Journeys in Time/Places in Time

by Elspeth Leacock, Susan Washburn Buckley

Illustrated by Rodica Prato and Randy Jones

Journeys in Time are stories of change - of pilgrims and pioneers, soldiers and children, explorers and adventurers building new lives and finding new worlds.

Places in Time features twenty sites that have shaped our national story. Each stopping point is a bird's-eye view of a moment in time.

Activities

* Put Yourself in the Past

Imagine yourselves in each of the forty stories in these two books. Think about who you would be (what role you would play), what you would do, what you would wear, how you would feel. Write your own story as part of your favorite scene in Journeys or Places.

* Seeing History as Stories

Each of the stories in these books is a true story: these are factual, not fictional, accounts. As much as possible, however, the authors wrote the stories in a narrative form. To see history as story, analyze the stories in Journeys and Places as you would a piece of literature. Ask: Who are the main characters? What is the setting? What is the plot?

* Analyzing Pictures

Examine the art in Journeys and Places and record your observations. Historians often examine one part of a picture at a time. This helps them notice the smaller details. Organize your observations under three headings: "Observations of People", "Observations of Things," and "Observations of Activities."

Share with the class what you learned from their observations. Ask questions such as: What did I learn from the clothing, the modes of transportation, the buildings, or the various activities observed?

Finally, put yourself in the art. Discuss what would be wrong if you were in the picture (your clothing, or your belongings, watches, backpacks, hats, hair clips, or barrettes, for example).

* Traveling Along

One of the discoveries made by the authors was that the "simpler" a map is, the more abstract it is. Rather than being easy to read, it is more difficult to understand. A map is a picture of a place. The more there is to look at, the more you understand about that place. "Read the landscape" in Journeys and Places to see the impact that geography had on the lives of people in the books.

* Student Stories

Finding a Story

Choose a story that you care about: it can be the true story of someone you know, the true story of a famous person, or a story that you make up based on historical fact. To find good stories in your own families, interview some elders &endash; the older the better!

Telling the Story in Words

In addition to written stories, you could tell the story aloud, videotape your interviews, write plays, or use words in any other genre that appeals to you. However you tell your story, keep in mind that careful research is important. Make sure that your story is historically accurate. However you tell your story, keep in mind that careful research is important. Make sure that your story is historically accurate.

Telling the Story in Images

Using Journeys and Places as examples, make a Story Map of a journey or a place from the past. Use The web sites below for map ideas.

Maps

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html

http://nationalgeographic.com