1. | Using your classroom or school library, have each student check out a biography of a famous person. The biography should be about one of the three people on the student's list from Session 1. |
2. | Pass out the and go over expectations and criteria with students. |
3. | Use the sample web for Martin Luther King, Jr. to model for students how each item of the rubric applies to the creation of the web. |
4. | Ask students to skim (or preread) their biographies, focusing on the questions they generated during Session 1 about the selected person. Then have students work with their partners to group the information they find into appropriate categories and start a rough draft of their webs. |
5. | For homework (and, if time, in class), have students read independently as they complete their webs. |
6. | Students can also use the to add to their webs. |
7. | When the webs are complete, have each student use the Web Rubric to evaluate his or her own web. |
8. | Have each student share his or her web with a partner and give each other feedback and suggestions for improvement. The partner can fill out the same rubric using a different color. |
9. | Collect the students' webs, review them, and use the same rubric with another color to make suggestions for improvement. |
1. | Return the rubrics to students, giving them time to review the comments from you and their partners. Allow them the opportunity to make revisions to their webs. |
2. | Have students copy their webs neatly onto butcher paper and prepare for the class presentation, writing notes or key words and phrases on index cards to help them remember what they will say. |
1. | As students give the class presentations, have other students use the to write their feedback. |
2. | Collect the feedback forms, review and check them for inappropriate comments, and give each set to the corresponding presenter. |
Have students use their webs and the online Bio-Cube tool to plan and write biographies of the person they have researched. When they are finished, ask students to share the books with a younger class.
Possible student assessments include:
Researching an Individual Aligned to Common Core Writing Standards
The genre of biography can also be categorized in the sub-genre of narrative nonfiction/historical nonfiction. When a teacher assigns a biography as a writing assignment, the purpose is to have a student utilize multiple research tools to gather and to synthesize information that may be used as evidence in a written report about an individual. The evidence gained from research can include a person’s words, actions, journals, reactions, related books, interviews with friends, relatives, associates, and enemies. The historical context is equally important. Since there are people who have influenced every academic discipline, assigning a biography can be a cross-disciplinary or inter-disciplinary writing assignment.
Middle and high school teachers should allow students to have a choice in selecting the subject for a biography. Providing student choice, particularly for students in grades 7-12, increases their engagement and their motivation especially if students select individuals they care about. Students would find it difficult to write about a person they do not like. Such an attitude compromises the process of researching and writing the biography.
According to by Judith L. Irvin, Julie Meltzer and Melinda S. Dukes in their book Taking Action on Adolescent Literacy:
"As humans, we are motivated to engage when we are interested or have real purpose for doing so. So motivation to engage [students] is the first step on the road to improving literacy habits and skills" (Chapter 1).
Students should find at least three different sources (if possible) to make sure the biography is accurate. A good biography is well-balanced and objective. That means if there is disagreement between sources, the student can use the evidence to state that there is a conflict. Students should know that a good biography is more than a timeline of events in a person's life.
The context of a person's life is important. Students should include information about the historical time period in which a subject lived and did her/his work.
In addition, the student should have a purpose for researching another person's life. For example, the purpose for a student to research and write a biography can be in a response to the prompt:
"How does this writing this biography help me to understand the influence of this person on history, and quite possibly, this person's impact on me?"
The following standards-based criteria and scoring rubrics can be used to grade a student-selected biography. Both criteria and rubrics should be given to students before they begin their work.
A General Outline for Biography Details
Education/Influences
Accomplishments/ Significance
Quotes/Publications
(based on extended response Smarter Balanced Assessment writing rubric)
Student response is a thorough elaboration of the support/evidence on the topic (individual) including the effective use of source material. The response clearly and effectively develops ideas, using precise language:
Student response is an adequate elaboration of the support/evidence in the biography that includes the use of source materials. The student response adequately develops ideas, employing a mix of precise and more general language:
Student response is uneven with a cursory elaboration of the support/evidence in the biography that includes the uneven or limited use of source material. The student response develops ideas unevenly, using simplistic language:
Student response provides a minimal elaboration of the support/evidence in the biography that includes little or no use of source material. The student response is vague, lacks clarity, or is confusing:
In this activity, activity overview, template and class instructions, more storyboard that activities, this activity is part of many teacher guides.
A Changemaker Project is a popular way for middle school students to learn about different people from throughout history and all over the globe and research how they have positively impacted the world today.
