Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
Rational for Teaching A Unit of Study To A Class of Students:
The unit of study we chose to focus on is: Looking at Historical Fiction with a
Critical Lens. The reason we chose to focus on this particular topic for our unit was
to raise the level in which students read historical fiction texts and give the students
an opportunity to explore in depth an issue about an injustice or life issue that is
burning to be discussed. In addition, by learning how to read historical fiction with a
critical lens, students will be able to apply this knowledge always and every day as
they read other genres.
In teaching this unit we hope to equip our students with a broader understanding of
historical fiction with a social issue focus. The primary skill taught in most historical
fiction units is envisioning; however, students have been envisioning (making mental
pictures and movies) since they were in kindergarten and are proficient at it. We
intend to expand their skills to include interpretation, critical reading and empathy.
Students will examine various conflicts, read with a lens, and look at power and
positioning in a text.
The idea for this unit came about through observations and conversations with
students in a variety of classrooms in which students were positioned and
marginalized in various ways. Students expressed their concerns about racism, social
groups in the surrounding neighborhoods, language barriers, and economic status. In
casual conversations students expressed passion about these issues and seemed to
have a desire to discuss the issues on a larger scale. In one particular reading
interview a student asked, “My life is important, why is there not books talking about
the things I have to deal with everyday?” Also many students throughout New York
City and the country experience or witness various social issues. In addition to
expanding on the reading skills of the students, we hope that the students will explore
the social issues that impact their daily lives, discuss those social issues in a
comfortable environment, and take action.
Interest was also sparked to use the genre of historical fiction as a base line because
of the various social issues presented in historical fiction texts. The students had to
do pre-reading of the elements given by the book such as the back summary, note
from the author, and historical note to grasp an understanding of historical fiction
text. Connecting this genre with the student’s daily lives and burning issues will help
broaden their understanding on multiple levels.
We all have taught in vastly diverse classrooms in the past. As we reflect on past
teaching we see the need to explore a unit such as this one. This unit will raise the
level in which students read the difficult genre of historical fiction. This unit will
present teaching moments that go beyond the reading and the text. This unit is an
opportunity for student’s voices to be heard through literature.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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This is a spring unit and we assume that it will be taught in May and that the students
will be in genre based book clubs. We also assume that this unit is being taught to a
4th grade class that has already read and studied historical fiction. Therefore they have
working knowledge in envisioning, contextual process, and with multiple dialects.
Fourth grade is the first time that students are asked to study change over time and
students at this age have a limited exposure to the history of many cultures in the
United States and around the world. They understand that there are differences
between cultures, but lack an understanding of how those communities came to be.
The students know how to look in the historical fiction resource center (multi-genre
book baskets sorted by historical period/events in the classroom library) to gather
information when they have questions about the historical backdrop of a story. In
addition, the students are familiar with the workshop model routine and follow
through on their reading responsibilities on a daily basis, which includes transporting
the books from school and home, setting realistic reading goals, and maintaining
those reading goals.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
Calendar- Grade 4
Skills: Interpretation, Critical Reading, Empathy
Week 1 Revisiting Historical Fiction
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Readers build the world of the story by paying close attention to the descriptions
of the place, how the characters talk and dress, and their daily life
Readers use their experiences and knowledge to make sense of the time and place
in which the story is happening
Readers look closely at what the main character says and does and his/her
relationships with the other characters to gain a better understanding of the
character.
Readers think about the supporting characters' roles in the time and place of the
story.
Readers ask themselves, "Why did the author highlight these events in history?”
Readers think what does the author want the reader to take away.
Week 2 Readers gain a deeper understanding of the central issue by looking closely at the
characters and their relationships
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Readers look for the voices that are heard and not heard and ask, "Why might this
be so?"
Readers make sense of the time period of the book by asking, “Who has power?
Why?”
Readers examine the main character's relationships with other characters and ask,
"Have they changed? Why?"
Readers gain a deeper understanding of the story by walking in a character's shoes
and asking, "How would I feel?"
Readers understand that characters belong to a group of people and can be
influenced by that group of people
Week 3 Readers look at the central issue with a critical lens
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Towards the end of a unit readers sometimes become tired. To make sure that
readers do not lose their momentum they maintain reading goals.
Readers examine which voices in the story had power to change the situation and
ask, “What could the character/s have done to change this?”
Readers think about the factors that caused the events of the story and ask, "How
could this situation have been prevented?"
Readers reexamine their initial thoughts about the story and think about whether
or not they have changed and what caused these changes.
Readers can bring out unheard voices by imagining another side.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 4 Using our reading to affect social change
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People who want to let books help us think about justice sometimes read and ask
“What does the world expect of the characters? How different are the characters
allowed to be?”
People who read books and want to make a difference put themselves in a
character’s shoes and ask, “What would I do to change this situation?
Book clubs discuss what they would do as a group to change the situation in the
story and ask, “Is it happening in the world today? What could we do to change
it?”
Sometimes when readers finish a book they like to do something kind of fun and
interesting to linger with the story. Book club members walk in a character’s
shoes by finding a significant moment (an emotional breakthrough and/or turning
point) in the story and performing it.
Readers think about what they learned about the world from this story and carry
their new knowledge with them as they live each day.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Unit Goals
This unit of study will focus primarily on Interpretation, Critical Reading and Empathy.
These skills will be repeated throughout the weeks. Readers will use these skills to
analyze the historical context and the power dynamics in their historical fiction texts.
Other Literacy Components
During social studies, each book club will work collaboratively to explore the historical
time period of their book club books in a variety of genres by researching on the Internet
and looking through the content area book baskets in the classroom library. In addition,
we will create a social studies word wall to support vocabulary as well as struggling and
ELL learners.
Assessment and Record Keeping
Students will be assessed throughout the unit in order to inform teaching. The methods
of assessment that will be used are observation, conferences (1-to-1 and small group),
and writing about reading (Post-it notes, graphic organizers and reading responses). In
addition a pre- and post-assessment will be administered. This assessment will be
administered at the start of the unit to inform teaching and again at the end of the unit to
assess students’ progress. Teachers will read a book aloud to the students and will pause
at certain moments in the story to ask questions that evaluate the skills taught during the
unit (Interpretation, Critical Reading, and Empathy). Students will stop-and-jot their
answers to the questions. The read aloud books used for the question and answer
assessment are How Many Days to America? by Eve Bunting and The Cats in Krasinski
Square Karen Hesse. Each student will have a portfolio. The portfolios will include all
field observations, conference notes, writing about reading and the pre- and postassessments. Teachers will evaluate each student by reviewing the data and determining
the degree of proficiency for each of the unit goals. Teachers will determine proficiency
as definitely, sometimes and missing as outlined by a rubric.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Read Aloud and Accountable Talk
Whole Class:
Children will have access to the following text in whole class read alouds and
minilessons:
Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-INS by Carole Boston Weatherford
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell
Pink and Say Pink by Patricia Polacco
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Conference and Strategy Lesson Texts:
White Socks Only by Evelyn Coleman
Thank you Jackie Robinson by Barbara Cohen and John Steptoe
The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles
Assessment Texts:
How Many Days to America by Eve Bunting
The Cats In Krasinski Square by Karen Hesse
Working list of possible books to be used during the unit:
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
Witness by Karen Hesse
Letters from Rifka Karen Hesse
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Shades of Gray by Carolyn Reeder
The Indian School by Gloria Whelan and Gabriela Dellosso
Runaway to Freedom: A Story of the Underground Railroad by Barbara Cohen and John
Steptoe
Trouble River by Betsy Byars
Number the Stars by Louis Lowry
The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad by F.N. Monjo and Fred
Brenner
Red Means Good Fortune: A Story of San Francisco’s Chinatown by Barbara Diamond
Goldin
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr and Ronald Himler
Lyddie by Katharine Paterson
Bound for Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen
Emma’s Journal: The Story of a Colonial Girl by Marissa Moss
Rachel’s Journal: The Story of a Pioneer Girl by Marissa Moss
Maggie’s Door Patricia Reilly Giff
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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The following conversational prompts can be used during whole class read aloud
to model interpretation, critical reading, and empathy.
Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-INS by Carole Boston Weatherford
Bend #1: Revisiting Historical Fiction
“So far in the story I am noticing…this shows me that at this time in history…”
“I know during this time…so I know…”
“It sounds to me that there are some really important events going on here and the author
wants me to learn…”
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop by Margaree King Mitchell
Bend #2: Readers gain a deeper understanding of the central issue by looking closely at
the characters and their relationships
“So far in the story I am noticing…this shows me that at this time in history…”
“Hum…I am thinking about who has power. I think ______ has power because…”
“If I was…I would feel…”
“I know in historical fiction that the characters are based on people that really existed. If
________ is…then…”
Pink and Say Pink by Patricia Polacco
Bend #3: Reader look at the central issue with a critical lens
“Um…there is a lot going on. I think …is fair/unfair because…”
“Is there a character in this story that can make things better?”
“How could this situation have been prevented?”
“You know I am starting to see things a little differently now because before I saw
_______ as…and now I see it as…because…”
“There is not really a character in the story that…but I am thinking that someone might
have…”
How Many Days to America by Eve Bunting
Bend #4: Using our reading to affect social change
“Wow I am thinking that . If you were different than the people who had power, then…”
“I am thinking that if I were…I would try to change…”
“I wonder if this is going on in the world now? What do you think we can do?”
“This book really taught me a lot about the world now I…”
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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References
Beers, K. (2003). When Kids Can’s read: What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Bomer, R. & Bomer, K. (2001). For A Better World: Reading and Writing for Social
Action. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Calkins, L. (2001). The Art of Teaching Reading. New York, NY: Longman.
Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension to
Enhance
Understanding. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Jones, S. (2006). Girls, Social Class and Literacy: What Teachers Can Do to Make a
Difference. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Mitchell, M. (1993). Uncle Jed’s Barbershop. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Polacco, P. (1994). Pink and Say. New York, NY: Philomel Books.
