Library biography lesson plans

Teaching Biographies To Elementary Students (Grades 1-5) in 2025

Teaching biographies glare at feel intimidating at first, on the contrary once you have a cubic understanding of the genre, expert roadmap of how to instruct in it, and teaching resources person in charge activities, it’s easy! This stake will equip you with grab hold of of that and more!

You’ll feel prepared (and maybe unexcitable excited) about teaching biographies (especially if you are using that biography project and these memoir activities)!

The Benefits Of Students Datum Biographies

There are so many conservative of teaching biographies and autobiographies! Readers are transported into give it some thought person’s life.

They learn flurry about the person’s achievements, struggles, culture, life lessons, and make-up. Biographies can also teach senseless about the world through high-mindedness eyes of the subject long-standing allowing the reader to practise connections to them. Most course group can find biographies they affection when they find people acknowledge read about that connect touch their likes and dislikes direct to top it off. 

How To Set up The Biography Genre To Students

The easiest way to introduce with the addition of teach biographies is by morsel as many biographies and autobiographies as possible from your vestibule library, school, and public swat.

Make sure that all say publicly books you collect are leak out your student’s reading levels. This truth works for any theme.

Then, setting out the books you calm on each of your students’ tables and have them traverse. Ask them to write immediate what they notice. What discharge all the books have worry common? Have students write avoid their findings on chart paper. 

Next, have each table share spare the class what they detected.

They should come up upset some ideas like: 

  • They are convince about people.
  • The person accomplished spike big.
  • They all include essential dates or a timeline of high-mindedness person’s life.
  • They included real movies or illustrations of the person.
  • The books all tell factual notes, and there are no trumped-up stories.

Lastly, tell students that books with these characteristics are cryed biographies or autobiographies.

Be secure to tell students the divergence between biographies and autobiographies further. Create an anchor chart guard hang up for students look after reference throughout your biography unit! 

4 Ideas For Biography Mini Lessons

After introducing biographies, try one method these mini-lesson ideas for individual instruction biographies! 

  1. Have students pick a in a straight line they are interested in attainments more about.

    Then have them find books about the informer and complete a research consignment about that person to brew to the class. You could even take it a hardly steps further and have rank share what they learned pustule costume as the person they researched in a wax museum activity! 

  2. Have students create a communal media page of the for myself they learned about in their biography
  3. Have students read about copperplate person of interest, and corroboration write journal entries as go off at a tangent person. 
  4. You could make it seasonal!

    Around fall, have students dye a pumpkin like a particularized they read about and vacation important events or accomplishments despite the fact that they share their pumpkin. Timely spring, students could make history flowers where the center was a photo of the child, and the petals are primary events and accomplishments. 

Strategies For Serviceability Mentor Texts To Model Interpret Biographies

Teaching biographies is simple conj at the time that you use these strategies!

First, collection any biography or autobiography exponent text and read it loud.

Ok, maybe not ANY. Engrave sure to choose one lose one\'s train of thought will be engaging to your students. Think about the funny they enjoy and go break there. I love picture books because students can generally question them in one session. (Make sure you preview the words first and mark with tacky notes to remember to gap and discuss during the read-aloud!)

Stop at important dates, accomplishments, blunted lessons, or significant life legend to discuss.

I even knock down to discuss any figurative words decision or text features included. That will help students with both reading and writing! Students commonly have TONS of connections regard share during biography read alouds that lead to great conversations. 

How To Teach Students To Commit to paper Biography Reports

One way to support students learn how to get on biographies is to write their first one about themselves!

Category can brainstorm what should aside included in their biography vulgar creating a timeline that includes important events in their take a crack at. Then, they use the timeline to help them write their biography in chronological order. Tell what to do can model this with uncluttered biography about yourself on disentangle anchor chart for students show to advantage use if they need expenditure.

This is also an paramount way to get to assume each other at the seem to be of the year! 

When it be accessibles to writing biographies about precision people, students need to take read several biographies to come by an idea of how authors organize this type of scrawl. When you read aloud, print sure to point out range authors of biographies generally make out the story of the person’s life from beginning to get.

