TEACHING

GUIDE

TEACHING

History Maker Biographies

4th Grade Reading Level

ISBN 0-8225-5455-0 Red

TEACHING

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HISTORY MAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Standards Language Arts— • Demonstrates competence in the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing. Writing • Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions. • Gathers and uses information for research purposes. Language Arts— • Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process. Reading • Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of informational texts. Language Arts— • Demonstrates competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning. Listening and Speaking History

• Understands how democratic values came to be, and how they have been exemplified by people, events, and symbols. • Understands and knows how to analyze chronological relationships and patterns.

Visual Arts

• Understands the characteristics and merits of one’s own artwork and the artwork of others.

Multiple Intelligences Utilized • Spatial, linguistic, logical-mathematical, interpersonal, intrapersonal

Copyright © 2004 by Lerner Publications Company All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Student pages may be reproduced by the classroom teacher for classroom use only, not for commercial resale. No other part of this teaching guide may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. LernerClassroom A division of Lerner Publishing Group 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. 800-328-4929 Website address: www.lernerclassroom.com Manufactured in the United States of America 4 5 6 7 8 9 — IG — 11 10 09 08 07 06

Go to www.lernerclassroom.com for a list of all History Maker Biographies titles.

TEACHING

HISTORY MAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Lesson 1 The Facts About Fame Purpose: Students demonstrate previewing, predicting, reading, responding, and comprehension skills when searching for facts that illustrate why a person is famous.

Materials • History Maker Biographies • scratch paper • pencils

• Famous Facts p. 8 • Reading Skills Checklist p. 9

Objectives • Recall information. • Restate facts. • Apply prior knowledge while reading. • Illustrate understanding of important facts. • Analyze thoughts and feelings that arise while reading. • Summarize a text. Activity Procedures Prepare (teacher) • Copy Famous Facts p. 8 for each student. • Copy Reading Skills Checklist p. 9 for the class. (Some skills are provided on the reproducible. You may fill in the blank spaces with additional reading skills. Use the checklist throughout the unit.) Pretest (teacher, student, class) • Students choose one History Maker Biography to read. • Students preview the text independently. • What do you think you will learn from the book?

Model (teacher) • Demonstrate the reading process. • Preview- skim the pages of the book, reading the captions and looking at the pictures. • Predict- tell what you think you will learn. • Read and Respond- describe thoughts, feelings, and questions that arise while reading. • Summarize- tell what the book was mainly about. (The process described above may be done over a period of days.) Read (student, partner) • As students read History Maker Biographies they will write important dates and facts on a piece of scratch paper. (Facts will be used later to complete Famous Facts p. 8.) • Teacher observes and helps students as needed. Practice (student) • Students should complete Famous Facts p. 8 using the facts they gathered while reading the text. Discuss (teacher, class) • What was the book about? • What did you learn? • What events in the person’s life were they most known for? In other words, what are they famous for? • How is the famous person that you read about different from/similar to the people your classmates read about? Evaluate (teacher, student) • Use Reading Skills Checklist p. 9 to evaluate each student’s reading proficiency. (The lesson described above may take several days to complete, depending on the age and ability of the students involved.)

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Lesson 2 Character Counts Purpose: Students will read definitions of character traits and will write about how the person in their book exemplifies one of the defined traits.

Materials • History Maker Biographies • Character Essay Evaluation p. 10

• Character Vocabulary List p. 11 • Writing Help p. 12 • pencils • lined paper

Objectives • Recall details from a biography. • Define words that describe a person’s character. • Select a character trait that best fits a book’s main character. • Describe how the main character exemplifies a chosen character trait. • Compose a short essay describing one of the main character’s prominent traits. • Assess the quality of a rough draft and write a final essay. Activity Procedures Prepare (teacher) • Copy Character Essay Evaluation p. 10, Character Vocabulary List p. 11, and Writing Help p. 12 for each student. Pretest (class) • What is character? • Discuss the difference between a person’s physical appearance, what he/she does, and his/her character. (Younger or less advanced students may confuse what a person looks like or does with what kind of personality he/she has.)

