Chapter 8: Historical Fiction

What is historical fiction? When is a book considered historical fiction? Many people have different views on this question.  To some considering a book historical fiction is twenty-five years, others it is fifty years, and to others it is any time before present day.  The one thing people do agree on is that historical fiction has an authentic setting, characters could or did exist, and the plot is believable.  In other words, historical fiction is a lot like realistic fiction except for the setting to the story is in the past.  Schools use historical fiction in curriculum all the time. In Social Studies, students learn about past wars, time periods, events, science we learn about inventors and inventions, and language arts students read about famous authors or people.  We use historical fiction in our everyday lives.  Can we incorporate all these subjects and teach in a fun but educational manner?  Historical fiction can be great to teach especially when you put down the textbook and think outside of the box.

I have been doing research on ways to teach outside of the box.  One way I would teach Historical fiction is by putting on a play.  Let us take Thanksgiving for example.  Why not dress us like pilgrims and Indians and recreate the first Thanksgiving.  Students would enjoy making traditional headdresses and hats, finding the right story to get the correct information out of, and of course eating. 

Taking different curriculum in the classroom and making it fun does not mean you are not teaching, it means you are showing the students a different way and keeping them engaged.  We want our students to learn.