4.5 Unfolding Characters While Unfolding History

CONNECTION Story about American woman who, after 9/11, went to Afghanistan to be a nurse but instead helped train women to open beauty parlors. The events in history affected her life. These huge historical events actually happened in the lives of ordinary people. There’s official history and the small personal stories of people who had to cope through them.

TEACHING POINT Today I want to teach you that readers of historical fiction consider both the big historical timeline and the smaller timeline of the characters’ lives.

TEACHING MY TIMELINE 1984: Born in Michigan 1986: moved to Oakland township, sister born 1988: brother born 1990: sister born, started kindergarten at Blanche Sims 1994: started fourth grade at Stadium Drive 1996-1998: attended Scripps Middle School 1999-2003: attended Lake Orion High School 2003-2007: attended Western Michigan University

TEACHING MY TIMELINE 1984: Born in Michigan 1986: moved to Oakland township, sister born 1988: brother born 1990: sister born, started kindergarten at Blanche Sims 1994: started fourth grade at Stadium Drive 1996-1998: attended Scripps Middle School 1999-2003: attended Lake Orion High School 2003-2007: attended Western Michigan University BUT…I can add events in history to my personal timeline.

TEACHING MY TIMELINE 1984: Born in Michigan 1986: moved to Oakland township, sister born 1988: brother born 1990: sister born, started kindergarten at Blanche Sims 1994: started fourth grade at Stadium Drive 1996-1998: attended Scripps Middle School 1999-2003: attended Lake Orion High School 2003-2007: attended Western Michigan University 1985: first version of Windows for computers released. 1986: the Challenger space shuttle explodes 1989: The Exxon Valdez oil spill The Berlin Wall is taken down 1990: The Hubble space telescope is deployed 1993: The World Trade Center is bombed. 1998: Attacks on 2 US embassies kill 224 people. 2001: Attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon

TEACHING Events around the world can influence my personal timeline. Listen to me talk about my life and point to the timeline of the world when you hear an event that influenced my life.

TEACHING MY TIMELINE 1984: Born in Michigan 1986: moved to Oakland township, sister born 1988: brother born 1990: sister born, started kindergarten at Blanche Sims 1994: started fourth grade at Stadium Drive 1996-1998: attended Scripps Middle School 1999-2003: attended Lake Orion High School 2003-2007: attended Western Michigan University 1985: first version of Windows for computers released. 1986: the Challenger space shuttle explodes 1988: First patent for genetically engineered animal 1990: The Hubble space telescope is deployed 1993: The World Trade Center is bombed. 1998: Attacks on 2 US embassies kill 224 people. 2001: Attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon

TEACHING Bud’s Timeline Historical Timeline Bud’s mom dies when he is 6. Bud’s flyer from his mother says 1932, so it must be 1936 now. When he is ten, he is placed with a foster family, the Amoses. He runs away from the foster home and eats breakfast at the mission He stays overnight in a Hooverville. Historical Timeline The Great Depression is going on. Some people can’t find jobs or food. They get free food from the mission. Some people live in Hoovervilles, villages made of scraps. They are named after President Herbert Hoover.

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT Continue filling in both sides of the timeline for Bud, Not Buddy.

LINK Try using this kind of double sided timeline on your book club books today.

Making Our Way Through Historical Fiction MIDWORKSHOP Rehearse what you are going to say to your group. Making Our Way Through Historical Fiction Collect setting details. What kind of place is this? What does it feel like? Is trouble brewing? How is it changing? What feels important? Collect vital data about characters. Traits? Pressures on them? Problems they face? What drives them? What new understanding and historical information do you have? What is the sequence of events in the story, including jumps in time? Notice what’s changing in the book. How are the characters’ problems escalating? Has the setting or the mood shifted? Think about how characters are reacting differently to big events and what we can learn from this.

GROWING POWERFUL BOOK CLUB CONVERSATIONS SHARE FREEZE! Look around. How are the people in different clubs sitting or standing? Who seems to be sitting in a listening way? Who seems to be not listening? Club members need to work together and help each other. Spend the next couple of minutes as role model club members! GROWING POWERFUL BOOK CLUB CONVERSATIONS Be a good listener by leaning in, making eye contact, and letting the person finish speaking his or her thought. You can even jot notes as someone speaks. Be aware of any member who has gone unheard. Invite him or her in. Listen to conversation like it’s gold.