PART 1 – RESEARCHING BIOGRAPHIES
WEEK 1 - INTRODUCTION TO BIOGRAPHIES AND RESEARCH
1. Ask students if they know what a biography is and what sort of things they think they would learn about a person from a biography. (A biography is a non-fiction account of a person's life through which you would learn when the person was born and died, about the person's education and family and the important achievements as well as obstacles that made the person famous). Have students define biography. Ask students if they know where they can find biographies. (on-line and in the biography section of the library)
Tell students that, using Presidents as a topic, they will be introduced to the research process using on-line and written resources. They will locate information and take notes about a person from information that they find on-line and in a written biography.
2. Brainstorm with students what important events they might look up (birth, death, education, early years, etc.).
3. Pass out the biography research guide and discuss what type of information may be found in each category.
4. Teacher will model researching and filling out the background information on the worksheet for George Washington or Barack Obama.
Teacher will choose one entry and read from the source and have students tell which information we should write down. Discuss and model putting things in your own words and using phrases rather than sentences on the worksheet.
5. Brainstorm information to be including in a rubric or introduce a teacher-created rubric to the students and discuss what the expectations of this project are.
Students will be assigned a president. After reviewing the research guide and rubric, they will come up with a list of questions that they hope to be able to answer about their president.
WEEKS 2-3 (may take a shorter or longer time depending on class)
1. Using the computer lab and your classroom or school library, have each student find his or her president on-line and check out a biography of the president. *See list of websites attached. Also, it is important that teacher select biographies at the appropriate level prior to starting this unit.
2. Use the sample research guide for George Washington to model for students how each item of the rubric applies to the research guide.
3. Teacher will model finding information both on-line and in written form. Review finding information and then putting information in your own words.
4. Ask students to read or skim their biographies, focusing on the questions that were generated during Session 1 about the selected person. They will then put the information they find into the appropriate categories and start a rough draft.
5. When research guides are complete, students will be paired up to share their research guides and give each other feedback and suggestions for improvement or information that is missing or confusing. Teacher will also be meeting and working with students to review research guides and help with any information that students are struggling with.
WEEKS 4-5 (may take a shorter or longer time depending on class)
1. Students will use the information in their research guide to write an essay about their president. Review with students the parts of an expository essay and what is expected, referring back to the rubric.
2. Once finished, again pair students for feedback and suggestions. Teacher will also be meeting with students to review drafts and provide feedback.
CLASS PRESENTATIONS
Students will present their essays to the class as well as parents. Each student will be required to write down one fact about each president which will help students stay focused during presentations.
Biography Research Guide
