Biography Worksheets for Grades K-5

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Biography Lesson Plan: An Introduction to Biographies

Submitted by: stacey lopez.

In this lesson plan which is adaptable for grades 1-5, students will use BrainPOP and/or BrainPOP Jr. resources to learn about biographies. Students will then select a person whose biography they would like to read (or watch a short video about on BrainPOP). Finally, students will write their own biography on a selected person.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:.

  • Define and explain what a biography is.
  • Read or watch an example of a biography.
  • Compose a biography.
  • Computer with internet access for BrainPOP
  • Interactive whiteboard (or just an LCD projector)
  • Chart Paper
  • Markers--variety of colors
  • Sticky notes and pencils for students
  • Biography template (optional)

Preparation:

Lesson procedure:.

  • Explain to students that a biography of a famous person includes many facts. Ask them to take notes while they are watching either the BrainPOP Biography movie or the BrainPOP Jr. Biography movie. Explain that they will contribute to a class anchor chart about biographies.
  • After the movie has finished, ask each student for a fact to add to the anchor chart. Alternate the colors to make it exciting. Students will be able to identify their contribution to the class anchor chart.
  • Ask to students to read or watch a biography for a selected person in order to gather more information. Students could watch any of the BrainPOP topics in the Famous Historical Figures Unit or BrainPOP Jr. Biographies Unit , or read about the person's life in a book or online. Instruct students to take more notes while reading.
  • Talk with students about the common features their biographies shared. What makes a good biography? Add to the anchor chart as needed.
  • Each student may then write their own biography of another person using some of the facts that the class gathered.

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

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Genre Lesson: Biography/Autobiography Lesson Plan

Genre Lesson: Biography/Autobiography

Practice distinguishing biography from autobiography through point of view. Tell a brief story of your morning. Have a class member retell the story to you (using second person). And have another retell the story to the class (using third person). A creative opener leads into reading a couple of short passages in which you guide learners to identify biography and autobiography via point of view. Integrates study of Latin roots. You have open access to the lesson plan, but must register for a free account at Readworks.org to get the support materials. 

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He said, she said, so: what's the point, points of view, point of view: who is telling the story, change the point of view: first person and third person, point of view: comparing esperanza's and isabel's perspectives about life in the camp (chapter 7: "las cebollas/onions"), what’s your point of view, the princess's point of view, narrator and point of view, teaching point of view with two bad ants, genre lesson: autobiography.

The Curriculum Corner 123

Biography Unit of Study for Reading

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

Download this free biography unit of study for reading to help you introduce and work with biographies in the classroom.

This biography unit of study contains anchor charts, lessons, graphic organizers and more within this collection.

This is another free unit of study for teachers and homeschool families from The Curriculum Corner.

Download this free biography unit of study for reading to help you introduce and work with biographies in the classroom.

We enjoy reading workshop because it is a great way for teachers to help students explore different elements of literature. At the same time, we love that we are encouraging our students to build a love of reading. 

The Key to Teaching Biographies

Biography is a genre that can sometimes easily be neglected in classrooms with regards to informational text studies. We suggested giving it a try because it’s one that can be truly engaging for lots of students.

The key to getting students excited about a study of biographies is to have many relevant and appropriately leveled texts for all of your various readers.

You might even want to think about having a class discussion (or present an interest inventory) to find out who your students might be interested in learning about. 

Once you know their interests, take some time to visit your school and local libraries. Add to your book basket by picking up some favorites at your favorite used bookstore or ordering from Amazon. You will keep interest and engagement high if students are reading about people who are relevant to their interests and lives.

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

Starting with Immersion

We believe that immersing students in books and letting them develop their own “noticings” is a great way to begin many language art units.  

Be sure your collection of biographies includes a variety of options. You will also want to be sure that your collection contains as many of the biography text features as possible.

We have included a Biography Noticings Anchor Chart that you can use with your kids during or after their immersion experience. Or, you might choose to record your students noticings on a blank chart (which we have also provided).

What We Learn From Biographies is another tool you can use to get your students familiar with this genre. It is an anchor chart that contains characteristics of many biographies.

We have also provided two Find the Biography  resources that require students to distinguish between different genres.  Begin by giving small groups two different types of texts. You can give them literature & biographies OR give them biographies & another type of informational text. They will need to flip through the books to determine differences. They can write their ideas on the organizers.  If you don’t want them to write on these organizers, another thought would be to just have them do a similar activity with Post-It notes.

Yet another resource is our Biography Text Feature Checklist. This would be a good tool to use to facilitate a class discussion as you flip through some biographies together. Check off when you see the specific text features listed within the books. This is also provided in a black & white version with a space for student’s name in case you want to use it as a literacy center activity.

New to reading workshop? Start here and then come back to this unit: Preparing Your Reading Workshop

Biography Reading Unit of Study FREE from The Curriculum Corner

Read Alouds

Another way to get students familiar with the biography genre is to share them during your read aloud time.  Choose a few examples that will be of high interest to your students, but that might be above their reading level.  

As you read the books or chapters aloud during your regular read aloud time, you can touch on the ideas you are teaching during your reading block.

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

Focus On Author’s Purpose

You might want your students to think more deeply about why specific biographies have been written. Obviously the purpose of a biography is to inform, but thinking about the reasons an author has to write the biography can help students to determine importance.  

Our goal as teachers is to help students pull out the purpose. You can use this half sheet Focus on Author’s Purpose during a mini-lesson or at literacy center. There is also a page of Author’s Purpose Exit Slips you can use as a quick check.

An extension of this could be our  Biography   Search , which is intended to be used as a literacy center as well. Once students are able to determine why biographies have been written about specific people, then you could have them search through a stack of books to find different categories.

Biography Reading Unit of Study FREE from The Curriculum Corner

Thinking About Background Knowledge

Activating schema is an important part of students becoming strong readers. A goal for teachers is for our students to think about what they already know before learning new information.

We have created two Building Background  organizers for students to record their background knowledge. Choose the one that you feel best fits your specific students.

