelle mesure la sphère privée peut-elle résister à l’intrusion de la sphère publique ? »
Axe 5. Citoyenneté et mondes virtuels« À l’heure des mondes virtuels, quels sont les enjeux démocratiques dans les aires anglophones ? » Objet d’étude : « La parole sur les réseaux sociaux : portée et limites du pouvoir horizontal » (séance 3 : la vidéo du maire, publiée sur ses réseaux puis reprise par la presse).
Associer deux axes« Ils peuvent aussi en associer deux, reliés par une problématique commune, dans une même séquence. »
Niveau CECRL visé« La classe terminale doit amener l’élève au niveau B2 du CECRL. » Tableau des niveaux : terminale, LVB B1, LVA B2.
Grammaire B2« (B2) Maitriser l’inversion sujet/verbe et l’introduction de l’auxiliaire lorsque les adverbes restrictifs sont placés en début de phrase (not only did he think that...) » ; marqueurs temporels : « hardly ... when, no sooner ... than ».
Lexique B2« Lieux publics & lieux transitionnels » : « to socialise, to interact, to intermingle, gated communities, community gardens, remote work, to commute, to be secluded ».

Activités langagières travaillées

CE Compréhension de l’écrit : séances 1, 2 et 6 (histoire du tracé, carte, texte d’évaluation).

CO Compréhension de l’oral : séance 3 (vidéo du maire au ravitaillement).

EE Expression écrite : séances 2, 5 et 6 (inversion en contexte, article argumenté ou monologue intérieur).

EOC Expression orale en continu : séances 1 et 2 (commenter le tableau, le graphique et la carte).

EOI Expression orale en interaction : séances 4 et 5 (interview « The 5 Boroughs Voice », débat).

Médiation : séance 3 (expliquer le geste du maire à un camarade francophone) et séance 5 (rapporteur du groupe).

Descripteur B2, interaction et médiation : « Il peut exposer ses idées et ses opinions, et des sujets complexes familiers, argumenter, identifier avec précision les arguments d’autrui et y réagir de façon convaincante en langue standard. »

Start here

Our question

Does the marathon bring New York together, for one day?

How this version works

  • Six sessions, like the class version.
  • One step at a time.
  • Click an answer: you see if it is right.
  • Click Listen to hear the text.
  • The answers are hidden: click to see them.

Your road map

Session 1: Fifty Years, Five Boroughs

Goal: tell the story of the race in a few dates.

Recap

What is the biggest park in Manhattan?

How long is a marathon?

Look at the painting

Step 1

Look at the painting at the top of the page.

Step 2

Read the first line under it.

Where is the scene?

What do you see above the street?

Read: the story of the race

Step 1

Listen. Then read.

  • 1970: the first race. It is in Central Park.
  • 127 runners start. Only 55 finish.
  • 1976: the race goes through the five boroughs.
  • 2026: 61,146 runners finish. It is a world record.
  • More than one million people watch in the streets.
Step 2

Answer.

Where was the first race in 1970?

What happened in 1976?

Read the chart

Finishers of the New York City Marathon
197055
201750,773
202455,646
202559,226
202661,146
Sources: NYRR, “NYRR in the 1970s: A Decade of Firsts” (1970 and 2017); NYRR press releases of 4 November 2024, 2 November 2025 and 2 November 2026 (figures as of race day, subject to final scoring). Checked on 4 November 2026.
Step 1

Complete the sentence.

In 1970, runners finished. In 2026, runners finished.

55 61,146

Answer key

In 1970, 55 runners finished. In 2026, 61,146 runners finished.

Homework

Learn the three dates: 1970, 1976, 2026. Write one sentence for each date.

My end-of-lesson weather check

Take two minutes for yourself. Your answers stay private: they are only kept on this device, the page sends nothing and nobody else can see them. If you want, you can show them to your teacher.

Today, in class, I feel…
Did I understand the lesson?
Did I feel comfortable taking part?
Do I feel under pressure?
Do I have a worry, personal or in the class?
Do I want to talk about it?

Session 2: Bridges and Noise

Goal: follow the course and use “Never have I…”.

Recap

In 1970, the race was…

How many runners finished in 2026?

The course

Step 1

Read the course, slowly.

