First, pick an historical era. Choose one about which a lot of books have been written so that each student can read a different book written about the same era. Common time periods that have a lot of books set in history at the fifth grade reading level are the colonial times including the Revolutionary War, World War I and World War II. Once you have chosen an era, make a list of books that the students can choose from. Have each student complete a report that addresses the characters, plot, and setting.
Once each student has read a piece of historical fiction pick a day and dedicate the entire day to that time period. For example, students should come to school dressed as they would have in those days. The class will be decorated as it would have been then and all subjects that were taught then will be taught during their own class times on the chosen day. Instead of going to the cafeteria for lunch, have students prepare a dish to share that would have been eaten at the time period of their book.
On this day, have the students present a book report to the class as one of the characters from the story. The book report should be in the voice of the main character and should tell the character's story. For example, if a student picked an American Girl story, he or she should present their book report as if they were the American Girl living in the historical time period.
Have each student write their own historical fiction story in the time period they have studied. After living a day in the life of that era, reading a book and hearing of the books their peers read, they should be able to understand problems that people in other time and culture faced. Their story should address some of those problems and offer a solution based conclusion. Have them share their stories in small groups.