Biographies: Beyond Book Reports
So many interesting people to choose from!
Biographies can introduce students to a whole new world of historical figures and different eras. Studying them can also inspire students as they read about people who overcame problems, faced obstacles and criticism, but persevered to succeed. In this unit, students will explore different biographies and then choose one notable person of interest to study in-depth. Through interactive activities, students will present what they have learned to the class in a first-hand account as they transform themselves into their notable person.
OBJECTIVE
Students will:
- Understand that biographies give an account of a person's life and achievements
- Explore several different types of biographies to help determine their area of interest
- Use various resources to research one notable person.
- Write a biographical sketch
- Create several "artifacts" and gather props that help tell the story of the person they have researched
- Prepare a presentation to share what they have learned
LESSONS FOR THIS UNIT
Lesson 1: Introducing Biographies-Getting to Know You
Lesson 2: Presenting Your Case
REPRODUCIBLES
Biography Book Report Graphic Organizer (PDF)
CULMINATING ACTIVITY
After students have researched several people who have made a difference, they present the knowledge they have gathered on "Meet Your Hero Day." Students dress up as the person they researched and present the contents of a suitcase or trunk they have prepared to the class. You may invite parents to attend this showing and provide refreshments afterwards to reward the students for their efforts.
SUPPORTING BOOKS
Books for Teaching Biographies
- Teacher Store
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Dear America: A Picture of Freedom
The Teacher Store 
Dear America: A Picture of Freedom
At turns sassy and poignant, a slave girl's secret writings on the eve of the Civil War reveal that hope and strength can prevail even in the face of unspeakable hardship
$9.95 You save: 9%
Hardcover Book | Grades 4-8
Grades 4-8 $9.95
- Teacher Store
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Dear America: Color Me Dark
The Teacher Store 
Dear America: Color Me Dark
Nellie's journal chronicles her family's move from Bradford Corners, Tennessee, to Chicago, after the Ku Klux Klan murders her uncle. The family hopes to find a more tolerant culture up North, but instead find themselves in the middle of race riots. Introduce your child to early civil rights activists, like W.E.B. Du Bois, and show her what it was like to live in a city divided along racial lines.
$7.67 You save: 30%
Hardcover Book | Grades 4-8
Grades 4-8 $7.67
ARTICLE
LESSON PLAN
