Readers of Historical Fiction... (these bulleted strategies can become teaching points.)

• Think about what is fact and what is fiction
• Read the historical note or author's to know how the author researched the book (think about when to read this note: before? After? In the middle? All three?)
• Consider what big idea about life the author is trying to communicate
• Re-read sections of the book to question how much of the story is fact
• Ask themselves how the character's experience is different because of the time they lived in
• Use knowledge about the time period to question the author. 1) develop questions they want to explore about the text/history; 2) wonder about reliability of sources; 3) reliability of the story - how is it historically accurate.
• Use prior knowledge to understand the text. Identify facts they know and new facts they are learning.
• Think about how this story connects to current events
• Use details in the story to make pictures in your mind of what is happening
• Read aloud to themselves to help understand the language/dialect of the time period
• Notice language and figures of speech that are particular to a time and place.
• Think about how the story is being told (diary, letter, story) and how that gives the reader a different understanding of the point of view being told.
• Understand that most issues are multi-faceted.
• Identify different points of view in a story.
• Think, "What do I know about this time period?" before they start reading.
• Make connections between other books and real life.
• Try to put themselves in the character's place both as a modern person and as someone who lived a long time ago.
• Think, "What if.... history was different."
• Use illustrations to better understand the time period and events.
• Use text to "test" generalizations.
• Dispute point of view and stereotypes or myths.
• Consult nonfiction sources to enhance understanding of historical fiction text.

Why Read Historical Fiction

• Through empathizing with characters, can develop an understanding of the experience of children at that time
• Historical fiction zooms in on one specific event, explores it and its impacts from one person's point of view
• History is people
• To explore the challenges of the past versus those of today
• To develop a richer understanding of the past
• To understand the complexity of the past (landscape of human history, warts and all...)
• To understand the role of individuals in history
• To encourage questions and to develop comfort with ambiguity

Historical Fiction Projects: Synthesizing Learning and providing evidence of thinking

• Time line of historical events and events in book
• Graphic Organizers
• T-charts - fact/fiction, historical facts and events/how the author presents them, past/present
• Venn Diagrams: compare/contrast characters, events, past and present
• Writing poetry to reflect perspectives. For example, if two characters have two different points of view, write a poem for two voices that reflects these perspectives
• Map of where the story takes place. Use symbols or icons to represent events in the timeline.
• Survey students' families to see how much information or knowledge they have about a particular historical event.
• Create a newspaper about a time period.
• Create 5 generation headlines to show how perspectives change over time or to show different perspectives.
• Create diary entries.
• Role playing
• Debates
• Readers Theater
• Story boards (6 panels - 1 statement about the human qualities exemplified by the text)
• Create "primary" sources (role play through letter writing or journaling)
• Head/Hands/Heart. Make a chart that explores how the character thinks, what they do, and how they feel. Generalize across the chart.
• Interview a character.
• Explore opposing points of view of the events in the story through creating t-shirt logos, bumper stickers, posters, infomercials.

Historical Fiction Book Club Sample Unit 1: Immigration

Tracey Greenberg PS442, Marguerite Ho PS72, Luisa Valentin PS1X, Jennifer Kaiser PS1X, Angela Turnier PS124

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
What is historical fiction? What are the features of historical fiction?	More on features... Immersion in the Genre	Comparing nonfiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction NF / HF / RF	Readers of historical fiction think about what they already know about the period.	Readers of HF are able to add to their prior knowledge. *use prior knowledge to expand knowledge. T-chart Prior knowledge/ New knowledge
What is immigration? Look through immigration books.	What are the four w's of our immigration stories? Who, where, when, why Readers ask questions to guide reading.	What are the similarities and differences across our immigration stories? Readers can use charts to....	Readers of HF get to know the main character by noticing the kind of person s/he is and picturing what life was like	HF readers pay attention to the problems that their characters face to learn more about the time period or event.
Readers pause to think about the language or vocabulary that is unique to the time period.	Culminating project: Family immigration oral histories.	Readers reflect on what they have learned from one book in order to carry what they have learned to a second text.	Readers compare the way different people handle similar situations and problems.	Readers look back at books for big ideas about a time period.

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Historical Fiction Book Club Sample Unit 2: Learning about point of view through historical fiction

Mentor Texts: Malian's Song by Marge Bruchac and The Arrow Over the Door by Joseph Bruchac

Time Period: Revolutionary War

Writers: Amy Kopchains PS171, Irene DeichmanPS83

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
What is historical fiction? Read Malian's Song. Brain storm elements. Time period, identify character's place in time.	What is fact? What is fiction? Look at author's note in Malian's Song. Identify elements that are based on historical fact and what is made up for the story. T-Chart.	Identify point of view. Re-read Malian. How is Malian viewing the attack?	Put self in character's place. What rituals/celebrations do our cultures use to deal with loss or change? Read end of Malian.	What do I know about this time period? (Colonial America prior to Revolutionary War) KWL chart. What questions do you have about this period?
Review perspective/ point of view. Assign book clubs. Three points of view. African American (War Comes to Will Freeman) Native American European (Johnny Tremain) In groups: predict point of view of characters.	Roles in book club: Summarizer Questioner Word master (vocabulary) Facilitator (take notes on discussion)	Read Aloud: The Arrow over the Door. First two chapters. Compare and Contrast point of view of the two characters. (Head/Hands/Heart)	Read Aloud: The Arrow over the Door. Compare and Contrast point of view of the two characters.How do I hold on to details?	Read Aloud: The Arrow over the Door. Compare and Contrast point of view of the two characters. Understand that there are many points of view in history.
Read Aloud: The Arrow over the Door. Compare and Contrast the two characters. Cause and Effect: events leading to actions.	Historical effects on different characters.	End of unit projects: Mandatory writing projects Dated journals about the thoughts and feelings of a chosen character. Art project on a defining event in the character's life.