Lesson 9.05 A Step Back in Time

• Introduction
• Learn
• Try It
• Task

Introduction

"Anybody can make history; only great men can write it."

- Oscar Wilde

Does everyone see the same things in life all of the time? No, people's points of view differ according to what vantage point they are looking. Go to Brain Den and look at two or three of the optical illusions. Did you see everything that was in each picture?

People have different ways and perspectives of looking at things. Society has different points of view because people have different kinds of experiences.

When you are writing, a crucial element to decide is who is telling the story. You must think of how you want to convey the story to your readers, especially in historical fiction.

Imagine reading about

• the arrival of Columbus from the point of view of Samoset the first Native American to make contact with the Pilgrims ;
• the first plane crash on September 11, 2001, from a pilot whose plane was diverted moments before;
• JFK's assassination from a front row spectator; or
• secrets of the Holocaust from Hitler's maid.

Writing your historical event from the right character's vantage point takes thought. The more you research, the more your imagination has time to blossom. Take advantage of the little details.

 

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to... Write a historical fiction narrative from first person point of view Peer edit student writing The above objectives correspond with the Creative Writing Course Standards: 1, 2, 3, 12, and 22