In deciding to introduce nonfiction in this way to my students, I had to ask what would be the best way to get them and keep them engaged. With many students, history is something that they view as the past with many names and dates to memorize. "Biography has a special appeal for students because they frequently come to care about a person while learning about him or her"
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. This allows for the student to question what this historical figure was like. Very often, in studying history, students are not able to look at the characteristics that make up an important figure. By studying biographies, students will get to know their figure in a more personal way thus allowing them to feel more of a connection with the person which will then help students retain information learned. My intention is to individualize each student's focus of study by trying to give him or her something to connect to with the president the student will be studying. Harvey and Goudvis state that "readers naturally bring their prior knowledge and experience to reading, but they comprehend better when they think about the connections they make between the text, their lives, and the larger world."
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For young students, a connection that they make with a president such as being an only child, being sickly, or coming from a poor family may indeed enhance their learning. "Another appeal of reading biographies is that students learn about the times of individuals while learning about individuals"
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. Although students may struggle with understanding historical situations and the importance of dates and times, they understand stories about people and this sense of connection will help them by allowing them to put themselves in the characters' places and asking what would I do or how would I feel in this situation. After students have read a biography about a president, the next step will be to read a fictionalized account of the time that president served and/or lived. "Students can use the details in these stories to gain a deep understanding of the circumstances of these time periods."
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Students will also have the added benefit of sharing the stories of the many presidents that they have studied who have lived during the specific time that the story takes place. "Reading historical fiction provides students with a vicarious experience for places and people they could otherwise never know. Often, they are able to see history through a child's point of view and identify with their emotions."
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After researching a president, students will be grouped by the time period that their presidents lived in to read an historical fiction account of an event that took place during that time. "Good historical fiction creates an emotional connection between children of today and their historical counterparts."
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