Did It Really Happen

							                            LESSON PLAN – Did It Really Happen?

Date ________________________________________________________________________


              TEKS OBJECTIVES: Lang. Arts - 4.12C; 4.12D



Objective: The student will identify forms of literature such as historical fiction and begin to
select books by author.


Resources:
Little House on the Prairie, Wilder, Laura Ingalls
Junior Book of Authors, H. W. Wilson, 1051
Lawson, Robert, Ben and Me and Mr. Revere and I.

Procedure and Activities:

1. Read orally selections from a Little House book (or an entire book over a period of time).
   Chapter 1 from Little House on the Prairie is a good one to start with. The Indian chapters in
   this book are also exciting.
2. Present biographical materials about the family. Remind students that many of the later
   episodes of the TV series are very, very different from the books. For example, Mary did not
   marry either in the books or in real life.
3. Remind the students that these books are historical fiction. Most of the things really
   happened, but some things were changed in the story and others were left out. For
   example: In Little House in the Big Woods, Laura was three years old rather than five as
   stated in the book. Also, she left out a year between the years during which her little brother
   Freddie was born and died.
4. Other authors that students will “get hooked on” are Carolyn Haywood, Gertrude Chandler
   Warner, Beverly Cleary, and Sid Fleischman.

NOTE: Photographs of the Ingalls family are available from Laura Ingalls Wilder-Rose. Wilder
Lane Home and Museum, Rocky Ridge Farm, Mansfield, Missouri 65704.

Teacher/Library Media Specialist Collaboration: The introduction of historical fiction should
coincide with history topics on the United States history.

Evaluation: The students should be able to give a clear definition of historical fiction.