In this activity, students will create a biography poster of someone past or present that was a positive agent of change. Students should be sure to include facts about their life, education, work, and more. As they research, they can use biography worksheets to keep track of information. Teachers may allow students to choose someone on their own, or provide a list for students to choose from. Our picture encyclopedia of biographies can be a great place to start! Students can find figures who have impacted history, literature, politics, science, and more! This example focuses on the life of Ida B. Wells , and can be used as a guide to show students what is possible. Their poster could be on any important Changemaker from history!
When finished, students' Changemaker posters can be printed, laminated, and hung around the classroom or school. Students can also present their posters to their classmates, adding a public speaking component to the project. Teachers may wish to organize a "gallery walk" where students have the opportunity to walk around as if they are in a museum and learn more about the lives of changemakers and notable figures from around the world!
For more templates to add to this assignment, check out our history infographic templates and biography poster templates !
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Objective: Research a person who has had a positive impact on the world. Create a Biography Poster that highlights their major accomplishments.
Student Instructions:
Requirements: Person’s image, name, dates of birth/death, at least 5 important additional facts or accomplishments.
Grade Level 6-8
Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery)
Type of Assignment Individual or Partner
Type of Activity: Biographies
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric .)
Proficient | Emerging | Needs Improvement | |
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Completing a biography is an extremely valuable learning experience because it provides students with an opportunity to reinforce research skills, enhance writing skills, encourage critical thinking, foster creativity, and cultivate empathy. It might also encourage students to apply some of the lessons learned to their own lives.
Take a moment to review the definition of a biography. You can also use this time to focus on the differences and similarities between a biography and an autobiography. This leads nicely into a short discussion about word parts (auto, bio, and graph).
Starting the project with a mentor text or example will give students a strong frame of reference for crafting their own biographies. Here are some picture book biographies that will work well for this purpose. Use the mentor text or example for students to analyze the main characteristics of a biography, including:
“Love the outline for the notes and how easily it was for my students to use. It really helped them organize their research and provided them with enough questions to gather a lot of information. Also love the paragraph lay out and the fill in the blank for my kiddos that are not as strong writers. Great!” -Kirsten H.
Identifying a common theme that runs throughout the life of the individual being researched will help students organize their writing and develop a clear focus for their biography. Using the theme to focus on the most significant events, actions, and achievements of the important figure creates a more cohesive and compelling biography. Common biographical themes include:
When choosing someone to research, encourage students to pick someone they admire. This will make the research and writing process more enjoyable. If students are required to pick from a list of significant figures, make sure to include a diverse selection. That way, you know your students will be able to find someone they will enjoy writing about.
It is helpful to frame your essential questions around the necessary components of a biography. If the students can answer most of the essential questions in their biography, they will most likely have a successful finished product. Here are some common essential questions used for biographical writing:
Use your essential questions to design your own research guide. Providing students with some sort of research guide will help them remain focused and on task. The format and structure of the research guide is based on the needs of your students. Click here to see what I like to include.
Students need to start with the end in mind. A rubric will give students a clear understanding of the project expectations. Using your research guide to create your rubric is an easy way to make sure your expectations align with your instruction.
Are you ready to incorporate a biography research report into your curriculum, but don’t have the time to create all of the necessary components? Click here to download everything you need from Literacy in Focus on TpT. Printable and digital formats are included!
“This has been a great resource to use to teach my students about how to conduct research, and the types of sources that they can use! It is a very organized and easy to implement resource. Thank you!” -Ashley
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Updated: 27 Jan 2022
Use this PowerPoint template for students to author a researched-based biography on a historical figure.
Editable: PowerPoint, Google Slides
Pages: 28 Pages
Grades: 3 - 6
Tag #TeachStarter on Instagram for a chance to be featured!
Biographies are an essential genre of literature .
These immersive texts allow readers to dive deeper into the experiences of figures and explore life through their eyes.
Students will use this slideshow template to create a biographical text of an important figure through previously conducted research.
By applying…
…students will become biographers, challenged to record and analyze a figure’s most important contributions to a period or event in history .
Additionally, this project template allows students to include additional text features relevant to their biography, such as:
A grading rubric is also included in the download.
Use the dropdown icon on the Download button to choose between the Google Slides and PowerPoint versions of this resource.
This resource was created by Lauren Blankenship, a teacher in Florida and Teach Starter Collaborator.