Weatherford, C. (2005). Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins. New York, NY:
Dial Books.
Wiles, D. (2001). Freedom Summer. New York, NY: Atheneum.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 1 Day 1:
Readers build the world of the story by paying close attention to the description of
the place, how the characters talk and dress, and their daily life
Connection
Readers, today we are going to start our unit on historical fiction. We have all had
experiences reading books in this genre before. We know that historical fiction means
that the stories we read are based on real events that have happened, but the characters
that we are reading about are fictional.
In this unit, we are not only going to concentrate on the events that take place in the
stories that we read, we are also going to form opinions about the events and interpret the
characters’ actions with a critical lens Today I am going to show you how to build the
world of the story in your heads by paying close attention to the way the author describes
the place, how the characters talk, dress, and their daily life.
Teaching Point
Good readers build the world of the story in their heads. One way to do this is by
noticing all the details that make the characters daily life experiences different than our
own.
Teach
Readers, when I start a new story I try to picture everything I read so that I can see it
playing out like a movie in my mind. This is especially important when I’m reading
historical fiction because the story is taking place in a different time. One thing that good
readers do is to focus on all the things in the book that seem different than our own lives,
this will help us build the world of the story.
I am going to read you the story, Freedom on the Menu: the Greensboro Sit-ins, by
Carole Boston Weatherford. But first watch as I examine the cover to see what it tells me
about the story; I see a black woman and child standing, and a white child sitting at the
luncheon counter looking at a white waitress. Hmmm…since I know that this is a
historical fiction book, I know that it is about real events. I am thinking that maybe this
story is taking place during the time when Black people and White people were
segregated, meaning that they couldn’t drink from the same fountains or sit together in a
restaurant. Watch as I concentrate on paying close attention to our characters’ daily lives
and the detailed illustration of the setting to build the world of the story. To keep track of
all this information, I am going to make this chart in my Reading Journal:
(put this chart up to model for all the students)
Page #
Text
My Thinking
Readers watch how I build the world of the story by reading slowly and stopping to think
after every couple lines to decide whether the character’s experiences are the same as
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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mine or different. I am going to pay close attention to the way the author describes the
place, how the characters talk, dress, and their daily life so I can really picture the story as
it takes place.
Start reading and thinking aloud and stopping to jot on the chart:
Page #
Text
My Thinking
1
The little girl would go with her
I have never seen a five-and-dime store,
mother to the five-and-dime store
but my mom said that she went to them
to cool off and eat
when she was younger so I am thinking
that the story is taking place a long time
ago, because my mom is pretty old now.
1
The mother is wearing a hat
I don’t see many women wearing hats
when they out shopping nowadays but I
know that women used to dress up when
they went out on the town.
1
They weren’t allowed to sit at the
I have never had the experience where I
counter at the five-and-dime
was not allowed to sit somewhere. I am
surprised that they stayed at the
restaurant, I would have been so angry, I
would have left. They do not seem
shocked by this, I wonder if this has
happened to them a lot.
Readers, did you see how I really pushed myself to think about all the details that
describe how the character’s daily life is different than my own?
Active
Engagement
Now it’s your turn. I’m going to continue reading. As we keep reading I want you to
notice all the details that make the characters’ daily life experiences different than yours.
Think about way the author describes the place, how the characters talk, dress, and their
daily life. Be ready to share your ideas during a turn and talk.
Link
So remember today and every day, that good readers build the world of the story by
paying close attention to the descriptions of the place, how the characters talk and dress,
and their daily life by noticing all the details that make the characters daily life
experiences different than our own.
Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Readers, can I stop you for a minute? I’m blown away by all the close reading going on
here. You are really dissecting the text to see how the character’s lives are different than
your own. I was just listening in one this group right here and I heard Nisha asking the
question “Why is this character’s life so different than my life?” Good readers sometimes
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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question why the characters’ are having the experiences they are having, let’s all try to do
this!
Teaching Share
Readers, this was a great first day of our new unit. I loved how all the groups sat
together quietly reading for the entire period. I was especially impressed with Julio’s
book club talk. They talked about their book the entire time! They didn’t lose their focus
once! That is really extraordinary! This is something that good book clubs do; once they
start their discussion about the book, they push themselves to stay focused in the
conversation for the entire period. This is something that we should all strive to do!
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 1 Day 2:
Readers use their experiences and knowledge to make sense of the time and place in
which the story is happening
Connection
Yesterday you worked to build the world of the story in your heads by paying close
attention to the way the author describes the place, how the characters talk, dress, and
their daily life. We read from Freedom on the Menu: the Greensboro Sit-ins by Carole
Boston Weatherford and we looked closely at all the ways the character’s daily lives were
different than our own. For example Connie and her mother weren’t allowed to sit at the
counter at the five-and-dime because they were Black, we talked about how there are no
longer rules like these. Today I’m going to show you how to use what you already know
and your personal experiences to help you really making sense of the story.
Teaching Point
Good readers think to themselves while they are reading, “Have I ever been to a place
like this before or had an experience like this?”
Teach
This morning when I was talking to Carina, she told me that she went to the park
yesterday after school. I immediately thought of the park that I used to go to when I was
growing up. I thought of the trees that surrounded the park, the twisted slide that would
get really hot on summer days, and the monkey bars that I liked to do tricks on. I asked
her what she liked to do at the park. She said that she played basketball with her
brothers, played in the castle and then jumped through the sprinklers. All of a sudden I
realized that the park she went to was different than the park that I went to when I was
younger. This is something that good readers sometimes do when they are reading, they
think, have I ever been to a place like this before or had an experience like this?”
Today we are going to continue reading Freedom on the Menu: the Greensboro Sit-ins by
Carole Boston Weatherford. Watch as I read I stop to think about what is going on in the
story? What do I know about these historical events? Have I had experiences like they
are having? Where are the characters? Have I been to places like that before?
Page
#
3
3
Text
There is a whites only fountain
Her Aunt does not/will not adhere
to the signs
My Thinking
I have seen many water fountains in the
city, but none that are exclusively for any
one group of people. I know that during
the time of segregation whites and blacks
were always separated. It must have been
really painful for black people to see signs
telling them where they couldn’t go.
I have an Aunt who doesn’t like to follow
the rules; whenever she cuts people in line
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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it makes me really nervous that someone is
going to get angry at us. This makes me
think that Connie was probably nervous
too, because in this case, she is breaking
the law.
Readers, did you notice how I used my own experiences to help me understand how
Connie felt? I gained a better understanding of the story by comparing what I know
about the time period and my life to what is going on in the story.
Active
Engagement
Now you try. I am going to continue reading and you guys are going to be thinking to
yourselves, what is going on in the story? What do you know about these historical
events? Have you had experiences like they are having? Where are the characters? Have
you been to places like that before? Be prepared to share your ideas in a turn and talk.
Link
So remember Readers, today and every day when you are reading, stop and think to
yourselves, “Have I ever been to a place like this before or had an experience like this?”
It will help you to make sense of when and where the story is taking place.
Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Readers, can I stop you for a minute? I have been listening in a couple of your
conversation where you are really using your personal experience and prior knowledge to
make sense of the story. Do you know what could be cool? Try to put yourself in the
shoes of the main character. You have already lived through your own experiences.
What would it be like to live through the characters? How would you feel?
Teaching Share
Boy and girls, I wanted to bring your attention to something really smart that Andy did.
He was looking through his post-it notes and found that he is asking a lot of questions
about the story, so he took a minute to sit down and think about the questions he asked
and tried to answer them. This is something that smart readers do. They don’t just ask
questions and move on; they actually attempt to answer them. Nice job Andy, let’s all try
this.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 1 Day 3:
Readers look closely at what the main character says and does and his/her
relationships with the other characters to gain better insight into who the character
really is.
Connection
Yesterday you guys worked hard to use what you already know and your personal
experiences to help you truly make sense of the story, we asked ourselves, “Have I ever
been to a place like this before or had an experience like this?” Today, I am going to
show you how to really get to know the main characters in the stories that we are reading
by paying close attention to what the main character says, does and the main character’s
relationships with the other characters in the story.
Teaching Point
Good readers really get to know the main characters in their stories by paying close
attention to what the main character says, does and the main character’s relationships
with the other characters in the story.
Teach
You can really get to know someone by watching what they say and do. Remember
when we were reading Just Juice by Karen Hesse? We knew that Juice was considerate
because she wouldn’t embarrass her father by letting on that she knew he couldn’t read
but she would try to have her reading lessons in front of him so that he could benefit from
them. We knew that she felt really close to her father because she would spend her days
walking and talking with him when she skipped school rather than going off and playing.
We knew all of this because we paid close attention to what she said and did and how she
treated others.
Let me show you how I read from Freedom on the Menu: the Greensboro Sit-ins by
Carole Boston Weatherford focusing in on the main character. Watch how I observe
what she says and does.
Start reading and stop to think aloud…
Page #
7
8
Text
“Look over there at the lunch
counter! We know those boys!”
There sat four of Brother’s friends
from A&T College.
“Do they know that they’re in the
wrong place?” I whispered.
Think Aloud
Hmmm…I think this shows how
innocent and naïve Connie is. Of
course the boys know that they are
in the “wrong” place. Black people
weren’t allowed to sit at the lunch
counter. I think that the little girl
doesn’t understand how things
could be different yet.
“We can’t just leave Sister with the
bad guys,” I pleaded.
“She’s made up her mind, Connie,”
Wow! From what Connie is saying
and how she is acting with her mom
and sister I can tell that she cares
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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said Mama, wiping a tear. “She
wants to stay with the other
students.”
“In a few days, sister came home.
“Promise me you’ll stop picketing,”
I begged.
SO MUCH for her family and is
terrified that something will happen
to her sister if she continues to
picket. This must be hard for
Connie to say to Sister because she
now knows how important it is for
Black people to be treated the same
as white people, her family talks
about it constantly.