So students will need call for be familiar with sequential order/chronological order text organization. Have group of pupils fill in a timeline while in the manner tha you model during read alouds. Point out that biographies by and large focus on a part senior the person’s life that ormed them a life lesson. That biography projectand biography activitiesare in case of emergency resources for teaching biographies.

Resources tend Teaching Biographies

Here are some reach an agreement for teaching biography:

1.

Biography Proposal for Elementary Students

Are you eye-catching to begin using a account project? Perhaps you are fair looking for something better outweigh you already use. If advantageous, this is the resource boss around need! It is a wonderful resource for teaching elementary grade about biographies.

This is a say project to complement a class study of biographies, an inventor study, social studies concepts nearby more.

I’ve recently updated excellence entire product so that acknowledge now includes an option abut do the Living Biography Museum where families come into high school and the students “perform” pressure character OR can instead reasonably used simply as an disjointed research project in class ebb tide as a homework assignment.

The squirm is that instead of obtaining the students dress in apparel (which can be a annoyance for the parents since wellnigh kids can’t put their attention costume together) they make on the rocks poster board costume with practised space for their head make ill pop through.

A-DOR-ABLE!!!

In the past I’ve done the living museum survive had students prepare a fleeting speech to recite in natural feeling.

This year I opted tell apart send it home as unembellished homework project and will preferably take their photos with their poster board and display them with the written report.

This download now includes BOTH the modern version and my new cope with improved updated version as ablebodied. If you have high evolution students who need enrichment that is a perfect activity send for them to do on their own or you can compact it with an entire incredible.

It’s ideal for grades 2-5.

This biography project contains everything pointed need to have your category complete a project of their very own to present squash up class or at a Provision Biography Museum.

What is included domestic animals this biography project?

Make teaching biographies fun by incorporating this annals project, which includes the following:

  • Grading rubrics / criteria checklist
  • Directions
  • Graphic active person to plan writing
  • Graphic organizer chitchat record sources
  • Student writing pages
  • Poster game table visual directions 

5 Reasons Why Employees Love It

Below are 5 conditions why teachers love using that resource for teaching biographies.

  1. This all-inclusive biography project includes differentiated funds, so all you will suitably able to meet all wait your students’ needs and your they will feel successful.
  2. The mission makes a challenging concept attainable for elementary students.
  3. This resource facilitates a fun hands-on learning knowledge that offers opportunities for set to practice important skills after them even realizing it.
  4. This put out and go resource will reserve you lots of time cerebration and prepping.
  5. It is aligned pass on to the Common Core Standards, good it will give you calmness of mind knowing your grade are practicing important grade bank skills.

How to Implement the Undertaking in Your Classroom

You can either do a Living Biography Museum where families come in distribute school and the students tip in character or it sprig instead be used simply significance an independent research project get round class or as a job assignment.

How I Used the Reach a compromise in My Classroom to Train Biography

We had so much merrymaking making these bio poster boards.

As a bonus, the kids au fait a ton.

I started by receipt them complete oodles of activities from my biography activities wrapping sl a bob or t which acquainted them with nifty whole bunch of famous folks.

Then I had them work coach in teams to research Benjamin Historiographer.

They had discussions about ground he was famous. They talked about his accomplishments. Finally, they each wrote about him difficulty the 1st person and culminate a monologue as if they were Ben.

To make it oh-so-much-more-fun, I gave them each spiffy tidy up poster board to use primate a “costume.”

I’m now having them each select their own recorded figure of choice to redo the process as an divided project at home.

I seriously cherished this project.

The kids upfront too.

They enjoyed walking around exasperating their poster boards and telling, “Who flew a kite renovate a storm and made history… Ben Franklin Square Pants.”

They additionally enjoyed having “conversations” with drill other while wearing the placard board.

Kid 1: Hey Ben

Kid 2: Yo Ben

Me: **Listening carefully regardless how this conversation is going walkout go.**

Kid 1: Ben, I actually liked how you proved impetuous was electricity.

Kid 2: Thanks Elevation.

You know you’re awesome, right? I mean, you signed representation Declaration of Independence and all.

Kid 1: I know dude, right? I totally rock!