Biography Reading Unit of Study FREE from The Curriculum Corner

Gathering Important Information

Your students might no be ready to begin reading appropriately high interest biographies and gathering information to share.  We have come up with a few different ways for your students to begin to pull out important information from the biographies they are reading.

One way for students to begin focusing on important information from biographies is to have them begin to take simple notes.  Students need guidance so that they don’t copy complete sentences or paragraphs from books.   Biographies: When Will I Take Notes  is an anchor chart that will help them begin to figure out what to write when taking notes. If you have other ideas about how and when you want students to take notes, you can use our blank template to write your own ideas on.

Our  Life Outline resource is a simple way for students to break down personal information from the biographies they are reading into portions of time in a subject’s life.

We have also included nine different Graphic Organizers that you can introduce to your students as they begin to read.  These cover a range of skills.

There is also a cause & effect organizer that will get your students thinking about how particular events have affected the lives of the people they are reading about.

You might also want to try our set of Important Information Bookmarks . These can be used for students to mark text.

Students simply insert them into the book at the appropriate places. They then go back to them to share information with the class or to fill out one of the organizers.

Biography Reading Unit of Study FREE from The Curriculum Corner

Most biographies share the impact that others had on the subjects’ lives. These influences can be either positive or negative. Whichever case is true, we want students to be able to name those people who were crucial to the success or failure of the person and why.   

This task may be difficult for students, so we suggest that you choose a short, simple biography to read to the class. You will then discuss the influences in the subject’s life. Identify why they had a positive or negative effect. Finally, fill out one of our two organizers with the students so that they can understand their use.

Biography Reading Response Prompts

You can cut these 8 prompts apart, assign to students and glue into reading response notebooks.

Character Traits

While reading biographies you will want to focus on the character traits of the biography subjects.  Many times it is these character traits that serve as the author’s purpose.  

For materials to use in focusing on those traits, you can check out our Character Traits post. You will find a range of lists of character traits and activities to use during reading workshop.

Sharing Student Learning

You will want your students to be able to share their learning as they read and learn. There are so many different ways they can do this. Below we have shared some of our own resources and ideas.

Biography Brochure – This template can provide your students with an outline to create a brochure focusing on the individuals they are reading about.  Choose the template that fits your students.

Simple Biography Books –  Once your students have read many biographies, you might have them create simple books to share with younger students. We have created templates for both female and male subjects. You will find them with handwriting and standard lines.  You will find this download here: Simple Biographies – Books

Timelines – Of course biographies lend themselves well to student-created timelines. Our students always love using PowerPoint for timelines, but good old-fashioned posters are always great visuals too!

Wax Museums – Another popular way to share student learning for this genre is the Living Wax Museum. Students view pictures and dress up as their characters. They memorize as much as possible and stand at-the-ready to tell others about their lives.  These can be fun presented during the school day to other classes. Or, make it an evening event where parents would be able to watch.

You can download the PDF printables for this unit of study here:

Reading Download

We know that some teachers like to have the lessons above in a document they can easily print and add to their lesson plans. You can download these lesson plans here:

Lesson Download

A few of our favorite biography studies can be found below. These are each free and designed to be ready to go literacy centers.

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thank you so much for this great resource on biographies for grade 2.

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

  • ELEMENTARY TEACHING , INTEGRATED CURRICULUM ACTIVITIES

Teaching Biographies To Elementary Students (Grades 1-5) in 2024

Teaching biographies can feel intimidating at first, but once you have a solid understanding of the genre, a roadmap of how to teach it, and teaching resources and activities, it’s easy! This post will equip you with all of that and more! You’ll feel prepared (and maybe even excited) about teaching biographies (especially if you are using this biography project and these biography activities )!

teaching elementary students about biographies

The Benefits Of Students Reading Biographies

There are so many benefits of teaching biographies and autobiographies! Readers are transported into that person’s life. They learn all about the person’s achievements, struggles, culture, life lessons, and personality. Biographies can also teach us about the world through the eyes of the subject while allowing the reader to make connections to them. Most students can find biographies they enjoy when they find people to read about that connect with their likes and dislikes to top it off. 

How To Introduce The Biography Genre To Students

The easiest way to introduce and teach biographies is by gathering as many biographies and autobiographies as possible from your classroom library, school, and public library. Make sure that all the books you collect are around your student’s reading levels. This idea works for any theme.

Then, set out the books you collected on each of your students’ tables and have them explore. Ask them to write down what they notice. What do all the books have in common? Have students write down their findings on chart paper. 

Next, have each table share with the class what they noticed. They should come up with some ideas like: 

  • They are all about people.
  • The person accomplished something big.
  • They all include essential dates or a timeline of the person’s life.
  • They included real pictures or illustrations of the person.
  • The books all tell factual information, and there are no made-up stories.

Lastly, tell students that books with these characteristics are called biographies or autobiographies. Be sure to tell students the difference between biographies and autobiographies too. Create an anchor chart to hang up for students to reference throughout your biography unit! 

4 Ideas For Biography Mini Lessons

After introducing biographies, try one of these mini-lesson ideas for teaching biographies! 

  • Have students pick a person they are interested in learning more about. Then have them find books about the person and complete a research project about that person to present to the class. You could even take it a few steps further and have students share what they learned in costume as the person they researched in a wax museum activity! 
  • Have students create a social media page of the person they learned about in their biography
  • Have students read about a person of interest, and then write journal entries as that person. 
  • You could make it seasonal! Around fall, have students paint a pumpkin like a person they read about and present important events or accomplishments as they share their pumpkin. In spring, students could make biography flowers where the center was a photo of the person, and the petals are important events and accomplishments. 

Strategies For Using Mentor Texts To Model Reading Biographies

Teaching biographies is simple when you use these strategies!

First, pick any biography or autobiography mentor text and read it aloud. Ok, maybe not ANY. Be sure to choose one that will be engaging to your students. Think about the things they enjoy and go from there. I love picture books because students can generally read them in one session. (Make sure you preview the text first and mark with sticky notes to remember to stop and discuss during the read-aloud!)

Stop at important dates, accomplishments, life lessons, or significant life events to discuss. I even stop to discuss any figurative language or text features included. This will help students with both reading and writing! Students generally have TONS of connections to share during biography read alouds that lead to great conversations. 