  1. Mile 1Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Staten Island: the start, and the highest point of the course.
  2. Miles 2 to 12Brooklyn: the longest part of the race, through many different neighborhoods.
  3. HalfwayThe Pulaski Bridge takes runners into Queens, to Long Island City.
  4. Miles 15 to 16The lower level of the Queensboro Bridge, a long climb into Manhattan. Spectators are not allowed on the bridges of the course.
  5. Miles 16 to 19First Avenue, Manhattan: huge crowds wait for the runners as they come off the bridge.
  6. Mile 20The Willis Avenue Bridge takes runners into the Bronx, then the Madison Avenue Bridge brings them back to Manhattan.
  7. Miles 22 to 24Fifth Avenue, from Harlem along the east side of Central Park, a long gentle climb.
  8. FinishCentral Park, where the race was born in 1970.
Step 2

Answer.

Where is it silent?

Why?

Grammar: emphatic inversion

The rule

Start with Never, Rarely or Not only.

Then: auxiliary + subject + verb.

Like a question.

NormalWith inversion
I have never seen such a crowd.Never have I seen such a crowd.
New York rarely sees such unity.Rarely does New York see such unity.
Step 1

Choose the right sentence.

Never…

Rarely…

Step 2

Complete. Use the word bank.

  1. Never I felt so tired.
  2. Rarely runners forget First Avenue.
  3. Not only the race cross five bridges, but it also visits five boroughs.

have do does

Answer key
  1. Never have I felt so tired.
  2. Rarely do runners forget First Avenue.
  3. Not only does the race cross five bridges, but it also visits five boroughs.

Homework

Write two sentences with an inversion: one with Never, one with Rarely.

My end-of-lesson weather check

Take two minutes for yourself. Your answers stay private: they are only kept on this device, the page sends nothing and nobody else can see them. If you want, you can show them to your teacher.

Today, in class, I feel…
Did I understand the lesson?
Did I feel comfortable taking part?
Do I feel under pressure?
Do I have a worry, personal or in the class?
Do I want to talk about it?

Session 3: The Mayor at the Water Station

Goal: understand a short video.

Recap

Complete: Never ___ I seen this.

Where is it silent on the course?

Before you watch

  • The man in the video is Zohran Mamdani.
  • He is the mayor of New York City.
  • Date: Sunday 1 November 2026.
  • Place: Long Island City, Queens, near the halfway point.

Watch the video

“Mamdani hands out water and cheers on runners at NYC Marathon”, The Independent, YouTube, 2 November 2026, 40 seconds. Filmed on Sunday 1 November 2026 in Long Island City, Queens, near the halfway point of the race. Start at 0:00. Part 1, 0:00 to 0:22: the water station. Part 2, 0:23 to 0:40: a short conversation with a runner. Watch on YouTube
Step 1

Watch from 0:00 to 0:22.

What is he wearing?

What does he give the runners?

What else does he do?

Step 2

Watch from 0:23 to 0:40.

What is the runner’s news?

Your opinion

Step 1

Choose and complete.

I think the gesture is because .

nice sincere political surprising

Explain in French

Step 1

Tell a French friend, in French: who, where, what.

Homework

Write three sentences: who is the man, where is he, what does he do.

My end-of-lesson weather check

Take two minutes for yourself. Your answers stay private: they are only kept on this device, the page sends nothing and nobody else can see them. If you want, you can show them to your teacher.

Today, in class, I feel…
Did I understand the lesson?
Did I feel comfortable taking part?
Do I feel under pressure?
Do I have a worry, personal or in the class?
Do I want to talk about it?

Session 4: The 5 Boroughs Voice

Goal: learn ten words and do a short interview.

Recap

Who is Zohran Mamdani?

What does he give the runners?

Expanding your vocabulary

WordMeaning
to hit the wallto have no more energy
sheer willpowerpure determination
to endureto suffer for a long time
a psychological boostnew mental energy
deafening cheersvery, very loud shouts
solidaritypeople help each other
to echoa sound comes back
to hijack the streetsto take the streets for something else
a socio-economic dividea gap between rich and poor
to intermingleto mix with other people
Step 1

Choose the right word.

At mile 20, I have no more energy: I…

The crowd is very loud: …

Speaking: a short interview

Step 1

In pairs. A is a journalist. B is a tired runner.

