Engaging Students with Historical Fiction
Claire Hasemeier and Hillari Lagemann from Elsberry Middle School presented at the 2016 MOCHE Conference at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum in Hannibal MO.
Teachers are always looking for ways to motivate students to read and make connections to the material presented in class. Historical fiction can be used as a portal into the study of history. It can also be a way to apply and promote reading, writing, and research skills across the curriculum. Hasemeier and Lagemann examined the benefits and drawbacks to using historical fiction for middle school classrooms, but the unit of instruction could be adapted to primary and high school as well.