7th Graders Delving into Historical Fiction

For the past two weeks, students in 7th Grade English classes have been presenting a culmination of their individual and group work emerging from an array of historical fiction and nonfiction titles: In the Shadow of Liberty [nonfiction], Fever 1793, Sacajawea, and Woods Runner. If you have an opportunity, ask a 7th grader about this, because the breadth and variety of their historical knowledge is impressive. You might be interested to hear about the chaotic beginning of The Revolutionary War as it affected everyday citizens literally caught in the crossfire, about the disastrous strategies implemented by Benjamin Rush and like-minded peers during the yellow fever outbreak of 1793, about Joseph Bruchac's reclamation of Sacajawea's perspective on the Lewis and Clark expedition using Native American oral accounts and legends, or about Kenneth Davis' project to explore the lives of five enslaved people owned by famous American "founding fathers." The presentations emerging from this study were incredibly informative and included amazing visuals and correlative research. Bravo to the 7th grade for all of their hard work, and special thanks to Tucker, Peter, Maria and Anne who devoted their time as "discussion leaders" to get the students started.