Readers, did you notice how I really thought about what the main character was saying
and doing here? I took a close look at the way she interacted with her family and now I
feel like I know the main character better!
Active
Engagement
Now you try, I am going to keep reading. While I am reading I want you to think really
hard about what the main character is saying, doing, and how she is interacting with the
other characters so they we can get even MORE insight into who she is. Be ready to turn
and talk.
Read and stop for them to turn and talk…
Page #
14
Text
I can’t even stand the smell of egg
salad, but I stood there and watched
them eat every bite.
“Looks pretty good,” I said.
Daddy and I shared big grins.
Think Aloud
Link
So remember readers, today and every day, good readers really get to know the main
characters in their stories by paying close attention to what the main character says, does
and the main character’s relationships with the other characters in the story.
Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Readers, can I stop you for a minute? I was listening in on Damian’s book club
conversation about the main character in their book. Not only were they paying close
attention to what the character said, did, and how he interacted with other character in the
book, Damian was also making conclusions about the character and predicting what he
might do next. This is something good readers sometimes do! Maybe you all could try
it!
Teaching Share
Boys and girls, I feel it is my duty to bring your attention this incredibly smart thing that
the “Top Model Readers” did. Any time one of them was talking everyone else in the
group was leaning in and looking at the person who was talking. It was like they couldn’t
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
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wait to hear what she had to say. Then when Nisha stated that Byron, from The Watsons
Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis, “is really just insecure,” Chris asked,
“Could you say more about that?” This was incredible book club work! Everyone was
focused on the conversation and asking each other to elaborate when needed. I hope we
can all try this tomorrow!
Strategy Lesson
This lesson is for ELL or struggling readers in the class with the purpose of
understanding the disposition and personality of characters in the story.
To really get to know the main character, good readers sometimes concentrate on his/her
moods. For example, when are they happy, when are they sad? We are going to use
Freedom on the Menu: the Greensboro Sit-ins by Carole Boston Weatherford, to pay
close attention to how the main character (Connie) reacts to events in the story and chart
her moods on this EKG graphic organizer.
Really happy
Listening to Dr King
Talk about their rights
Shopping
With mom
boys from A&T sit
at the counter in protest
Trying to get people to
vote with her brother and sister
___________________________________________________________ Steady, typical,
normal mood
Can’t sit down
Not allowed to
picket
Really upset
From this chart I can tell that whenever Connie is happy she is with her family or fighting
for her rights. She is sad when she can’t be with her family or is being told that she can’t
do something just because of the color of her skin. So remember readers, if you want get
to know the main character, good readers sometimes concentrate on his/her moods.
When the students use this chart they don’t need to use more than a couple words for
each moment depicting happiness or sadness, this chart can be used to propel their
conversation about the main character in their book clubs.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 1, Day 4
Readers think about the supporting characters' roles in the time and place of the
story.
Connection
“Yesterday readers we were looking at the main character’s relationship with others
characters in the book. We learned to take a closer look at the relationships between the
characters. This helps us as readers see what each person’s role in the story is and if it has
an impact in the story. Yesterday when I was listening to the SimCity book club talk, I
noticed them doing something really smart. They were examining the relationships
between characters; also they were talking about the supporting characters’ roles in the
time and place of the story. This will help us think about the text deeply and build a more
complex picture in our mind about the story.”
Teaching Point
Readers think about the supporting characters' roles in the time and place.
Teach
“Reader’s today I want to teach to think about the supporting characters roles in the time
and place of the story. Readers do this by asking what roles do the supporting characters
playing in the story. Readers look close at the supporting characters roles in the time and
place of a story because these roles can have a significant affect on others. As readers we
have to keep the characters and events in mind. Not only do we have to think about the
events, we have to think about the supporting characters’ role the time and place of the
story and how those roles impact the story.”
“Readers today I want us to look at Freedom on the Menu. We are going to look at the
supporting characters’ roles, while keeping the time and place of the story in mind. So
readers, I am going to go back and read a section of Freedom on the Menu. As I read I
want to watch how I think about supporting characters.
Page
Text
My Thinking
#
3
“Once, I watched a girl swivel a stool as
she spooned a banana split. In the empty
seat beside her was a purse exactly like
mine. ‘Can I have a banana split?’ I
begged Mama. ‘Not here, Connie,’ said
Mama. ‘I’ll fix you one at home.’ ‘Won’t
be the same,’ I grumbled. All over town,
signs told Mama and me where we could
and couldn’t go. Sign on water fountains,
swimming pools, movie theaters, even
bathrooms.”
“What I am thinking right now is about the setting
and the characters. It said ‘All over town, signs told
Mama and me where could and couldn’t go. Signs
on the water fountains, swimming pools, movie
theaters, even bathrooms.’ This was segregation. I
am thinking that other people, the white supporting
characters, made it hard for the black people in the
South. I am thinking that the white people, who
supported segregation, had an impact on his family.
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“You see how I thought about the supporting characters’ roles, while thinking about the
time and place of the story. I did this by asking what role are the other characters playing
and how does it impact the story.
Active Engagement
“I am going to continue reading and this time I want to you to think about supporting
characters’ roles. Remember to keep in mind where the story is happening. When I read
think how the characters’ roles impact the other characters lives and the events.”
Page
#
Text
5
“Everybody I knew obeyed the signs-except my great-aunt Gertie from New York. Once,
when she visited us. She drank from a whites-only fountain and said real loud, ‘I’ve never
heard of colored water. Have you, Connie?’ Then she lifted me up so I could take a sip. I
looked up from the fountain, ‘Y’all know better than that!’ a man scolded. I started to say
‘Sorry, mister,’ but Aunt Gertie just huffed, ‘I’m too old for silly rules.’ It was a real hot
day, but the man walked away without taking a drink.”
“Okay readers go ahead, turn and talk to a partner. As you talk to your partner think
about supporting characters’ role in the time and place of the story and think how these
roles impact the events and lives of other characters.”
Students turn and talk to partners. Then we have a one or two students share out their
thinking.
Link
Readers today we looked at some of the characters in Freedom on the Menu with a
closer eye. We thought about the supporting characters’ role in the story. But readers we
just did not look at these supporting characters, we also kept in mind the setting of the
story and how that played a role in events and lives of other characters. This is one way
we can deepen our understanding of the relationship between the characters and our
understanding of the story by looking at the supporting characters’ roles in the time and
place of the story.
Mid Workshop
Teaching Point
Readers I would like to stop you for a minute. I wanted to tell you about the great
reading work Joe is doing. Joe pointed out that the events in a story can impact all the
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characters. Joe said that in his story Witness, the characters were starting to join the KKK.
Joe said that this is going to have huge impact on the main character because she is
African American and the KKK is a racist organization of that time period. Readers
something else you can do when reading is to look at the events in the story and ask
yourself how these events will impact the characters. Looking at the impact of the events
of a story is another way to think deeply about a story and help make meaning.
Share
Readers all of you worked hard today. I heard some great conversations around the
classroom. Before we move on I wanted to share with you the strategy that the A-train
book club suggested. They were having trouble making sense of ship in their book
because the story took place a long time ago. After they talked things out, they suggested
to think of any ship you know to help you get a mental picture in your mind. So Rasheed
said that he was going to thing of the Staten Island ferry because that is the only ship he
has been on. Readers one thing you can do to when a story presents something that does
not make sense, like a place, object, or person, you can think about what you do know to
help you make a picture in your mind. Thinking of what you do know from your life will
help make sense of the story.
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Week 1, Day 5
Readers ask themselves, "Why did the author highlight these events in history?”
Readers think about what the author wants the reader to take away.
Connection
“Readers over this past week we have been revisiting historical fiction. We have been
looking at how events, settings, and characters all help build the world of the story. We
learned to look at character relationships with a close eye and think about how these
relationships play a role other characters lives. I wanted to point out that you have made
some really big steps in our reading. This genre is not an easy genre to read. I think we
have become better readers of historical fiction. Last night I was thinking what else can
we do as readers to take our reading to the next step? As I was reading my book I found
myself asking, ‘Why did the author choose to highlight these events in history?’ I
thought that this was an important question to ask because the time period might be
significant to the story line. Events and actions of the characters are sometimes the result
of the time in which story takes place.”
Teaching Point
Readers ask themselves, "Why did the author highlight these events in history?”
Readers think about what the author wants the reader to take away.
Teach
“Today readers I want to teach you to ask, ‘Why did the author highlight these events in
history?’ Readers ask this to gain a deeper understanding about the story and to think
about what the author wants the reader to take away. Readers do this by thinking about
the events of the story and asking themselves does this take place today? Sometimes the
events in the book are not happening today. Then as readers that gives us a clue to why
the author may have chosen to write in a particular time period. Then we think, ‘Okay
this is not going on in the world today, but it did happen? Why did it happen during that
time?’ Readers think about why the story was written in a certain time period because it
helps us to continue to build the world of the story.”
“Okay readers, as I read Freedom on the Menu I want you to look at how I am thinking
about why the author highlighted events in history. Also I am going to thinking about
what the author wants me as reader to take away.”
Page
#
12
Text
“Then one day, Mama And I went
My Thinking
“Um…as I read this story a few things jump out at
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shopping downtown. We stopped at the
snack bar, just like always. I tugged at
Mama’s sleeve. ‘Look over at the lunch
counter! We know those boys.’ There sat
four of Brother’s friends from A&T
College. ‘Do they know they’re in the
wrong place?’ I whispered. ‘Some rules
have to be broken,’ Mama whispered
back. I heard one of them order: ‘Coffee
and a doughnut, please.’ ‘I m sorry, we
can’t serve your kind,’ said the blondhaired waitress, wringing her hands. The
boys didn’t budge.
me. Why did the author choose to write in this time
period? I was thinking that this story has a lot to do
with segregation. I was thinking this because the
African American guys sat at the lunch counter even
when they weren’t allowed. White people were the
only ones allowed to sit down at the counter. I also
thought that segregation was a big issue in the South
back in the day. Today it is against the law to have
segregation. I was thinking that this time period
was probably the best time period the author could
have wrote this book in. Also I think the author
want me to know more information about African
Americans feelings during this time.”
