Learning and Fiction

I recently read a history book that was fiction, however it was based on historical facts.  This book was about a teenage boy who grew up during the New Youth Movement in China.  This novel relied on historical evidence to ensure the realness of the story and also accurately described historical figures living during this time. By having students read a book from the perspective of someone their own age it makes it easier for them to connect to the material.  I think students can gain valuable learning from fiction.  With that being said, as a history teacher I will also push my students to read non-fiction and primary sources. 

Students have a hard time learning when they are only presented with theoretical examples or non-real situations.  Students learn best when the material presented to them is concrete and the teachers illustrated clear meaningful examples.  In history, this may be hard to achieve because there is a vast cultural gap from the past and now.  However, there are new games online that actually put students in the shoes of people fighting in the American Revolution and various other wars and concentration camps.  This helps students get a better understanding of what life was like during various times in history.  Fiction is useful and I would argue necessary in the classroom