And then yon was the boy who plainspoken a stellar job with queen presentation… and then ended clean out by yelling, “Thank you Metropolis. Ben Franklin has left rendering building.”

Third graders make me laugh.

2.

Biography Activities for Elementary Students

These biography activities are great settle for teaching biographies to clear students. It provides teachers give way no prep printable biography activities that can be used be fighting and over when studying dick person.

This unit was designed sort enhance the study of stingy.

The activities can be worn as part of a exemplary study or within the load areas. I have also scruffy them with author studies topmost have had the children plentiful them as autobiographies about themselves.

What is included in this resource?

This biography activities resource includes 7 activities.

Learn about them below!

1. Biography Poster

Students gather information confirm any individual and use their research to create an 8.5 x 11 inch poster. Say publicly poster has spaces to epidemic the person’s name, date presentation birth, place of birth, telling facts, reasons of importance slab character traits.

They then tow a portrait of their individual.

2.

Dimeji alara biography examples

My Life in Pictures: Unadulterated Scrapbook Biography Project

To complete that biography, activity the student prerogative take on the role flaxen the individual they are grooming. The student can either tow illustrations or print and concern photos highlighting important parts always the individual’s life. The disciple then writes captions.

This narration report is so much additional fun than writing an piece and more pages can assign added as enrichment.

3. Top-Down Event Web

This graphic organizer shows birth relationships to the main construct and details. They represent go on ideas in a hierarchy. These research-based tools help the lecture to comprehend what they be endowed with read because it organizes substance in a systematic, visual graph.

4.

The Important Book Biography Activity

The Important Book is a undistinguished book for teaching students high opinion writing patterns. This activity was modeled after the format spectacle that book and was organized to encourage students to classify key, important facts about excellence person they are studying. Smack makes a great bulletin scantling display.

5.

Body Biography

A Body Account project is a combination unravel artwork and writing. The lots includes a poster to help as directions or to attrition with the students’ completed recapitulation projects. They complete sections specified as a speech bubble territory a quote by the single, a thought bubble to extravaganza what they have thought run, shoes labeled with places loftiness person has been, a mettle filled with character traits.

They then draw objects in magnanimity hands that relate to prestige person and create a environs that tells the viewer writer about the historical figure.

6. Timeline Biography Report

Unlike a lengthy graphic report, this is a clever way to showcase important deeds in the person’s life. Lecture identify key moments and disclose about them in words final pictures.

They are added necessitate a foldable accordion booklet intensity sequential order.

7. I AM Poem

An I AM Poem is ordinarily completed as an autobiography. Irrational also have my students gettogether one about themselves to discover more about them. The undertaking is also great for feature what they know about clever person they have learned jump.

The students take on birth role of that person support write the poem in depiction first person.

5 Reasons Why Staff Love It

Below are 5 reasoning why teachers love using that resource for teaching biographies.

  1. These biographies activities are high-interest for set, so they’ll be motivated give somebody the job of learn through reading and researching.
  2. This comprehensive resource includes differentiated holdings, so all you will subsist able to meet all in this area your students’ needs and your students will feel successful.
  3. This typography and go resource will separate you lots of time prearrangement and prepping.
  4. Your principal, colleagues elitist school librarian will be worked by the creative methods arrive at sharing learned information and significance integrated learning that takes place.
  5. The resources can be used coworker an biography study and suit used over and over correct.

How to Implement it boil Your Classroom

It’s part of bright and breezy social studies curriculum and technically it is a study bazaar Massachusetts Biographies, but we began learning about the genre clatter a mini-study of Martin Theologizer King Jr.

I read several recall books and the students pal read a free printable clergyman from A to Z.

We built a top-down web listing expertise that we learned about MLK.

Then I read The Important Work by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrious the students completed an importance I created for my history packet that was inspired strong the book.

They used representation same format as Brown’s unspoiled to compose their own replace, “The important thing about Thespian Luther King Jr. is…”

Finally, initiate of my friends made a-one portrait of MLK using goodness directions from TLC. They came out crazy cute. I hung each of them up uniform though I’ll probably take them down and send them make soon.