“See readers how I asked myself, ‘Why did the author choose to highlight certain events
in history. Then I thought about if this issue still exists today. I know that segregation
was outlawed. This got me thinking how this particular storyline works the best when it
is set down South during the time segregation was legal. Also I thought about what the
author might want me to take away as a reader.”
Active Engagement
“Readers as I continue reading I want you to think about why the author chose to
highlight certain events in history and ask yourself what the author wants you to take
away from this story.”
Page
Text
19
By Friday, we heard on the news how hundreds more had joined
the sit-ins. ‘The protest are growing!’ I told Daddy. ‘I’m joining
the sit-ins,’ Brother said, bursting into the room. ‘And I’m going
to picket downtown,’ said Sister, ‘Tomorrow.’ I want to go, too, I
said. ‘I’m plenty big enough to hold a sign, and I know I can sit.’
‘It’s good that you wan tot help,’ said Daddy. ‘But, Connie, you’re
are still too young for these things.
“‘Readers turn and talk to a partner about why the author chose to highlight certain
events in history? Think about why the time period is significant. When you are done
talking about why the author chose to write in this time period, talk about what the author
might want you to take away as a reader. ”
Elicit responses about their reasoning why the author chose to write in this time period
and how it helped them understand the world of the story better.
Link
“Okay readers today we learned about why do authors choose to highlight certain events
in history. We also thought about what the author wants us as readers to take away from
the story. As we read we can ask ourselves these questions. This can help us as readers
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to get a better understanding of the events, characters, and setting. Remember as you read
your book today and everyday, one thing you can do to gain a better understanding of the
book is to think about why an author chose to highlight certain events in history and what
the author wants you to take away as a reader. This is just one more way we can build the
world of the story we are reading.
Mid Workshop
Teaching Point
“Readers can I stop you for a minute? I was just reading with Randy and he pointed out
that there is a war going on today and there is a war going on this book. Randy was
telling me about the difference and similarities of the two wars. Readers another way to
helps us make sense of the story is if there is an event in our book that is similar to an
event happening today, we can stop and compare the two events. This helps us make
sense of the story because we are comparing it to something that is happening today and
to something we know.
Share
Reader I wanted to share Ian’s work today. He was writing important event post its that
he read about in his reading today. Writing post its about important events in your
reading can help you as a reader keep track of your thoughts. Also these post its are
helpful to look over right before you go to book clubs because they refresh your memory
about the big ideas of the story. This can help support you discussion. So remember
another thing you can do when you are reading is to write down the important events of
your story on post its to help you keep track and to use as a mind refresher.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
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Week 2 Day 1:
Readers look for the voices that are heard and not heard and ask, “Why might this
be so?”
Connection
Boys and girls last week we created the world of the story. While we were reading
Freedom on the Menu we tried really hard to see what it was like to live during
segregation by making movies in our minds. At first, we saw Greensboro separated into
two halves by race. It was almost as if there were two different towns. As we kept
reading about the sit-in, we watched the world in Greensboro change. By the end we
could see in our minds black and white citizens eating together at the counter. We
watched two worlds come together and even thought that maybe the author was trying to
teach us that change can happen. That’s very sophisticated. Nice job!
Readers, while we build the world of the story, we also want to make sense of what was
happening during this period in history. We can make sense of the time by looking
closely at the characters and their relationships. One way to do that is to look for the
voices in the story that are heard and the voices that aren’t and think about why this
might be so. Readers, today I’m going to teach you to look for the voices that are heard
and the voices that are not heard and then ask, “Why?”
Teaching Point
Good readers think to themselves while they are reading, “Are all of the voices in this
story heard? Which voices are heard and which are not? Why might this be so?”
Teach
Readers, when we talk about voice in a story we mean the way that a character expresses
his/her thoughts and feelings. We are going to look really closely at that today as we
look for the voices that are heard and not heard and then ask, “Why?” Let me show you.
When readers are looking for voices that are heard in a story, they are looking for
characters that other characters listen to. Readers are really asking, “Do other characters
in the story listen to this person?” Readers, I’m going to go back and reread the
beginning of Uncle Jed’s Barbershop and as I read, I’m going to think very carefully
about what each character says and does, and I’m going to ask, “Is anyone listening to
this character? Is this a voice that is heard or not heard?” Then I’m going to think about
why this might be so.
Page
#
8
Text
Uncle Jed is the only black barber
in the county and he wants to own
his own store with very fancy
equipment. He tells his customers
and other people in town that one
My Thinking
Hmm…no one is listening to Uncle Jed.
He keeps saying he is going to have a
barbershop, but no one believes him. His
voice isn’t being heard right now. Why
might this be so? Well I know that at this
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day he will have his own store
with a barber pole outside and four
chairs, but no one believes him.
time in the south most people were poor.
Only a few people owned land so I guess
people didn’t believe him because they
didn’t think anyone could really own
things. I also know that this was a time of
segregation so blacks and whites didn’t
have the same things. Maybe black people
in the south didn’t think they would ever be
equal so they couldn’t have a store of their
own.
Boys and girls, did you see how I stopped and thought about Uncle Jed’s voice? He was
speaking, but no one was listening to him. His voice wasn’t being heard. Then after I
realized he wasn’t being heard, I thought about what I knew about the time period and
used that to come up with a reason for it. I thought about a character in the book and
asked, “Is his voice being heard or not heard? Why?”
Active
Engagement
So let’s try it. Boys and girls, let’s keep reading. As we keep reading, ask, “Is there a
voice that is heard or a voice that is not heard? Why?” Be ready to share your ideas
during a turn and talk.
Page
#
13
Text
My Thinking
The doctors won’t see Sarah Jean
until all of the white patients have
been seen even though she is
unconscious
Boys and girls, I can see that you were
doing a lot of thinking while I was reading.
Turn and talk to your partner.
Wow I heard some great ideas! Let’s share a few with the class.
Link
Readers, as we read we want to think about which characters are getting their messages
across and which characters aren’t. We want to think about which voices are heard and
which voices are not heard. We also want to know why. It helps us to understand the
characters, the events in the story and the historical time period. It gets us thinking about
the book and history. So today and everyday, as you read look for voices that are heard
and not heard and ask, “Why?”
Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Boys and girls, I’m hearing some wonderful book talks. You are all thinking hard about
which voices are heard and which voices aren’t, and you are coming up with amazing
explanations about why this might be so. You are all taking the history of the story and
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using it to make sense of what is happening. Great work! As I was walking around, I
heard Ryan saying that there are some characters that are heard, but not all the time.
That’s a great observation. Some people might listen to the character or notice his/her
actions while others might not. As you continue talking about your book clubs another
question to think about is, “Are there any voices that are heard sometimes, but not others?
Why might this be so?”
Teaching Share
Readers, great work today! You asked tons of questions! You asked, “Which voices are
heard? Why might this be so?” and “Are there any voices that are heard sometimes, but
not others? Why might this be so?” Questions are wonderful ways to spark thinking and
conversation. As you keep reading and talking with your book clubs, keep asking
questions.
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Week 2, Day 2:
Readers make sense of the time period of the book by asking, “Who has power?
Why?”
Connection
Boys and girls yesterday we thought about the voices that were heard and the voices that
were not heard in the story. We used our knowledge of history and the events of the
story to come up with explanations for why one voice was heard while another one
wasn’t. We talked about Sarah Jean and Uncle Jed and how their voices were not heard
by the doctors or the people in town because they were African-Americans living in a
time of segregation and poverty. We examined racism and the Great Depression and how
that affected the characters in the book and the people living at that time in history. That
is incredibly challenging work. You are very sophisticated thinkers. You must be
incredibly proud!
Readers today we are going to continue looking at the characters and their relationships
to make sense of the historical time of the story. One way we can do that is by thinking
about power and figuring out who has power, who doesn’t and why that might be so.
Today I am going to teach you that readers ask, “Who has power? Why?”
Teaching Point
Good readers make sense of the time period of the book by asking, “Who has power?
Why?”
Teach
Power is a really big word. It has a lot of meaning. It can mean strength, ability or
authority. In all these meanings, power gives one character control or an advantage over
another. It means that one character is able to do more than another. Good readers
always want to know which characters have power so they can better understand the story
and what was happening at this time in history. Readers, as we read, we ask, “Who has
power? Why?”
Let me show you what I mean when I say readers ask, “Who has power? Why might this
be so?” I’m going to read a few pages from Uncle Jed’s Barbershop and as I read, I’m
going to ask myself, “Who has power? Why?”
Page
#
13
Text
My Thinking
Sarah needs an operation, but her
father does not have the money for
it. The doctors refuse to operate
until paid even though she needs
it.
Wow the doctors have a lot of control in
this situation. They can help make Sarah
Jean better by giving her an operation.
They can also stop her from getting it. The
doctors won’t operate until they get $300
even though Sarah really needs it. Sarah’s
family can’t afford that. There is nothing
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her family can do. Her family is at the
mercy of the doctors. These doctors are in
complete control of the situation. They
have all the power. I wonder why that is.
Looking at the page I can see that the
doctor is white and I know Sarah Jean is
black. I know that during this period the
south was segregated and that blacks and
whites were treated differently. I think the
doctors have the power because they are
white. Also, they have power because
Sarah’s family is poor. I think back then
you had to be white and have money to
have power.
Readers, did you see what I did there? I stopped at a point in the story and asked myself,
“Who has power?” When I had thought about that I asked, “Why?” and came up with a
few reasons using what I know from the book and about history at this time. Did you all
see that? I know you were paying really close attention and also noticed that I thought
about who didn’t have power. I thought about the doctors and how they have power
because there is a lot they could do, but don’t and that Sarah’s family doesn’t have power
because there is nothing her parents can do. Sometimes that is a really helpful to think
about who doesn’t have power. It helps you answer, “Who has power? Why?”
