Ninth Grade History Students Pen Research-Based Spy Fiction Stories

As part of their study of the Cold War, ninth grade students in Steven Baumann’s 20th century history class crafted short spy stories based in primary and secondary source research. The students responded to a historical research question by incorporating research into a creative tale of espionage. Spy fiction has long been respected as an important way to understand the past, especially the Cold War, as the spy allows the author to portray both sides of a complex historical event. “Our class stories included a prisoner in North Korea, women freedom fighters in Algeria, subversion and revolution in Cuba, and business between the CIA and the Contras,” said Mr. Baumann. “These stories showcased Cold War conflicts in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas in a fun and interesting way. There are some up-and-coming creative and historical writing talents at MFS!”