How To Teach Students To Write Biography Reports

One way to help students learn how to write biographies is to write their first one about themselves! Students can brainstorm what should be included in their biography by creating a timeline that includes important events in their life. Then, they use the timeline to help them write their biography in chronological order. You can model this with a biography about yourself on an anchor chart for students to use if they need help. This is also an excellent way to get to know each other at the beginning of the year! 

When it comes to writing biographies about other people, students need to have read several biographies to get an idea of how authors organize this type of writing. When you read aloud, be sure to point out that authors of biographies generally write the story of the person’s life from beginning to end. So students will need to be familiar with sequential order/chronological order text organization. Have students fill in a timeline when you model during read alouds. Point out that biographies usually focus on a part of the person’s life that taught them a life lesson. This biography project and biography activities are great resources for teaching biographies.

Resources for Teaching Biographies

Here are some resources for teaching biography:

1. Biography Project for Elementary Students

Are you looking to begin using a biography project ? Perhaps you are just looking for something better than you already use. If so, this is the resource you need! It is a great resource for teaching elementary students about biographies.

This is a great project to complement a genre study of biographies, an author study, social studies concepts and more. I’ve recently updated the entire product so that it now includes an option to do the Living Biography Museum where families come into school and the students “perform” in character OR can instead be used simply as an independent research project in class or as a homework assignment.

The twist is that instead of having the students dress in costume (which can be a hassle for the parents since most kids can’t put their own costume together) they make a poster board costume with a space for their head to pop through.

A-DOR-ABLE!!!

In the past I’ve done the living museum and had students prepare a brief speech to recite in character. This year I opted to send it home as a homework project and will instead take their photos with their poster board and display them with the written report.

This download now includes BOTH the original version and my new and improved updated version as well. If you have high achieving students who need enrichment this is a perfect activity for them to do on their own or you can use it with an entire class. It’s ideal for grades 2-5.

This biography project contains everything you need to have your students complete a project of their very own to present in class or at a Living Biography Museum.

biography project

What is included in this biography project?

Make teaching biographies fun by incorporating this biography project , which includes the following:

  • Grading rubrics / criteria checklist
  • Graphic organizer to plan writing
  • Graphic organizer to record sources
  • Student writing pages
  • Poster board visual directions 

5 Reasons Why Teachers Love It

Below are 5 reasons why teachers love using this resource for teaching biographies.

  • This comprehensive biography project includes differentiated materials, so all you will be able to meet all of your students’ needs and your they will feel successful.
  • The project makes a challenging concept accessible for elementary students.
  • This resource facilitates a fun hands-on learning experience that offers opportunities for students to practice important skills without them even realizing it.
  • This print and go resource will save you lots of time planning and prepping.
  • It is aligned to the Common Core Standards, so it will give you peace of mind knowing your students are practicing important grade level skills.

How to Implement the Project in Your Classroom

You can either do a Living Biography Museum where families come in to school and the students perform in character or it can instead be used simply as an independent research project in class or as a homework assignment.

How I Used the Resources in My Classroom to Teach Biography

We had so much fun making these bio poster boards.

As a bonus, the kids learned a ton.

I started by having them complete oodles of activities from my biography activities packet which acquainted them with a whole bunch of famous folks.

Then I had them work in teams to research Benjamin Franklin. They had discussions about why he was famous. They talked about his accomplishments. Finally, they each wrote about him in the 1st person and performed a monologue as if they were Ben.

To make it oh-so-much-more-fun, I gave them each a poster board to use as a “costume.”

I’m now having them each select their own historical figure of choice to repeat the process as an independent project at home.

I seriously loved this project. The kids did too.

They enjoyed walking around wearing their poster boards and singing, “Who flew a kite in a storm and made history… Ben Franklin Square Pants.”

They also enjoyed having “conversations” with each other while wearing the poster board.

Kid 1: Hey Ben

Kid 2: Yo Ben

Me: **Listening carefully how this conversation is going to go.**

Kid 1: Ben, I really liked how you proved lightning was electricity.

Kid 2: Thanks Ben. You know you’re awesome, right? I mean, you signed the Declaration of Independence and all.

Kid 1: I know dude, right? I totally rock!

And then there was the boy who did a stellar job with his presentation… and then ended it by yelling, “Thank you Philadelphia. Ben Franklin has left the building.”

Third graders make me laugh.

2. Biography Activities for Elementary Students

These biography activities are great resources for teaching biographies to elementary students. It provides teachers with no prep printable biography activities that can be used over and over when studying any person.

This unit was designed to enhance the study of individuals. The activities can be used as part of a genre study or within the content areas. I have also used them with author studies and have had the children complete them as autobiographies about themselves.

printable biography activities for elementary students

What is included in this resource?

This biography activities resource includes 7 activities. Learn about them below!

1. Biography Poster

Students gather information about any individual and use their research to create an 8.5 x 11 inch poster. The poster has spaces to record the person’s name, date of birth, place of birth, interesting facts, reasons of importance and character traits. They then draw a portrait of their individual.

2. My Life in Pictures: A Scrapbook Biography Project

To complete this biography, activity the student will take on the role of the individual they are studying. The student can either draw illustrations or print and attach photos highlighting important parts of the individual’s life. The student then writes captions. This biography report is so much more fun than writing an essay and more pages can be added as enrichment.

3. Top-Down Topic Web

This graphic organizer shows the relationships to the main idea and details. They represent main ideas in a hierarchy. These research-based tools help the students to comprehend what they have read because it organizes ideas in a systematic, visual graph.

4. The Important Book Biography Activity

The Important Book is a great book for teaching students about writing patterns. This activity was modeled after the format of that book and was designed to encourage students to identify key, important facts about the person they are studying. It makes a great bulletin board display.

5. Body Biography

A Body Biography project is a combination of artwork and writing. The packet includes a poster to use as directions or to display with the students’ completed biography projects. They complete sections such as a speech bubble with a quote by the individual, a thought bubble to show what they have thought about, shoes labeled with places the person has been, a heart filled with character traits. They then draw objects in the hands that relate to the person and create a background that tells the viewer more about the historical figure.

