Literary Connections

Literary connections are a great tool when studying any subject. I discovered how helpful this was during a particular social studies experience. As luck would have it, one night I was watching a TV special about the history of Robin Hood. being that this show focused a great deal on history rather than the story of Robin Hood himself, I learned a lot about feudalism. The very next day I was called to substitute for a 6th grade social studies class. They were studying, of course, feudalism. The teacher left a packet of vocabulary words for the students to study for the day. Many students complained that they did not understand any of these words even though they had looked them up in their textbook glossary. This is when I realized how useful the story for Robin Hood was in relating certain vocabulary words. This is a great story to use because almost everyone knows this story and therefore it can be used as a quick reference, however, as a teacher you can also read it to your students if you are able to plan ahead. In the story of Robin Hood we know that King Richard goes on the Crusades, Prince John takes advantage of the peasants by raising the taxes and of course there is Robin Hood himself who robs from the rich to help the poor. Right away we are able to give name to specific characters who lived in the different classes that existed in a feudal system: Kings and Peasants. Kids can draw an instant connection to this. Other vocabulary words included John, who really lived, and then there is the Crusades, also real event in history that is mentioned in the story of Robin Hood. Upon explaining this to the students, they became more interested. Why? Perhaps it's the fact that a character they have heard of may have actually lived (Robin Hood). After all, King Richard and John were real people. The story also helps them understand why certain events take place, like raising taxes on the poor. When students realized how unfair this was they had a base understanding of the importance of Magna Carta - another vocabulary word most students never seem to grasp the concept of. Why do we even mention Magna Carta? Are schools teaching the importance of this document or are we forcing children to remember names and dates? Magna Carta was the beginning of freedom and is what the US constitution is based upon. The influence of Magna Carta can be clearly seen in the United States Bill of Rights. American students should know the reason for this - not simply that "It is an English Charter". Give students something they can relate to and they will always remember the important information. Literature provides a foundation on which we can build. That foundation is a great and enjoyable story. When students enjoy a great story they will grasp the concepts through connections with great characters.