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Historical Fiction:
Books that are considered historical fiction are those in which settings and scenes are set in the past, that may have non-fictional characters but the story itself is fictional. Historical fiction books must have
1.) A creadible plot
2.) Historical authenticity
3.) Realistic setting
4.) Themes used within book fits with setting and plot
5.) The language used must fit with the time period
6.) Connects reader with the past
The genre of historical fiction came along as a result of the Romantic Movement in the 19th century. This genre became popular pre- WWI and its popularity declined post- WWI. One of the pioneers of historical fiction was James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote The Last of the Mohicans. I have not read the book but I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the movie. Although it was a film I experienced, I felt as if I was in it, experiencing what the characters experienced; it is just the same when getting into a historical book. When you submerge yourself into an event that actually happened, you can relate to it and empathize with the characters. This genre gives insight to the readers as they take a look into the past.

I will enjoy introducing Historical Fiction to my students. I had an activity in mind…
I would chose a book that they class would assign to read, give them background information about the book and its time period, then I would have them research that specific time period. Each student would have to attain knowledge of the time so the book would already seem familiar to them, as they read. As students read, I would have them either concoct a character or use themselves to interject within the story; keeping the language, storyline and time period with that of the book. I would have them keep of log of the events and what their character did throughout the story. At the conclusion of the book, I would have each student create a summarized version of the book including their character, and present it to the class. I would have them answer questions such as: “Did your character play an important part in the history of the book?” “How much of an importance did he/she have to the book?” “If your character could have changed history, what would he/she do?” “Although history is in the past, can you at your current state be a history maker? If yes what could you do?”
I think by allowing the students to become involved in the historical fiction genre, they can relate to tragedy and heartache, joy and happiness, and learning from past mistakes in order to make a difference in the world. Maybe one day a historical fiction book will be written concerning them one day.

Blog 8

My super sentence definition of contemporary realistic fiction is... "a genre that is comprised of a plot, characters, and a setting that is realistic but the storyline remains fictional; the super natural and unimaginable does not exit in contemporary realistic fiction."

Contemporary realistic fiction books were commonly used in my middle schoool through high school classes. I can vagely remember some activities we completed concerning this genre. In my classroom I would have my students identify with a character in a class-read book and make a diary, placing themelves in the character's position. I would have them consider questions such as:

How do you think the character feels?
What emotions would the character bear"
What could be affecting them internally?

After considering these questions I would encourage them to "become" the chracter and write in their diaries for every chapter in the book. This is an activity will assist them in identifying with a specific character, so that they could involve themselves in the book and emerge into the situation. Not only will they gain a better understanding of the book, but it would teach them how to deal with situations they have never encountered, in which they might encouter in the future.

Introducing contemporary realistic fiction to a classroom is important because children are enlightened to another world that may seem foriegn to them...the world of realism (whether it be pleasant or saddening).

Poem Blog

MICE- MICE- MICE

For those small, creepy furry mice- I do not care
they are all rude, and inconciderate
When they climb up my chair
Especially when I'm eating
A bowl of rice
Oh, I just despise those dirty, rotten mice
I dreamt last night
of having mice as pets
they escaped their home
and i tried to catch them with nets
As I awoke in a fright
I looked on my hand
And there I saw the furry (not my) friend
It was a mouse, nuzzled close to my finger
And I stared at it as it just lingered
It did not scurry, it did not bite
Having it close to me actually felt right
It was then that I realized I was no longer afraid
I had to quickly clean the areas I sprayed with raid
I found a friend in a furry little creature
That's why I'm writing this poem to my teacher


And then I realized I had found a new furry friend

BLog #7

Modern Fantasy:
Modern Fantasy is defined as literature that is set in the real world; the author alters one or more characteristics of everyday reality. This literature genre derives from ancient mythology; do the names of these Greek, mythological gods sound familiar: Zeus, Athena, Hades, Hercules. You probably remember them from the Disney cartoon, Hercules. Using legends and myths from long ago can help stimulate imagination and creativity. One of the first Modern Fantasy books was The Odyssey by Homer. I recall reading some of this book during my ninth grade Honors English class. I don’t remember every detail within the bounds of the covers, but I do remember being excited to flip the next page. It is a fun experience to travel to a world in which its reality IS NOT THE NORM. Anything is possible; there are no bounds. I loved reading James in the Giant Peach. The story starts out (it has been awhile since I read it) in reality, then jolts the reader into this alter- world. In the alter- world of modern fantasy books, the unbelievable is believable, the intangible become tangible and the unkown is evident.