6. Timeline Biography Report

Unlike a lengthy written report, this is a creative way to showcase important events in the person’s life. Students identify key moments and tell about them in words and pictures. They are added to a foldable accordion booklet in sequential order.

7. I AM Poem

An I AM Poem is typically completed as an autobiography. I also have my students do one about themselves to learn more about them. The format is also great for showing what they know about a person they have learned about. The students take on the role of that person to write the poem in the first person.

  • These biographies activities are high-interest for students, so they’ll be motivated to learn through reading and researching.
  • This comprehensive resource includes differentiated materials, so all you will be able to meet all of your students’ needs and your students will feel successful.
  • Your principal, colleagues and school librarian will be impressed by the creative methods of sharing learned information and the integrated learning that takes place.
  • The resources can be used with an biography study and be used over and over again.

How to Implement it in Your Classroom

It’s part of our social studies curriculum and technically it is a study of Massachusetts Biographies, but we began learning about the genre with a mini-study of Martin Luther King Jr.

I read several picture books and the students buddy read a free printable reader from A to Z.

We created a top-down web listing information that we learned about MLK.

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

Then I read The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown, and the students completed an activity I created for my biography packet that was inspired by the book. They used the same format as Brown’s book to compose their own version, “The important thing about Martin Luther King Jr. is…”

Finally, each of my friends made a portrait of MLK using the directions from TLC. They came out crazy cute. I hung each of them up even though I’ll probably take them down and send them home soon. They were just too adorable not to display.

Today, we did another activity (The I Am Poem) from the biography activities packet and a craftivity to go with it. I really feel like I am able to get to know my students on a completely different level through projects like these. They really open up and share such sweet ideas and insight into who they are.

3. Biography Picture Books

Belo are 4 high-quality biography children’s books for elementary students.

1. Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport

Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport is a nonfiction picture book that teaches children about the life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students will learn what life was like for Martin growing up and how he became a leader in the fight for equal rights.

Throughout the book, the author includes actual quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. This book explains how Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged people to use their words to make change and the impact he had on the country. This story follows Martin all the way from childhood through the end of his life.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these Martin’s Big Words activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

2. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles

The Story of Ruby Bridges details the struggles that six-year old Ruby Bridges endured when she was chosen to attend an all-white, segregated school as a black girl.

All of the other students’ parents pulled their children out of school because of her, and so she was forced to attend class all alone. She was escorted by U.S. Marshalls every morning, as she had to listen to jeers and insults being thrown at her while she was entering the school.

Despite these hardships, Ruby’s courage through non-violent actions did so much for the civil rights movement, and later that year, two white boys started to attend school with her. This inspirational true story teaches children that, no matter what age you are, anyone can be a trailblazer for change.

I liked this book so much I will be adding it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Story of Ruby Bridges activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

3. The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca

The story The Girl Who Thought in Pictures follows the life of Temple Grandin. The story starts off with Temple being born, and the doctors thinking that she needed to be sent away because she was different. Temple liked to watch things spin, did not like loud noises or crowds, anything that was itchy, or big squeezy hugs. She also did not talk until she was three. Temple got diagnosed with Autism. Her mom said that Temple was “different, not less.”

When Temple goes to school, the children there would tease her relentlessly. One day, Temple’s mom thinks that it would be better for Temple to stay on her aunt’s ranch. There, Temple finally feels comfortable and explores ways to help animals. Temple goes to college and gets three degrees! Now she travels the world giving speeches and spreading hope. She spreads the message that the world needs brains of all kinds.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Girl Who Thought in Pictures activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

4. Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre by Anika Denise

The sixth picture book on the list of books that are great for teaching biographies is Planting Stories . It is a biographical picture book about Pura Belpre, who was the first Puerto Rican Librarian in New York City. When she started working the library, she realized that there weren’t any of the stories and folktales that she was familiar with in Puerto Rico. She decides to share her stories during story hour and through puppet shows, and eventually publishes a book.

Pura travels across the country and from classroom to classroom planting her story seeds and educating about her homeland. When she returns to the library, she sees that her story seeds have bloomed and everyone is telling her stories. Students will love learning about Pura and how she shared her stories with children everywhere.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these Planting Stories activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

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Memoirs and Biographies

Our Memoirs and Biographies lesson plan teaches students the characteristics of both memoirs and biographies. Students practice writing in both of these genres, using the lesson material as a guide.

Description

Additional information.

Our Memoirs and Biographies lesson plan explores the differences between memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies. Students will be asked to define, distinguish and identify the differences between each. This lesson also exposes students to the difference between authorized and unauthorized writings about a person. By using their creative writing skills to write an example and sharing it with the class, students engage with each type of genre to solidify their understanding.

At the end of the lesson students will be able to define memoir, biography, and autobiography, distinguish and identify the differences between each, and write a brief example of each genre.

subject

Language Arts

grade-level

5th Grade, 6th Grade

State Educational Standards

LB.ELA-Literacy.W.5.3, LB.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3

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A Learn Bright Customer

Memoirs lesson awesome!

We homeschool our only child thus we had to adapt the lesson to our situation. However, it was easily adaptable. The links to videos were great and the lesson was easy to use. I would highly recommend it for others to use to show the differences between memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies to middle school students!

Memoirs/biographies/autobiographies

Great information!

Explained in laments terms lesson and gave great lesson ideas

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The Best biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs to get 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students interested and reading

Best Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs for Upper Elementary

Best biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs to get 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students interested and engaged

3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students don't often automatically grab biographies and autobiographies off the classroom library shelf.  But the inspiring biographies below will have your upper elementary students begging for more!

Written by guest blogger Cindy Koopmans

In my classroom I’ve often found that biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs are a bit of a hard sell.  Besides selecting only the best nonfiction books for my classroom shelves to begin with, this is how I’ve made it work...

Tips for Encouraging Students to Read Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs

When students are looking for a new book to read, I go to the shelves and hand pick a stack of books for them to peruse.  I’ll start the process by asking them what they’ve read lately and what they liked about those books.  This strategy works because it is built on choice and trust.  I’m enthusiastic about books and I never force a book on a kid.  They get to choose what to read.

