Bringing Indiana History Alive in the Classroom

You can bring Indiana History alive to students of all ages by introducing historical fiction books written from the perspective of children their own age. The Indiana Historical society recommends books such as: By Freedom's Light by Elizabeth O'Maley, Captured! A Boy Trapped in the Civil War by Mary Blair and Alone: The Journey of the boy Sims. After reading historical fiction students can compare and contrast against facts presented in the text or through research. They can write their own historical fiction around an event being studied in class, or write a response to prompts asking how they would act/feel/or do something different in the situations presented in the book. Students can be allowed to choose to present the knowledge gained from historical fiction/textbooks/research through a method which is most meaningful to them; whether it be a short play, a power point, illustrations, or any medium approved by the teacher.