Active
Engagement
Let’s try asking, “Who has power? Why?” I’m going to read the next few pages of
Uncle Jed’s Barbershop and, as I read, think about who has power and why he/she has it.
Page
#
17
Text
Uncle Jed gives Sarah’s family the
money for the operation.
My Thinking
Turn and talk to your partner
Readers, I heard some great thinking. Who wants to share with the class?
Link
Readers, thinking about who has power in a story helps us to understand the story. It also
helps us to understand what happened in the time period of the story. By asking this
question, we think long and hard about characters, events and the past. It leads to
interesting ideas and new ways of seeing the story and the world around us. So readers,
today and everyday, as you read, ask, “Who has power? Why?”
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Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Wow! I’m hearing some great book club talks about power. You are all examining each
character very carefully and wondering who has power and why they have it. And you
all came up with different characters that have power. Great work! As I was walking
around and conferring with book clubs, I heard some of you saying that one person had a
lot of power while others didn’t have any. You were talking about how it wasn’t fair for
one person or group of people to have all the power. Great readers often think about the
events in the story and think, “Is this fair? Why or why not?” As you are reading and
discussing your books, think about the events of the story and who has power and ask, “Is
it fair? Why or why not?”
Teaching Share
Boys and girls I heard wonderful thinking! You should all be really proud. You thought
so carefully about the events of the story and who has power in your stories. Today I
heard many of you saying that at the beginning of the book the main character didn’t
have power, but he/she did by the end. Power can change. Sometimes a character has
power at some moments, but not others. Good readers ask, “Is there a change in power?
Does the same person have it all the time?” As you read and talk in book clubs, think
about who has power and if power shifts and changes.
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Week 2, Day 3:
Readers examine the main character’s relationships with other characters and ask,
“Have they changed? Why?”
Connection
Readers, yesterday we looked closely at our books and asked a really important and
difficult question. We thought about our stories and asked, “Who has power? Why?”
We talked about how the doctors had a lot of power because they had the power to help
Sarah Jean and the power to say that they would only help her if they were paid three
hundred dollars. Then we realized that Uncle Jed has a lot of power because he was able
to give Sarah Jean’s family the money for the operation. Uncle Jed was able to help
Sarah Jean get what she needed. Recognizing that power has many meanings and forms
is difficult and you all tackled that challenge. Nice work!
Today we are going to keep looking at characters and their relationships in order to make
sense of the time period that we are reading about. One way to learn about the time
period is to look at the characters’ relationships and see if they change. Readers, today
I’m going to teach you that we examine the main character’s relationships with one or
two other characters and ask, “Have they changed? Why?”
Teaching Point
Good readers look closely at the main character’s relationships with other characters and
ask, “Have the relationships changed? Why?”
Teach
When I was a kid, I had an amazing friend. Her name was Rebecca and we did
everything together. We took swimming lessons, rode our bikes, and we had sleepovers.
We were like sisters. In fourth grade Rebecca moved away. At first, we wrote a lot of
letters and tried to see each other a few times a year. That lasted a little while, but at the
end of that first year, I realized we just weren’t as close as we used to be. It was really
sad to realize that, but sometimes things happen that change relationships.
Just like in life, events in stories can change the relationship between characters. In
historical fiction, these events often represent something that was happening during that
time period. By examining the changes in a relationship and what caused those changes,
we get a better understanding of what was happening during this time in history.
Readers, when we try to make sense of the time period we examine the main character
and his/her relationships to other characters and we ask, “Have they changed? Why?”
Let me show you what I’m talking about. We are going to look at Uncle Jed’s
Barbershop. We have been reading this book and asking a lot of questions about the
characters and the time period. Today as I read a few pages aloud, I’m going to think
about the main character, Sarah Jean, and I’m going to ask myself, “Have her
relationships with other characters changed? Why?” Watch me carefully as I read aloud
to you now.
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Page
#
28
Text
My Thinking
Uncle Jed finally gets his
barbershop after years of saving
money and overcoming obstacles.
Reaching his dream teaches Sarah
Jean to dream and to never give
up.
Wow! That’s amazing that Uncle Jed was
able to get his shop. He had to work so
hard for that. And he really taught Sarah
Jean a lesson. They were always close, but
now he also set an example for her. It’s
like he’s a teacher for her now. Back then
very few people had money because of the
Great Depression, but Uncle Jed was able
to make enough to get his shop. I think
that times must have changed. For Uncle
Jed to be able to make money and own his
own shop, people must have had more
money. I think the Great Depression was
over and people were able to find more
jobs. I think Uncle Jed was able to be
Sarah’s teacher because there was more
opportunity for him.
Boys and girls, did you see what I did? I stopped and I thought about Sarah Jean. I asked
myself if her relationship with Uncle Jed had changed at all. Then I thought about why.
I thought about what was happening during that time period and how it affected their
relationship. I thought about what it told me about Sarah Jean and her uncle as well as
life after the Great Depression. Readers, I thought about the main character and asked,
“Have her relationships with other characters changed? Why?” and learned more about
living during this time period by doing it.
Active
Engagement
Boys and girls, let’s think about the main character and his/her relationships and ask,
“Have they changed? Why?” Another main character in this story is Uncle Jed. Let’s
think carefully about him. Have his relationships with other characters changed? Why?
Let’s remember to look at all the characters in the book: Sarah’s mom and dad, Sarah, the
people whose hair he cuts in town. Turn and talk.
Link
Boys and girls, you did an amazing job. I heard some wonderful turn and talk points
today. You thought hard about relationships and how they changed because of the
changing times. It’s so important to recognize that the time period and the events that
happen in history affect the characters. By looking at those characters readers can learn a
lot about the time period just like looking at the time period we can learn a lot about the
characters. Readers, today and everyday as you read, remember that you can make sense
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of the historical setting of the story by examining the main character and his/her
relationships and asking, “Have they changed? Why?”
Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Readers can I stop you for a minute? I have been listening to your conversations and you
are all thinking hard about the main character’s relationships with other characters. It
sounds like you learning a lot about the time period while you are doing it. Great work!
I was listening to one book club and they noticed that there were some relationships that
didn’t change. Those relationships can teach us just as much about history as the ones
that did change. As you continue talking today think about that. Ask, “Are there any
relationships that stayed the same? Why might this be so?”
Teaching Share
Readers, as I walked around today I heard some book clubs say they weren’t sure why
the relationships between characters changed or stayed the same. These book clubs had
some ideas, but they had some questions. They needed more information about the time
period to create explanations for why the relationships changed so they went to the
reference section of our class library. When you need more information, you can always
go there and do research on your topic. As you keep reading and talking about historical
fiction, remember you can always use the classroom resources to help you understand
what you are reading.
Strategy Lesson
This strategy lesson is to accompany this minilesson. It is for partnerships or small group
instruction of struggling readers and ELL learners. During this lesson readers will create
a graphic organizer that will support them in tracking changes over time. The organizer
will also hold students accountable for their thinking.
 Readers look closely at moments in the story where characters interact and ask,
“What does this tell me about the relationship between these characters?” One way to
reflect on these moments is add our thoughts to a relationship chart.
Page #
Characters
Relationship
Thoughts
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 2 Day 4
Reader’s gain a deeper understanding of the story by walking in the character’s
shoes and ask, “How would I feel?”
Connection
Yesterday everyone met with their book clubs to discuss how their characters have
changed throughout the story. As I was walking around listening to the book club
discussions I heard some interesting points being discussed about the changes in the
characters. We have been learning to think and keep track of the changes a character goes
through in a story. There was a common theme going on through all of your discussions
that got me thinking. Many of you were talking about how you see the character
changing but are not sure what is really going on with the character. I thought it was
really smart to be asking this. So I was thinking that today will become the characters
and pretend to walk in their shoes.
Teaching Point
Reader’s gain a deeper understanding of the story by walking in the character’s shoes and
ask, “How would I feel?”
Teach
“Today readers I want to teach you that readers gain a deeper understanding of the text by
pretending to walk in the character’s shoes and ask, “How would I feel?” Readers would
pretend to walk in the character’s shoes so they get a better understanding of the
characters. When readers pretend to be a character it can help readers look at the
character with a different perspective. One way readers do this is by asking, “How would
I feel,” while they read. Readers ask this to try to understand what the character is going
through in their life. We have been reading, Uncle Jed’s Barbershop. As I continue
reading I would like you to pay attention to how am pretending to be Uncle Jed.”
Read selection from page16
Stop at this point and think aloud:
Page
Text
#
My Thinking
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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16
My mama bundled me back up in the
blanket and they took me home. Mama
held me in her arms all night. She kept
me alive until Daddy found Uncle Jed. He
found him early the next morning in the
country on his way to cut somebody’s
hair. Daddy told him about me. Uncle
Jed leaned on his bent cane and stared
straight ahead. He told Daddy that the
money didn’t matter. He couldn’t let
anything happen to his Sarah Jean.
“How would I feel if I was Uncle Jed? I was
thinking that if I were Uncle Jed I would have
mixed feelings. I would be feeling scared that Sara
Jean was sick. After all she was like a daughter. I
would not have a problem helping the family
because times are hard. Sara Jean needs that
operation to save her life more than I need my
barbershop. It will just have to wait. This loan will
set me back .and waiting wasn’t something that I
planned. I will just have to deal with it and work a
little harder.
“See what I did readers? I was pretending that I was Uncle Jed by walking in his shoes. I
was thinking, what if I was Uncle Jed. When I pretended I was walking in Uncle Jed’s
shoes I was able to understand more who he was and how he felt.”
