History is a Story: Teaching History the Interesting Way
Ranked #4,121 in Parenting & Kids, #135,537 overall
Welcome to Chapter 4 of Noori's Library: History is a Story, dedicated to sharing the best historical fiction and non-fiction for kids from preschool to high school and beyond.
A Note to Visitors
This Lens, like all the "chapters" of Noori's Library, can be considered a work-in-progress and I expect to expand and reorganize it many times as I discover or rediscover literary treasures, add commentary and other extras, and improve my organizational systems. I hope you will find it useful and stop back often for updates!
Just about every year, it seems, a study comes out demonstrating that American students' knowledge of American history is poor at best, and their knowledge of world history pathetic in the extreme. You can dispute the methodology of these studies until the cows come home, but the fact is, there is a problem, and I believe its foundation lies in the way history is taught in our public schools. All too often, teachers and educators forget that history is, first and foremost, a story, and every child loves a good story.
We have seen over and over again around the world that those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it. These are some of the best books and resources I know to help parents, educators, and homeschool parents alike rekindle a love of history in our students, so that they can be best assured of avoiding history's mistakes and repeating its triumphs.
Just about every year, it seems, a study comes out demonstrating that American students' knowledge of American history is poor at best, and their knowledge of world history pathetic in the extreme. You can dispute the methodology of these studies until the cows come home, but the fact is, there is a problem, and I believe its foundation lies in the way history is taught in our public schools. All too often, teachers and educators forget that history is, first and foremost, a story, and every child loves a good story.
We have seen over and over again around the world that those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it. These are some of the best books and resources I know to help parents, educators, and homeschool parents alike rekindle a love of history in our students, so that they can be best assured of avoiding history's mistakes and repeating its triumphs.
Good General Histories
Interactive History: Timelines
One fun way to enrich your study of history is to build a timeline on one of the walls of your house. These can be homemade or purchased. My family purchased one from Calvert School that came laminated and included a starting selection of great authors, artists and musicians, which we used as a template when creating other timeline figures.
Timeline figures can be as simple or elaborate as you want. Ours started out simple - a cutout wearing pants for a male or a dress for a female, a name, date, and some indication of his or her great achievements. Later on costumes and methods of conveying information became increasingly elaborate and creative and my siblings and I held several Academy Award-type competitions with awards such as Best Hairstyle, Best Props, and Best Non-Standard Figure (a perennial favorite at the latter was my sister's depiction of the Boston Tea Party: a painted and feathered colonist peeking out of an enormous teacup.)
Ideally, the timeline should be large enough to allow for expansion as children develop individual areas of special interest. Ours included particular emphasis on medieval British history, women's history, and the American Civil War, courtesy of myself, my sister, and my brother, respectively. After the first timeline awards were held, anyone who could be expected to have a particularly cool costume also experienced an immediate jump in popularity. In later competitions, for example, my brother's depiction of Shah Jahan received high marks for both costume and props. One really can't beat the Taj Mahal.
Timeline figures can be as simple or elaborate as you want. Ours started out simple - a cutout wearing pants for a male or a dress for a female, a name, date, and some indication of his or her great achievements. Later on costumes and methods of conveying information became increasingly elaborate and creative and my siblings and I held several Academy Award-type competitions with awards such as Best Hairstyle, Best Props, and Best Non-Standard Figure (a perennial favorite at the latter was my sister's depiction of the Boston Tea Party: a painted and feathered colonist peeking out of an enormous teacup.)
Ideally, the timeline should be large enough to allow for expansion as children develop individual areas of special interest. Ours included particular emphasis on medieval British history, women's history, and the American Civil War, courtesy of myself, my sister, and my brother, respectively. After the first timeline awards were held, anyone who could be expected to have a particularly cool costume also experienced an immediate jump in popularity. In later competitions, for example, my brother's depiction of Shah Jahan received high marks for both costume and props. One really can't beat the Taj Mahal.
Costume Help for Timelines
The Ancient World
The Greeks
Series Spotlight: Time Quest Books
Modern day archaeologists describe their discoveries in this fascinating series for elementary and middle school students.
The Romans
King Arthur
These retellings of the classic Arthurian legends include both fantastic and realistic versions. Best suited to middle school or high school readers due to mature themes, including sex and brutal medieval violence.
Medieval Europe
Series Spotlight: The Pageant of England
A gripping history of the Plantagenets, one of England's most colorful ruling families.
Author Spotlight: Sharon Kay Penman
Thrilling and romantic accounts of 12th and 13th century British history, with a focus on the Plantagenet rulers and their difficult relationship with the (at that time autonomous) Princes of Wales. Some mature themes, including graphic sex and brutal medieval battles. Best for high schoolers and adults.
Richard III: Hero or Villain?
For the student who loves a good mystery.
Author Spotlight: David Macauley
Incredible illustrations and fascinating accounts of the planning and building of some of the world's great architectural masterworks make these books a hit with all ages.
Author Spotlight: Diane Stanley
Diane Stanley's picture book biographies are a great introduction to some of history's most fascinating figures for elementary age students.
Shakespeare Does History
History lessons disguised as some of the greatest masterpieces of English literature. It's a win-win situation!
Classic Historical Fiction
More Classics of Historical Fiction
Colonial and Revolutionary America
Author Spotlight: The d'Aulaires
Author Spotlight: Genevieve Foster
Long out of print, these are fantastic introductions to world history for elementary and middle school students.
Author Spotlight: Jean Fritz
Great introductions to American history for elementary and middle school students.
Author Spotlight: Robert Lawson
Fun historical fiction written from the perspective of the animals. Appropriate for elementary and middle school students.
