View from the 5th Grade Trenches -March 2012 - Hysterical for Historical

How many of you can still remember the yawn-fest from history/social studies class? I was bored out of my gourd during most of my formal education in history. I'd rather weed a cornfield than memorize an endless parade of dates/events/people with whom I had absolutely NO connection.


Ironically, now as a teacher, I adore teaching history. Why? I approach it as a great story, and I use historical fiction to help me tell that story. What better way to make the past come alive than to view it with the relatable eyes of a middle grade peer.


In 5th grade we go on the great adventure of American history. Here are a few of the novels that have helped me bring the days of yore to my students.

THE SIGN OF THE BEAVER by Elizabeth George Speare
Homesteading and understanding of American Indian tribes of the Northeast Woodlands

THE WITCH AT BLACKBIRD POND by Elizabeth George Speare
Puritan vs. Quaker and the witchcraft insanity of the colonial period












THE FIGHTING GROUND by Avi
The horror of the Revolutionary War

THE BOOK THIEF by Markus Zusak, NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowry

The holocaust and World War Two

What are some of your favorite middle grade historical fiction stories?