Active Engagement
“Readers today I want you to take out your books you brought to the rug. I want you to
pick a part to read and a character in the part. When you read I want you to pretend to
walk in a character’s shoes and ask yourself, ‘How would I feel?’”
Students select a part from the book, character, and reads silently.
“Okay, now go ahead and turn and talk to a partner; tell your partner the character you
pretended to be and how you felt being that character.”
Students turn and talk. Then elicit responses from one or two students.
“As I was listening to your conversations I was excited how many of pretended you were
a character and walked in their shoes. I heard some great ideas about what the characters
might be feeling. There were many times I heard, “This makes me feel or I felt.”
Link
There are many ways to understand a character better. We can look at relationships or
actions of a character. Today we talked about walking in the character’s shoes.
Remember pretending that we are a character in the story can extend our understanding
of the story. Today when you are reading, one thing you can do to understand a character
more is pretend to walk in the shoes of character. Also you can ask, “How would I feel?”
Remember readers you can try to pretend you are a character in a story to help support
your understanding and look at the story with a different perspective.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Mid Workshop
Teaching Point
Readers can I stop you for a moment. I was just talking to Carrie. She did something
that I wanted to share with all of you. She told me how she was feeling when she walked
in the character’s shoes, but she also showed me how she wrote a post it about what she
was feeling while pretending to be the character. I thought this was a great idea because
sometimes when we walk in the character’s shoes we get a better sense of what the
character is going through and what is happening in the story. Readers another thing you
can do as you are reading is write down theories about a characters on post its. Writing
down theories about characters can help push your thinking. This push in your thinking
can later be used in book club discussions.
Share
Readers there is one more thing I wanted to share with you. I wanted to share Talia’s
reading work. She told me sometimes when there is a lot going on in a story she gets
confused. Talia tries to clear up any misunderstandings or confusion by rereading. She
said that rereading helps her sort out things and answer her questions. Readers another
thing you can do when you are reading and get confused is to do some rereading to help
you make sense of the story.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 2 Day 5:
Readers understand that characters belong to a group of people.
Connection
“Yesterday readers we were thinking about how a character would feel in a story. As
readers we learn to walk in the character’s shoes so we could get a better idea of what the
character is going through. It’s like what people say, ‘You never really know someone
until you walk a mile in their shoes.’ Many of you share your thoughts about being a
character and said it helped you. We learned not to just read the story; we learned to put
ourselves in the story as we pretended to be one of the characters by placing ourselves in
their shoes. When we did this we got a better sense of what the character is feeling, their
thoughts, and their emotions. “
“When I my book last night I was thinking about how the characters are individuals but
they also belong to a group. I noticed that characters belong to groups. Also the
characters actions, feelings, and behaviors can be influenced by the group or members of
the group.”
Teaching Point
Readers understand that characters belong to a group of people.
Teach
“Readers today show you one way to understand that characters belong to groups of
people and to think about how the characters actions, feelings, and behaviors can be
influenced by a group of people. Characters are an individual, but individuals are part of
different groups. One way for us to understand that characters belong to a group of
people is to stop and think about the different groups the character might belong to such
as their community, church, race, school, where they work, etc. For example I am an
individual and I a part of several groups. I am Latina, a teacher, and a woman. These are
just a few examples of the groups I am part of. Looking at the groups a characters
belongs to can helps us understand why a character might act a certain way, what they
might say, or their feeling towards something.”
“Readers I am going to reread some parts of Uncle Jed’s Barbershop and this time I am
going to show you how I think about what groups a character might belong to and how
these group influence the characters life.”
(Read selection from book with think aloud)
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Page
#
Text
My Thinking
( After reading is finished)
14
“Even though I was unconscious,
the doctors wouldn’t look at me
until they had finished with all the
white patients. When the doctors
did examine me, they told my
daddy that I needed an operation
and that it would cost three
hundred dollars.”
“Hmm…okay let me stop for a second and think
about the groups Sarah Jean belongs to and how this
might influence her life. I know that she is African
American and she lived in the South. Being an
African American impacted her life because in the
South, blacks and whites were segregated. Sarah
Jean was very sick, but since she belonged to this
group of African Americans…she had to wait until
all the White people were served.
See reader what I did when I was reading. I thought about the groups a character might
belong to and how those groups influence the lives of characters.
Active
Engagement
“Okay readers now when I read this I want you to think about what groups of people a
character belongs to and think about how the characters actions, feelings, and behaviors
can be influenced by the group of people.”
Page #
Text
18
“…Uncle Jed came to the house every day to see how I was doing. I
know that three hundred dollars delayed him from opening the
barbershop. Uncle Jed came awfully close to opening his shop a few
years after my operations. He had saved enough money to buy the land
and build the building. But he still needed money for the equipment.”
“Okay readers turn and talk to a partner and discuss what kinds of groups a character
belongs to and think about how the characters actions, feelings, and behaviors can be
influenced by the group of people”
(Students turn and talk to a partner. Elicit one or two examples from students)
Link
Readers today as we reread some parts of Uncle Jed’s Barbershop we thought about the
characters in a different way. We looked at the groups that a character belongs to. We
thought about how the characters are individuals and also belong to groups of people.
We thought how the character’s actions, feelings, and behavior can be influenced by the
group of people. Remember readers one way to push your thinking about a story is to
think about what groups a character might belong to and how the characters life is
influenced by those groups.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Readers! I have to stop you for a minute. Vanessa and I are talking over here about her
reading and she pointed out something so smart. She said that characters belong to
groups of people and these groups can have power over a person. She said that in
Witness the shop keeper did not completely agree with the bad things that the KKK did to
people. She said they had the power over the shop keeper because he was part of the
KKK group. It didn’t matter if he agree or disagree with the actions of the group. So
readers, this is another thing you can do to really push your thinking. You can look at
the groups that characters belong to and think about how a group can have power over a
person’s life.
Share
Okay readers, I heard some great reading work today. Many of you were pushing your
thinking to the next level. I wanted to share what The A-Train group was doing as
readers. They were talking about which groups the characters belong to, they were
thinking about how the characters might have the power to be a part of the group or not.
They were discussing how making a decision to belong to a group tells us more about the
character and their environment. Readers this is another way to understand the influence
of groups in a characters life is to think about the power of choice a character has to
belong to a group or not to belong to a group.
Strategy Lesson

This strategy lesson will support readers that are reading a book written with
multiple perspectives and voices (non traditional narrative) by having them take a
few notes on the character to help them keep track while reading the book.
 Examples of these books are Out of the Dust and Witness by Karen Hesse.
These types of novels might be uncommon to students. Students that see this type of
writing style need to be introduced to the text and might need additional support.
Students that will receive this strategy lesson are the students in the book club that are
reading Witness by Karen Hesse. The strategy lesson that these students will receive
will show them one way to keep their characters organized through the book as each
page changes characters. The students will be shown how to take notes on specific
characters such as their role in the community, jobs, family, etc. It will be suggested
for students to keep notes about the character in their reader’s notebook as a reference
so they can look at their notes before reading and during if necessary.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 3, Day 2:
Readers examine which voices in the story had the power to change the situation
and ask, “What could the character(s) have done to change this?”
Connection
Boys and girls, yesterday was an amazing day! As readers move through books, we need
to push ourselves to keep going. You all did that! I noticed that every book club set
higher goals and then met them. The Reading All-Stars created the biggest goal of the
year and met it! Make sure to keep this awesome momentum going!
Readers, we are going to look closely at what’s happening in the story and form ideas
about it. Today we are going to do this by looking closely at the characters. We are
going to think about the characters’ ability to change what happened and how they could
have done it. We are going to look at the voices in the story that had the power to change
the situation and ask, “What could the character(s) have done to change this?”
Teaching Point
Good readers look closely at the characters and ask, “Do any of the characters have the
power to change the situation? What could the character(s) have done to change what
happened?”
Teach
Boys and girls let me show you what I mean when I say that readers examine the
characters in the story and ask, “Do any of them have the power to change the situation?
What could the character(s) have done to change it?” When readers talk about the
situation in a story we are talking about the events in the story or what happened in the
book. When we think about the events in the story we wonder if something could have
happened differently. We want to look carefully and see if there was anyone in the story
who could have changed what happened.
This week we have been reading Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco. We know that this
book is about two boys fighting in a war. The war they are fighting in was about slavery
and whether or not slavery should be abolished, or ended. The big situation for this story
is slavery and the fight for freedom. I’m going to go back to the beginning of the story
and start rereading. As I reread, I’m going to look closely at each character and wonder
if any of them had the power to change the situation. I’m going to look closely at the
characters and ask, “Do any of the characters have the power to change the situation?
What could he/she have done?”
Page
#
4
Text
A Union soldier finds an injured
boy in the field. They are both in
Union uniforms.
My Thinking
It says that both soldiers are flying Union
colors. That means they are both wearing
Union uniforms. They are fighting on the
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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18
Pink and Say are talking about
how they fought in the war. Say
shares that many men in his unit
died so he had to carry a weapon
even though he was only supposed
to carry the flag and Pink shares
that his unit wasn’t trusted with
guns and had to fight with sticks,
hammers and sledges. When
Pink’s unit finally got guns they
misfired. Say asks Pink why he
wants to fight when conditions are
so horrible and Pink says because
it’s his fight and if he doesn’t fight
for freedom then no one else will.
same side. I know that the Union was
fighting for freedom. That means that
these characters were trying to make a
change. They were trying to end slavery
by fighting against the Confederate Army.
Wow! This is a very powerful moment in
the story. We knew that these characters
were fighting for freedom, but we just
learned so much more about Pink. Pink is
fighting because he doesn’t want to be a
slave anymore. And he doesn’t want
anyone else in his family to be a slave
either. He wants all men to be free and he
is using his ability to fight to try and make
it happen. Slaves didn’t have much power
back then, but Pink has found a way that he
could try to make a change. They needed
soldiers, and Pink signed up. He is doing
everything in his power to change the
situation.
