Biography Project Directions: File Folder Report, Project and Presentation

Your Name Famous Person

Rough Draft Due Dates

Final Copy Due Dates

Timeline Rough due: April 11

Timeline Final due: May 8

Important Poem Rough due: *See you teacher (Option)

Important Poem Final due: May 8 (Option)

Report Rough due: April 25 *to be checked

Written Report Final Copy due: May 8

Project Rough due: May 2 *to be checked

Project Final due: May 8

Parent/Guardian Signature:

Report Assembled due: May 8

I have discussed this project with my child.

Report/Project presentation date: May/June

A biography is a true story about a persons life that gives important information about the person and describes major events in the order in which they happened. For this project, we are going to explore this person's life with a California twist. Through the project, report, and presentation you will explore and share the unique life of your important person. Remember that you want to engage your reader and your audience so take your time to be creative and do your best work!

Steps1.Research. Answer the following questions:

When and where was this person born?

What was his/her childhood like?

Where did he/she grow up?

What did this person do for a living?

Why is this person famous? How has this person made an impact on others' lives?

Include quotes and interesting information about the person.

What are some of his or her important accomplishments or achievements?

Fill out the bibliography information sheet showing the three sources used and attach it as the last page of your report

Include non-fiction text featuresin your report to fully explain the life of this person. This may include maps, photos and captions, charts, subheadings, diagrams, tables, graphs

* Your final copy will be written in your best printing or may be word processed using a computer in a report format. Include information in a logical order.

2.Sources: You will need to include information from 3 different sources.

-Biography novel (library book)

-Encyclopedia (on-line or print)

-Internet source

3.Report on the File Folder:

Get a file folder from your teacher.

Front Cover: Attach the drawing of your famous person (see below)

Inside Left Cover: Attach your timeline and any photos (see below)

Inside Right: Written report with the Bibliography page at the back (follow example)

Back Cover: Glue the Important Poem for your famous person and any photos (optional)

File Folder Tab: Write the famous persons name and your name underneath

4.Extension Project

You will choose to do one of the following: Hangar biography project, Project Art, I am, Biography Game, or Powerpoint. You will get specific directions when you choose your project.

5.Presentation

You will present your project to the class in an oral report format.

Famous Person Drawing (Front of Folder)

Using a photo of your person, create a picture for your cover. Add illustrations and pictures of people, places, and things that were important to and in the life of your person. Decorate the background of the drawing to put your person in a setting appropriate to him or her. Label your persons full name in large neat lettering and write the dates of birth and death. Write your first and last name and date in small lettering the lower right corner of the paper.

Timeline (inside Left of Folder)

Create a timeline with at least 8 important events in your persons life. Add dates, drawings, clip art, or photos to the timeline. Timelines may be hand drawn or created with a computer program. If hand drawn, the timeline should be folded accordion style so it fits inside the file folder.

Extensions: Important Book Poem (Back Cover of Folder)

Margaret Wise Brown was the author of a book entitled The Important Book.

Use this as a model and write a poem entitled The Important Thing using your

famous person as the subject of the poem.

Example:

The important thing about________ is that she/he __________________. (What the person is famous for)

She/he _____________________ . (List one thing the person did)

She/he _____________________ . (List another thing the person did)

She/he _____________________. (List a third thing the person did)

But the important thing about is that she/he was ____________ . (Another thing the person is famous for)

Here is an example poem:

The important thing about George Washington is that he was Americas first president.

He was nicknamed The Father of His Country and was a leader of great character.

He was said by Henry Lighthorse Harry Lee to be, First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.

He was a farmer, statesman, and commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

But, the most important thing about George Washington is he is the only president in the history of the United States of America to be elected president unanimously.

by Heather Renz, Mount Vernon Teachers Institute Participant, 2010

Name ______________________ #____ Date: ___________________

Hanger Biography Project

Create a paper art version of your person to help share a visual picture with your writing.

Open up your closet and retrieve wire hangers to create people-like figures that can hang or stand up by themselves. Left in original hanger shape, they can hang anywhere to share your finished piece. For the stand-up version, simply fold in the two arms of the hanger and you have created figures that can sit anywhere!

Materials:

wire hanger (thing wire ones work best)

large piece of construction paper or oaktag board (18 x 24)

heavy-duty tape

scissors

plain or lined paper

Directions:

Center a hanger on the large piece of construction paper. Be sure the hook extends over the top edge.

Fold the paper along the angle to cover the shoulder wires.

Use tape to secure the paper.

Turn the covered hanger over. (This piece represents an upper torso.)

Turn in your project when you are ready to present!

Name ______________________ #____ Date: ___________________

Project Art

Create a museum portrait of your person to show a picture of this famous person.

Directions: Become a famous artist in 4th grade: Create a portrait in your choice of medium: it can me pastels, oils, watercolors Be Free to explore. Your canvas should be a minimum of 18 x 24. Your masterpiece with be turned in and be prepared present it and how you created it!

Remember to sketch out your idea. Your person can be shown in a portrait with the face of in full figure with a background appropriate to their time.

Name ______________________ #____ Date: ___________________

I Am

Become your person as you speak in their voice to tell about their life and their how they influenced our world.

Directions: For this project, we will have the opportunity to step back in time and meet a famous person. You will dress up (as much as you can) as your person and pretend you are the person, using their words learned through your research. Try to include their words through firsthand accounts, sayings or quotes that they may have recorded in a historical document.

You will use your written report to help you prepare to tell all about your contributions and about your life. You will need to rehearse at home.

Review famous speeches or watch a play to see how actors bring a character to life. You may even find a recording or film dramatizing your person.

Do some research and I look forward to meeting you!

Kelly Russo-OCarroll January 2014

Name ______________________ #____ Date: ___________________

Biography Game

Be Creative! Think of the elements to your favorite game. Your goal is to share the life of an important person. Your board can be the places they lived. Your cards can have the places and faces that were a part of your persons life. Use interesting details for your game to share how they left their mark!

1. First, complete your written report.

2. Find 20 facts about your important person.

3. Record facts on a piece of binder paper to brainstorm using complete 4th grade language. Number your facts 1-20. You are always allowed to write more!

4. Use facts to create 10 multiple choice questions on to question cards. (write answers onto back of question cards and explain answer.)

5. Use facts to create 10 true/false questions on to question cards. (write answers onto back of question cards and explain answer.)

6. Sketch and color your Biography profile onto your Trivia Game cover.

7. Draw other important symbols and designs onto the cover that relate to your Biography.

8. Put together your Biography Game. Put points on each question card depending on their difficulty. Create game rules on back of cover. Players will need to keep score. Player with most points when question cards run out, wins! Place question cards into sleeve on cover. Put your name on the game.

9. Alternative: You may also create a board for your game that takes us on a journey through their life. You must decide how players will use the 20 question cards.

9. Play your game independently. Make one improvement to your game.

10. Find two classmates to play your game. Get feedback from classmates about your game.

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