Biography unit assessment definition

In this lesson, students will learn the elements of biography and autobiography. Students will:. The possible inclusion of commercial websites below is not an implied endorsement of their products, which are not free, and are not required for this lesson plan. Focus Questions: What are the elements of biographies and autobiographies? How are they alike and how are they different?

What is a biography? Assign one short biography for each student or group of students to read. Ask students to make notes about the kinds of information about the person that are included in the biography. Have students discuss their notes with a partner. As a class, discuss the elements of a biography. Key details and events should include the following:.

Review point of view and discuss its use in a biography. Lead students to discover that biographies are written in third person. Have students cite evidence of third-person point of view from the biography they read i. Have students trade biographies with someone who read a different one. Then have students compare answers and revise if necessary.

Read aloud a short autobiography or an excerpt from a longer autobiography, such as Knots in My Yo-yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid. Have students cite evidence from the reading to support their answer i. Guide students to see how the first person point of view in an autobiography helps readers understand how the narrator feels about events.

Ask them to find evidence of this in the autobiography. Discuss the similarities between biographies and autobiographies. Both have the same kinds of information, such as dates, information about childhood and family, achievements, and major events. Help students see that both use the same text structure, sequential order. Students who need additional opportunities for learning may do one of the following activities:.

Students who are ready to go beyond the standards may do one of the following activities:. You are impersonating. 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.

Your students might no be ready to begin reading appropriately high interest biographies and gathering information to share. We have come up biography unit assessment definition 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.

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. 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. 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. 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. 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.

While reading biographies you will want to focus on the character traits of the biography subjects. 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. 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 biography unit assessment definition 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.

National landmarks, state museums with exhibits on local historical personalities, or community historical sites can provide tangible connections to the lives and contexts of these figures, making history more accessible and engaging for students. Guest Speakers: Invite local figures such as elected officials, community activists, or state agency representatives to share their experiences and insights.

Ask speakers to discuss their roles, how they effect change, and why they chose the job they have. This provides real-world examples of civic engagement and leadership, helping students connect historical biographies to contemporary figures and understand the ongoing relevance of civic participation. Choose Activity. Activity 1. Activity 2.

Activity 3. Activity 4. Activity 5. All rights reserved. Historical Figure Biographies. By the end of the activity, students will be able to synthesize biographical information to create and present a concise biography of a historical figure. Materials and Resources. Preselected list of biographies of historical figures. Whiteboard or display. Mini Biography graphic organizer one per student and one for teacher display.

Prior to the activity, write on the board or otherwise display the vocabulary terms for this lesson mini, including their definitions. Begin by sharing a preselected list of biographies for students to choose from. Start by asking students what they think a biography is. Invite the class to work together to create a list of information about what they know related to the term biographies.

What kind of information do biographies usually include about a person? How are most biographies organized? Do they jump around in time or follow a specific order? If you were writing a biography about someone, would you start with their recent accomplishments or begin with their childhood? After this discussion, have students read the Biography article individually or as a class.

Present the preselected list of biographies to the class. Review the list with the students, providing a brief introduction to each person on the list and additional brief context to support students in selecting a person that interests them. Have students participate in a short turn-and-talk with a classmate to share the names of one or two historical figures that they would like to learn more about and why.

After students have chosen their person, give them the opportunity to search an appropriate biography to read about this person using the Britannica School database or other preapproved sites. Assist students in finding a reliable informational text on their selected person. Distribute a Mini Biography graphic organizer to each biography unit assessment definition and tell them that as they read, their task is to gather additional biographical information, considering the following questions to guide them in completing their organizers:.

How did this person contribute to society and history? What is this person most known for? What personal qualities or character traits made this person notable? Give students time to complete their Mini Biography graphic organizers. Once students have completed their research and filled out their Mini Biography graphic organizers, invite them to work with a partner or in a small group to share information about their person.

After the group sharing, guide students in creating a short presentation based on the information in their Mini Biography graphic organizers. Model a think-aloud on how to create this presentation while including the following:. Use the sequenced key events and facts from the graphic organizer to write the body of the paragraph. Demonstrate how to cite sources and emphasize the importance of crediting information.

Provide students with time to practice their presentations in pairs or small groups before presenting to the whole class. Allow students time to present their short presentations to the class. Consider providing time following each presentation to allow classmates to offer positive peer feedback focusing on positive aspects and one area for improvement.

To wrap up the activity, lead a discussion about how the contributions of historical people have shaped our world. Ask students to reflect on and share what they learned about researching and presenting biographical information. Have students write a brief reflection on what they learned about their historical figures and the biography-writing process.

Text Templates: Provide a fill-in-the-blank paragraph structure for students to organize their writing. This supports learning by giving students a clear framework to structure their thoughts and ideas. This enhances learning by encouraging deeper analysis and improving writing skills. Art Extension: Have students create covers for their biographies.

