Back in the day, as a
classroom teacher and as a professor preparing future teachers, I recognized
the value of using historical fiction in the classroom. For too many, teaching
and learning history comprises a basket of facts. Dates, names, places,
battles, treaties, and so on dominate textbooks for students. That’s what the
tests, test.
I get it. There’s a lot of
history. Going into depth on each topic would mean the school year would long
end before the teacher could arrive at present day events. Survey. Overview.
Bird’s eye view of history. That’s all we can really expect.
Or is it?
When I was in my own
teacher prep program, I conceptualized this brand-new notion. I would teach
social studies, science, and language arts as one big interconnected block.
Students would be able to contextualize the basket of facts by understanding
what was happening in the world at the time. Yeah, I invented that idea. NOT!
Imagine my surprise when I
discovered that other people thought cross-curricular studies a good idea, too!
And it is. Ah, hubris. Thy name is Caroline!
My scaled down version,
when faced with classroom realities, pulled relevant historical fiction into the
classroom to support the scheduled social studies topics. Sometimes children
read the book, sometimes they were read to. Across
Five Aprils (Hunt) and The Red Badge
of Courage (Crane) put a face on the horrors of our only Civil War. Through
the stories of the books’ young people, students explored the war and understood
better the issues leading to the conflict.
While not historical
fiction, when students read (or listen to) biographies of famous scientists or
historical personages they might better grasp the importance of a discovery or
insight or decision. Humanizing history is our best bet for creating students
who avidly seek to learn about history. Textbooks have never created that love.
When children read
historical fiction, they gain insights through re-living the past vicariously.
With the perspective of time, the teacher can lead discussions about the
mistakes and successes of the past. Historical fiction also shines a light on our
shared and ethnic heritages allowing us to realize we are more alike than
different.
Universal truths emerge
from history, and a well-written historical fiction shines a light of those
truths by ensuring they’re highlighted. All of humanity seeks ways to handle
problems and confront issues. Historical fiction allows those to emerge. When
we understand and/or empathize with alternate perspectives as shown in the
novels, we are moving toward a higher plane of self-awareness and application
to new situations. We are all interconnected and interrelated, historical
fiction shows.
Historical fiction illustrates
that change is inevitable and that no nation lasts forever, but what humans
want and need remains constant. No matter the culture or the era, humans seek
respect, freedom, and belonging.
I believe that there should
be a strong strand of great literature in the classroom, because that is part
of our historical heritage as well, but bringing in historical fiction and
biographies should be happening each week as well.
I’ve always loved history.
My fervent wish for all children is that they, too, develop an interest in our
past and explore it with passion.
Please share this with others.
Thanks!
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