One of my all-time favorite movies is The Pagemaster. It is set in a time where libraries are ancient and books are of no interest to children; their only use it to collect dust and disintegrate into the dirt. However a young boy stumbles upon three adventurous books and becomes a part of their reality, rather than his own. Due to his discovery of the magical world of books and how they became a part of his reality, his love and respect for these stories grew indefinitely.

Fun Classroom Activity:
I would have each child write down the following…
· Think of a make-believe place
· What creatures/animals (fictional or real) could be found in your land?
· What is the climate like?
· What could you find there on your land/island/planet?
· What is your place’s name

I would have the students draw illustrations of their make believe place. After gathering their written information I would have them concoct a main character; one whom despises reading books, and who would rather play video games. I would then write a story using their information and illustrations about a child who gets trapped in a book and travels to all sort of places and encounters different creatures and animals. I would have it bound and give a copy to each student. In this they have validly of their capability of adding ideas to a storyline by using their imagination. I would dedicate a day to read the story, discuss and share. I suppose this would be an appropriate activity for a third grade class.

I enjoyed learning about Modern Fantasy and definitely look forward to using teaching methods for this genre.

Blog# 6

Traditional Literature:

In my opinion, the definition for traditional literature is that composed of narrated, generational stories (transmitted through oral storytelling) comprised of folklores (adventurous tales ), fables (animal characters take on human characteristics), myths (natural phenomena including human emotion and experience) and legends (narrated historical truth).

Traditional literature is a genre of literature that is introduced to almost every child at an age of lasting impression. You could inquire any American child about the story "Cinderella" and they would most likely be able to tell you what the story was about. There are ojects within a story that help foster the child's recollection of that particular story. "The Princess and the Pea" consists of a pile of mattresses and a pea; “Cinderella” has a glass slipper and a fairy god-mother; “The Tortoise and the Hare” is about a race between a cocky rabbit and a determined turtle. When I was read to growing up, traditional literature was the genre of stories I was read to the most. I could recall what happened within the pages of these fascinating books. I could especially remember fables because there was always a moral at the end of the story; my mother would always somehow include the moral of the story as a lesson to a previous mistake I committed. (I was a bad child… no, actually I was just curious and often my curiosity got me into trouble. That’s when Fables came to my mom’s aid; she was greatly appreciated them, alongside every other strict parent).

Bringing traditional literature into a classroom would be interesting for both the students and the teacher. When learning new concepts, one has to become familiar with what is being studied. Fortunately, everyone has experienced this type of literature at a young age, therefore it would be easier to exercise creativity when discussing traditional literature. Here are my concepts and lessons concerning traditional literature:

Concepts and Lessons:
When studying various works I would distribute the four types of traditional literature (folklores, fables, myths and legends) amongst four groups of students. I would then have them read and examine a unfamiliar book parallel to their type of traditional literature. I would encourage them to create character webs, plot/scene analysis, timeline of plot, ect.; the more information collected, the better. Lastly, I would ask them to draw a specific scene that is the most vital to the storyline, and why. After these four separate groups have completed their tasks I would present all information and have the class as a whole collaborate to determine similarities and differences among the four types of traditional literature. I would ask my students what the main theme/concept was within all forms of traditional literature.
I would have my students give me their definition of traditional literature from what the learned from the previous activity. I would ask them to take their personal definition and concoct their own traditional literature genre story with illustrations and rich text. I would have them try to involve all four types (mythical, legend bearing, fable and folklore- like) within their story. I would have my students all share their stories.

I love traditional literature. As a child reading stories such as these widened my imagination. Any child can learn from it and most everyone enjoys listening to the supernatural tales of talking animals that learn meaningful lessons on the way. I will use traditional literature in my classroom and surly have fun “re” introducing it to my students.