• Preview one of the books from the History Maker Biographies series. • Tell students to look for words or quotes that describe what kind of person the main character was. • Write these on the board. • Read the Character Vocabulary List p. 11 and have students share which trait they feel best fits the main character in their book. Read (class) • Read a History Maker Biography. Model (teacher) • Choose quotes or examples from one of the History Maker Biographies and explain how these are evidence of one of the character traits listed on Character Vocabulary List p. 11. Practice (student) • Choose one of the descriptive words from Character Vocabulary List p. 11 that best describes the main character in the chosen book. • Write a short essay using quotes or examples from the text that explain why the descriptive word chosen describes the main character. • Read and revise your rough draft using Writing Help p. 12. • Write a final essay using Writing Help p. 12. Discuss (student, class) • Share the words or quotes used to describe your character with the class. • Why does the word you chose fit the main character better than other words on the list? Evaluate (teacher) • Use Character Essay Evaluation p. 10 to assess students’ writing.

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HISTORY MAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Lesson 3 I Made History Purpose: Students will compare the lives of famous people and analyze how they changed the world.

Materials • History Maker Biographies • Fit for Fame p. 13

• I Made History p. 14 • Making History Evaluation p. 15 • pencils

Objectives • List famous people found in History Maker Biographies. • Identify common themes or categories. • Determine which famous people fit in various categories. • Compare and contrast the lives of famous people found in History Maker Biographies. • Organize information in a diagram. • Assess how ordinary people can change the world. Activity Procedures Prepare (teacher) • Copy Fit for Fame p. 13, I Made History p. 14, and Making History Evaluation p. 15 for each student. Pretest (teacher, class) • Define and discuss the categories listed on I Made History p. 14. • Discuss which categories the famous people in the History Maker Biographies fit into. • List additional categories not provided on I Made History p. 14.

Read (students) • Each student will choose and read one History Maker Biography. Model (teacher) • Show students how to complete I Made History p. 14. • Read Fit for Fame p. 13 with the class. Explain that students will complete this worksheet after deciding which category their biography subject fits into. Practice (student, class) • Complete I Made History p. 14. • If the famous person you read about does not fit into any of the categories, or if additional categories are needed, add them in the space provided or on another sheet of paper. • Write the name of the famous person you read about in the appropriate category. • Share which category(ies) you chose to place your famous person in and explain your answer to the class. • Write the names of other famous people in other categories as students in the class share their answers. • Complete Fit for Fame p. 13. Discuss (class) • How are the accomplishments of the people in the History Maker Biographies similar/different? • How did the people in the History Maker Biographies change history/the world? • What would things be like today if these people had not worked so hard to accomplish their goals? Evaluate (teacher) • Use Making History Evaluation p. 15 to assess student understanding.

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Lesson 4 In Summary Purpose: Students will summarize the life of one of the historic figures in a History Maker Biography by creating a pictorial timeline.

Materials • History Maker Biographies • In Summary p. 16

• pencils • crayons or colored pencils • drawing paper • tape

Objectives • Recall information from History Maker Biographies. • Identify significant people, places, events, and achievements recounted in a biography. • Illustrate a sequence of events through drawings. • Explain and label illustrations. • Compile information into a timeline. • Summarize main ideas in a biography. Activity Procedures Prepare (teacher) • Copy In Summary p. 16 for each student. • Draw a sample pictorial timeline for students to view. • Draw images that best summarize the life and accomplishments of a given historical figure’s life. • Label each illustration with the correct date and a short caption explaining the event. • Determine the number of illustrations you will require students to complete. Pretest (class) • Preview the timeline on page 44 of a History Maker Biography. • What information is included on the timeline?

Read (class) • Read one History Maker Biography. Model (teacher) • Discuss the purpose of a timeline and explain how a timeline is read. • Present your sample pictorial timeline. • Explain how to choose images that best depict the life and accomplishments of a given historical figure. • Show students how to label their illustrations. Practice (student) • Complete a pictorial timeline. • Use one sheet of drawing paper to write the name of the historical figure chosen and a memorable quote. • Use one sheet of drawing paper for each illustration. • Tape the edges of the papers together in chronological sequence to create a horizontal or vertical pictorial timeline. (Tape the paper with the name of the historical figure at the beginning of the timeline.) Discuss (student, class) • How do summaries, whether pictorial, verbal, or written, help us understand a story? • Have students explain their timelines to the class, making sure to tell why they chose the events illustrated. Evaluate (teacher) • Use In Summary p. 16 to evaluate each student’s pictorial timeline. • Display pictorial timelines.

