Civil War Stories
Teaching Fact through Historical Fiction
"Ever since the Civil War was over, there's been an average of one
book a day published about the Civil War, over 55,000 books and counting,"
says Larry Gibbs, a retired high school teacher in Country Club Hills, Illinois.
A Civil War historian for more than 30 years, Gibbs himself owns nearly
300 books on the subject, which could come in handy as in his post-retirement
career as a history instructor at a community college and an area high school.
Given today's issues of race, equality and tolerance, the Civil War is as
relevant as ever in the classroom.
"The Civil War . . . has tremendous impact in the present day because
slavery was abolished, and we've been trying to deal with the racial situation
ever since, trying to help the black citizen achieve an equal status in
our society," Gibbs said in an interview with the local newspaper,
The Star. "We haven't done it yet, but we're approaching that."
He added that the growth of the federal government also stems from the
Civil War and Reconstruction periods, as does the foundation of today's
economic system. Indeed, as one source puts it, "Not only was the War
the occasion for the abolition of slavery, but by conflict's end the re-United
States had emerged as a modern, industrialized power."
Although the reality of the war and its aftereffects are gripping in
themselves, as evidenced by the immense popularity of Ken Burns' documentary
"The Civil War," many non-fiction accounts of the Civil War are
too advanced or too dull to capture kids' attention.
The answer? Historical fiction.
"Here's the story on historical fiction in my classroom: It illuminates
time periods, helps me integrate the curriculum, and enriches social studies,"
says Tarry Lindquist, a fifth-grade teacher on Mercer Island, Washington,
who was recognized by the National Council for the Social Studies as National
Elementary Teacher of the Year.
"Just take Amy's word for it," Lindquist says in the Instructor
article "Why
& How I Teach with Historical Fiction." "At the end of
our westward-expansion unit, while modeling her journal entry after a fictional
account we'd read, this fifth grader wrote: 'Dear Diary, July 30, 1852:
This journey has been heart-wrenching, thirst-quenching, and most of all,
an adventure I will never forget.' Blending stories into a study of history
turns the past into a dynamic place."
As Leonard Irwin points out in his "Guide to Historical Fiction,"
a well-written historical novel can "provide its readers with a sense
of historical understanding and realism that otherwise would be denied to
all but the professional scholar." And we can't have that!
According to Lindquist, the historical fiction you choose to teach the
Civil War, or any other subject, should:
- present a well-told story that doesn't conflict with historical records
- portray characters realistically
- present authentic settings
- artfully fold in historical facts
- provide accurate information through illustrations
- avoid stereotypes and myths
No matter how good, though, historical fiction can't stand alone, Lindquist
emphasizes. It should complement the unique skills and processes kids need
to for social studies. "I have students balance fiction with fact,
validate historical hypotheses with research," Lindquist said. "Historical
fiction is the spice."
Article by Colleen Newquist
Education World®
Copyright © 1997 Education World
Related Resources
Lesson Plans & Curriculum Ideas
Related Sites
- The American
Civil War Home Page The University of Tennessee's comprehensive and
up-to-date list of Civil War sites, including numerous links that feature
the diaries of and letters from Civil War soldiers.
- Selected Civil War Photographs
Collection More than 1,000 photographs of the American Civil War, including
scenes of military personnel, preparations for battle, and battle after-effects,
as well as portraits of both Confederate and Union officers, and a selection
of enlisted men. From the Library of Congress's American Memory web series.
- The Principio
Project at Peddie: Student Research in American History A collection
of students' research essays on the question "Was the Civil War inevitable?"
Each essay includes a list of references and electronic sources (with links!),
plus an e-mail link to the author.
- Poetry and Music of the War Between the States Lyrics to various Civil War and pre-war songs, as well as
some poems.
- Civil
War Woman: Primary Sources on the Internet Links to diaries, letters,
documents, photographs and prints related to women in the Civil War, including
passages from the diary of a 10-year-old girl.
Originally published 06/15/1997
Links last updated 09/26/2003
|