This supports learning by allowing students to express their understanding creatively and consider how to visually represent their subjects. Library Exploration: Visit the library to find more biography resources. This enhances research skills and exposes students to a wider range of information sources. Technology Extension: Have students write their first draft by hand, get peer edits, then create a final digital version.

This supports learning by combining traditional writing skills with digital literacy and peer feedback. Team Teaching: For collaborative teaching and learning environments, this learning activity is well suited to a Team Teaching strategy. By modeling effective teamwork and communication, this approach demonstrates how different viewpoints can enhance understanding and create a dynamic and interactive classroom environment.

Evidence indicates that team teaching can enhance student engagement and provide a richer, more diverse educational experience. Activity Introduction and Defining Biographies: Teacher A introduces the activity objectives, while Teacher B prompts students to share what they think a biography is. They alternate in guiding the class discussion about biographies, with one teacher leading the conversation and the other recording student responses.

Reading the Biography Article: Teacher A displays the article and sets up the reading activity. If reading aloud, teachers can alternate paragraphs. If students are reading individually, both teachers circulate to assist with comprehension and monitor progress. Presenting Historical Figures: Teacher A presents the preselected list of biographies, providing brief introductions to each historical figure.

Teacher B facilitates the turn-and-talk activity in which students share their interests with classmates. Research Guidance: Teacher A demonstrates how to use the Britannica School database, while Teacher B provides guidance on identifying other reliable sources. Both teachers assist students in finding appropriate biographies for their chosen historical figures.

Teacher B provides additional support to students who may need extra assistance, ensuring all students understand the task. They ensure all students are actively participating and sharing information about their chosen historical figures. Modeling Presentation Creation: Teacher A models the think-aloud process for creating a short presentation based on the mini biography.

Teacher B highlights key points and adds tips as Teacher A demonstrates the process. Presentation Practice: Both teachers circulate as students practice their presentations in pairs or small groups, offering feedback and support. Student Presentations: Teacher A manages the presentation schedule, while Teacher B facilitates peer feedback discussions following each presentation.

Both teachers listen to presentations and provide feedback. Explorer Biographies. By the end of the activity, students will be able to distinguish between primary and secondary sources while researching and presenting information about an explorer. Coloring supplies, such as crayons or markers. Glue, tape, or staplers. Poster board one per student or digital poster tool.

Preselected list of explorer biographies. Whiteboard and display. Explorers Through Time Note Catcher handout one per student and one for teacher display. They will research their chosen explorers by using primary and secondary sources, create informative posters, and present their findings to the class. Begin by posing this question to the class:.

Who can tell me what an explorer is? After collecting a few student responses, share what the term explorer means and how explorers are usually thought of as the people who make discoveries. Explain that there are many other types of explorers, like those who explore space or the ocean. Write or display the definition:. List a few examples of explorers from the preselected list of explorer biographies connecting these to student responses where possible.

Encourage students to think about modern-day explorers and lesser-known fields of exploration, broadening their perspective beyond historical figures. Have students brainstorm in pairs and share their ideas with the class. Display the Buzz Aldrin article. Give students time to read the article individually or as a class. After reading, discuss how we can gather reliable information about explorers from different sources, particularly primary and secondary sources.

If students are unfamiliar with these terms, briefly define them:. Use the Buzz Aldrin article to show students examples of primary sources e. Guide a discussion about the similarities and differences in the information from both types of sources. Explain what information students should look for and include on the note catcher. Model how to fill it out using information from the Buzz Aldrin article.

Invite students to choose an additional explorer to research and collect biographical information about. Remind students to consider multiple sources of information. Have students practice using the note catcher with a partner before allowing them to have independent research time. Ask volunteers to share how they now better understand the explorers they researched after reviewing various sources.

Introduce the poster-making project. Model how to use the completed Explorers Through Time Note Catcher to organize information for a poster. Demonstrate a quick sketch of a poster layout, showing where to place key information. Provide time for students to draft the content for their posters. Organize a peer feedback session halfway through the poster-making process.

Have students pair up to share their progress and offer constructive suggestions. Allow time for students to complete their posters, incorporate the feedback received, and make the presentations visually appealing.

Biography unit assessment definition

Have students take turns presenting their posters to the class, detailing the lives and contributions of their chosen explorers. Conclude the activity with a reflective discussion: How can exploring the lives of historical explorers help us understand the world and inspire future journeys? Follow up with a brief writing exercise in which students reflect on how this project has expanded their understanding of exploration.

Visual Vocabulary Support: Provide a visual vocabulary chart with key terms e. This scaffold helps students to better understand and remember key vocabulary, enhancing their comprehension of the activity content. Comparative Explorer Analysis: Challenge students to compare and contrast two explorers from different time periods or fields of exploration, analyzing how their methods, motivations, and impacts differ.

This encourages higher-order thinking skills by requiring students to synthesize information, draw connections, and analyze historical context, deepening their understanding of exploration across different eras and domains.