Mark Heald Portfolio

Historical Fiction Unit 

        Below is the link to the first unit I taught. This is a two week unit on historical fiction. The purpose of the assignment is to help students further develop a multitude of writing and annotation skills, all the while giving them the opportunity to research and examine a historical time period in US history that is of interest to them. The unit begins with an examination of historical fiction, specifically looking at what it is and what makes it good. This is accomplished through examples given in both the form of print and film. The unit allows students the opportunity to choose a topic, and to plan out how they are going to tackle doing research. In the library, students have ample time to research their topic using books and primary sources. They are expected to take notes on content relevant to their story as well as citation information.

        After research is concluded, students begin to plan and outline their story, and then ultimately begin drafting their story in class. A peer editing lesson allows students the chance to receive feedback from their fellow classmates. Class time also is set aside to give students some time to type up their historical fiction stories in the computer lab. This is important because some students will not have home access to a computer and printer. After turning in their final drafts, students have class time to conduct a self-evaluation. This helps students reflect on the project and will help the teacher gain a sense of how students viewed the assignment.

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