HELPING TEACHERS: Using Works of Fiction As Motivational Pieces for the Teaching of Social Studies and Science

TITLE: EXCITING LITERATURE INSPIRES INTEREST IN AMERICA’S EARLY HISTORY
INTRODUCTION: The Madonna Ghost is a mystery novel revolving around a local ghost on Fire Island, New York. As the mystery evolves, a terrorist plot is uncovered by the two main characters. Investigation of the back story of the ghost and the terrorist plot reveal some of Fire Island history, which can be used to motivate an understanding:
• the colonial history of the New York colony
• the history of East Coast lighthouses
• shipping on the East Coast in the early history of the United States including the effects of piracy, hurricanes, and shipwrecks on the local economy, and
• the geographic location and geological formations of Fire Island in relation to its role in crimes, especially smuggling.
The work is a fast moving adventure involving two main characters who are teens, appealing to middle school students. As the adventure unfolds, so do references and hits to the bulleted topics above, offering splendid opportunities to pose questions about the local history of Fire Island and its relationship to the colonial history of New York (8th Grade Social Studies Curriculum). The lesson plans provide a window into not only history, but the nature of historical research as well, referenced in the Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects.
• My rationale for the lessons I have created include:
1. The reading of materials that cause students to ask question pertinent to a curriculum area supports the teaching model, “Understanding by Design”. http://ubdexchange.org/
2. Reading for research is a skill necessary for the investigation of any curriculum topic, and is a skill that needs to be guided, practiced and reinforced. It can be best done when interest in the subject at hand has been stimulated by pertinent interesting media, in this case a mystery/adventure novel. See Filkin above.
3. Introducing students to curriculum/content knowledge through the reading of popular fiction exposes them to the value of having the ability to, not only garner knowledge from the fiction they read, fit the story they are reading into a broader context of science, history and the prevailing culture, but also to develop their interests as far as the type of literature they would like to read.
In “Alternative Book Reports” by Michael J. Vokoun, he quotes Busching and Slesinger.
“Students need to see their own lives interpreted and validated in the books they read, and they also need to see the wide panoply of humanity, not just to watch these characters enact their lives, but also to see into their lives, but also to see into their lives. Through books, students can develop strong bonds with diverse individuals they would be unlikely to meet in their actual lives, or could never know well” (146-7). Busching,B., & Slesinger, B.A. (2002). “It’s Our World Too”: Socially Responsive Learners in Middle School Language Arts. Urbans, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
4. Although popular fiction is not the source of content knowledge, students can appreciate that general knowledge can be increased by reading all kinds of literature.
5. Lessons which spring from readings which provoke student questions are student-centered, thus giving students that sense of ownership which may lead to an interest in reading that lives long after the lesson.
6. Including Reading in any lesson reinforces vocabulary and reasoning skills as borne out by a correlation between habitual reading skills and SAT scores.
7. Lessons that use computer skills, not as the focus of the lesson, but as the tool to answer students’ questions foster good research skills.
From Wading Through the Web: Teaching Internet Research Strategies by Sarah Dennis-Shaw.
“Communication and comprehension are two of the most important aspects of using technology.
In order for technology to be an effective enhancement for literacy instruction, students must first master the basics of using computers so that students can concentrate more on literacy tasks than on technology.”
8. The lessons I propose are designed to work best with cooperative learning groups.
9. The lessons provide a variety of approaches for researching the questions arising from the books.
10. I am a great believer in the interdisciplinary approach to learning. History made science come alive for my students. Linda Maria Frank

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