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

And when that happens, the conversation I have with one of my lovies goes something like this: “Mrs. K.  This really happened?  This story is like, for real?” 

Me, “Yup.”   

This is the truth:  no matter who we are or how old we are, we are always looking for someone to light the way forward on this dark road called life.  

Even the most jaded of students have the propensity to be inspired by the stories of people who have survived and thrived.  

And that’s why it is so critical to give our students the gift of great nonfiction and allow them a glimpse into other people’s worlds.  When we see how other people navigate the not insubstantial bumps in their personal roads it gives us hope.  

So here you will find a nicely balanced list of great nonfiction books that are tried and true winners for upper elementary students.  There is great variety in this role call.  I’ve included books written about or by creatives, trailblazers, and a few so-called “ordinary” people, who when called upon by fate, did not back down.  They met the challenges they faced head on and triumphed.  

These people found themselves in extraordinarily difficult and, in some cases, harrowing life situations.  The stories are unique, multi-faceted and...well...true!  

As an added bonus, you can trust that these nonfiction books are incredibly well-written.  

Sometimes, just to hook some of my more reluctant student readers, I take a minute out of our precious instructional time.  I’m not doing anything too fancy, I simply introduce a new book and read the first page or two enthusiastically.

If I’m with a particularly apathetic class I’ve been known to climb up on a chair and use lots of over the top hand gestures.  Hey! Whatever it takes, right?  

Anyway, I’m never sorry about taking the time because there is absolutely nothing more exciting than hearing numerous kids blurt out an enthusiastic, “I want to read that one!” 

What just happened here? A waiting list?  Awesome.

These are good books.  Many of these books are showing the wear and tear of being well-loved in my fifth grade classroom.  Others have gotten a thorough vetting before they made this list and are now on an Amazon wish list until I get two nickels to rub together.  You and your students will find them to be deeply satisfying reads.  Get ready for a cupcake shop moment, because you are not going to know which one to pick! 

12 Biographies, Autobiographies, and Memoirs for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Students

Anne frank: the diary of a young girl by anne frank, b.m. mooyaart (translator), eleanor roosevelt (introduction).

It is July 6, 1942, the setting is Amsterdam, and Anne Frank has just received a diary for her birthday.  The rest is history. 

Every year I have at least one student who loves Laurie Halse Anderson's historical fiction books.  If you have students like that in your class, then Anne Frank will absolutely blow their minds.  Introduce them to this classic read, then share the link to the full length movie.   

Some books introduced to students are gifts that they will remember the rest of their lives.  Be that teacher that gives that gift.  Here I just want to say thank you to Mrs. Barclay.  I still have my original copy.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

Unbroken: An Olympian's Journey from Airman to Castaway to Captive  by Laura Hillenbrand

This book begins with an excruciating description of three men who are floating on a raft in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  Suffice it to say that sharks are predominant in the narrative of the first chapter.  Fifth grade boys?  Gotcha.  Add to the sharks stuff the fact that the main character, Louis Zabarelli, is a former Olympian and you just set the hook.

This recommendation of the young adult adaptation of Louis Zabarelli’s story, but that shouldn’t be a cause for hesitation.  This book graces the shelf of my classroom library, but it isn’t on the shelf very often.  That and it’s worn condition testifies that Louis Zabarelli’s story does hold appeal for upper elementary aged students.  I’ve included the movie trailer for you in case you want more evidence.

Unbroken

Hidden Figures  by Margot Lee Shetterly

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

This is another worn book in my classroom library.  In fact, I have three copies because it has been that popular. 

You can find some extra resources here if you’re that smart teacher that seeks to intertwine some science lessons into your literature.  If you haven’t seen the movie that was released a few years ago, you can watch the trailer here.

Hidden Figures

Save time and stress this school year with these   Nonfiction Reading Response Activities that can be used over and over throughout the school year with ANY nonfiction text.   

3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will respond through reading, writing, poetry, speaking, listening, drawing, interviewing, and more.    This is a must have   for any upper elementary teacher that does not want to have to constantly recreate the wheel.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind  by William Kamkwamba

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

You may want to watch the movie on Netflix, but don’t tell your students it is there until after they read the book.  (And you could use some of these questions and activity ideas for comparing movies to books.)   Another recommendation from my classroom shelves.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

I Am Malala  by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick

Look up the word inspiring in the dictionary and you may find Malala Yousafzai’s picture there.  Malala Yousafzai is internationally famous because she and her family stood up to the Taliban’s edict that girls were not allowed to receive an education.  Malala’s father taught her not to back down from what she believed in, even though she knew she was in danger, Malala continued to attend school.  As a result, Malala almost lost her life when she was shot riding the bus home from school. 

Here’s a short video about how Malala, the youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17, continues her mission to make a difference in the lives of young women around the world.

A biography of Malala also made this list of books about overcoming obstacles.

I Am Malala

Ugly  by Robert Hoge

Do we have a choice in what we allow to define us?  Robert Hoge’s memoir answers this question with a resounding, “Yes!” 

Bullied and misunderstood because of a facial tumor and other disabilities he was born with, Robert Hoge teaches us how to live wholeheartedly and fearlessly despite how we might be judged and treated by the world.  This is the very best kind of story, honestly and simply told by the person who lived through it all. 

Robert was born with disfigurements that made him a baby only a mother could love, except his own mother didn’t want him and still, he made it.  I know I have students who need to hear his story and I’m sure you do too.

Ugly

Mountains Beyond Mountains  by Tracey Kidder

I was beyond excited when I learned that Tracey Kidder’s book about Dr. Paul Farmer and his work with Partners in Health had been adapted for young readers. 

Tracey Kidder shadows Dr. Paul Farmer whose mission is to provide quality healthcare to the most economically disadvantaged people in the world’s most impoverished populations.  Dr. Farmer’s father exemplified altruism and expected his children to participate in his passion. 

Even though the family didn’t have money, Dr. Farmer made a decision to attend college and pursue medicine.  It was a high school guidance counselor that helped him take the first steps. 