Blog #5

Picture Books:
Picture books are those that “communicate information or tell stories through a series of many pictures combined with relatively slight texts or next text at all” (Nodelman, 1990). Picture books emphasize the importance of illustrations, especially books made for younger children. When looking at a picture book, children are able to create their own stories, by just looking at the pictures. I have witnessed three year-olds, whom do not know how to read pick up a picture book and invent their own story.

Picture books can be used at any time in any grade level. I have been read a picture book this semester in one of the classes and it opened up a class dialogue and activity (obviously it was my Education class). Picture books are not limited to the text. There are picture books that are wordless books. In these specific types of picture books, children can formulate their own story line and character traits.

When evaluating picture books, one needs to take into consideration if the book as a whole will keep the students’ attention. If you have a classroom comprised of primarily boys, it would not be wise to select female- preferred books as the majority; keep a good balance of all types of books. Also, a teacher would need to evaluate how their students would perceive the entirety of the book. Compare the child’s age to the stage of cognitive and social development; ask yourself the question: will my kids be able to understand the information/pictures present in the book; can they socially relate to the book and will they gain anything after being exposed to it? Take an assessment: are my children prepared to experience this book? Would be a mistake to put a book intended for a 5th grade class in front of a kindergartener? Depending on the illustrations and story… it’s all subjective. That is why it is so important for the teacher to evaluate books on a personal basis. Book reviews only go so far. Get active in choosing your books!

When I was a young child, I was read to often. My favorite types of books were picture books. I loved looking at the pictures, especially if they were bright illustrations (those really captivated my attention). My mom would religiously read to me The Cat In the Hat. After the awhile I could recite it, word for word. ( Repetition is an important element in a child’s cognitive development). I will definite use picture books; they are fun, fascinating and take you on a journey. Not only do the children enjoy listening, and looking at the picture books, adults enjoy reading them; I sure do.

Blog #4

International Literature v. Multicultural Literature

International Literature can be summed up by the definition: “that body of books originally published in a country other than the United States in a language of that country and later published in this country” (Hancock, 2000). At first, I did not decipher the difference; however this definition from our text explains it flawlessly. International literature is not just limited to books originally written in another language (other than English); if a book is written in English, yet in another country other than the U.S., it can be considered to be “international” as well. When in search for an international book, a librarian confused international literature with multicultural literature. Finding an international book was quite a journey; I actually had to research to find a book that was written in another language, and translated into English. The two books I found were books originally written in German. By looking at the front book covers I would have never guessed that they were international pieces of literature.

Compared to international literature, multicultural books were easy to spot. Books that appear to “look” out of the ordinary, considering culture are the ones that are, obviously multicultural pieces of literature. This type of literature opens up the readers’ mind to varying beliefs, values and cultural differences. The country we presently preside in consists of many cultures. Although we have a unified “American” culture, our foundation is made up of all different types of existing cultures. We are, after all a melting pot of cultures, encompassed in one nation. The difference between these two forms of literature is that multicultural lit. are those that present an accurate perspective of people/ beliefs/ values from that specific culture. In order for the books to be authentic multicultural books, they must be written by authors whom are from that specific culture or have lived within it or greatly experienced the culture. International books must be written in a different country and translated to English.

It is important to have both genres of literature in a classroom setting. International literature can help students bond with different people from other countries, giving them an incentive to bridge the gap between other nations. Reading from another countries perspective will inspire students to broaden their horizons, mentally and even physically. Students will learn about other cultures when they read multicultural literature. This literature allows students to see their own culture and in some way gives them a sense of belonging. It also allows students to observe and learn about other cultures, that they have stereotyped before.

Activities for both genres of literature:

International:
1) Have the children write about how the characters in the story differ from them ( the way they dress, their language, actions, ect.)
2) Next, have the children write about how the characters in the book are similar to who they are.
*the children should be able to identify somehow to the characters in the story; whrn they find similarities, remind them that others in a different country may not be as different from them.

Multicultural:
1) Have the children identify something culturally different (such as food, tradition, language) that is new or interesting to them. Have them write down their reasoning.
2) Allow the children to discuss something about their culture that is interesting and have them draw a picture representing their culture. Create a collage representing all the different cultures within the classroom; then remind them that there are different cultures within our country.