Grades 6-8

Brief Description: Students will learn about historical fiction and the role that facts play in formulating a fictitious story. The author will conduct a discussion about primary and secondary sources and demonstrate how she conducted her own research. She will read excerpts from her books, The Lost Locket of Lewes and The Great Explosion, sharing factual information about the 19th century and indicating where facts anchored the text. Students can then select a primary source available at home, at school, or some other location that they could research. This can be done in pairs or as a solo activity. They can think about ways in which the primary source could anchor or inspire a story.