Warm-Up for Historical Narratives

What would it be like to travel back in time? In this unit, you'll pretend to do just that by writing from the perspective of a historical figure. To do so, you'll need to think creatively about the past.

What Is a Historical Narrative?

© Thoughtful Learning 2016

A historical narrative is a story that brings to life a person, an event, or a time from the past. You may write from the perspective of a real person or create a character who takes part in a real historical event.

Start by thinking of an interesting time in history and journeying there in your mind. Who would you be? What would you be doing? Would you change history? A historical narrative is a time machine that takes you wherever you want to go!

Thinking About Historical Figures

Think about important people from history, alive or dead. Imagine if two of these historical figures met each other at a “Historical Summit.” What would the meeting be like? What would they talk about?

Here’s what a transcript of a historical summit between two presidents might look like.

Historical Summit

Summit Transcript

Obama: Nice to meet you. You’re taller than I expected, and I love your hat.

Lincoln: Thank you. I am so happy with the progress of this great country of ours. What is it like to be president these days?

Obama: Well, much like your days, there’s a lot of pressure and criticism placed upon the commander in chief.

Lincoln: I can believe that. I had critics lining up outside of my office in the White House. Not everyone enjoyed my leadership style.

Obama: You’re lucky you didn’t have to deal with Twitter.

Lincoln: The White House has a bird problem?

Obama: Not exactly. Just pretend that that line outside your office stretched to Illinois.

Lincoln: That I cannot fathom. However, it’s all worth it, for it is an honor to lead the citizens of the United States of America.

Obama: You bet it is.

Historical Summit

Summit Transcript