This is a book that I challenge students to read, because it’s...well...challenging!  But a student who  choses to tackle it has not been disappointed.  

Mountains Beyond Mountains

My Thirteenth Winter  by Samantha Abel

Samantha Abel was a straight A student with a secret.  She couldn’t remember her locker combination or tell time.  The disconnect caused her to suffer from anxiety attacks.  In her thirteenth winter, Samantha found the strength and the courage to confront her problems.  Consequently, Samantha learned that she had a learning disability called dyscalculia.   Once the disability is discovered and addressed, Samantha’s life begins to change. 

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

As teachers know, learning disabilities are a discrepancy between intelligence and academic struggle.  It is in that often agonizing struggle that a learning disability is  forced to the surface.  We know what they are, but we don’t really know what causes them. 

My Thirteenth Winter: A Memoir

A Long Walk to Water  by Linda Sue Park

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

Linda Sue Park lays out the story in two distinct sections, intermingling fiction and nonfiction.  The book tells the story from the point of view of a young girl, Nya, as she walks all day long to procure water for her family’s needs:  hence the title.  But it is Salva’s point of view story that is truly central to the book.  Salva is one of the “Lost Boys” of Sudan who is walking to escape the violence and constant threat of being conscripted into the Sudanese army.  Spoiler...the two stories come together at the end of the book. 

I spend a lot of time convincing those kiddos who read ahead not to give away the ending and wreck the book for their classmates.  This link will take you to a short video about Salva.

A Long Walk to Water

Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland is the first African-American principal dancer in American Ballet Theatre history.  Adapted for young readers, the adult version of this book made the New York Times best-seller list.  This is another excellent autobiography I’ve had to purchase in multiples because it is in demand with my girls. 

Misty Copeland’s grit and determination, added to her passion, led her to a successful career in dance.  It all began so simply. 

She writes,  “My family didn't have very much money, so ballet wasn't even on my radar; I just found it randomly when I was 13 at a Boys & Girls Club. We were practicing on a basketball court in gym clothes with some old socks on. Even though it terrified me at first, I found that I really liked it.”  Find something you love and pursue it with all your heart.  Yes.

Check out these other inspirational biographies of African-Americans.

Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina

Lion: A Long Way Home  by Saroo Brierley

An incredible true story that just proves the point that life is often stranger than anything anyone could make up in a million years. 

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

His book chronicles his struggle to remember where he came from and to reconnect with his family, which he does when he is 25 years old.  You can watch a trailer for the Hollywood Version here.

Lion: A Long Way Home

Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers by Deborah Heiligman

biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

Vincent’s younger brother Theo is the pragmatist in the relationship, but still an art lover—he works as an art dealer, which on the face of it could be immensely helpful for Vincent.  But Vincent’s artistic style, that of the Impressionist school, is simply not in fashion and Theo can’t change that fact. 

Despite their personality differences and all the drama Vincent brings to the relationship these brothers remain loyal to the core.  This is a beautiful and touching story of brotherly love and devotion. 

You’ll find it special as a direct result of Deborah Heilgman’s efforts to get the details right: she carefully gleaned information from more than 600 letters Vincent wrote to his brother Theo over his lifetime. 

Deborah Heiligman is the award winning author of Charles and Emma and many other books for children and young adults.

Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers

Find more book suggestions for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students here.  

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Telling a Story About Me: Young Children Write Autobiographies

Telling a Story About Me: Young Children Write Autobiographies

  • Resources & Preparation
  • Instructional Plan
  • Related Resources

Developing ideas collaboratively, planning writing projects before executing them, and learning to compose sentences related to a specific topic are important skills for students to master. This lesson plan teaches these skills while drawing from the lives of first and second grade students who will write and publish autobiographies based on personal photographs. The lesson begins with the students working at home with their families to select and record relevant information about photos. Students then work in small groups and independently to create their autobiographies.

From Theory to Practice

  • Autobiographical writing gives teachers a way to engage students and their families in literacy learning, creating a willingness to participate in literacy activities.
  • Expanding students' knowledge of their community and themselves deepens their understanding of the reading and writing process.
When students write narratives about their own lives it helps them develop personal, social, and cultural connections.
Exploring their own life stories can provide a sense of direction and purpose for students that other forms of writing do not.

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

  • 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
  • 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
  • 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
  • 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.
  • 8. Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
  • 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
  • 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Materials and Technology

  • Photographs from home
  • Writing and drawing tools
  • Tape or glue for affixing photos
  • Binding materials
  • You Have to Write by Janet S. Wong (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2002)
  • Chart paper and a marker
  • Transparencies and a projector
  • Assessment Guide
  • Note to families
  • An Autobiography: Information About My Photos
  • An Autobiography: Ideas for My Story
  • An Autobiography: Planning My Story
  • Autobiography page
  • Cover sheet
  • Dedication page

Preparation

1. At least two weeks before beginning the project, send home the following items:

about the writing project

2. Obtain and read by Janet S. Wong. This book uses poetry to describe a group of students looking for topics for a writing assignment. It encourages students to write about the things they see happening all around them in their own lives.

If you can't find , try one of these alternative books with similar themes:

by Roni Schotter (Orchard Books, 1999)

by Doreen Cronin (Joanna Cotler, 2003)
3. Begin to work on an autobiography that you will make along with the students to model the process for them. You will need to collect your own photographs for the project and should prepare your own version of each of the handouts that the students are going to use. In class, you will refer to these versions as you record them on chart paper or transparencies.

4. When you collect the photos from students, scan or copy the pictures that will need to be returned. To provide additional photographs for their stories, you can also take pictures of the students at school. If any student is unable to bring in photographs from home, you can have him or her create illustrations to use for the project.

5. Have each student bring in a folder to use for storing his or her photos and work on the project. Make one copy of , , the , and the , and four copies of the for each student in the class.