Step 2

A asks two questions. B answers.

Help
  • A: How do you feel?
  • A: What do you think of the crowd?
  • B: Never have I been so tired!
  • B: The cheers give me a psychological boost.
Step 3

Use one inversion and two new words. Then swap.

Homework

Learn the ten words. Say your interview at home, aloud.

My end-of-lesson weather check

Take two minutes for yourself. Your answers stay private: they are only kept on this device, the page sends nothing and nobody else can see them. If you want, you can show them to your teacher.

Today, in class, I feel…
Did I understand the lesson?
Did I feel comfortable taking part?
Do I feel under pressure?
Do I have a worry, personal or in the class?
Do I want to talk about it?

Session 5: Unity or Illusion?

Goal: give your opinion with one argument.

Recap

“To hit the wall” means…

“Deafening cheers” are…

Two opinions

Real unityOnly for one day
The race visits all five boroughs.The next day, everything is normal again.
People cheer for strangers.Not everyone can pay to run.
Step 1

Choose one opinion.

Step 2

Complete.

I think the marathon is because .

real unity an illusion

Plan your text

  1. Title.
  2. Idea 1 + one fact.
  3. Idea 2 + one fact.
  4. Your opinion.

Homework

Write your plan: two ideas and two facts.

My end-of-lesson weather check

Take two minutes for yourself. Your answers stay private: they are only kept on this device, the page sends nothing and nobody else can see them. If you want, you can show them to your teacher.

Today, in class, I feel…
Did I understand the lesson?
Did I feel comfortable taking part?
Do I feel under pressure?
Do I have a worry, personal or in the class?
Do I want to talk about it?

Session 6: Final Assessment

Goal: show what you have learned.

Recap

When did the race go through the five boroughs?

Rarely ___ runners forget First Avenue.

Part 1: reading (10 points)

A text written for this class. It is not a real essay.

  • For 364 days a year, New York is a city of business and speed.
  • But on Marathon Sunday, the streets change.
  • More than a million people cheer the runners.
  • Rich and poor stand side by side.
  • Never before have they been so close.
  • But the next day, everything is normal again.
  1. What is New York like on a normal day? (2 pts)
  2. What changes on Marathon Sunday? (3 pts)
  3. Does the unity last? Justify. (2 pts)
  4. Copy the sentence with an inversion. (3 pts)
Expected answers
  1. A city of business and speed.
  2. The streets change; more than a million people cheer; rich and poor stand side by side.
  3. No: the next day, everything is normal again.
  4. Never before have they been so close.

Part 2: writing (10 points)

Step 1

Choose A or B. Write about 120 words.

A. Article: is the marathon real unity or an illusion?

B. You are a runner at mile 20 in the Bronx. You hit the wall. Say what you feel.

Help
  • I think that…
  • On the one hand… On the other hand…
  • Never have I…
  • The crowd gives me…

Homework

Say what you can do now in English: three sentences.

My end-of-lesson weather check

Take two minutes for yourself. Your answers stay private: they are only kept on this device, the page sends nothing and nobody else can see them. If you want, you can show them to your teacher.

Today, in class, I feel…
Did I understand the lesson?
Did I feel comfortable taking part?
Do I feel under pressure?
Do I have a worry, personal or in the class?
Do I want to talk about it?

Sources

All facts and figures of this unit come from these sources, checked on 4 November 2026.

NYRR, “NYRR in the 1970s: A Decade of Firsts”The first race in 1970: 127 starters, 55 finishers, the course in Central Park.NYC Parks, “New York City Marathon”History of the race and of the five-borough course (1976); the winner of 1970.Central Park ConservancyCentral Park and the marathon; 2,090 entrants in 1976.The New Yorker, “The First Five-Borough New York City Marathon”George Spitz, Percy Sutton, Fred Lebow and the 1976 race.NYRR press release, 2 November 2026 (via Road Race Management)2026 figures: 61,529 starters, 61,146 finishers, 153 countries.NYRR press release, 2 November 20252025 figures: 59,226 finishers.NYRR press release, 4 November 20242024 figures: 55,646 finishers.World Marathon Majors, New York CityMore than one million spectators.NYRR, official 2026 course map (copy on nyc.gov)Miles, bridges and boroughs of the course.New York City Wave, October 2026NYRR spectator guidelines: no spectators on the bridges.The Independent, YouTube, 2 November 2026The video of the mayor at the water station.ThePrint, 2 November 2026The mayor, volunteer near the halfway point in Long Island City; he ran the race in 2022 and 2024.National Gallery of Art, WashingtonChilde Hassam, Allies Day, May 1917.

