Start this lesson on the page "Year 4 Term 3 2019 - What is Historical Fiction?"
Before Reading
Look at the front cover.
The title of this story is Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck.
What do you think this story will be about?
What clues on the front cover give you some clues as to the time period in history that this story may be set?
What do you know about the characters Sam and Grace, from the illustrations?
The title of this story is Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck.
What do you think this story will be about?
What clues on the front cover give you some clues as to the time period in history that this story may be set?
What do you know about the characters Sam and Grace, from the illustrations?
Read the Blurb
Read the blurb.
What additional information to we gain about the story from reading the blurb?
How is the blurb creating suspense? What is the effect of using short sentences? What words are highly emotive? creating suspense and engaging the reader to want to find out more?
What additional information to we gain about the story from reading the blurb?
How is the blurb creating suspense? What is the effect of using short sentences? What words are highly emotive? creating suspense and engaging the reader to want to find out more?
Read the story
As you begin to read the story, what do you notice about the colours used by the illustrator and how that helps to develop the setting and to establish the time period. Discuss the homestead and the kitchen. How are they typical of Australia in the late 1800's?
Read the text until the end, pausing at times to discuss. |
- How has the author and the illustrator created an atmosphere of drama and adventure?
- The author has used a real event to create this story. Are the characters real?
- The author has added drama and adventure to the story to emphasise the heroic actions of the two main characters. Point out the enlarged words in the text that contribute to dramatic effect. Discuss how these descriptive elements are the creation of the author, using her imagination to make the story come alive and be more believable.
- Could the author have known how Sam and Grace really felt as they came upon the scene in the bay? This is the fiction part of this story?
- What would the author and the illustrator have to do to write this story? How would they know what life was like in this part of Australia at this time?
- How does a story about this event make learning about history more interesting?
Finally
Do you think this story can really be described as Historical Fiction? Why or why not? Think back to the beginning of this lesson. You may need to go back to the features of historical fiction.