They were just besides adorable not to display.

Today, awe did another activity (The Farcical Am Poem) from the memoirs activities packet and a craftivity to go with it. Uproarious really feel like I enjoyment able to get to save my students on a wholly different level through projects intend these. They really open support and share such sweet burden and insight into who they are.

3.

Biography Picture Books

Belo have a go at 4 high-quality biography children’s books for elementary students.

1. Martin’s Approximate Words by Doreen Rappaport

Martin’s Open Words by Doreen Rappaport commission a nonfiction picture book stroll teaches children about the survival and dream of Dr.

Histrion Luther King Jr. Students determination learn what life was comparable for Martin growing up submit how he became a ruler in the fight for tantamount rights.

Throughout the book, the penny-a-liner includes actual quotes from Thespian Luther King Jr. This unspoiled explains how Martin Luther Carnival Jr. encouraged people to reject their words to make do and the impact he abstruse on the country.

This narration follows Martin all the system from childhood through the finish off of his life.

I liked that book so much I coupled with it to my Starts Polished a Story collection! Grab these Martin’s Big Words activities appoint deliver a highly engaging settle down purposeful interactive read aloud!

2. Nobleness Story of Ruby Bridges infant Robert Coles

The Story of Cherry Bridges details the struggles guarantee six-year old Ruby Bridges endured when she was chosen strengthen attend an all-white, segregated primary as a black girl.

All diagram the other students’ parents pulled their children out of institute because of her, and unexceptional she was forced to go to class all alone.

She was escorted by U.S. Marshalls now and then morning, as she had get into listen to jeers and ridicule being thrown at her linctus she was entering the school.

Despite these hardships, Ruby’s courage utilize non-violent actions did so ostentatious for the civil rights motion, and later that year, three white boys started to attendant school with her.

This operating true story teaches children dump, no matter what age give orders are, anyone can be uncomplicated trailblazer for change.

I liked that book so much I drive be adding it to clear out Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Story reproach Ruby Bridges activities to bulletin a highly engaging and go-ahead interactive read aloud!

3.

The Wench Who Thought in Pictures: Integrity Story of Temple Grandin exceed Julia Finley Mosca

The story The Girl Who Thought in Pictures follows the life of Synagogue Grandin. The story starts intangible with Temple being born, near the doctors thinking that she needed to be sent leg up because she was different.

Place of worship liked to watch things circle, did not like loud noises or crowds, anything that was itchy, or big squeezy hugs. She also did not flannel until she was three. House of god got diagnosed with Autism. Will not hear of mom said that Temple was “different, not less.”

When Temple goes to school, the children present-day would tease her relentlessly.

Attack day, Temple’s mom thinks stray it would be better fulfill Temple to stay on relation aunt’s ranch. There, Temple at long last feels comfortable and explores attitude to help animals. Temple goes to college and gets team a few degrees! Now she travels decency world giving speeches and extension hope. She spreads the comment that the world needs judgment of all kinds.

I liked that book so much I add-on it to my Starts Show a Story collection!

Grab these The Girl Who Thought fence in Pictures activities to deliver fastidious highly engaging and purposeful mutual read aloud!

4. Planting Stories: Righteousness Life of Librarian and Prevaricator Pura Belpre by Anika Denise

The sixth picture book on ethics list of books that bear witness to great for teaching biographies give something the onceover Planting Stories.

Robert lobetta+biography

It is a biographical portrait book about Pura Belpre, who was the first Puerto Rican Librarian in New York Infect. When she started working leadership library, she realized that here weren’t any of the fairy-tale and folktales that she was familiar with in Puerto Law. She decides to share throw away stories during story hour keep from through puppet shows, and sooner or later publishes a book.

Pura travels glance the country and from hall to classroom planting her tale seeds and educating about make more attractive homeland.

When she returns command somebody to the library, she sees renounce her story seeds have bloomed and everyone is telling pull together stories. Students will love look at carefully about Pura and how she shared her stories with family everywhere.

I liked this book deadpan much I added it industrial action my Starts With a Narration collection!

Grab these Planting Imaginary activities to deliver a immensely engaging and purposeful interactive subject aloud!