Bringing History Alive with Literature

[return to index]

ANCIENT EGYPT:
A. The Egyptian Cinderella by S. Climo (Harper '89)
The Awesome Egyptians by T. Deary (Scholastic '97)
Debate: Should Rhodopes accept the pharaoh's offer of marriage? (infer, predict outcomes)
U.S. GEOGRAPHY
A. Riddle City U.S.A. by G. Maestro. "What state has the smallest soft drinks? Minnesota. Create riddles!
Share: Star Spangled Banana by Charles Keller. (Interpret information related to geographical concepts)
B. Report on a state using "Coming Round the Mountain" or "This Land Is Your Land."
C. The Research Riddle:
Let's go to (long ago) or (far away) places and see the Earth's changing faces. We will see (list 6-8 sights) But that's not all ( list 6-8 more sights) Where am I? (Produce research products in effective formats)
THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR YEARS
A. George Washington's Mother by J. Fritz. Putnam, '93.
Activity: Give students two lists of famous Americans. They are to choose one name from each list and write a letter from the first person chosen to the second. The letter should reveal information about both people.
B. Put "Why" in front of any literal statement. Require a 1/2 page answer. (Form questions, draw
conclusions, apply knowledge)
THE ALAMO
Guess the answers:
How many men defended the Alamo?
How old was Col. Travis?
How many yards. wide was the gap between the south wall & the chapel?
How many volunteers did Crockett bring?
How old was Crockett when he died?
How many men in Santa Anna's army?
Read to support or deny guesses. Report on the Alamo using the "Only One " model..
Share: Voices of the Alamo by Sherry Garland. Scholastic, 2000
(preview, question, read. Support or deny assumptions with evidence)
SLAVERY
The Wagon by Tony Johnston. Morrow,1996.
A slave family gains bittersweet freedom at the close of the Civil War.
Choose one and complete the sentence below:
spinning wheel, rusty spigot, empty bow, locked safe, tornado, door hinge.
Injustice is like a ____ because...
(analyze, interpret and communicate data)
WORLD WAR TWO
LILY'S CROSSING by Patricia Reilly Giff.
Here is a tale of the homefront in World War II and of the friendship between Lily and a young refugee.For an introduction to World War II terms. http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/WWII_Women/GlossaryCS.html
Compile an analogy quiz using the terms.
BIOGRAPHY; IDEAL FOR GIFTED STUDIES!
Mary on Horseback by Rosemary Wells. Dial, 1998.
Mary Breckinridge, from a wealthy family, trained as a nurse in WWI and then spent her life in Appalachia, helping those in need and establishing the Frontier Nursing Service. Told in three short, powerful stories that show Mary through the eyes of those she helped.
ACTIVITY: Concert reading: Choose one section to read with mood music.
(Demonstrate cultural factors that affect human behavior.)

The True Adventures of Daniel Hall by D. Stanley. Dial 1995.
Rank order the dangers Daniel faced from the most to the least dangerous. (Understand cause and
effect; develop higher level thinking skills)

Nellie Bly's Monkey by Joan W. Blos. Morrow, '98
(map reading/interpretation)

Share Young Abe Lincoln, The Frontier Days 1809-1837 by Cheryl Harness. Nat. Geo. 1997
Before sharing, give three statements about Lincoln.. Students vote on which is the true statement.

The Microscope by Maxine Kumin. Harper 1984
Told in verse, this life of Anton Leewenhoek is fun to read to rhythm music.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Martin. Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
Report on his life using the "Fortunately, Unfortunately" model. (Read fluently/produce research products in an effective format.)
TO A NEW WORLD
A. Beyond the Western Sea by Avi. Orchard '96.
Many Irish are fleeing the famine by journeying to USA. What should Patrick, Maura & their mother do?
Vocabulary: Use as many new words from the novel as you can in one sentence to describe an illustration. (Form definitions of words in context)

B. Read aloud pp 25-26. Debate: What should Maura do?

C. Choose a project:
1) Describe a story setting in a Five Senses Poem.
2) Create a riddle report about a geographic region in the story. (Generate & organize ideas, revise & edit)
Connect literature/social studies/ gifted students and the real world through the internet!
The Family Under the Bridge by Natatlie Savage Carlson
Homeless Armand lived under a bridge in Paris. All of his belongings could be held in a buggy which he pushed around easily. One day upon returning to his home he found three small children had moved in. Read about what kids can do to help the homeless at this site:
http://www.acekids.com/katie.html
Can your group can agree on the actions they would be most likely (1) to least likely (5) to do?

GOOD SITES
Elementary: www.ajkids.com
Midle school/jr. high www.studyweb.com
PROFESSIONAL BOOKS
Books by Nancy Polette available from Pieces of Learning 1990 Market Rd. Marion, Ill. 62959
1-800-729-5137
ABC's OF BOOKS AND THINKING SKILLS Gr 2-8
ACTIVITIES FOR ANY NOVEL Gr 4-8
MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE Gr 3-6
MULTICULTURAL READERS THEATRE Gr 3-6
NEWBERY BOOKS, RESEARCH & THE INTERNET Gr 3-7 READING WITH MUSIC ( book & tapes) Gr 4-8
RESEARCH PROJECT BOOK Gr 4-8
RESEARCH REPORTS TO KNOCK YOUR TEACHER'S SOCKS OFF Gr 3-6
RESEARCH WITHOUT COPYING Gr 4-8
U.S. HISTORICAL FICTION Gr 4-8
U.S. HISTORY READERS THEATRE Gr 4-8