Historical Fiction Writing Prompts For 4th Grade

What would it be like to live in a world without technology?

It's the early 1900s and your protagonist is a young woman living in a small town in the Midwest. She's just married and is expecting her first child. Her husband is a kind man, but he's also a drinker and has a temper. One night, he comes home angry and drunk and starts a fight with her. In the midst of the argument, he suddenly falls to the ground. She realizes he's having a heart attack and tries to help him, but he dies before she can get him to the hospital. She's now a young widow with a child on the way. What will she do?

It's the early 1900s and you're a young girl living in a small town in the Midwest. You're bored with your life and long for adventure. One day, you see a flyer for a travelling carnival that's coming to town. You beg your parents to let you go and they finally agree. You're excited to see the freak show and the amazing animals. But when you get there, you realize that the carnival is a dark and dangerous place. You're not sure if you'll ever be able to escape.

It's the early 1900s and your family has just immigrated to the United States. Write a story about your family's journey and their new life in America.

1. Write a story set during the Revolutionary War. 2. Write a story set during the Civil War. 3. Write a story set during the American Revolution. 4. Write a story set during the American Civil War.

After the big war, the town was left in ruins. The people were left to rebuild, but they never forgot the devastation that was caused.

What would it be like to travel back in time and meet your ancestors? Write a story about a character who does just that.

What would it be like to experience the first Thanksgiving?

It was the winter of 1777 and the Revolutionary War was in full force. George Washington and his troops were camped at Valley Forge, battling the cold and the British. One soldier, in particular, was struggling. He had been fighting for months, and he was starting to lose hope. What would happen to him if he gave up?

It's the year 20xx and the world is a very different place. Write a story about a group of friends who must go on a journey to find a new home after their city is destroyed.

What would it be like to live in a world where the American Revolution never happened?

It's the year 20xx and the world is a very different place. Write a story about a family living in this new world.

It's the early 1900's and your character has just moved to a small town in Oklahoma. It's your first day of school and you're the new kid. Everyone is staring at you and you feel really out of place. Write about how your character feels and what they do to try to fit in.

What would it be like to experience the events of the American Revolution firsthand? Write a story from the perspective of a soldier, a farmer, a woman, or a child living during that time.

Inquisitive fourth graders can time travel through their writing when they pen a story set in the past. Encourage your child to be creative with one of these fourth grade writing prompts on history.

It's the early 1900s and your protagonist is a young girl living in a small town in the Midwest. One day, she finds a mysterious diary hidden in the attic of her family's farmhouse. The diary tells the story of a woman who lived in the same town 100 years ago. As your protagonist reads the diary, she becomes more and more obsessed with the woman's story. She starts to feel like she knows her, and she becomes determined to find out what happened to her. The diary is her only clue.

What would it be like to live in a world without cars or buses?

What would it be like to travel back in time and experience an important event in history?

What would it have been like to be a child living in Victorian England?

In fourth grade, your students will be asked to write a historical fiction story set during the American Revolution.

It's the early 1900s and your family has just moved to a small town in Oklahoma. Your father has taken a job at the local newspaper and your mother is a stay-at-home mom. You have two younger brothers. One day, while you are playing in the town square, you see a group of older kids picking on a smaller boy. You know that boy is new to town, just like you. What do you do?

What would it have been like to live in America during the Revolutionary War?

What would it be like to experience the California Gold Rush firsthand?

It's the end of the world as we know it, and only a group of brave souls can save humanity from total destruction.

What if you could travel back in time and meet your great-great-grandparents? What would they be like? What would you talk about?

What if the United States had never been founded?

What would it be like to experience the American Revolutionary War from the perspective of a young girl?

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times... In historical fiction, this could be set during any time period where there was great conflict or change. It could be the story of two people on opposite sides of a war, or of a family torn apart by religious or political differences.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Write a story set during the Civil War.

What would it have been like to be a young boy living in America during the Revolutionary War?

Write a story from the perspective of a young boy during the Revolutionary War.

What would it be like to live in a world where the Revolutionary War never happened?

It was the summer of 1886, and 11-year-old ______________ had just moved with her family to the small town of Deadwood, South Dakota. From the moment they arrived, ______________ felt like something was off. The town was dirty, the people were rude, and there was a feeling of danger in the air. One evening, ______________ was playing in the street when she saw a man walking towards her, his face covered in blood. She ran away as fast as she could, but she was sure he was following her. She didn't stop running until she got to the sheriff's office. The sheriff told ______________ that the man she saw was one of the many victims of the recent murders that had been happening in Deadwood. He said that no one knew who was responsible, but that ______________ should be careful. From then on, ______________ made it her mission to find out who was behind the murders. She talked to everyone in town, including the sheriff, and followed every clue she could find. Finally, she was able to put the pieces together and solve the mystery.

What would it be like to live in Ancient Greece?

It's the early 1900s and your family has just immigrated to the United States. They settled in New York City, which is a bustling, multicultural metropolis. Write a story about your family's experiences as they adjust to their new life in America.

Historical fiction is a genre of writing that allows the author to take liberties with _____.

What would it be like to experience the fall of the Roman Empire?

It's the year 20xx and the world is a very different place. Write a story about a character who lives in this time period.

What would it be like to experience a natural disaster in a different time period?

It's the early 1900s and your family has just immigrated to the United States. Write a story about your family's journey and their life in America.

In fourth grade, students are expected to continue building on their literacy skills. They should be able to independently write stories, including ones with a historical focus. To support your students in writing historical fiction, try prompts like the following: -What if you found a time machine? Write a story about where you would go and what you would do. -If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be and what would you talk about? -Write a story about a time when you faced a difficult decision. -Pretend you are a character in your favorite book. Write a journal entry about your day.

It's the day of the big game and your team is about to take the field. The stands are packed with screaming fans and you can feel the excitement in the air. You're focused and ready to play, but you can't help but wonder what the outcome of the game will be. historical fiction

It's the year 20xx and the world is a very different place. Write a story about a character who is transported back in time to the year 2019. How do they react to all the changes?

What was it like to live in America during the Revolutionary War?

What would it be like to experience the Battle of Gettysburg from the perspective of a soldier?