Lesson Plan

A Faraway Home

Social Studies – Language Arts - Technology

 “Readers make leaders!” – J.L. Panagopoulos ©

 

·       The story starts Monday, September 18, 1854 at Five Points

          New York City… As a documentary historical fiction writer  

          it is my responsibility to make sure the information that I

          share is as accurate as possible.  I do this by using primary

          and secondary source material and by doing historical

          research that teaches me about the past.

 

By using the Perpetual Calendar I was able to find out on what day specific things happened in the lives of the orphans.

 Have your students visit: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/4274/perpcale.htm

 Using their birth year in the year search help them to discover what day they were born.  My birth day is December 17, 1955 and I was born on a Saturday.

 ·       If a story is based on history with historical characters surrounding a historical event, what type of genre is it? My writing is not “just” historical fiction it is “documentary” historical fiction.  What does the word “documentary” in this type of genre mean? (Check out my website: http://www.newadventuresinwriting.com - New Adventures in Writing.com for more information concerning genre and documentary historical fiction.)

 ·       Reading and Journaling go hand-and-hand.  Recommend to your students that they write down questions they might have about the story as they read.  Also suggest that they create a glossary of words that they might find confusing or interesting.

 ·       Have your students’ draw a picture of what they think Jack or some of the other orphan children might have looked like.  You can email me some of their pictures and I will select a few to place on my website.  (Pandex@prodigy.net web site: http://www.newadventuresinwriting.com once the pictures are posted it will be under “Special Pictures”)

·       Create a local history research/writing project.  No matter where you live in the world you have local history and information.  To do this project with your students ask them to write down five basic local history questions and find the answers:

1)   When was your city/town/village founded or incorporated?

2)   What were the names of some of the first settlers to your area?

3)   Why did these first settlers come to your area?  Was it easy to get to?  Was the land very fertile?  Was there a specific resource that drew them to the area?

4)   Where did your county/city/town/village get its name?

5)   Where did the first settlers in your area come from? Did they travel to your area together?  Were they family? Now, with these questions you can begin your research. Are there books or publications about your area that you can share with your students?  Do you have a local  historical society, genealogy society or museum in your area that you might be able to get a guest to come and speak to your class concerning local history? Does your school library or your local community library have plat map books that will show your students where the      first settlers lived and owned property?

 Also, help your students to discover which Native Americans lived in your area and at what time period.

 Make sure you teach your class about making research notes and recording the information they find for future reference and writing.

 ·       During your IP videoconference please make sure you have worked with your students for proper videoconferencing etiquette.

1.    Make sure your students have read A Faraway Home or A Place Called Home.

2.    Make sure your students have created questions to ask the author.  If their question has been asked, make sure they have a back-up question.

3.  During the conference make sure your students sit quietly until it is time to ask their questions or to share their information.

4.    Make sure your students sit politely (no heads on tables, no tapping of pencils or hands thumping near the microphones) and listen to the author as she answers questions.  Students may interact and respond to the author’s questions but they must be attentive to make sure     they can hear and participate.