Historical Book Report – Activity

Historical Novel Assignment

[Excerpt  From  Holodomor in Ukraine, The Genocidal Famine  1932-­33: Teaching Materials for Teachers and Students – By Valentina Kuryliw]

This historical novel assignment encourages students to think critically about history through identifying and analyzing continuity and change. Students read excerpts from a historical novel to extract information about the events, people, and time period portrayed.There are two ways of dealing with a historical novel:

• They could explore sections of a book, which the teacher has selected;
• They could read the entire book and select three aspects of life that have been described about the historical period.
• These could be political, social, economic, religious and cultural realms and record theirfindings in a Venn diagram.

Novel Suggestions : Ulas Samchuk’s Maria: A Chronicle of a Life, Olha Mak Stones under theScythe

Appropriate for students:

Grades 9-12

Curriculum Fit / Specific Expectations / Learning Outcomes:

Please select outcomes you wish to cover from either English language arts or social studies or histor and prepare an assessment to share with the students at the outset.

Set-up Required:

Students will work at their desks

PRE-TASK ACTIVITIES

• Discuss with students that novels can be a good source of historical information.

• Distribute the excerpts and the Venn diagram graphic organizer to students.

• Introduce the Venn diagram to students. Explain how it is used to compare and contrast information.

• Prompt students to consider the following when reading the excerpts:

• In their readings, students are to look for political, economic, social, religious and cultural aspects of life, and how they have influenced the people in the novel.

• Were the influences positive or negative? Explain.

Student  Handout

Historical Fiction Book Review Assignment on the Holodomor

1000 words / 100 Marks

Assignment due:

Format

• title page
• write on every other line
• number pages
• paragraphs

Select a historical novel about the life of an individual or event, which reflects the chosen historical period. Read the novel and write a book review that includes all of the components below.

Presentation

Introduction; State the name of the novel, author, publisher, date published, and number of pages. Include a short biography on the author (date of birth, place of residence, experiences that influenced their work, other works, etc.).

Main plot; State the historical periods covered in the novel, summarizes the plot, and describe the main characters (100-200   words).

Main emphasis; Select three aspects of life described in the novel (e.g., political, economic, religious, military, cultural, social). How are they presented? What did you learn, for example, about the social conditions in the society? Describe what life was like using three specific events or facts from the story for each of the aspects of life.

Analysis; Analyze the style used to tell the story. Was the novel well written? Logically presented? Difficult to read? Why? Did the author present life of the times realistically? Support your reflections with concrete facts. Did the author include maps, pictures, or known historical figures? What is the novel’s audience, tone, and point of view? What are the main themes?

Conclusion; Your overall impression of the book. Would you recommend this book? Why or why not?

Student Handout 2

Student Checklist: Historical Fiction Book Review

Please complete the following checklist prior to submitting your book review. Checklist must be submitted along with assignment.

I have read the assigned book in its entirety

The introductory paragraphs of my book review include:

• the name of the book
• the name of the author
• the publisher, date, and location of publication
• the number of pages
• the author’s relevant biographical information (e.g., date of birth, place of residence, education, experiences that influenced their work, relevant affiliations, other works, etc.)

The body of my book review includes:

• a brief summary of the book’s plot
• a brief description of the main characters
• the book’s audience, tone, and point of view
• the main ideas or themes in the book
• a description of three aspects of life (e.g., political, economic, religious, military, cultural, personal)
• a historical analysis of the chosen aspects using evidence to back up my claims (textbooks, articles, class notes, reputable websites)
• a critique of the author’s style (e.g., Are the order of events in the book logical? Is the story convincing? Is the book confusing to read?)

The concluding paragraphs of my book review include:

• my overall impression of the book
• my recommendation (Would you recommend this book to someone else? Why or why not?)
• I have created a title page for my assignment
• I have properly cited any quotations or ideas I have used in my assignment
• I have included a bibliography with my assignment
• I have edited my work
• I have checked the rubric to make sure my assignment addresses the expectations

Assessment Chart

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