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Writing a biography can be a daunting task. When students hear the assignment of writing a biography, they may have thoughts of long, boring essays or a tedious 10-page book report. There are various ways to tackle writing a biography, and they can even be fun in the process! Let’s look at some less intimidating ways to get your kiddos to write a biography, whether in elementary or middle school.
The first step for students before writing a biography is to read one. They need to see a real-life example before tackling their own biography assignment. Elementary students can read biography picture books or Who Was? biography novels. Biography picture books are especially interesting to students as the splendid pictures bring the person to life.
Here are some picture books we recommend for younger students:
I Am Rosa Parks by Brad Meltzer
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca
On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne
Upper elementary students love the Who Was? novel series. These books are more challenging, contain some pictures, and are age-appropriate. We recommend:
Who Was? Anne Frank by Anne Abramson
Who Were? The Tuskegee Airmen by Sherri L. Smith
Who Was? Selena by Max Bisantz
Middle school-aged students can read a variety of biographies from sixth graders reading Who Was? to advanced readers conquering even adult biographies. Some biographies or autobiographies my middle school students have read and loved are:
I Am Malala by Malala Youfsazai
Gifted Hands The Ben Carson Story by Gregg Lewis
Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina by Misty Copeland
Once students have read a biography to gain an understanding of what one looks like and how it is organized, as well as more about the person they are learning about, they can complete research from the biography or autobiography. A simple graphic organizer to help students organize crucial information would suffice. Important information that the student should gather from their book includes:
As a teacher, you can provide choices for students or provide a project students can tackle. Some biography projects require students to write a biography in a different format than a typical essay.
For elementary grades, a paper bag biography book report is an interesting way to create a biography. Once students have read their biography or autobiography, they color the front of the paper bag with a picture of the person as well as display the person’s name. On the back of the paper bag is written the major accomplishments, obstacles, and a lesson learned from this person’s life.
On one side of the bag is written fun facts and on the other side is written basic information such as birthdate, birthplace, family, death date, etc. Inside the paper bag, students place varying objects that symbolize the life of the person and explain or write about them.
This same concept can be completed with a cereal box. Students would utilize construction paper and glue over the cereal box instead. They can create a cute name for their cereal that coincides with the person they’re learning about as well. For instance, a biography about Sugar Ray Leonard, a professional boxer, could become Sugar Rays on a cereal box biography report.
Speaking of food, a pizza box biography report is something I have utilized for years in the classroom. It combines creativity, art, and writing to display a biography. A simple Google search can give you tons of templates, instructions, and student sample pictures to choose from. I’m not certain of the original creator of this project, but it is amazing!
Students decorate the outside and inside cover of a pizza box with pictures and facts of their person. Next, they create a pizza out of construction paper and each slice displays important information. They can use their creativity to decorate each slice with toppings. Some students create a flap that goes over their slice of information and on the flap are toppings they’ve drawn such as mushrooms, pepperoni, and peppers. I am always impressed with how students use their creativity to design elaborate pizzas!
Here is the link to a FREE pizza box biography book report guideline I have used for years.
Keeping with the theme of biography projects centered around food containers, have your students grab a clean chip or coffee can (with a lid). After reading a biography, students will decorate their can based on whom they’re learning about. We recommend the Who Is? , Who Was? and I Am books for this.
Next, students will use a graphic organizer to gather information from their book and then turn that research into an index card biography report. The various index cards are then stored inside the can for easy access for presentations. This project promotes independent student research, incorporates art, and is plain fun. It is definitely engaging for students.
Grab the whole project, including graphic organizers , index card templates , a pre-design sheet , and a rubric below.
Grab your Biography Research Project today.
Our Biography Research Project will guide your students through Biography Research with ease. In addition, this unique research project helps them to learn more about important figures, as well as write and create some awesome biographies.
Bonus: Our Biography Research Project is a great way to display your students’ work for the admiration of parents, admin, and fellow students. Your class will be the envy of your school.
As students move into seventh and eighth grade, there is a huge focus on learning to write an MLA essay. Because of this, I require students to write a biography essay or book report. Using a detailed template, students write their biographies. Each paragraph is thoroughly explained and chunked to display the life of the person they’re investigating. Here is a simple template of how I have seventh-grade students organize their biography essays:
Title of your biography and the author’s name. The book is a biography of __________, who was born on (Date) ______________ in (Birthplace) ____________________. Why did you choose to read this book? Write a brief summary of their well-known accomplishments.
