Historical
Fiction Picture Book Publishing Expectations
We
just finished a month-long unit on historical writing in class. Our pieces
focused on life in 1620 and 1621, either on the Mayflower, in Plymouth or in a
neighboring Wampanoag village. We pulled on our knowledge from our readings and
from our social studies work to make our pieces the strongest they could be.
During
this unit, we focused on:
·
Creating three or four clear scenes that each tie in to the main
problems in the piece
·
Building the meaning in our piece by layering small actions, internal
thoughts, dialogue and setting details
·
Bringing out the historical story (what was actually happening in 1620)
and the personal story (what was happening specifically to our character)
·
Creating characters that are flawed and realistic and revising our
piece to ensure our characters are more than one way
·
“Turning the lights on” in our piece so that the setting is clear to
our reader
Significant
time was allotted to this project in class, and your child already should have:
·
Created a rough draft of their historical fiction piece
·
Revised their historical fiction piece based on the above lessons
·
Edited their historical fiction piece alone and with a partner
By
February 25, your child will have:
·
Written a draft of a nonfiction section that went with their book,
including at least 3 sections
·
Created at least three illustrations for their the book using the
artistic medium of their choice (oil pastels, watercolors, collage,
pencil/markers/crayons)
If your
child will be absent any days over the February break, they will have to do
some work on their illustrations and the nonfiction section of their book at
home!
Your
child will have until Friday, March 8 to work on publishing their historical
fiction picture book at home, though the piece can be turned in earlier if your
child is finished. This will be your child’s primary writing homework during
this time. They will not be writing entries in their WNB until the piece is
finished.
The
finished piece should include:
o
A cover with a title and the author’s name
o
A nonfiction section at the beginning OR end that includes information
about at least three different parts of life at this time (ex. The Wetu,
Hunting and Life in a Wampanoag Village)
o
The nonfiction section should be enhanced with images, illustrations,
diagrams, etc. These can be taken from the internet and books or created by
hand.
o
A typed or handwritten historical fiction story (It can be typed by the
student or by an adult)
o
Illustrations—throughout the book, with at least 3 illustrations
included
o
Any other components you want to include: a glossary, an about the
author page, etc.
Please
help your child fill out the planning page for publishing their historical
fiction picture book. Both you and your child should sign the page. I will make
a copy of the page and send it home for you and your child to refer to during
the publishing process.
