Learning Goals

1. Students will be able to successfull find biogrphical information about a subject (particular person in history) in the Web recources provided by the teacher (navigating specific Websites, Web pages, and databases.

2. Students will use and evlaute various print and nonprint biographical resources about one person from history and consider the authenticity and believeabillity of the resources. (*Considering and trying to uncover the different perspectives of different writers, what information is included or excluded, is information verifiable- are there resources and bibliographic included for you to check, etc.)

3. Students will synthesize information read across texts and reources in order to form theories or big ideas.

4. Through close reading and wide reading of print and nonprint resources and students will become experts on the life establish the impact of different events on this person's life.

5. Students will gain a better understanding of how important their person was and how their life shaped history and impacted on the world.

6. Students will orally amd visually share what they have learned and how and why they were important in history.

Objectives

1. Fifth grade students will perform a successful search of the Web resources and find two biographical sketches about their subject.

2. Students will use books and information gained from the Web resources, students will be able to complete a graphic organizer and a timeline about their person, noting important events that shaped the person's life.

3. Students will participate actively and work successfully in a group to conduct their research and complete their assignment.
4. Students will acquire accurate information to orally and visually report their findings.

Motivational Goals:

1. Generate interest in the research process.

2. Build students' interest in the research process.

3. Reinforce students' satisfaction in their research accmplishments.

4. Encourage students' ongoing confidence n their ability to learn and use information skills

5. Allow for creative expression. 

Books for Demonstration

The Three Little Pigs (any version)

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs Jon Scieszka

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

Time for Kids Biographies: Rosa Parks 

chart paper

computer and projector

literature collections of related books- pairinigs or multiple texxts  about the same peron

biography worksheets

Student-created timelines

Student rubric

drama and props for student presentations

Posterboard and markers 

1.Motivation: If you were going to write a biography about your teacher, what would you say? Think of two important things you would include...Encourage student responses, which are of a wide variety. How do you decide what to put in? What to leave out?

2. Introduce the idea of different perspectives (using Three Little Pigs and True Story of Three Little Pigs and The lind Men and the Elephant.) It tells only part of the story.

3. Just like these authors, authors have different persectives. Biographies are the same. It is important to read them carefully. Authors sometimes leave out information- authors choose what information to include or exclude. "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." Sometimes authors may even have a bias without realizing it. Have you ever had someone twist the facts on you? tell only their side of the story? give their opinion but try to make it seem a fact?

4. Think aloud and demonstrate, showing how authors of two different books about Rosa Parks offer different information, different perspectives.  

5. Using two excerpts have students try this out.

6. Students work in groups to research about a different person from history of their choosing.  

7. They will locate information using Websites, and gather and evaluate information for accuracy, authenticity and bias.