A summary of their life. Make sure their life is in sequence. Tell of major life accomplishments, major disappointments, and major obstacles they faced. Tell of their childhood, adulthood, etc.
What is the most interesting fact about this person? Explain why. How would you describe this person? If you could meet your person, what questions would you ask him or her? Why? Would you recommend this biography to a friend? Why or why not?
What are the major life lessons a reader can learn from this person’s life?
Students can create biography presentations by using Google Slides , all the while utilizing pictures, quotes, and thematic decor to make their project come to life. Slidesgo.com is an amazing template resource in which students can make their presentations fit a theme and be a bit more aesthetically pleasing and exciting.
Furthermore, Canva has a plethora of resources students can use to create biographies, from a standard presentation to infographics to creating an eBook . Canva is an awesome resource. It contains varying fonts, pre-loaded graphics, and the ability to upload pictures online. Canva has become a favorite tool of our students here lately!
Writing a biography can be challenging but in a great way! Reading biographies such as picture books to novels, this readily prepares students to conquer biography writing. By presenting options such as activities or a detailed template for an essay, students can feel interested and ready to tackle the world of biographies.
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Subject: Creative writing
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Rubric Code: By Ready to use Public Rubric Subject: Type: Grade Levels: 6-8 |
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Over 6,200 homeschool resources and growing!
Published: October 12, 2017
Contributor: Sarah Shelton
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.
So what exactly is a grading rubric? ( From CME.edu ) A rubric is a scoring tool that explicitly represents the performance expectations for an assignment or piece of work. A rubric divides the assigned work into component parts and provides clear descriptions of the characteristics of the work associated with each component, at varying levels of mastery. Rubrics can be used for a wide array of assignments: papers, projects, oral presentations, artistic performances, group projects, etc. Rubrics can be used as scoring or grading guides, to provide formative feedback to support and guide ongoing learning efforts, or both.
Grading rubrics are great for teachers: Rubrics can reduce the time spent grading when all you need to do is refer to the rubric scoring description rather than trying to figure it out on your own to assign a specific grade. They also help you to get a clearer picture of the strengths and weaknesses of your children in that specific subject. Since a rubric breaks down each part of the lesson (especially in writing) it can help you to see a specific area that your child may struggle with.
Grading rubrics are valuable for students: There are many rubrics that a student can use to help them to grade their own work. This can help your children to monitor and assess their own progress. They can also see why they were given the grade that they were given, which can help them know exactly what they need to do to improve and receive a stronger and better grade the next time.
Here are some great free rubrics and grading assessments to help your middle and highschool students!
Tired of the anxiety that comes from grading high school essays and research papers? Whether it’s persuasion, compare and contrast, how-to, newspaper writing, biography, or other popular high school essays, the guesswork is gone.
Your students will earn points based on how well their essays answer certain questions. For instance, in a persuasive essay, they could earn anywhere from 1-10 points based on how clearly their introductory paragraph introduces the topic and the student’s view. Some questions are more important than others, and the potential points in the grading grid sections reflect this.
After you have evaluated all the questions and assigned the points, total the numbers to reveal the grade.
You can also grab a FREE Sample Grading Rubric from the book HERE .
Sarah is a wife, daughter of the King and Mama to 4 children (two homeschool graduates) She is a an eclectic, Charlotte Mason style homeschooler that has been homeschooling for over 20 years.. She is still trying to find the balance between work and keeping a home and gardens. She can only do it by the Grace of God, coffee and green juice
Resource type.
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COMMENTS
Overview. Set the stage for high-interest reading with a purpose through a biography project. Students work together to generate questions they would like to answer about several well-known people, then each student chooses one of these and finds information by reading a biography from the library and doing Internet research.
e the biography book project. It should also be used as a working guide for students to think about the criteria on wh. ch their work will be graded. Before finalizing your project, make sure you have included all the in. ormation i. t. e rubric below. Good luck!1. Picture. fo.
3. 2. 1. Theme. My biography has a theme that reflects what is unique, interesting, and important about the person I am writing about. My biography attempts to have a theme but generally just has a topic. My biography has a topic, rather than a theme. My biography is about many different topics.
