Unit: Historical Fiction

Students will compose an original historical fiction short story rooted by an important

historical event or time period.  Students will study historical fiction mentor tests to

identify specific features and characteristics of historical fiction writing.  For example,

they might identify the ways an author uses a historical event or time period to change

character language, dress, or conflicts. 

Within historical fiction, students can choose to develop a genre story that might include

mystery, romance, fantasy, or adventure.  Additionally, students can also choose to develop

their story in a prose, poetry, or graphic novel format.

In reading workshop, students will study features and characteristics of historical fiction

writing in book clubs.

Possible Minilessons:

     Strong Narrative Writing

     Definition: Historical Fiction

     HF: Features and Characteristics

     World Issues

     Historical Time Periods

     Developing Characters

     Plot Mountain

     Story Archetypes

     Sidestory

     Character: Body Map

     Character: Monologue

     Chekhov's Gun

The Write Moment: (Write in Scenes, Write in Moments)

     Research Timeline

     Revision:  Pacing

     Revision:  Sharper Dialogue

     Writing Towards Theme

     Fiction: Historical Research

     HF iSEARCH

     Assessment Rubric

Mentor Texts:

Pink and Say

Baseball Saved Us

The Babe

The Flowers by Alice Walker

Gregory by Panos Ioannides

Multi-Fiction Genre

                             Writing:

                              The Truth.  (We write to speak our truth.)

                              The Definition: Fiction - Features and Characteristics

                              Narrative Toolbox: Action, Dialogue, Description

                              Yesterday and Today.  (Strong writers bring with them what they've learned.)

                              Developing Writers.  (Strong writers practice and work to develop inspiration.)

                              Write with style.

                               Reading:

                               Levels of Reading

                               Our life is a text.

                               Soapbox. (Authors have things to say.)

                               Be true.  (Ethical reading is true to yourself and true to your book.)

                               Keepers.  (Readers develop ideas over time.)

                               Get out.  (Readers go outside the book.)

                               Issues,  (You have issues.)

                               It's complicated.  (Readers see multiple ideas from multiple perspectives.)

                               Reading Life: Who are we?  How have we changed?

                               Genre Inquiry

                               Writing Research