Historial Fiction

Last week the ASPIRE 5 class tried their hand at historical fiction.  First, the students viewed six famous paintings from the Revolutionary Period, including George Washington crossing the Delaware, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  Students were required to choose one of the paintings, and write a fictional story that incorporated historical facts.  Although it was difficult for some of them, we made it clear that elements of fantasy would not be permitted.  The story had to be believable, and reflect the era from the painting.

I was very excited about the results.  Although it took longer for the students to complete than our typical writing assignments, I believe the extra time was well spent.  Some of the plots would be amazing story lines for novels and movies.  There was a plan to stop the Boston Tea Party, an attempt to steal the Declaration of Independence by a British loyalist, the sinking of George Washington's boat as they crossed the icy Delaware, a story about how Nathan Hale's identity was revealed, an account of Sam Adams' actions from the perspective of his daughter, George Washington as an American spy, and many other ideas that effectively captured the essence of historical fiction.

I thought the students did a great job of incorporating historical figures, using authentic language and vocabulary from the Revolution, using suspense and surprise endings, and even blurring the line between fact and fiction for the reader.  As a group, we have struggled with fully developing our writing.  I believe the historical content gave many of the students the extra detail necessary to make their story complete.  Overall, I was very proud of their work, as they demonstrated an understanding of Revolutionary events while improving their writing skills.  You never know; one of these stories may be coming to a theater near you.