Why I Picked it Up
The first time I saw this book it was glaring at me at Barnes and Noble. The usually unexciting historical nonfiction side had this brightly colored book with a huge skeleton on the front. I have been told a few times that I have a “dark side” and this book spoke to me. I casually flipped through the book, but wasn’t able to purchase it right away. The book continued to haunt me at Scholastic Book Fairs, in class libraries, and on the Lone Star book list. I finally, months after first being taunted by it, purchased the book.
Why I Finished it
This book is full of voice and facts presented in the most entertaining of ways. I chuckled throughout the book and had a hard time putting it down. If history had been taught to me in this way I might have become a history teacher. The information was simply explained with a smidge of dry humor. Just think of a group of students learning about King Tut:
“The Egyptians believed the brain’s only job was to keep the ears apart, and that the heart did all the thinking.
They didn’t take Tut’s teeth, nails, and eyeballs. They left Tut’s heart in his body because he was going to need that to think. And they left his genitals so no one would mistake him for Queen Tut.”
The quick pace and fun drawings kept the story alive. I read many of the sections aloud to my own children who couldn’t wait to hear more. The added bonus is, is that they still remember the information!
Who I would recommend it to
This book is a MUST for upper elementary and middle school students and teachers. It’s a fun read aloud as well as an entertaining nonfiction book. These are almost impossible to come by.
Integration Ideas
Making Inferences
Recently, I used the section on Julius Cesar to teach sixth grade students how to make inferences. After learning how to make inferences using background knowledge and text evidence, I modeled during a shared read how to make inferences within an informational text. I read, while students followed along, small chunks of the book and asked a question that required an inference to be made. We charted the inference on a class chart. Sometimes inferences were made by turning and talking, sometimes teacher modeled, and sometimes whole class. These sixth graders were 100% engaged in the story and were able to make inferences.
Making Connections
Many of the lives that are discussed in the book had similar ailments or were connected in some way. This is not only great for students to build background knowledge of the time periods and make inferences, but it is also a great way to have them make connections between the people. Have students compare and contrast two people in the book. This could be turned into a formal expository paper or just kept as a Venn Diagram.
Technology Integration
Students can create a comic, using comiclife.com or other platform, that illustrates the defining moment in the famous person’s life. This will require knowledge of the main idea and the ability to illustrate (or visualize) the death scene. Were there final words? What might be spoken, if anything at all.
This is wonderful!!!!!!