Step back in time and help carry letters on the Pony Express, plant crops with Laura Ingalls, stow away on a whaling ship, and aid in the defense after the attack on Pearl Harbor — the possibilities are endless when you read Kids Make History by Susan Buckley and Elspeth Leacock. Each dynamic spread in this amazing book maps a factual account of ordinary people living through extraordinary times. Trace these young people across space and time as they discover new worlds and create new lives. Each story has been thoroughly researched and meticulously illustrated and includes hnundreds of visual and verbal facts. Feel what it’s like to participate in history as you follow in the footsteps of the young men and women who lived it.
Curriculum Connections
This book would be an excellent american history resource that would foster personal connections to history. Teachers should consider using this book for engaging introductions to history lessons or to provide extensions for high ability students. Students could use the book when creating reports or powerpoint presentations on numerous historical figures. In the state of Virginia, this correlates to US 1.1 – making connections between the past and present; and interpreting ideas and events from different historical perspectives.
Additional Resources
* Journey back in time with this awesome webquest!
* Here’s another book from Buckley about 20 personal journeys to freedom.
* Visit the Library of Congress for a visually engaging lesson plan.
* Click here for a cross-curricular american history reading warmup.
Book Title: Kids Make History
Authors: Susan Buckley Elspeth Leacock
Illustrator: Randy Jones
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company
Publication Date: 2006
Pages: 48
Grade Range: 4-6
ISBN: 978-0618223299