Historical Fiction Project

Historical Fiction Writing Project

In this three-part project, you will explore an event or a historical character of the Middle Ages in depth. 

Part I  Fact Sheet                                                                                   

Research and gather 60 facts about your event or character.

Type them up in sentences.  Number them.

Part II  Historical Fiction                                                                  

There are many important events that took place during the Middle Ages that shaped Western civilization.  Using your textbook and at least four other sources (Wikipedia does not count) create a story of historical fiction that takes place during your time period.

Your story may take the form of a short story, poem, play, journal entries, or news clippings.  Your story must be long enough to include 20 facts from your fact sheet. Each time you use a fact in your story, put the number at the end of the sentence in parentheses.

Guidelines:

¨      Short stories should be 4-5 pages.

¨      Poems should be 2-3 pages.

¨      Plays should be 2-3 pages.

¨      There should be 5-6 news clippings with headlines depending how in depth each is.

¨      There should be 7-8 journal entries depending how in depth each is.

Part III  Presentation                                                                          

Teach the class about your topic.  You will present your topic to the class using a visual that is appropriate for your topic.  There are many ways to do this.  Reading from your 60 facts sheet is not acceptable.

Creative alternatives:

¨      Dress up as a character in your story and present your historical fiction story or poem to the class.

¨      If you wrote a play, invite classmates to take parts and present the play.

¨      Instead of standing up in front of the class, videotape yourself.

¨      Make a documentary of your topic.

Ideas for visuals:

¨      create a medieval weapon out of cardboard and tinfoil

¨      create a PowerPoint that aides your presentation

¨      dressing up as a medieval character counts as a visual

¨      create an educational poster that might explain the different parts of a castle, various medicines used, or a family tree of royalty—depending on your topic

¨      create a map of various places your topic includes or where your character in your story visited

¨      create a life-size poster of your character

¨      prepare a meal your character would have eaten

¨      create a banner out of material that would symbolize your character

Characters and Events in Greek and Roman Times

Pericles                                  Leonidas                    Cleopatra                   Pompey

Julius Caesar                          Daily Life                  Olympics                   Mythology

Marathon                              Thermopylae               Plateau Plain              Salamis

Peloponnesian Wars           Punic Wars                   Art/Architecture         Philip II

Alexander the Great              Olympias                   Nero                           Caligula

Marcus Aurelius                  Tiberias                       Augustus                      Julia (his daughter)

Aristotle                                Archimedes                Plato                           Socrates

Homer                                   Ionian Revolt             Claudius                      Livilla (his sister)

Agrippina                               Roman Slavery         Britain                       Saxons

Ostrogoths                            Visigoths                   Vandals                      Celts

Marriage/Divorce                Fashion                       Livia Drusilla               Religion

Early Christianity                Hannibal Invades      Weaponry                     Coliseum

Gladiators                             Senate                       Pythagoras                   Boudicca
Zenobia
            

Characters and Events of the Middle Ages

Charlemagne                         Clovis & Clothilde                 Benedict & Scholastica

Chivalry                                 Pope Gregory I                     Battle of Tours 732 

Viking settlements                 Art                                         Joan of Arc               

Inquisition                             Literature                               Richard the Lion-Hearted

St. Francis of Assisi              Saladin                                   Crusades (choose one)        

Jan Hus                                  Role of Monasteries             Peasants’ Revolt      

Queen Margaret                     Battle of Crecy                       Children’s Crusade  

Feudal Life                            Geoffrey Chaucer                 Troubadours

William the Conqueror         Science & Technology             Eleanor of Aquitaine

Weaponry                              King John                               Food & Fashion        

Medieval Women                 Castles                                    Bubonic Plague                    

John Wycliffe                       Gothic Cathedrals                 Illumination

Hundred Years’ War            Poitiers and Agincourt           William Wallace       

Medicine                               Battle of Hastings                Crime & Punishment

Knight Training                    Daily Life                               Nuns and Convents 

Guilds                                    Holidays                             Education
Queen Isabella                       Edward I Longshanks 

              

Student Examples

Topic:             Troubadours

Part I:            60 facts, in sentences about troubadours

Part II:           Wrote a poem about a troubadour—travels, instruments, entertaining

Part III:         Dressed like a troubadour and recited poem (3 pages)

Topic:             Crime & Punishment

Part I:             60 facts, in sentences about crime & punishment

Part II:           Wrote newspaper clippings about 5 criminals and what punishments they

                       received for their various crimes  

Part III:         Explained different punishments of the medieval ages and presented us                               with the various scenarios in the newspaper clippings along with pictures                             of medieval punishment machines in a PowerPoint presentation

Topic:             Joan of Arc

Part I:             60 facts about Joan of Arc

Part II:           Wrote several journal articles by Joan telling of her accomplishments

Part III:         Lectured the class on highlights of Joan of Arc, read a few journal entries,                            showed us her visual which was a fabric banner that Joan would have                                   carried into battle

Historical Fiction Project Grading Rubric(s)

	4	3	2	1
Part I: Fact Sheet	Facts are interesting and relevant to topic.  There are more than 50.  They are numbered and starred.  They are in sentences.	Facts are relevant.  There are 50 of them.  They are numbered.  They are in sentences.	Facts are relevant.  There are fewer than 50 of them.  They are numbered.  They are in sentences, but sentences have errors.	Some facts are relevant.  There are fewer than 50.  They are not numbered and/or they are not in sentences.
Part II: Historical Fiction	Writing gives a clear picture of what life was like in the Middle Ages.  Narrative is coherent.	Writing gives a clear picture of what life was like in the Middle Ages.  Narrative is coherent.	Writing gives a somewhat clear picture of what life was like in the Middle Ages.  Narrative is somewhat coherent.	Writing does not give a clear picture of what life was like in the Middle Ages.  Narrative is incoherent.
Historical Details	More than 20 facts were included.  They are numbered in parentheses.	20 facts were included, numbered in parentheses.	Fewer than 20 facts were used.  There were problems.	Fewer than 20 facts were included.  They are not numbered.
Spelling/Grammar	Perfect	Some mistakes	Several mistakes	Many mistakes
Work Cited	Perfect MLA format; more than four sources cited	MLA format; at least four sources cited; minor errors	MLA format; fewer than four sources used	Does not use MLA format or fewer than four sources cited

Part III:  
The Presentation will be graded using the school wide Presentation Rubric