Historical Fiction: Write a Story
Objectives
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Research a historical setting and write notes for the time period: clothing, food, homes, transportation, activities,
language and jobs.
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Use a timeline to record historical events and to develop the plot for a historical fiction story. Include important
elements of historical fiction: the setting is a time period in history and a real place, real characters may be
included, the main character is usually fictional but realistic, and researched details bring history to life in a story.
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Write a historical fiction story, using direct quotations in dialogue. Include a title, paragraphs, transitional words
and an ending.
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Punctuate the dialogue with quotation marks, commas, question marks and exclamation points.
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Edit the story to improve descriptive details, organization, word choice, capitalization and punctuation.
Websites
Historical fiction recommendations: http://bookgirl3.tripod.com/historicalfiction.html
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http://nancykeane.com/booktalks/shistfic.htm!
http://www.windowsill.net/hf.html!
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http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Choosing_High_Quality_Children's_Literature/Historical_Fiction!
Timeline lessons: http://dohistory.org/on_your_own/toolkit/timeline.html
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http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson044.shtml
Sample timelines: http://bensguide.gpo.gov/benfranklin/timeline.html
http://inventors.about.com/library/weekly/aa121599a.htm!
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(Inventions)
http://www.infoplease.com/yearbyyear.html!
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/fashiontime1.html
Costumes and fashion:! http://www.costumepage.org/tcpinfo2.html
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http://www.costumes.org/history/100pages/timelinepages/timeline.htm
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(Site moving to: http://thecostumersmanifesto.com/)
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http://www.fashion-era.com/1970s.htm!
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http://www.centuryinshoes.com/
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Historical fiction lesson materials: http://www.carolhurst.com/subjects/history/history.html
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http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/instructor/social1.htm#reasons
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Extensions
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Identify books, movies, television series and video/computer games with plots written in this genre. View the
Historical fiction recommendations websites and read examples of this genre. Identify the main elements of
historical fiction.
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Introduce historical resources, then identify primary and secondary sources. If possible, visit museums, archives
and historical sites. When writing notes about the time period, use the Costumes and fashion websites. View
Inventions in the Sample timelines to avoid anachronisms.
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Use the Timeline lessons websites to introduce the concept of a timeline. View examples in the Sample timelines
websites, in books and in newspapers. Consider a time period studied in Social Studies or research a time period,
then demonstrate how to record main events on a timeline.
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Review the guidelines for Writing Dialogue. (See Appendix)
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Use peer editing to assist authors. After authors edit their own stories, they exchange editing checklists and
stories with a partner. Editors work independently; they check off the editing checklist and write comments about
the story using the following sentence starters:!
“I liked.....”!
“I’m not sure about...”
Peer editors sign their name, then meet with the author for a conference about the story. If time is available,
repeat the process with a second editor.
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Presentation
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Prepare an illustration or an illustrated cover for the published story. Develop a chronology or genealogy. Create
a pictorial map of the historical setting. Identify main roads and important landmarks. Include a title, map
symbols, a legend and a compass rose.
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Create a class display or present the stories orally.
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Historical Fiction: Write a Story
Plan:
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Research a historical setting, then plan a story
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Notes about this time period:
Clothing!
Food!
Homes
Setting: !
Language!
Where does the story take place?!
When does the story take place?!
Write dates on the timeline below. !
shall
reckon
t’ain’t
Transportation
Activities
Jobs
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Write Real Events in History
above the correct date.
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Plot:
(What happens?)
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Write Action Events
for the Characters
below the dates.
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Circle the Problem.
Characters: Are real historical characters in the story?
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Name
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Appearance! !
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Personality
Write:
Create the story when you are familiar with the time period. Include the research, but let the characters tell
the story. Include a title, paragraphs, dialogue, transitional words and an ending.
Edit:
r!
r!
r!
r!
r!
r!
r!
r!
Read your story carefully. Use the editing checklist below and check each part when completed:
Historical background — researched information about the time period
Characters — described in actions and dialogue; the reader knows what happens to all characters
Details — the reader can imagine the characters, settings and action; the story has a beginning, middle and end
Paragraphs — start new paragraphs when you change the topic, setting or speaker
Transitional words — organize the story in an order that makes sense
Avoid overused words — said, and, then, so, as...
Capital letters — in titles, names and place names; at the beginning of sentences and quotations
Sentence structure, punctuation, spelling and grammar