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Additional Resources BOOKS Armentrout, David, and Patricia Armentrout. Important and Famous People. Vero Beach, FL: Rourke Publishing, LLC, 2002. This book features historical and modern greats from each of the United States. Gifford, Clive. 1000 Years of Famous People. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2002. This book describes the lives and accomplishments of explorers, inventors, leaders, artists, athletes, musicians, politicians, scientists, writers, and reformers of the past one thousand years. Kalman, Bobbie, and Molly Aloian. Famous Native North Americans. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2003. Students can read about famous Native Americans whose actions impacted their own nations, as well as the United States and Canada. The Oxford Children’s Book of Famous People. New York: Oxford University Press, 2000. This illustrated book summarizes the accomplishments of one thousand people from around the world and from a variety of backgrounds. Roscoe, Lorraine, and Dennis Denenberg. 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet. Minneapolis: Millbrook Press, 2001. This book summarizes the accomplishments of fifty famous Americans. Thimmesh, Catherine. The Sky’s the Limit: Stories of Discovery by Women and Girls. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. This illustrated book highlights research and discoveries made by female scientists. Yin, Liangwu. Famous People of China. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest Publishers, 2004. Students can broaden their horizons as they learn about famous individuals who influenced Chinese culture. WEBSITES America’s Story from America’s Library http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi This site is brought to you from the Library of Congress. Students can meet amazing Americans or jump back in time.

Biographical Dictionary http://www.s9.com This dictionary has information on over 18,000 people and provides birth and death years, professions, positions held, literary and artistic works and other achievements. You can also take the Master Biographer Challenge to see how much you know about Notable Citizens of Planet Earth. Discoverers Web http://www.win.tue.nl/cs/fm/engels/discovery/# ancient This site contains information on explorers through history and contains links to websites on specific explorers. 4000 Years of Women In Science http://www.astr.ua.edu/4000WS/4000WS.html This site focuses on the contributions of women inventors and scientists. There are on-line biographies, an interactive quiz, and puzzles. HistoryBuff.com http://www.historybuff.com This site includes a searchable library with the categories Civil War, Baseball, Engravings, Journalism Hoaxes, Old West and more than a dozen others. The Presidential Library includes the inaugural addresses of all U.S. presidents. The History Channel http://www.historychannel.com Search for information on your favorite inventor or invention. Teacher’s Guides on History Channel features are also available. I Dream A World: Portraits of Black Women Who Changed America http://www.msnbc.com/modules/IDreamAWorld/ IDreamAWorld_front.asp Students can view portraits and read synopses of black women’s accomplishments. Invent Now National Inventors Hall of Fame http://www.invent.org/index.asp?bhcp=1 Students can browse the Inventors Hall of Fame for inventors or inventions, as well as learn about the patenting process. Presidents of the United States http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/ The biographies of the presidents give us a clear look into the highs and lows of American history.

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Famous Facts Name

Date

Everybody is born and grows up, and many people go to school and have jobs. These things are facts about a person’s life. But not everybody becomes famous. What makes a person famous? Usually a person becomes famous when they do something very special or unusual. Their life is so extraordinary that many people talk about, write stories about, and even paint pictures about what they did. As you read your History Maker Biography think about what the person did to make them different from other people. Write down these “Famous Facts” on a piece of scratch paper. Directions: Read a History Maker Biography. Write facts about the person on a piece of scratch paper. Write only the facts that show what the person was famous for. In your neatest handwriting, write the “Famous Facts” you have found in order by year on the lines below. Example: 1775 George Washington became commander of the America army. 1789 He became the first president of the United States.

Year

Famous Fact

Teaching History Maker Biographies

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Name pre v

iew sp i iew cture s s use s p capti ide rior k ons no nti w f pre ies m led vi e ain ge w ide s ind a ex test u s e co mp reh use e s a nds w nd un ritten de rsta dire c nd s ti tions me lin es

Skill ➤ pre v

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Reading Skills Checklist Mastered A

Developing B

Teaching History Maker Biographies

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Needs Improvement D F

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Character Essay Evaluation Evaluate the student’s writing using the criteria listed below. Assign point(s) possible for each task or objective before evaluating the student’s work. Student’s Name

Date

Title of Book Points Earned

Points Possible Read the book. Wrote rough draft and made corrections. Edited and revised rough draft. Final draft had few or no errors. Final draft showed understanding of the book. Final draft showed understanding of the central figure’s character. Writing was coherent and neat. Tasks were completed on time.

