A Biography Study: Using Role-Play to Explore Authors' Lives

Materials and Technology

Student Interactives

Printouts

Websites

Preparation

 

MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY

• Rubistar
  
  
• Bridging the Gap: Group Work Rubrics and Checklists

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STUDENT INTERACTIVES

Grades   K – 12  |  Student Interactive  |  Organizing & Summarizing

Timeline

Students can generate descriptive timelines that can be plotted with their choice of units of measure (date, time, event, entry, or other).

 

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PRINTOUTS

• Essay Rubric
  
  
• Timeline Rubric
  
  
• Author Panel Presentation Rubric
  
  
• Biography Project Discussion Questions
  
  
• American Authors: Biography Assignment Sheet
  
  
• Critical Evaluation of a Website
  
  
• How to Write a Biopoem
  
  
• K-W-L-S Chart
  
  
• Biography Project Suggestions
  
  
• Peer-Editing Instructions
  
  
• Notes and Source Card Guidelines
  
  
• Guidelines for Preparing a Script for the Panel Discussion
  

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WEBSITES

• U.S. Literary Map Project
• Distinguished Women of Past and Present
• American Writing Gateway
• Biography.com
• Brain-Juice

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PREPARATION

1.	Bookmark the ReadWriteThink Timeline Tool on school computers to assist students in creating their timelines. Ensure that the program is running and printing properly. (If you experience difficulty, make sure that computers have the most recent version of the Flash plug-in, which can be downloaded for free from the ReadWriteThink Technical Help page.)
2.	Bookmark and review the essays on the U.S. Literary Map Project website, which includes essays written by students. Although the website is no longer accepting submissions, you can still use it as a model for your students' essays.
3.	Prepare a student sign-up sheet for students to use when selecting their authors to research. Each student will need to select a different author; this sheet will help to avoid duplications.
4.	Bookmark the Research sites on the computers, and confirm that they are available and appropriate for your students (see Resources). In addition, screen and bookmark any other websites that provide information about the authors your students will be researching.
5.	Preview the various Student handouts available with this lesson, and modify them to meet the needs of your students (see Resources).
6.	Preview the sample questions for the author mixer discussion, and prepare any others that you would like to use during that session (see After Reading, Author mixer).
7.	Preview the Assessment rubrics available with this lesson and modify them, as necessary, to meet the needs of your students (see Resources). Access Rubistar and Bridging the Gap: Group Work Rubrics and Checklists to find or create other assessment rubrics to use with this lesson.

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