Boys and girls did you see what I did? I thought about the period in history and what the
big situation was. Then I reread and examined each voice in the story. When I found a
voice that had the power to change the situation I thought about what that character was
doing or could do to change it. I thought about the historical period and what was
happening in the story and asked, “Do any of the characters have the power to change the
situation? How could they have done it?”
Active
Engagement
Boys and girls let’s try it. Let’s think about the stories that we are reading and ask, “Do
any of the characters have the power to change the situation? How could they have done
it?” Jot some ideas in your reading journals. Turn and share some of your ideas with
your partner.
Link
Rreaders as we continue reading our historical fiction books let’s continue to form ideas
about what we are reading by thinking about the time period and the characters. We want
to understand what was going on back then and if any of the characters had the ability to
change it. Today and everyday as you read ask, “Do any of the characters have the power
to change the situation? How could they have done it?”
Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
- 39 -
Readers I am hearing wonderful book talks. As I’m walking around and conferring with
book clubs, I’m noticing that some of you are saying there isn’t a character that had the
power to change the situation. Sometimes the characters might not have the power to
change the situation. When characters don’t have the power to change the situation we
want to think about why that might be. As you are reading and discussing in clubs today,
think about the characters that don’t have the power to change the situation and ask,
“Why might this be so?”
Teaching Share
Boys and girls there was some wonderful thinking today. I noticed that you were
thinking about all of the characters in the story. You thought about the main character
and all of the supporting characters. The supporting characters can also have the power
to change the situation so it’s important not to forget them. As you read historical fiction,
always remember to look at the main character and the supporting characters.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
- 40 -
Week 3, Day 3:
Readers think about the factors that caused the events of the story and ask, “How
could this situation have been prevented?”
Connection
Readers yesterday we thought about which characters had the power to change the
situation in the story. We thought about who had power and what they could do with that
power. Remember how we thought about Pink and how he was working so hard to end
slavery by fighting in the Civil War? He was fighting against soldiers with weapons even
though he had only sticks and guns that misfired if they fired at all. He was doing all he
could to bring about change.
Today we are going to continue examining our historical fiction stories closely and
forming ideas about what is happening in our books. Today we are going to look at what
caused the events in the story to happen and we are going to think about ways that the
situation could have been prevented. Today I am going to teach you that readers think
about what caused the events of the story to happen and ask, “How could this situation
have been prevented?”
Teaching Point
Good readers think about what caused the events in the story to happen and ask, “How
could this situation have been prevented?”
Teach
Boys and girls let me show you what I mean when I say that readers think about what
caused the events of the story to happen and ask, “How could this situation have been
prevented?” When readers look at an event in the story we stop and think about why that
event happened. After we think about why that event happened we think about what
could have been done differently so that it didn’t. Readers are really asking, “Was there
any way this situation could have been prevented?”
Readers, I’m going to read a few pages from Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco. As I
read, I’m going to think about what is happening in the story and then I’m going to think
about what caused it to happen. I’m going to think about whether or not the situation
could have been stopped and I’m going to ask, “How could this situation have been
prevented?”
Page
#
28
Text
My Thinking
Marauders are coming to ransack
the house for food. Pink and Say
go to the cellar to hide and Moe
Moe Bay runs out of the cabin to
draw the marauders off. Pink and
Say are saved and Moe Moe Bay
Wow! So much just happened in this
moment. Let me stop and think about it.
Pink and Say were hiding so the marauders
didn’t get them. Hmm…marauders. Who
are they? It says they came in and looked
for food. And we know that they scream
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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is killed.
and shriek and people try to hide from
them. It sounds to me like they are
dangerous people who force themselves
into peoples’ homes to try to find things
that they need and want. In this moment
Pink and Say are hiding from marauders so
that they don’t get hurt. But Moe Moe Bay
didn’t hide. She ran out to try and get the
marauders to go away so that Pink and Say
would be safe and she was killed. I wonder
if this could have been prevented if Pink
and Say had gone back to war instead of
staying in the house for so long. If they
were not there, Moe Moe Bay could have
hid in the cellar like she was doing while
Pink was gone. I’m also thinking that
maybe this could have been prevented if
Moe Moe Bay had given the marauders
food. It was war time and they didn’t have
much to live on. Perhaps they were
hungry. Maybe if she gave them what they
wanted she would have been spared.
Boys and girls, did you see that? Wow that was a lot of thinking. I thought about what
exactly happened at this moment in the story and then I thought about why it happened.
Once I had an idea of why, I asked myself, “Could this have been prevented? How?” I
kept asking myself these questions and looked at the situation a couple of different ways.
I came up with a bunch of reasons as to why this happened and for each reason I came up
with a way that Moe Moe Bay’s death could have been prevented. It’s always helpful to
try looking at things from a few different angles and thinking of all the possibilities and
ways to prevent a situation. It makes us think about the time period and the story, and it
helps us understand everything that was going on then.
Active
Engagement
Boys and girls let’s try it. I’m going to keep reading Pink and Say. As I keep reading,
we are going to think about what is happening in the story and why it is happening. Then
we are going to think to ourselves, “How could this situation have been prevented?”
Make sure to listen carefully and think about our question because we are going to turn
and talk.
Page
#
32
Text
Pink and Say are walking down
the road on their way to find
My Thinking
Oh my! I can see you are all bursting with
ideas. Turn and talk to your partner!
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Pink’s unit and rejoin the war.
They are found by Confederate
soldiers and taken in as prisoners
of the Confederate Army
Boys and girls I heard great ideas. Who wants to share with the class?
Link
Readers today we looked at the events in the story very closely and thought about why
they happened. Then we thought about what could have been done to prevent them from
ever occurring. We used our understanding of history at this time and of the events of the
story to try and problem-solve the situation. Today and everyday as you read always
examine the events in the story and what caused those events to happen. Then ask, “How
could this situation have been prevented?”
Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Boys and girls, I’m so impressed by your book club conversations. There is some
fascinating thinking going on in this room. I was just talking with Isabel and she didn’t
think that any of the characters in her book could prevent the situation from happening.
Then she realized that one of the characters could have changed things. If he had stayed
out of trouble, the family wouldn’t have been put in danger. That part had happened a
little while back in her book so she forgot about it. Remember to always think about the
whole book and everything that happened when deciding if a character or characters
could have done something to prevent the situation. Preventing the moment means more
than just stopping something right before it happens. It means stopping it whenever
someone has the chance.
Teaching Share
Boys and girls, great work today! You thought hard about your characters and what they
could do to prevent the situation from happening. One cool thing that I noticed many of
you doing was saying, “If I were ____, I would…” Putting yourself in the character’s
place and wondering what you would do to prevent the situation is a great way to think
about what the character could do to prevent it. If you do, always remember to connect
back to the story.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 3 Day 4:
Readers reexamine their initial thoughts about the story and think about whether or
not they have changed and what caused these changes.
Connection
Readers, in the last couple of days you have been successful in paying close attention to
determine if anyone had the power to change the situations in your stories. You have
also asked yourselves if the situation could have been prevented. That is really
challenging work. Today I am going to show you how good readers revisit their initial
thoughts about the story and think about whether or not they have changed and what
actually caused these changes.
Teaching Point
Good readers reexamine their initial thoughts about the story and think about whether or
not they have changed and what caused these changes.
Teach
The first time I saw an avocado I thought it looked weird and not tasty weird so I didn’t
try it. About a month later I was at a restaurant with my cousins, they ordered guacamole
and chips. I tried it because my cousins were all eating it and I was really hungry. I
loved it and ask what was in it. You can imagine my surprise when I found out it was
made with avocado! I completely changed my mind about avocado after trying it. Has
this ever happened to you; the first time you see something you feel one way and then
something happens and your feelings change? Today I am going to show you how good
readers do this same thing with their reading.
When we talk about reexamining our initial thoughts about a story and thinking about
whether or not they have changed we mean that in the beginning of the story I might have
felt one way about the events and then as I read more and new information presented
itself, I changed my mind about how I felt about the events.
This week we have been reading Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco. It is the story of two
young soldiers who are fighting for the Union Army in the Civil War. Let me show you
what I mean when I say that readers ask themselves, “How have my thoughts about the
events changed?”
Remember how in the beginning of the story I thought…
Page #
1
Text
“Bein’ here, boy, means you gotta
be dead,” the voice said as he gave
me a drink from his kit. “Where you
hit? ‘Cause if it’s a belly hit, I gotta
leave you here,” he said.
Think Aloud
This guy seems kind but realistic.
He wants to help Say but he knows
that if Say was shot in the belly he
is going to die so he wouldn’t be
worth trying to save. He seems like
he is in a much better position than
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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2
But I stayed. I prayed to the Lord
every day. My prayers were surely
answered ‘cause He brought my
baby back here to stay,” she said as
her face beamed. “You ain’t never
gonna leave your momma again, are
you, child?” she said softly.
3
His voice was steady and had such
wonder. Just hearin’ them words
made pictures come into my head.
“I surely do wish I could read,” I
announced to them without thinkin’.
When Pink saw I was ashamed, he
took my hand.
“I’ll teach you, Say, some one day.
I’ll teach you.”
I could feel my face flushin’ up.
Say because he is not injured.
Pink is really lucky to have a mom
like Moe Moe Bay, she is so sweet
and caring. I’ll be Say wishes that
he still had a mother to care for him
like that. He even asked if he was
in Heaven!
Wow! I can’t believe that Pink can
read and Say can’t! Slaves were
forbidden to learn how to read. It is
so impressive that his master taught
him how. It seems like Pink has a
much better life than Say. He is a
good soldier, he has a caring
mother, and he can read!
Then at the end I thought…
Page #
4
Text
I watched tears fill his eyes and
cleaved my hand to his until they
wrenched us apart. They smote him
and dragged him away from me. He
looked back at me and tried to say
somethin’ more but they crossed his
back with knotted help and pushed
him along.
