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Artifacts Meet Untimely Ends: A Humorous Writing Lesson


Subjects

History
--World History
Language Arts

Grade

6-12

Brief Description

In this lesson about author point of view in fiction writing, students use humorous historical facts to inspire their own creative written product.

Objectives

Students will:

  • Learn about unique historical events.
  • Practice perspective-taking, point of view, character development and vivid description as important elements of fiction writing.

Keywords

History, Language Arts, creative writing, fiction, point of view, perspective-taking

Materials Needed

Paper and pencils or computers with word processing capability (and Internet access, if students will produce wikis)
 

Lesson Plan

Introduce the concept of perspective-taking (also known as narrative viewpoint or point of view) as an important skill in fiction writing.

Here are some resources on the topic:

If desired, refer to books or materials the class has previously read, and discuss the various choices authors made regarding point of view.

Explain that students will practice writing from a point of view by choosing a noteworthy object from history, then writing from the perspective of that object to explain:

  • Why and how it got from its original location to its new location
  • How it “perceived,” “interpreted” or “experienced” that transition
  • What life was like before vs. after the transition

Choices of object include:

  • The mysterious Stonehenge altar stone
  • A priceless medieval prayer book
  • A piece of historical furniture, china or clothing from the 1881 White House

Below are passages describing the circumstances surrounding each of the above objects. Present the information to students, then discuss the parameters of the assignment (length, format/genre, point[s] of view writers should use, etc.). Options for format/genre include:

“Questions to consider” are provided to jump-start students’ thinking about each object. Students should use their imaginations to fill in the gaps regarding what is known about these objects and what can only be guessed. Encourage them to use vivid descriptive language and explore the “inner life” of their chosen object, including thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams.

You may want to have students work in pairs or groups to complete the assignment. Pairs or groups might try writing about the same object, but using a different point of view or format/genre. For an even more collaborative experience, use wikis as a shared-writing medium and let kids piggyback on each others’ ideas to create a single final product.

Incorporate peer review or writer’s conferences, if desired. Students should receive feedback from peers and/or the teacher on at least one draft before submitting the final product.

Stonehenge Gets Partially Dismantled
Easily one of the most famous landmarks in the world, Stonehenge predates any of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, including the Great Pyramid at Giza. Historians’ best guess is that Stonehenge was built by the people of the late Neolithic period around 3000 B.C. Many have speculated regarding its purpose. The structure may have been a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities, an astronomical observatory, or a burial site for high-ranking citizens. Depending upon what they believe regarding Stonehenge’s original function, some have suggested that the altar stone was once used for human sacrifice.

Whatever may have been its actual purpose, people in the southwest of England have treated this collection of giant stones as a pretty important historical landmark.

This wasn’t always the case, according to researcher Dennis Price. He claims that during the Victorian era, locals were building a small bridge near the site and had run out of stones for the project. Rather than collect a few more, those in charge decided it would just be easier to take one of them from Stonehenge. They were believed to have taken what is arguably the most important piece, the altar stone. Archaeologists claim that the stone was taken, cut in half and placed on either side of the bridge.

Questions to consider:

  • Do you think the altar stone enjoyed serving its original purpose, whatever that may have been?
  • How do you think the altar stone felt about becoming part of a bridge? Happy? Reluctant? Indifferent? Did the stone miss its former location or fellow Stonehenge stones?
  • How was the stone transported to its new location? How did this feel?
  • How was it cut in two? What was this experience like?
  • What is it like to be part of a bridge?
  • Few artifacts are as old as the Stonehenge stones. What is it like to have survived for so many years, and what might the stone have seen during that time?
     

Priceless Books Turned Into Lampshades
Going back as far as medieval times, paper was a precious commodity. It was so valuable that it commanded a higher price tag than many precious metals. Because of this, book production was extremely limited. Books that were especially labor-intensive to produce were printed in small quantities on a special substance called vellum (made of calf or lamb skin) so that they would last longer. Many of these books, however, have been lost to the ravages of time and in at least one case, interior design.

William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper magnate and subject of the Orwellian classic Citizen Kane, came upon some beautiful, 15th-century handmade Gregorian prayer books. He so admired them that he purchased the priceless artifacts and had their vellum pages turned into lampshades. Hearst, who clearly had more money than he knew what to do with, decorated his California home, Hearst Castle, with these “historic” lamps. See one of the lamps here.

Questions to consider:

  • How did these books experience the process of being handcrafted by medieval monks?
  • What is life like as a sacred object that is used for prayer?
  • What language did the books contain, and what did it mean?
  • How did the books feel about being turned into lampshades? What was the process like?
  • What was it like living in Hearst Castle?
  • What would the books have seen/heard during their long life?
     

White House Gets Cleaned Out
The White House is unique in that it serves as both the U.S. president's residence and workplace. While not as historically important as Stonehenge, as home to American presidents for nearly 200 years, the White House has amassed a respectable amount of historical artifacts. There would be significantly more of those artifacts, if it weren’t for Chester A. Arthur.

In 1881, Arthur decided that he didn’t want a bunch of outdated furniture and other odds and ends seen in the White House. He fancied himself on the cutting edge of popular fashion, and he wanted the country’s most famous home to reflect that.

Rather than auction off the unwanted items at some high-end auction house, Arthur literally gathered it all up and offered it to people on the street for whatever price he could get. All of it went—countless pieces of furniture, pallets of executive china and even some of Abraham Lincoln’s clothing were sold to folks who happened to be walking down Pennsylvania Ave. with a few bucks in their pockets. In all, over 25 wagons full of White House memorabilia were sold for about $8,000. That’s right, eight grand!

Imagine waiting in line for the White House tour, only to be met by Barack Obama, who offers you the desk that George Washington used to write his farewell address to Congress!

Questions to consider:

  • To whom did the White House artifact originally belong?
  • What did it look like, and what purpose did it serve? Did it have a happy life?
  • What was it like being sold to strangers? Did the object feel that its sale price reflected its true value?
  • Where did the object go after leaving the White House? What is its new owner like? What is its new life like?
  • Does the object still feel valued?
  • Is the object still used for its intended purpose, or is it sitting “idle”?


Assessment

Student short stories are evaluated in terms of the following:

  • Writing quality (grammar, punctuation, etc.)
  • Writing structure (e.g., adherence to format/genre)
  • Adherence to teacher instructions
  • Creativity
  • Quality of perspective-taking
  • Understanding of the context and importance of historical events
     

Submitted By

Jason Tomaszewski, EducationWorld Associate Editor


National Standards

U.S History
GRADES 5-12
NSS-USH.5-12.6 Era 6: The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900)

History
GRADES 5-12
NSS-WH.5-12.5 Era 5: Intensified Hemispheric Interactions, 1000-1500 CE
NSS-WH.5-12.7 Era 7: An Age of Revolutions, 1750-1914

Language Arts
Grades K-12
NL-ENG.K-12.4 Communication Skills
NL-ENG.K-12.5 Communication Strategies
NL-ENG.K-12.6 Applying Knowledge
NL-ENG.K-12.12 Applying Language Skills



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