Using well-researched historical texts can be a very effective way to fill holes in our students’ understanding of U.S. History, as well as our own. This conversation with author Laurie Halse Anderson will explore diverse perspectives and untold stories of enslaved people during the Revolutionary war, drawing on her research for writing "Chains," and the "American Seeds Trilogy." We’ll also discuss why and how teachers should look for opportunities to incorporate historical fiction into their unit planning, focusing on strategies for teaching the American Revolution by including the stories of marginalized groups who had a profound effect on the war. And we’ll provide a list of recommended resources, including many historical fiction texts across historical eras, appropriate for the classroom.

Laurie Halse Anderson, author of a number of books for young adults and children, received the Free Speech Defender award from the National Coalition Against Censorship and the Intellectual Freedom Award from the National Council of Teachers of English. "Chains," the first book in her "Seeds of America Trilogy" and set in the American Revolutionary War era, is centered around 13-year-old Isabel and her sister, Ruth, orphaned and enslaved, and Curzon, a young enslaved male with ties to the Patriots.

You will leave this webinar with concrete suggestions and resources for elevating diverse perspectives and untold stories with your U.S. History students around the American Revolution.