The idea of combining both historical fiction and non-fiction books, I feel is a wonderful way to allow students to experience different types of literature as well as have sources to help them decide what is true and what is false about a particular subject. Having a variety of texts, which include both fiction and non-fiction, will also help in providing reading material for students at various reading levels.
This article is also full of great ideas, I especially like the suggestions for beginning the lesson with pirate music and an array of pirate centered materials. The idea of allowing students to first browse through the various materials and take note of what they see is a wonderful way to engage the students. In the article the use of a KWL chart is also presented, students keep track of their thoughts about what they know, want to know, and have learned in their own “Pirate Diary”. Finally it is extremely important for teachers to select books that capture their student’s attention and use a variety of activities to keep them engaged.
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