Biography Project: Day 1

Desired Results
General Learning 2- Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond
Outcome(s) personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts
3- Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and
information.

Specific Learning
Outcome(s) 2.2 – Responding to texts

- experience oral, print and other media texts from a variety of cultural traditions and
genres, such as personal narratives, plays, novels, video programs, adventure stories,
folk tales, informational texts, mysteries, poetry and CDROM programs
- compare similar oral, print and other media texts and express preferences, using
evidence from personal experiences and the texts

2.4 - Create an original text

- produce oral, print and other media texts that follow a logical sequence, and
demonstrate clear relationships between character and plot

3.1 - Plan & Focus

- use organizational patterns of expository texts to understand ideas and information

- develop and follow a class plan for accessing and gathering ideas and information

3.3 - Organize, Record, & Evaluate

- record ideas and information that are on topic

- paraphrase information from oral, print and other media sources
- examine gathered information to identify if more information is required; review new
understanding

3.4 - Share and review

- communicate ideas and information in a variety of oral, print and other media texts,
such as short reports, talks and posters
- identify strengths and areas for improvement in research process

Learning The students will…

Objective(s)
- Locate, gather, and organize interesting and on topic information from various
biographical resources to create a detailed report plan helping them better understand
the text.
- Communicate what they have researched in a meaningfully written text report that
follows a logical sequence and highlights the significance of the biographical
individual.
 StageAssessment Evidence
Summative Report (Written) Formative Whole Class Discussion & Report Sort
Assessment Assessment (Observational)
Student Check In (Conversational)

StageLearning Experience
Tech Slides Resources Printed Report Examples
to Do to Bring

Time Content/Description What will I be doing?

~5 min Reminder: Write on board - Bring in Living Wax Museum Planning Sheet 1. Writing a reminder
on the board for the
Introduction: students to bring in
- Sign language class signal to begin → Claps followed by ‘Quiet their booklets after
Please’ and students will respond ‘Yes teacher’ recess.
- Brief overview of the class agenda in the slides 2. Be consistent with
- What is a biography? (2-3 min) my sign language.
- It is a non-fiction text that shares the story of someone's life, 3. Provide wait time for
written by someone else. Biographies include information quiet and for the
about their early life, obstacles and accomplishments, students to think
interesting facts, and what they are remembered for. about the questions.
- Students will fill in the blanks of the definition 4. Give time warnings
think-pair-share style shown on the slides. so that the students
- For sharing the students will use their sign language with know when to start
their hands up. wrapping up with
- Biography Share Time (2-3 min) sharing time.
- In partners, the students will be able to take a moment to
share with their elbow partner who they decided to read
about and what makes their individual so interesting.
- Voice level 1

~25 min Lesson: 1. State the learning

- Past Learning Outcome: I can locate and organize interesting outcomes with the
information from various biographical resources to create a detailed class.
report plan. 2. Pick the student
- Ask for fist of 5 about how well they felt they achieved this groups to ensure
outcome. effective pairing.
- Today's Learning Outcome: I can communicate what I have 3. Provide the students
researched in a detailed and meaningfully written report. with enough time to
- Report Sort (8 Min) compare the sample
- Provide brief instructions & then break the students into reports and develop
groups of 3-4. When I give the sign, one student from each a rationale.
group can come grab the papers. The groups may sit 4. Walk around and
anywhere in the classroom. prompt the students
- The students will skim and scan 5 different reports on the as they sort and ask
same topic and sort them in terms of best to worst. them why they
- The students will need to provide a rationale about why sorted the way they
they sorted the reports the way they did. did. If their answers
 - When the time is up (5 min) I have the students hand their are quite shallow I
papers back into me at the front and take a seat. will prompt them
- Voice level 2 further with ‘why’
- How to write a report: (15 Min) and ‘how’ questions.
- Using what they observed in the sample reports I will have 5. Deliver the lesson
them come up with a list of to-do’s and to-don’ts → the clearly and quickly
students will raise their hands to contribute to the list (to hold their
- I will also provide a short synopsis of how they should attention), making
organize their writing. Their completed planning should help connections back to
them with this process. Each paragraph should have 4-6 previous learning as
sentences in it. much as possible
- Title: Interesting and is related to their individual particularly in the
- Dates: Dates they were living to-do’s and to-don’ts
- P1: Early Life (where and when they were born, (analyzing,
related facts, anything they learned that shaped visualizing,
them into who they became) evaluating,
- P2-3 (Body): Challenges and accomplishments, synthesizing)
what made the person so important. 6. Briefly explain what
- P4 (Conclusion): Connection to throughline and plagiarism is and the
what they are remembered for. Last sentence consequences of
would include when and where they passed away copying someone
or a statement that they are still alive. else's work
- 1 page maximum - Font 12 or 14 (Arial or Montserrat) 7. Share the due date
- Voice level 0 as they listen. and work time
- What is plagiarism? Copying someone else’s work and claiming it expectations.
as your own. It is important that they do not copy any of the 8. Lead the students in
sentences from the internet or the biography book they read, this a short breathing
will be explained. exercise to get them
- Communicate the due date (April 8th) and explain that they do not focused into
have time to dilly dally - it is business mode. business mode.
- Transition:Breathing in a square breathing exercise to focus their
minds and get them ready to transition into work time.

~20 Min Work Time: 1. Dismiss the students

- The students will be provided with time at the end of class to start to quietly and orderly
working on their report. grab their
- Each row will be dismissed one by one to line up and grab their chromebooks
computers. 2. Check-in with
- The students will have their planning booklet with them to help them students and ask
as they write. how they felt about
- I will also have a writing support slide on the board for the students their research.
to refer to. 3. Record notes in my
- The students will find their assignment in google classroom reading. project assessment
- As the students are writing I will pull the students one by one to tracker.
write down the individual they are writing about as well as to check 4. Review the
their planning page. I will have the students briefly outline their expectations for
strengths and areas for improvement in the planning process. If library before they
their planning is insufficient I will have them work on that before go - Quiet and single
they move onto their writing. file in the halls,
- Voice level 0 quickly finding a
Library @ 3:00 book, thank Mrs.
- Closure: Before they are dismissed for Library, I will have the Heerema and
students leave their chromebooks at their desks and then share
 with me what component they focused on or accomplished in their coming directly back
writing that period (e.g., early life, struggles, accomplishments) to the classroom.
- Book Boss will take the books down to the library. 5. Start clean up
- The students will remain seated, and will be dismissed to tell me routine at
about their writing and head to the library when I call their names. approximately
- Mrs. Cramer will accompany them to the library 3:15-3:20
- Those that do not have books to take out will remain in the
classroom and will work on their reports.

Reflections and
Follow Up