Author Spotlight: Ann Rinaldi
Anne Rinaldi's historical fiction novels usually focus on teenage girls at the crossroads of American history, most often the Revolution and Civil War. Popular with middle and high school students.
Alternative History
American Indians
Pioneers
Interactive History: Travel
One of the best ways to make history truly come to life is through travel. It's nearly impossible not to get a sense of history when you're standing on the spot where it was made.
I was lucky enough to have parents who love travelling. One of the first things we did after starting to homeschool was to take an extended trip following the Oregon Trail by car from Independence to Oregon City, Oregon. We also took advantage of my father's government job to spend nine months in Washington, DC, visiting historical sites galore and taking a few extended trips to visit Southern plantations, Civil War battlefields, and other historic sites in Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and other Eastern states that were less accessible from our native Midwest. Even better, when I was 17, my sister and I were able to accompany our aunt and uncle on a month-long tour of France, which included everything from prehistoric cave paintings to medieval castles and cathedrals to World War II sites. And in college, I studied abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia and saw first hand everything from Scythian gold to the palaces of the tsars to buildings and bridges throughout the city that still show damage from shrapnel (or worse) received during the Nazis' long and devastating siege of Leningrad, as well as being able to talk to survivors of the siege.
Regardless of whether you're going to the next town over or to a foreign country halfway around the world, make an effort to learn about the area's history in advance and visit historical sites or museums when you go. History museums, much like history books, range from the crashingly boring to the utterly captivating and you'll quickly learn your family's preferences and tolerences.
I was lucky enough to have parents who love travelling. One of the first things we did after starting to homeschool was to take an extended trip following the Oregon Trail by car from Independence to Oregon City, Oregon. We also took advantage of my father's government job to spend nine months in Washington, DC, visiting historical sites galore and taking a few extended trips to visit Southern plantations, Civil War battlefields, and other historic sites in Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and other Eastern states that were less accessible from our native Midwest. Even better, when I was 17, my sister and I were able to accompany our aunt and uncle on a month-long tour of France, which included everything from prehistoric cave paintings to medieval castles and cathedrals to World War II sites. And in college, I studied abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia and saw first hand everything from Scythian gold to the palaces of the tsars to buildings and bridges throughout the city that still show damage from shrapnel (or worse) received during the Nazis' long and devastating siege of Leningrad, as well as being able to talk to survivors of the siege.
Regardless of whether you're going to the next town over or to a foreign country halfway around the world, make an effort to learn about the area's history in advance and visit historical sites or museums when you go. History museums, much like history books, range from the crashingly boring to the utterly captivating and you'll quickly learn your family's preferences and tolerences.
Great Americans
Author Biography: Russell Freedman
Freedman writes some of the finest historical nonfiction for elementary and middle school students.
The South
Russian and Soviet History
Great Memoirs
World War I
World War Two
The Holocaust
More Great History Books
More Great History Resources
These books are intended for homeschoolers, but equally useful for afterschoolers and anyone with an interest in enriching historical education. Although general in scope, they include particularly strong history sections.
The BEST Source for Children's Historical Fiction and Non-Fiction
Greenleaf Press publishes historical study guides and nonfiction books and also offers an extensive collection of historical fiction and non-fiction materials for students and history lovers from preschool to high school and beyond. Run by a Christian homeschooling family, it offers both secular and Christian materials (though don't go looking for anything about dinosaurs or evolution.)
- GreenLeaf Press
- Greenleaf Press is a small family-owned and operated publisher and supplier of quality books for children. Rob & Cyndy founded Greenleaf in 1989 out of their experiences looking for good material for their own children's study of history. Greenleaf Press is committed to "twaddle-free", living books. We believe that history is both important and exciting and that our kids can share that excitement.
Return to the Index
Guestbook
submit
-
Reply
-
teachingtools
Nov 19, 2010 @ 12:15 am | delete
- Great lens and ideas! Don't forget you can use certificate templates to reward your students for their successes!
-
-
Reply
-
Helena_Schrader
Mar 27, 2010 @ 6:48 pm | delete
- This is a great lens! You've got a wonderful collection of historical fiction here. I also have a lens on historical fiction based in Ancient Greece, and would love for you to drop by when you get a chance.
-
-
Reply
-
tandemonimom
Apr 9, 2009 @ 12:53 pm | delete
- This great lens is now a Featured Lens in the newly redesigned Homeschooling Group (under new management)!
-
-
Reply
-
tandemonimom
Apr 1, 2009 @ 2:32 pm | delete
- Great list of books! So many favorites ... I especially love Here Be Dragons. Lensrolled to Five in a Row Literature-Based Unit Studies.
-
-
Reply
-
Silent_Note
Feb 12, 2009 @ 9:24 pm | delete
- This is a wonderful lens! You have put together a great collection of books and information here. I'd love for you to stop by my lens and say hello when you have the chance.
-
- Load More
by kerryg
kerryg
Kerry is Noori's mom and a lover of books.
- 42 featured lenses
- Winner of 7 trophies!
- Top lens » Fantasy Worldbuilding Resources
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
Explore related pages
- Little House Unit Study Little House Unit Study
- The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book The Very Hungry Caterpillar Book
- Homeschool Curriculum- 1st Grade Homeschool Curriculum- 1st Grade
- Magic Tree House- Dinosaurs Before Dark Study Guide Magic Tree House- Dinosaurs Before Dark Study Guide
- The Ramsay Scallop Medieval Unit Study The Ramsay Scallop Medieval Unit Study
- Aliki - Books for Kids Aliki - Books for Kids