Student Objectives

Students will

  • Engage their families in the learning process by working at home to select photographs that represent aspects of their lives
  • Formulate ideas for an autobiography by working collaboratively and independently
  • Practice their writing skills by composing sentences in the first person using themselves as subject matter and revising the composed sentences into a story
  • Participate in a literacy community by reading their stories aloud in small groups
1. Read the book by Janet S. Wong aloud to the class. During preselected points during the reading, you may wish to stop and ask questions aimed at getting students to think about how they might use the suggestions in the book to come up with their own story ideas. There are no page numbers in this book, but two good places to stop include the page spreads with many small pictures on them.

2. After reading the book, ask students to share some ideas they could write about from their own lives. You might record these on a piece of chart paper or on the blackboard.

3. Tell students that they are going to begin work on a project to write stories about themselves and their lives. Explain that a story about a person, written by that person, is called an autobiography.

4. Remind students of the photos they have brought in from home and tell them that they will use these photos to give them ideas for their autobiographies. Share some photographs of yourself. Model the discussion you want them to have in their small groups by talking about what is happening in each photo and why it is important to you. For example:

If you think it would be helpful, you might also write these prompts on the board, a sheet of chart paper, or a transparency for students to refer to during their discussions.

5. Divide the class up into small groups of four to five students each. Record the grouping of the students so they may return to these same groups for the remaining sessions and continue to work together. If this is a new activity for them, explain the expectations—they will speak quietly, demonstrate respect for other speakers by listening carefully, and not comment until the speaker is finished.

6. Give each student three or four minutes to share the photographs from home with another student in his or her group. Students may refer to the sheet, completed previously at home, to help them talk about their pictures.

7. Bring students back together and talk about how the things they said about their pictures can serve as first ideas for their autobiographies. On a large sheet of paper or a transparency, complete sheet for your own story, acting as a model for the students. Try to write the same kinds of things they would, for example:

8. Pass out the idea sheet to students, and give them 10 to 15 minutes to write or draw ideas. They should have at least one idea for each photo and can use their An Autobiography: Information About My Photos sheet as a reference.

9. Have students place their writing and photos in their project folders. Collect and review the folders to make sure that each student has listed ideas on his or her idea sheet. You might make comments or suggestions on these sheets to help students as they move into the planning stage.
1. Begin by having students review their sheets from Session 1 along with their photographs.

2. Encourage them to add one additional thought to their idea sheet, maybe a detail that they forgot the last time.

3. Have students get into their small groups from Session 1. Explain to them that they will be sharing their ideas and getting suggestions or responses from other members of the group.

4. Allow one or two minutes for each student to share with the group thoughts from his or her idea sheet. Each student in the group should then offer at least one suggestion or comment.

5. Tell students to record any additional thoughts they have as they share their ideas and listen to the comments and suggestions from their classmates.

6. Bring the class back together to talk about writing their stories. Emphasize that because they are writing autobiographies the stories need to be about themselves. Tell them that sentences will be written in the first person, and give them some examples: "My favorite things to eat are French fries and spaghetti." "When I was a baby I liked to rock with my mommy."

7. Have students generate some sentences about themselves in the first person and record them on chart paper. Keep the chart in a visible location to use as a reference for the remainder of the project.

8. Using a transparency or chart paper demonstrate how to use the sheet. You should use your photographs and the ideas from your idea sheet. Remember to write your sentences in the first person and to focus on the subject matter of each particular photo. For example:

It may be helpful for students to sketch a drawing of the photo or record a title to help them remember which photo they are working on in the corresponding box.

9. Pass out the An Autobiography: Planning My Story sheet to students, and have them work on planning out their stories, keeping their photographs and idea sheets in front of them as they work. While students are working you should circulate throughout the room, providing support as needed.

10. Students should save all work in their project folders. Collect and review the folders to check students' composition of sentences. In addition to making sure that students have written more than one sentence for each photograph, check to make sure that sentence are written in the first person and that they relate to the subject of the pictures. Offer students feedback.
1. Begin by having students review their sheets, making revisions or additions if they choose.

2. Get out the planning sheet you created either on chart paper or a transparency during Session 2. Tell students that part of the writing process is making choices about which of the sentences they have written in the planning stages they will use in the final version. Select some sentences you will use for one photograph and then ask students to help you with the other three. Highlight or circle the ones you pick as you go along.

3. Have students choose sentences they would like to use in their own autobiographies. They can highlight or circle the sentences they choose.

4. Students should save all work in their project folders.
1. Using chart paper or transparencies, share with students a couple of the pages you have completed for your autobiography. Remember to stress that they should be writing in the first person and that their writing should focus on the subject matter of the photograph. Distribute four copies of the to each student.

2. For each page of the autobiography, each student should:

1. Any students who have not completed their should do so. (Note: If you need to, add another session for students to complete this work.)

2. Explain what a dedication page is–the place where the author of a book thanks the people who have helped him or her to write it. Read aloud the dedication page from and some other books in the classroom. Talk about how some are general and some are specific. Show them the dedication page from your autobiography and discuss why you have chosen to dedicate the book as you have.

3. Distribute the and give students time to fill it out, circulating and supporting them as necessary. Tell students they are welcome to add a picture of the person to whom the book is dedicated if they like.

4. Talk about what they usually see on the cover of a book–the title, the author's name, and a photograph or illustration. You might bring in some autobiographies or biographies to use as examples. You can also show them the cover you have created for your own autobiography.

5. Distribute a to each student. Have them create covers for their autobiographies. Give them time to draw a self-portrait or other picture to decorate the cover.

6. Have students place all completed work in their folders.
1. Tell students that they will now turn their autobiographies into books. Have your own autobiography ready for binding to show students how they can bind their pages into books.



It might be helpful to have an additional adult or two assist during this project. Encourage volunteers from the students' families to help out.

2. Once the books are bound, have students get into their small groups where they can take turns reading aloud their autobiographies.

3. Bring students together for a group discussion about the project, focusing on what they have learned and how they feel about it. Questions you might ask include:

  • Invite families to school to share the published autobiographies of the students.
  • Further develop students' autobiographical writing skills by using the Stapleless Book or the online ReadWriteThink Printing Press to have them write more about their lives.

