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Dominican University of California

A Story Well Told: Rich Narrative Engages California Fifth Grade Students in American History

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

<p>The educational publisher Pearson/Scott-Foresman in 2006 introduced curriculum to address California History/Social Studies standards. Fifth grade students have difficulty comprehending non-fiction text that is informative enough to have historical accuracy. The publisher promotes a program that features a standard in every lesson, and promises no extraneous content. An examination is conducted as to how this program approaches the required California History/Social Studies elements of providing "A Story Well Told" which should include, according to specifications by the California State Department of Education, "forceful personalities, controversies, issues of the time, and primary sources."(CDE, 2003) Literature on the topic of history education contains strategies for deconstructing academic language and clarification on historical literature which "should [capture] historical events with dramatic immediacy, engaging students' interests, and [foster] deeper understanding of the times" (Crabtree, Nash, 1994). Scott-Foresman History/Social Studies text for fifth grade is examined for its effectiveness in helping students comprehend history through a written narrative, and for enabling teachers to convey the depth and breadth of this span of American history. The adaptations the classroom teacher can make to enhance the written text are detailed in this paper.</p>

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
Master's Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Education
Year dc:date.available
2008

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Huson, Julie Alice
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Madalienne F. Peters, EdD

Subjects

dc:subject × 10

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://scholar.dominican.edu/masters-theses/149
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:scholar.dominican.edu:masters-theses-1147

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Dominican University of California
Base URL
scholar.dominican.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Huson, Julie Alice. A Story Well Told: Rich Narrative Engages California Fifth Grade Students in American History. Master's Thesis thesis, 2008. https://scholar.dominican.edu/masters-theses/149