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Beyond the Simple Eye…Civil War Reflections_SI 1


Randi Dorman


United States Constitution_Dorman


The student will accurately portray aspects of the Civil War by becoming a historical researcher.  Through historical fiction, the student will reflect about life on the battlefield and on the home front.  The student will select a role of an individual who lived during this time, such as a Confederate or Union soldier, a woman, a child, a slave, or an abolitionist.  The student will note the viewpoints, emotions, and personality changes of the book’s characters.  Using primary sources, the student will analyze these perspectives by comparing actual historical artifacts of the South or Troup County history.  The student will synthesize the research data to share with an audience as determined within a teacher-student conference.

 

 


Paperbacks or library books on Civil War historical fiction.

Copy of A Place Called Freedomby Ken Follett.

Collar

Computer with Internet for research of primary sources

Optional purchase of bookmarks

Handout:  Historical Fiction Books_SI1

Handout: Weekly Reading Log Questions_SI1

Handout: Analyzing Primary Sources_SI1

Handout: Internet Sources_SI1 

 


Independent reading time of book(s); time may vary


1


How do historiography, historical fiction, and primary and secondary sources influence the reading, understanding and reviewing of historical fiction?


Individual books have been placed on student desks. (See Handout 1 for suggestions.)  Placement may be at random or according to individual student interest.  (Teacher may elect to have one historical fiction for the class to read or several copies of different titles.) As a bell assignment, the chalkboard tells the student to write down the title and author of the book on a provided index card and examine the book. (The index cards will provide a checkout system for the teacher with the books).

 

 


Teacher may be wearing a prop such as a bonnet or a soldier’s cap.  Teacher begins to discuss the idea of historical fiction by reading the prologue of A Place Called Freedom by Ken Follett.  A model of the collar may have been made out of clay and wrapped in an oil cloth. Students speculate on stories of the artifact mentioned from the reading. Teacher moves around the room discussing different viewpoints.  The teacher or a student will note that the artifact, an iron collar, was dated 1767.  The teacher guides the students to understanding that the speculations made were fiction, yet could have historical significance.  Some students may infer that the collar belonged to a Civil War slave; therefore, the teacher can emphasize the importance of a Civil War time-line for the mid-1800s.  The teacher discusses the need to compare historical data found in reading with primary and secondary sources of history. Teacher will inquire what historical fiction is and relate it to the books on the desks. (Works in which the characters are fictional, but the setting and other details are rooted in actual history.) The teacher will introduce the concept that the –ology or study of historical writing is within the field of historiography or the writing of history based on the critical examination of sources.

 

Another lesson using Cyrus Jenkins’ diary, as a primary source will be completed later. (http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=jenk).

Briefly, the teacher talks about the paperbacks or books on the students’ desks.  For some of the books, the teacher should read a short paragraph of great interest that could ignite curiosity. A sample list of historical fiction books is provided (Handout Historical Fiction Books_SI1). From Internet book synopses (www.amazon.com), the teacher knows the main characters, such as a soldier, a woman, a slave, a child, or an abolitionist.

 

 

 

 


 A.  At least one historical fiction is selected by the student from an approved list to be read.  If the student still does not like the book, reasons should be explained to the teacher by the student in a brief conference.

Another book should be selected with teacher's assistance and the process continues.

B.  Within a notebook, the student should maintain a daily reading log with the amount of time spend reading silently. A bar graph of the daily reading minutes could be kept additionally. The student will write a reflection to a writing prompt assigned by the teacher each Friday or selected day. The teacher should have a list of log questions prepared for the class. (Handout Weekly Reading Log Questions_SI1).

C.  While reading the historical fiction, the goal is for all students to participate weekly in at least one individual conference.  A chart for maintaining a record of conferences should be kept. The conferences are less than five minutes as an individual, informal time to ensure reading comprehension and enjoyment.  In order to assist the student to think analytically and maintain focus on higher thinking skills, the student is given a bookmark with specific questions on various topics. The teacher may prepare questions for bookmarks or purchase them in the SEM-R book. (1-888-518-8004, $15.00 plus $4.00 shipping for a single copy of the book).  The topics of the bookmarks vary from questions about the illustrations, title, or theme.  Different types of bookmarks include nonfiction, biography, Bloom's Taxonomy, Exploration books, etc.  Once purchased, the bookmarks are reproducible.   The bookmarks will lead discussions in the teacher-student conferences.

D.  Teacher-directed activities will involve using primary sources.  Using a computer lab, the student will investigate the diary of Cyrus Jenkins, a Troup County Civil War volunteer, who had similar experiences as the Minnesota volunteer Charley Goddard in Gary Paulsen's Soldier's Heart. Students will examine several days in the diary of Jenkins (http://www.galileo.usg.edu/express?link=jenk ).  The class will compare the typed text with the actual handwriting of Cyrus Jenkins. Students will select key words such as slavery, food, and sickness to understand Jenkins' emotions and concerns.  To locate within the diary use Edit, then Find.  Within such primary sources as diaries, historians are able to find evidence of daily life during the Civil War.   (Handout Analyzing Primary Sources_SI1) Students will analyze a portion of the Jenkins' diary. Small groups, partnerships, or individuals may do this class work.

E.  Internet sources (Handout Internet Sources_SI1) should be used by the students to locate other primary sources that would enhance the study of the viewpoint of their chosen protagonist in the historical fiction novel.  In a notebook, the student would list the dates, locations, battles, cities, generals, etc. that are mentioned in the reading.  Parallel to the selected item, the student should locate a website or another source that gives evidence of the historical truth.  Students should note the source as primary or secondary.

Example:     

Charley Goodard enlisted at fifteen in the Minnesota Volunteers in the historical fiction Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulsen. 

Through researching the First Minnesota Volunteers, there really was such a person's name listed!         

 

Website:  (Primary Source)

http://firstmn.phpwebhosting.com

 

 


As this lesson developed, the student has selected a work of historical fiction to read, developed the viewpoint of a character within the novel, and researched similar viewpoints of the Civil War.  He will now contribute a product(s) to the class activity: Beyond the Simple Eye: Reflections of the Civil War.  As the title indicates, the simple eye only sees dark and light, but the complex human eye has the ability to see many colors and shades, as well as the mind to understand many viewpoints of interest.  To conclude the lesson, the student will prepare a play, skit, poem, song, or monologue that reflects perspectives of individuals during the Civil War. A rubric may be created at http://rubistar.4teachers.org/.


None


Internet Sources_Dorman 173
Civl War_Analyzing Jenkins Diary_Handout 3_SI 1_Do
Civil War_Weekly Reading Log Questions_Handout 2_S
Civil War Historical Fiction Books_Handout 1_SI 1_

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