Take notes on your person using the 5 Ws or Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Use the writing frames to start writing your paragraphs. Type up your writing frames into one complete draft. Participate in a peer review with a checklist. Submit a completed type 3 writing draft.
Middle and high school teachers should allow students to have a choice in selecting the subject for a biography. Providing student choice, particularly for students in grades 7-12, increases their engagement and their motivation especially if students select individuals they care about. ... "Assignment Biography: Student Criteria and Rubric for ...
CONVENTIONS • spelling • punctuation • grammar • frequent errors • some noticeable errors • few errors . • sense of control; any errors are
Completing a biography research guide will help your students remain focused and on task. The format and structure of the research guide is based on the needs of your students. Hopefully, the items listed below will point you in the right direction. Cover Page: It's important to review the meaning of the term biography and require students to ...
Discuss this rubric with other members. iRubric EX383W8: Rubric title Biography Writing Rubric Middle School. <!---. Rubric possible points is 30. --->Built by kcompupal using iRubric.com. Free rubric builder and assessment tools.
A rubric in student language written for middle school students to self-assess biography presentations. Subject: Arts and Humanities, English Language Arts, History Level: Middle School Grades: Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8 Material Type: Assessment Author: Clarity Innovations Date Added: 06/27/2017
A Changemaker Project is a popular way for middle school students to learn about different people from throughout history and all over the globe and research how they have positively impacted the world today.. In this activity, students will create a biography poster of someone past or present that was a positive agent of change. Students should be sure to include facts about their life ...
Click here to see what I like to include. 7. Don't Forget a Rubric. Students need to start with the end in mind. A rubric will give students a clear understanding of the project expectations. Using your research guide to create your rubric is an easy way to make sure your expectations align with your instruction.
This rubric is included in my Middle School Writing Rubrics BUNDLE. Related Products. ⭐ Biography Project: Poster Person, Poster, or Diorama with Easel Activity. ⭐ We Didn't Start the Fire - 20th Century Famous People Biography Research Project. Follow me HERE to get notified of updates, sales, free resources, and new products. All new ...
Available on the Plus Plan. Use this PowerPoint template for students to author a researched-based biography on a historical figure. Biographies are an essential genre of literature. These immersive texts allow readers to dive deeper into the experiences of figures and explore life through their eyes.
Step 1: Read a Biography. The first step for students before writing a biography is to read one. They need to see a real-life example before tackling their own biography assignment. Elementary students can read biography picture books or Who Was? biography novels.
Browse biography project templates middle school resources on Teachers Pay Teachers, a marketplace trusted by millions of teachers for original educational resources.
A rubric in student language written for middle school students to self-assess biography presentations. Subject: Arts and Humanities, English Language Arts, History. Level: Middle School. Grades: Grade 6, Grade 7, Grade 8. Material Type: Assessment.
Resource type: Worksheet/Activity. File previews. pdf, 794.33 KB. Biography Project Rubric. This rubric is for a student written biography project. Includes assessment of: Focus on Assigned Topic. Organization. Spelling and Punctuation.
A great guide for writing a biography. This rubric is for a student written biography project. Two versions included. Includes assessment of: Focus on Assigned Topic, Organization, Spelling and Punctuation, Accuracy of Facts, Creativity, Neatness, Illustrations, with room for comments and grade at the bottom.
iRubric R2W4C84: Rubric title Biography Writing Rubric Middle School. Built by jorelelim using iRubric.com. Free rubric builder and assessment tools.
2. $5.99. PDF. This is a complete unit focusing on writing a First Hand Biography essay. In this unit, you will find a writing prompt, prewriting exercises, the composition outline, revising ideas, a scoring rubric, and a scope and sequence. This unit typically takes one to two weeks, depending on your students' needs.
Here are some great free rubrics and grading assessments to help your middle and highschool students! How to Create Your Own Grading Rubric for Highschool (free printable) from BJU Press. Autobiography Rubric - Teacher Planet. Geography Rubric - Teacher Planet. 6 Traits Writing Rubrics - Teacher Planet. Algebra 1 Rubric from TPT.
This is a simple well constructed Common Core based writing rubric that can be used anytime you ask your students to construct a biographical piece of writing. PARCC also places biographical writing on its list of writing students must be exposed to, therefore it is important we look for well constructed writing pieces that follow our high ...
Use and reuse this blank graphic organizer for informational writing guides students in compiling key facts about a famous person, allowing you to assess research, writing and ora