Living History: Engaging Students With Non-Fiction Graphic Novels
Help me give my students high interest nonfiction books to get them excited and engaged with the topics we learn about in Social Studies. These books help them put themselves in the past, in all its gory details.
My Students
Our school is located in the middle of one of the most populated cities in Arkansas. We are culturally diverse with many different ethnic groups, socioeconomic backgrounds, and learning styles in each classroom.
We strive daily to teach our students not only the curriculum that they will be responsible for, but also life skills that many come to school not knowing. We give students the opportunities to improve relationships with each other, develop reasonable problem solving skills and increase their ability to self regulate their behavior.
My Project
Ancient history is a difficult subject for many students to become engaged with because they have little to no connections with the subject matter. There is also an element of unreality while learning about people and civilizations of the past.
These books cover most topics that we learn about in our Social Studies classes, while also requiring students to utilize strategies necessary for reading. They are extremely engaging for reluctant readers and have been enticing reads for many boys in my class who have difficulty finding texts that they enjoy.