Total Points Earned

Total Points Possible Comments

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Character Vocabulary List Name

Date

Directions: Read the character trait words and definitions below. Choose the word that best fits the main character of the book you read. Write a short essay explaining why the word you chose best fits your book’s main character. CHARACTER: the part of a person’s personality that makes him/her act a certain way most of the time courageous—someone who faces danger, difficulty, or pain bravely creative—someone who makes something new or artistic fair—someone who treats everyone the same innovative—someone who does or makes something new or different honest—someone who does not lie and who you can trust kind—someone who cares about and helps others loyal—someone who stands by and defends their friends, family, or country persistent—someone who doesn’t give up even when they have to do something difficult responsible—someone who works hard and who does what they say they are going to do You may also use a word and definition not listed. Write your character trait word here: Write the definition of your character trait word here:

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Writing Help Lead or Topic Sentence The first sentence or topic sentence should be short. Your first sentence lets the reader know what direction the paragraph is headed. Body The body of a paragraph includes facts from the book you read and your thoughts about these facts. In the body, you should expand on the facts introduced in your first sentence. You can collect facts for the body of your paragraph by taking notes as you read. Remember to answer the five Ws—who, what, why, when, and where—in your notes. Make sure you organize the facts you find. Conclusion Conclusions simply sum up your thoughts and feelings. For a strong conclusion, give your opinions about the facts presented. What did you find interesting? What did you learn?

Revising and Responding Checklist Ask yourself . . . Does every sentence support the main idea? Are the sentences in a clear, logical order?

Try these solutions . . . Rewrite your sentences to state the main idea more clearly. Add examples to make the paragraph clearer and more interesting. Cut sentences that do not support the topic.

My Second Draft: The Revision Use these Editor’s Marks:

Check for errors in capitalization.

Capitalize.

Check for errors in punctuation.

Add a period. • Add something.

>

Use this Proofreading Checklist:

Cut something. Circle any words you think are misspelled.

Spell correctly.

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Fit for Fame Name Directions: Read a History Maker Biography. After completing the worksheet titled I Made History, answer the questions below. Who did you read about? What was this person famous for? (Choose from the categories on I Made History).

What did this person do that made him/her famous?

How did this person’s actions change your country or the world?

What do you appreciate most about this person’s accomplishments?

If this person had not lived, how might the world be different?





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I Made History Name

Date

Directions: Read the words in the boxes below. Choose the category that best fits the accomplishments of the famous person you read about. Write the name of that person in the correct category. Write the names of the famous people your classmates read about in the correct categories. This person helped to improve the lives of others because she/he: Protected America

Protected Democracy

Protected Human Rights

Invented Something

Discovered Or Rediscovered A Far Away Place

Did Something No Other Person Had Done Before

Other

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Making History Evaluation Evaluate the student’s participation and understanding using the criteria listed below. Assign point(s) possible for each task or objective before evaluating the student’s work. Student’s Name

Date

Title of Book Points Earned

Points Possible

Oral Language Skills Participated in discussions. Spoke in turn during discussions. Expressed thoughts clearly and logically. Expressed feelings about the famous person and their accomplishments. Historical Understanding and Literacy Skills Read the book. Understood the subject’s accomplishments. Correctly categorized subject’s accomplishments. Understood the significance of the famous person both in their historical context and today. Understood how ordinary people can work to contribute to the common good of others in society. Total Points Earned

Total Points Possible Comments

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In Summary Evaluate the student’s participation and understanding using the criteria listed below. Assign point(s) possible for each task or objective before evaluating the student’s work. Student’s Name

Date

Title of Book Points Earned

Points Possible

Project Skills Project was completed on time. Timeline was constructed carefully. A memorable quote was included. Illustrations were completed to the best of one’s ability. Historical Understanding and Literacy Skills Read the book. Understood the purpose for and the construction of a timeline. Events were correctly sequenced in the timeline. Important events in the subject’s life were illustrated. The timeline summarizes clearly and coherently the subject’s life and accomplishments. Total Points Earned

Total Points Possible Comments

Teaching History Maker Biographies