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historical fiction as textbooks
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From: melyons at adelphia.net <melyons>
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 8:56:29 -0400
Hello, everyone, I hope it?s not too late to slip in a response to the thought-provoking posts about historical fiction.
On 2004/05/05 Jonathan wrote : ?In my last school, fourth graders read ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOPHINS (CA history) while fifth graders read MY BROTHER SAM IS DEAD (US history), and in both cases the novels were very challenging for classes as a whole. They were shoehorned into grade levels to fit the curriculum.?
This reminds me of a teacher in a middle school where I was a librarian. Her students read a work of historical fiction (sorry, can?t remember the title) over a period of weeks. By the time the students were finished, they were thoroughly sick of it. T hereafter, if I suggested another book by the same author when the kids came to the library, they expressed disgust. The teacher had turned a well-written work of fiction into a textbook, complete with vocabulary exercises, comprehension questions, and t ests. Maybe the students learned some facts, but mostly what they learned was how to despise historical fiction. How many adults would read a book if they thought they had to take a test on it? Teachers are supposed to teach, and that means supporting activities, but as a writer, I hate to think of my books being corrupted in this way. Accurate historical fiction is a great way to introduce the spirit of an era, or a nice wrap-up for a school unit, but it shouldn?t?and can?t?take the place of solid i nstruction. Maybe a nonfiction children?s book on the same topic would have better served this teacher?s purpose.
Jonathan also wrote: ?If only the sixth grade curriculum were 20th century America instead of Ancient Civilizations.? Jonathan, the following might suit your 6th graders better than historical fiction. Oxford University Press is preparing a series of eight narrative-nonfiction books on ancient history, written somewhat like Joy Hakim? s A History of Us series, also published by Oxford. For each book, a children's book writers is paired with an expert scholar in the field. OUP?s goal is history-as-story (for middle school), and every chapter is based on a primary document. The first two titles are on Greece and Rome and will be published this summer (I think).
Cheers, Mary E. Lyons
www.lyonsdenbooks.com
Received on Tue 01 Jun 2004 07:56:29 AM CDT
Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 8:56:29 -0400
Hello, everyone, I hope it?s not too late to slip in a response to the thought-provoking posts about historical fiction.
On 2004/05/05 Jonathan wrote : ?In my last school, fourth graders read ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOPHINS (CA history) while fifth graders read MY BROTHER SAM IS DEAD (US history), and in both cases the novels were very challenging for classes as a whole. They were shoehorned into grade levels to fit the curriculum.?
This reminds me of a teacher in a middle school where I was a librarian. Her students read a work of historical fiction (sorry, can?t remember the title) over a period of weeks. By the time the students were finished, they were thoroughly sick of it. T hereafter, if I suggested another book by the same author when the kids came to the library, they expressed disgust. The teacher had turned a well-written work of fiction into a textbook, complete with vocabulary exercises, comprehension questions, and t ests. Maybe the students learned some facts, but mostly what they learned was how to despise historical fiction. How many adults would read a book if they thought they had to take a test on it? Teachers are supposed to teach, and that means supporting activities, but as a writer, I hate to think of my books being corrupted in this way. Accurate historical fiction is a great way to introduce the spirit of an era, or a nice wrap-up for a school unit, but it shouldn?t?and can?t?take the place of solid i nstruction. Maybe a nonfiction children?s book on the same topic would have better served this teacher?s purpose.
Jonathan also wrote: ?If only the sixth grade curriculum were 20th century America instead of Ancient Civilizations.? Jonathan, the following might suit your 6th graders better than historical fiction. Oxford University Press is preparing a series of eight narrative-nonfiction books on ancient history, written somewhat like Joy Hakim? s A History of Us series, also published by Oxford. For each book, a children's book writers is paired with an expert scholar in the field. OUP?s goal is history-as-story (for middle school), and every chapter is based on a primary document. The first two titles are on Greece and Rome and will be published this summer (I think).
Cheers, Mary E. Lyons
www.lyonsdenbooks.com
Received on Tue 01 Jun 2004 07:56:29 AM CDT
