Historical Fiction

I love the definition our text book gives for historical fiction " historical fiction brings together historical fact and imagination"(pg 206). We can't go back in time and see and experience the lives of people and events that took place in the past, but by reading historical fiction, we can come very close. When teaching students about historical fiction we must make sure they know a few important details. First, the conflicts in the story must be appropriate for the time period that the story takes place in. The story must accurately depict historical facts and cultural details. Students should also be aware that the theme of the book should reflect historical concerns or happenings that took place.
The textbook gives a great suggestion for teaching students about historical fiction, which is to have students question the author. I think that by having students understand the authors perspective and teaching them how to determine whether or not a book is historically factual and authentic to the culture that is being read about it will greatly benefit them. I could teach my students ways to determine these things. I could have them question the setting, plot, and the characters. Questioning the author is a great technique that can be used with all genres of literature!
In order to show my students that historical fiction can be exciting and interesting I could relate it to what they already know about past events such as the movie of Pocahontas. I could have a class discussion about the movie and relate it to the intrusion of the "white man" upon the Indians, I would ask them what they think the historical facts are about that movie. Then I could read a loud Pocahontas by Joseph Bruchac which is a historical fiction book made for 5-8 grade, I could have my students compare the facts they gave me from the movie with actual facts that the book gives us.