I am doing a shared study with my social studies teachers on the Middle Ages to meet the standards for the sixth grade curriculum. My sixth grade students will be reading either the novel Crispin, by Avi or The Midwife's Apprentice, by Karen Cushman. Their projects include creating a family tree, interviewing a family member to gather a story from the past, and participation in a team wide Renaissance Festival. This is what I have so far for my questions.
Essential question: How important is your family?
Unit questions: What was life like during the Middle Ages?
What are the elements of a well written essay?
Why is accurate research important in writing historical fiction?
Content questions: What is a family crest?
What is genealogy?
How do you create a family tree using Open Mind?
How does setting affect the plot of a story?
How did Avi create suspense in Crispin?
How do you write a nonfiction story based on someone else's
memory of an event?