Think Aloud
This is so upsetting! Sure they
treated them badly because they
were prisoners or war but they
treated Pink so much worse than
Say. Even though Pink seemed to
have the better life, he was still a
Black man during the time of the
Civil War in the south. Therefore
he could never be treated as an
equal to a white man and moreover
could not have a better life than
one.
Readers, did you notice how I really thought about how my thoughts had changed? I
took a close look at my thoughts from earlier in the story and compared them to what I
am feeling and thinking now.
Active
Engagement
Now you try, think about one of our recent Read Alouds like, Freedom on the Menu or
Uncle Jed’s barbershop and consider how your thoughts about the events in the story
changed and what actually caused these changes. Be ready to turn and talk.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Link
So remember boys and girls, today and every day, good readers reexamine their initial
thoughts about the story and think about whether or not they have changed and what
caused these changes.
Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Readers, can I stop you for a minute? I was listening in on this group’s conversation
about how their thoughts about the events in the story had changed. Not only were they
paying close attention to exactly how their thoughts changed, they were also using
evidence to back up their thinking. When Joseph made a statement about Dewey from
Trouble River by Betsy Byars, Ellen asked, “What makes you think that?” Then Joseph
opened up his book and used a passage from the text to prove his point. Wow! Our
conversations will get so much better if we can all use this strategy of holding ourselves
accountable for what we say by using the text. Nice job!
Teaching Share
Boys and girls, today when I was walking around the room I overheard Carlos doing
something really special. He asked the group, “So what do you think is really important
about this book?” Wow! What a big question! This is something that good readers
sometimes do, they ask big questions about the stories they read. Let’s all try to do this.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 3 Day 5:
Readers can bring out unheard voices by imagining another side.
Connection
Readers, yesterday you guys pushed yourselves to reexamine your initial thoughts about
the story and think about whether or not they have changed. Then you challenged
yourselves even more by asking what actually caused these changes? Today I am going
to teach you how to bring out unheard voices by imagining another side.
Teaching Point
Good readers can bring out unheard voices by imagining another side. One way to do
this is to identify characters in the story that aren’t heard and to determine why this is.
Teach
As the youngest in a family of 5, it wasn’t often that anyone listened to my opinion.
Whether it was what movie we should rent, or what take-out menu we should order from,
or where we should go on vacation, I was never consulted for any of these decisions. It
was so frustrating not to be heard. Have any of you ever had an experience like this? Of
course as I grew up I learned how to voice my opinion in a respectful way and my family
started listening.
Just like in life, there are people in stories are ignored or disregarded. In historical
fiction, these people often represent groups of people that were silenced during that time
period. One way to understand what was going on during the historical time period is to
think about the characters whose voices weren’t heard.
Let me show you what I mean, think about in our Read Aloud Pink and Say by Patricia
Polacco. Moe Moe Bay is definitely not shy her opinions, but because of the time period
[the Civil War in the south] not everyone is open to listening to the words of a Black
woman. Think about when Moe Moe Bay made the boys hide in the cellar when the
marauders came…
Page #
4
Text
Moe Moe Bay said “Git to the roof
cellar. They ain’t got no truck with
an old dark woman. You git to that
cellar, you hear!”
4
There was a terrible commotion as
they ransacked, lookin’ for food.
Then there was silence. A single
Think Aloud
We know that before Pink and Say
arrived at the house Moe Moe Bay
would hide in the cellar every time
the marauders came. She knew she
was putting herself in danger by
facing the marauders but she did it
anyway. Her act of facing the
marauders was her way of trying to
say that she will not be silenced.
She was defending her family and
standing up for what she believed in
and the marauders didn’t listen to
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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shot echoed through the trees
outside. They let out a war whoop
as they thundered off.
her. She was a Black woman and in
the south during the civil war Black
people didn’t have voices. If they
had listened to her maybe she could
have made a deal with them, food
in return for her life.
Readers, did you notice how I really thought about the unheard voices? I identified the
character in the story that wasn’t heard and determined why this was so.
Active
Engagement
Now you try, everyone has their book club book in their laps. I want you to think about
bringing out the unheard voices. Whose voice is silenced in this text? Then imagine
what they would say if they could voice their opinions. Be ready to turn and talk.
Link
So remember readers, today and every day, good readers know that sometimes in stories
characters are ignored or disregarded. In historical fiction, these people often represent
groups of people that were silenced during that time period. One way to understand what
was going on during the historical time period is to think about the characters whose
voices weren’t heard and figure out why they weren’t heard.
Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Boys and girls, can I stop you for a minute? I was listening in on this group’s
conversation about how their thoughts about the events in the story had changed. Not
only were they paying close attention to exactly how their thoughts changed, they were
ALSO thinking about what happened in the story that made their thoughts change and
asked themselves, “Did the author write it this way so that we change our minds about
how we feel?” Thinking about the author’s craft is something good readers sometimes
focus on! Maybe you all could try it!
Teaching Share
Readers, I’d like to bring your attention to something really smart that Andry’s book club
did. After the long weekend a couple of the member said they didn’t have the story fresh
in their minds so Andry suggested that they take a couple minutes to retell what had
happened in the last couple chapters to get everyone back in the mood. This is something
that really good book clubs sometimes do. They know that their conversations are the
best when everyone has the story fresh in their minds. Great job guys! I hope that we
will all benefit from this strategy.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Week 4, Day 5:
Readers think about what they learned about the world from this story and carry
their new knowledge with them as they live each day.
Connection
“This month readers we have been reading historical fiction books. This was the second
time we were reading historical fiction so we gathered some new ideas and strategies to
think about when reading. This time we put on our special goggles as we read. We
learned to dive deep into the story and examined how different factors in the time period
impacted the characters, relationships, and events. We learned that sometimes in
historical fiction it is more than reading about a different time period; it is about going
beyond the printed words, thinking about injustices, and discussing what we can do as a
citizen to address those injustices as we live each day.
Yesterday when I was talking to Terrance and Patty I heard them bring up some
interesting points about their reading. They were in a debate about what they had learned
about segregation and how people are still not treated the same today. They were living
their reading by discussing what they could do to help the situation.”
Teaching Point
Readers think about what they learned about the world from this story and carry their
new knowledge with them as they live each day.
Teach
Today readers, I want to teach you that readers think about what they learned about the
world from this story and carry their new knowledge with them as they live each day.
One way readers can do this is by going beyond the printed words and thinking about
injustices in the story. As readers can address those injustices by coming up with a plan
of action. Readers watch as I show you one way to think about what you have learned
about the world from a story and how carry your new knowledge with you as you live
each day.
Readers watch what I am going to do when I read Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles. I
am going to reread a page or two from the story to refresh my memory and get my
thinking charged.
Page
#
10
Text
“I have two nickels for ice pops, so we
put on our clothes and walk to town.
John Henry doesn’t come with me
through the front door of Mr. Mason’s
General Store. He’s not allowed.
My Thinking
Hmm…what did I learn from this part of the story?
I learned that during segregation in the South,
African American’s were not treated fairly. I know
this because John Henry wanted to go into the store,
but he did not go because the law didn’t let him. I
know I would not want to be treated this way. I
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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know that I wouldn’t want my friends treated this
way. As a reader I know that there are many
injustices out in the world, like John Henry’s
situation. I know if I’m ever in that situation, I’m
going to do something about it like write a letter to
the government or have a discussion with others to
teach them to be aware of these injustices.
Readers see how when I reread, I thought about what I learned about the world from this
story. I did this by placing myself into the story. Also I thought about how I will carry
that new knowledge with me as I live each day by taking action.
Active
Engagement
So readers I want you to try it out. As I reread another part from Freedom Summer, I
want you to think about what you have learned about the world from this story and how
will you carry that new knowledge with you as you live each day. You can do this by
becoming part of the story and by thinking about what you can do to address the
injustices.
Page #
Text
19
It’s so quiet now; we can hear the breeze whisper through the grass. We sit on the diving
board and stare at the tops of the silver ladders sticking up from the tar. My heart beats hard
in my chest. John Henry’s voice shakes. White folks don’t want colored folks in their pool.
You’re wrong, John Henry, I said, but he knew he was right.
Students go ahead and turn and talk to a partner about what you have learned from about
the world from this story and how you will carry that new knowledge with you as you
live each day.
(Students turn and talk. Elicit examples)
Link
Well readers you have gone on some journey this month. I am so glad to see that we
have a classroom full of people that want to help the world and are willing to take action.
Right now when you were talking with your partners I heard some insightful and
thoughtful things you learned. Many of you had a detailed plan of action already. See
readers, reading can be many things. We can read for enjoyment, to learn something, or
to become more aware in our world. Readers you have the power in your hands when
you read books. Today we talked about how readers think about what they learned about
the world from a story and carry their new knowledge with them as they live each day.
Remember readers one way readers can do this is by going beyond the printed words,
thinking about the injustices, and discussing what we can do as citizens to address those
injustices. Go ahead readers...you have the power…read…live…and take action.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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Mid-workshop
Teaching Point
Readers can I please stop you for a minute. I was just with the Freedom Reader’s book
club and they did something so smart I just wanted to share it with all of you. They took
time to look back on their post its to help them find the big issues they wrote about. They
told me they were doing this because these post its had important information on them
that the group should discuss. Readers all of you all can do this whether you are working
independently or in book clubs. You can look over your post its, pick out the big ideas,
and bring those ideas to discussions.
Share
Readers I just wanted to share one more thing with you. I wanted to share the reading
work The Latino Soulz book club was doing. Before they ended their book club meeting
they decided that they did not want to stop here. They wanted to continue to read about
the Civil Rights movement. They planned to select independent reading books around
the subject of the Civil Rights movement and meet at lunch to talk about their reading.
Readers remember your reading life never stops. When you are really interested, go with
it, and continue your reading journey throughout your life.
Reading Historical Fiction with a Critical Lens
By Diana Bobrow Medoff, Tiana Silvas and Anne Taranto
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