Writing an Historical Story

by Steve Bennett

For: Kids 9 and up

Required: Just your time

Change the Venue: Imagine if the French Revolution occurred in Switzerland.

It's easy to guess that the peasants would have enjoyed eating cheese fondue instead of bread, for one thing. And that's just the beginning of the fun facts you and your kids can create in this Change of Venue activity.

Choose a famous historical event that your kids have been studying. Discuss with your children where it happened, the happening itself, the time period, and the people who were involved. Then select another place with which your kids are familiar, and ask them to retell the tale -- this time, adjusting the "historical" happening to reflect the change. Older children might want to research the place to add realistic details; younger kids can rely on their imaginations or discussions with you to decide which changes might occur. You can provide each player with a different place, and see how their stories differ.

Alternatively, you might choose a change of time instead of place. For example, perhaps the French Revolution occured in twentieth- instead of eighteenth-century Europe. Your kids can provide all the changed details, such as what the first journalists on the scene reported, and what the United Nations intended to do about the fray.

More on: History and Geography Skill-Builders