Historical
Fiction
The
genre of historical fiction is extremely useful when it comes to teaching
writing and reading in elementary school. Historical fiction is defined as a
fictional story that is based off of historical events or people
(Dictionary.com). This genre is commonly used in elementary schools because it
can be so useful when teaching history in the classroom. Some great examples of
historical fiction in elementary schools are: My Brother Sam is Dead by Christopher Collier and James Lincoln
Collier, Johnny Tremain by Esther
Forbes, and The Adventure of Tom Sawyer by
Mark Twain. These are all commonly used historical fiction novels, which can
help students to learn about reading and writing along with some history.
There
are many different reasons why historical fiction should be utilized in the
classroom. For one, it really gets children interested in history. The concept
of fiction allows the stories to have an extra element that engages students
more. A story that is strictly historical can sometimes lose interest with
students, whereas a story that has some fiction and made up elements can really
draw a student in. “Content area textbooks are too difficult for students in
terms of both reading level and concept load” (Rycik and Rosler 163). Using
historical fiction (whether they are picture books, poetry, or novels) can be
an easy fix to this problem. The fictional stories about history will pique the
children’s curiosity and come across on an easier level than a regular history
textbook. Everyday details that a textbook misses will be present within these
fictional stories. These details may seem miniscule and could be something as
small as how families washed their clothes back then, but its details like
these that will really help to shape the children’s understanding of the
different ways of life throughout history. Students will be able to develop a
much better understanding of life in different periods of history and
geographic locations.
Another
great benefit of using this genre in the classroom is that it promotes multiple
perspectives. Historical fiction has a way to allow different perspectives of
historical events and people to shine through the use of fictional characters
and events. The characters in the story who have different points of view and opinions
allows the children to see different views of the history that is being
addressed. This can also inform students about the “interpretive nature” of history
and how different events and situations can be interpretive in different types
of ways. “Reading historical fiction provides students with a vicarious
experience for places and people they could otherwise never know. Often they
are able to see history through a child’s point of view and identify with their
emotions” (Rycik and Rosler 163). Allowing children to see a historical event
through a child’s point of view, rather than teachers’ or textbooks’, is a
great way for them to experience events in history through a point of view that
is easily relatable to them.
Historical
fiction in the classroom also promotes academic equality. Students in the
classroom have different levels of background knowledge, which can cause some students
to understand events more than others. Reading historical fiction and a story
that can be drawn upon by students to help for them to understand the topic
just as much as other students.
Teaching
children to read historical fiction is extremely important because of the mixed
elements of both fiction and non-fiction. It is important for teachers to make
clear the difference between the two types of text. This is a type of genre
that includes both fake and real events and students must be aware of that in
order for the genre to be effective within the classroom. Students also need to
be aware of the different authors and their opinions on the subjects being
discussed. Teachers should try and explore different stories and novels on the
same historical event or ideas so that they can compare and contrast the
different authors and the way that they approached the subjects both similarly
and differently (teaching history). A great way to explore this in the
classroom would be to use Venn diagrams to compare and contrast historical
fiction stories. You could also create cost versus benefit lists for different
historical decisions after reading a piece of historical fiction. Students
could make their own decisions about what they would have done if they were places
in the same situations in history. Huge events in history such as the Holocaust
are great examples of stories that could be written in the historical fiction
genre. Students could read different fictional stories about the real event in
history and be exposed to different opinions and stories about the event. It is
just as important for students to emotionally respond to books as it is for
them to learn from them (Rycik and Rosler).
When
teaching students to write historical fiction is it important for them to
understand the different parts that make up a historical fiction piece.
Students should know to first choose an event in history to base their story
around, which creates the basis for a historical fiction piece of writing.
Students should then create characters and realistic situations to surround
that event in history. The events that occur during or because of the
historical event do not have to be true but must be realistic based off of the
time period in history. Writing historical fiction in the classroom is an
excellent way for students to show that they understand the event in history
that they are writing about. Through a student’s writing they can show the
teacher if they have a thorough understanding of the history that they are discussing.
The way that the child has the characters act and react to different situations
will be showing of the child’s understanding of the time period. This is also a
great way to allow children to be imaginative in their learning and incorporate
literacy into history.
Historical
fiction is a great genre to help children in all areas of their education. It
allows them to see history through new points of view, incorporate reading and
writing into other subjects, use creativity and self-expression, and learn in
ways other than through a textbook.
Works
Cited
Rycik, Mary Taylor, and Brenda
Rosler. "The Return of Historical Fiction." The Reading Teacher
63.2 (2009): 163-66. Web.
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