My hope is that by the end of this unit my students will become more critical readers and writers. They will understand the importance of concentrating in a way that will bring new understanding and appreciation of what biography really is. On a more technical side, my students will begin to understand the importance of revision in their writing as we take our biographies from journals to workshops and finally to a published piece of writing. Students will also experiment with other media as they turn their short biographies of the Civil Rights leaders into scripts for a filmed documentary.
Cooperative learning is an important strategy that must be practiced in the classroom. If students are not given the opportunity to work together and to problem solve together, they miss out on important skills. In this unit students are given a chance to work together in several segments. From the initial interviews of each other to the role playing in the filmed documentary, students will have multiple chances to cooperate and produce work that displays the fruits of their efforts.