Student Assessment / Reflections

Throughout this lesson, you may use the Assessment Guide to document observations of students in each of the five areas found in the lesson objectives: family participation, collaborative work, independent work, writing sentences, and reading aloud. There is also space to record other notes and observations. Some questions to ask when using the Assessment Guide include:

  • Family Participation–How much did the family participate in this project? Did they send in appropriate photographs and complete the work that needed to be done at home? Was the work done when requested?
  • Collaborative Work–How did the student collaborate with his or her peers? Did he or she make appropriate suggestions? How did he or she accept suggestions about his or her own work?
  • Independent Work–How did the student work independently during the project? Did he or she follow directions? How well did he or she stay on task when working independently?
  • Writing Sentences–How did the student do at composing and writing sentences for the autobiography? Are the sentences on topic with the photographs? Are the sentences grammatically correct? What resources did he or she use to spell and write words (asking a peer, asking a teacher, the word wall, the dictionary, or using phonetic spelling)?
  • Reading Aloud–How did the student do when reading the autobiography aloud? Could he or she read it independently or was assistance needed? How was the fluency of reading aloud?

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biography and autobiography lesson plans 5th grade

Teaching Juneteenth: Lesson Plans and Activities

Teaching Juneteenth: Lesson Plans and Activities

Biography and Autobiography

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About This Lesson

This is a presentation about autobiographies and biographies. In addition to the presentation; there are also differentiated sheets to help with activities- David Beckham; Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson.

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David_Beckham_bio.doc

Biography_and_autoboigraphy_2[1](1).ppt

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Year 5-6 Autobiography

Year 5-6 Autobiography

Subject: English

Age range: 7-11

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

pinpoint77

Last updated

12 June 2020

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Model, planning model and blank plan for writing an autobiography in Year 5 and 6. The model and the plan are colour coordinated so that children can relate the plan to the text.

The video was created for Year 6 students during lockdown so it may work well as a holiday writing project.

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Very helpful resouce! Both video and sheets

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Education Standards

Utah core english language arts (2011).

Learning Domain: Writing

Standard: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Standard: Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Standard: Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

Standard: Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).

Standard: Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Standard: Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Standard: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

Biography:autobiography Rubric

Biography:autobiography Rubric

5th grade biography unit.

5th grade Biography Unit

This lesson will teach students to write a biography and allow them to use technology to create a flyer using the Pages app on their ipads. 

Students will be writing a biography in an in person lesson that requires them to learn and understand steps of a biography, publish a written copy, and publish a pages document on their ipads. 

Background for Teachers

To teach this lesson you will need an understanding of the 5th grade writing process as well as what needs to be taught to teach biography writing. You will also need a basic understanding of how to use pages.

Step 1 - Goals and Outcomes

Students will be able to write a 5 paragraph biography and present the life story of someone of their choice to the class using Pages on the ipad. They will be able to introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically. 

Writing Standard 2

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.

Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.

Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially).

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.

Writing Standard 6

With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.

Step 2 - Planning Instruction

Ask the class, “Has anyone ever inspired you before? Who was it and why were they inspiring?” Make a list on the board and discuss the common traits these people had that were inspiring. Then ask, “Has anyone famous, or in history inspired you?” Using this website as an indoruction www.biography.com pick a few bio’s to summarize or read to your class. Next, tell them their assignment will be to do a biography report. 

Gather biography books from your school library of various people in history, pop culture, sports, or other people you think your students might be interested in researching. Show your students the books and allow them to choose the person they want to write their biography about. You could also have them choose a person before your class library time and then have them select a book when they go to the library. 

Provide a list of important people in history for your students in case they are struggling to think of someone. 

Step 3 - Instruction

Websites: biographyonline.net and biography.com have great resources for this lesson

Using the website and books allow students to do research and gather information using a graphic organizers. Fill one out as an example in front of your class. Once their information is gathered they can begin their essay outline. 

Information to look for while brainstorming: 

Date of Birth:

Where were they born:

Date of Death:

Early life and history:

Why this person is famous: 

Interesting facts:

Major Accomplishments:

Quote from the person:

How has this person inspired you?

Once students have researched and brainstormed the answer to these questions they may begin writing their biography report. Each report should include an introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and a closing. Model each step with a person you have chosen to show students exactly what is expected and help students who may be struggling. If any students need accommodations you could have them do the same person you are doing.  

Introduction: Introduce your topic, and the information that will be discussed in your body paragraphs. Start with a short story, questions, fact, quote, or interesting statement about your person.

Body Paragraphs: Each body paragraph should highlight information mentioned in your introduction as well as the facts you have gathered. This is also where you can include paragraph heading, charts, graphs, and tables. 

Conclusion: Wrap up your statements and thoughts here. Reemphasize important key points in a new and fresh way. 

Creating a Page on the iPad: 

Students will use ipads to gather pictures of the person they chose to write about. They will then use the pages app on the iPad to create an informational sheet to share with the class. The page must include pictures, the person's name you wrote about, date of birth, date of death (if applicable), what makes them famous, a few interesting facts, a quote from the famous person, and a blurb on why this person inspired you. 

When students are finished with their page they will find a partner to collaborate with. Using the collaboration button in the app students will send their page to a partner. They will need to find 3 compliments they can give about their page and at least one suggestion. There might be more than one suggestion but students need to look for 3 things to say they did well and at least 1 thing they could change or improve. Watch for spelling errors or punctuation errors. 

Once all students are done they will present their page to the class. It is fun to suggest that students dress up as their famous person when they present. 

Step 4 - Assessments

Attached is a Rubric for the students 5 paragraph biography as well as the Rubric for their Pages presentation. Part of their assessment will also be presenting to the class. This is attached to the media presentation rubric.

Pages Presentation for Biography              Name:

Student created Pages presentation in the iPad that aligned with their biography.      /1
Student presented to the class.      /5
Student used creativity and expression in their presentation.      /1
Students’ work was free of typing, grammatical, and spelling errors.      /1
The page includes pictures.      /1
The name of the famous person is clearly posted.      /1
Important dates are listed: birth, death, etc      /1
We know why they are famous.      /1
Interesting facts are shared.      /1
Quote      /1
Why did they inspire you?      /1
Total:      /15

Version History

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IMAGES

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VIDEO

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