Professeur

Pour le professeur

Séquence de terminale générale, LVA, niveau visé B2, construite sur votre modèle « Hijacking the Grid » : même problématique, même point de grammaire (inversion emphatique, avec ses exemples et l’exercice), même labo de lexique, même jeu de rôle et même évaluation de type B2. Le programme de terminale correspond au niveau B2 et contient explicitement l’inversion après adverbe restrictif ; les deux axes de votre modèle sont des axes de terminale.

Chaque séance s’ouvre sur un recap et se termine par des devoirs. Les réponses sont masquées ; le bouton « Teacher mode » les affiche toutes. Une version adaptée suit les mêmes séances.

Déroulé

SéanceContenuActivités
1Le tableau de Hassam ; l’histoire du tracé (1970, 1976, 2026) ; graphique des arrivants (données NYRR)EOC, CE
2Le parcours mille par mille ; l’inversion emphatique (règle, exemples, six phrases) ; commentaire oralCE, EE, EOC
3La vidéo du maire au ravitaillement ; espace public et réseaux sociaux ; médiationCO, EOI, médiation
4Expanding your vocabulary ; jeu de rôle « The Audio-Guide Hack » (1 min 30), grille B2 sur 20EOI
5Débat « Genuine Unity or a 24-Hour Illusion? » avec rapporteur ; méthode de l’article argumentéEOI, médiation, EE
6Évaluation B2 : compréhension de l’écrit sur 10, expression écrite sur 10CE, EE

La vidéo

The Independent, « Mamdani hands out water and cheers on runners at NYC Marathon », publiée le 2 novembre 2026, 40 secondes, intégrable. Début à 0:00. De 0:00 à 0:22 : le maire, gilet vert de bénévole sur son costume, tend des gobelets d’eau aux coureurs, les encourage et tape dans leurs mains ; bandeau « To every New Yorker running the marathon: LET’S GO ». De 0:23 à 0:40 : il souhaite bonne course à une coureuse, Maddie, qui lui annonce qu’elle se marie à Central Park ; elle plaisante sur sa lettre « perdue à la poste », il s’excuse, elle lui pardonne.

Précision : la scène ne se passe pas le long de Central Park, mais à Long Island City (Queens), près de la mi-course, le dimanche 1er novembre 2026 (ThePrint, MARCA, Times of India). Les images portent la mention « Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani » : elles viennent du compte du maire, reprises par la presse. Ce point sert l’axe 5 (parole sur les réseaux sociaux).

Faits et chiffres

Tous les chiffres viennent de sources officielles ou reconnues, vérifiées le 4 novembre 2026 (onglet Sources). Les chiffres 2026 (61 529 partants, 61 146 arrivants) sont ceux du communiqué NYRR du 2 novembre 2026, « au 1er novembre, sous réserve de vérification finale ». Le nombre de spectateurs retenu est celui des World Marathon Majors : plus d’un million.

Le graphique de votre modèle (chute d’allure sur le Queensboro Bridge) ne repose sur aucune donnée publique vérifiable : il est remplacé par un graphique réel des arrivants (1970, 2017, 2024, 2025, 2026). Le fait réel conservé : les spectateurs sont interdits sur les ponts du parcours.

Le texte de l’évaluation est présenté aux élèves comme un texte écrit pour la classe, et non comme un véritable essai ; l’expression « collective emotional refueling » y est donnée comme une image, pas comme un terme de psychologie. « Millions of spectators » est devenu « More than a million spectators », chiffre vérifié.

Le tableau

Childe Hassam, Allies Day, May 1917, 1917, huile sur toile, 92,7 × 76,8 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington (1943.9.1). Domaine public, image en accès libre CC0 du musée. Fifth Avenue pavoisée et noire de monde : la rue devient une scène publique partagée, comme le jour du marathon.