| Lesson Plan ID: |
1976 |
| Title: |
Alabama Biographies of the 20th Century |
| Overview/Annotation: |
In this lesson, students will recognize and examine the lives of Alabamians who have impacted the lives of others and the history of the state with their notable contributions during the first half and last half of the twentieth century. This interdisciplinary lesson relates social studies, language arts and reading. Through this inquiry study, students will choose one of the famous Alabamians, research the person's contributions, write a short biographical summary, and as an extension, create a 3-D scan picture relating to the life and times of the individual. |
| Content Standard(s): |
| SS(4) Alabama Studies | 10. Describe significant social and educational changes in Alabama during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. | | ELA(4) | 3. Use a wide range of strategies, including distinguishing fiction from nonfiction and making inferences, to comprehend fourth-grade recreational reading materials in a variety of genres. | | ELA(4) | 5. Use a wide range of strategies and skills, including using sentence structure, locating information, and distinguishing fact from fiction, to comprehend fourth-grade informational and functional reading materials. | | ELA(4) | 8. Compose descriptive texts using an introductory paragraph, sensory details, vivid language, and a conclusion. | | ELA(4) | 12. Organize information on a specific topic obtained from grade-appropriate reference materials. | | TC2(3-5) | 8. Collect information from a variety of digital sources. |
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| Local/National Standards: |
Library Media Skills Objective: Students will use the structure of biographies and a notetaking device to gather pertinent information in order to write a summary about a historical Alabamian.
K-4 History #3
K-4 Theater #5 (Extension activity) |
| Primary Learning Objective(s): |
Students will take notes in a structured format to write a biographical summary.
Students will identify the accomplishment of Alabamians during the 20th century. |
| Additional Learning Objective(s): |
Students will create a 3-D scan project.
Students will discuss biographical information in an oral report.
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| Approximate Duration of the Lesson: |
Greater than 120 Minutes |
| Materials and Equipment: |
Textbook: Alabama -Its History and Geography, pages 274-292 & pages 412-441
(textbook on tape if available)
Chart with tips about biographies
Biography Wheel graphic organizer
3-5 items to scan relating to biographical subject
cloth fabric for scan project
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| Technology Resources Needed: |
Computer Lab if available for students to type essay
Computer with Internet acess
Encyclopedia CD-ROM's
scanner
floppy disks-one for each student
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| Background/Preparation: |
Ask library media specialist to introduce students to the location and structure of biographies.
Prepare biography chart.
Make copies of graphic organizer.
Put names to be researched in a hat for students to draw.
Bookmark websites.
* prerequisite--children should have experience in notetaking and essay writing. If not, you may wnat to model one Alabamian from the reading, note-taking, all the way to the writing of the summary.
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| Procedures/Activities: |
1.)Engagement/Motivational Activity:(15 min.)
Students preview and predict chapter 12 & 18 in the Alabama History textbook looking for famous Alabamians who have made notable contributions.
Students will list the name of each Alabamian on the board within an attribute grid containing the following information:
government, science, education, business, writing & the arts, entertainment, sports
(As students locate people, the names of notable Alabamians will go under the category of the contribution)
2.)(30 min.)
Students will draw or pick one person to research from the grid.
The teacher will share the biography chart (A biography is a written account of a person's life. Biographer's usually include a chronology of the events of the subject's life. An example of chronological order would be the following: birth, early education, family life, career/job, major contribution to history.)
The teacher will model how to pick out important or interesting ideas.
The teacher will pass out biography wheels for notetaking.
3.)DAY 2 (30-45 min.)
The student will read only the selected textbook pages about the person he/she is researching, then use the biography wheel graphic organizer(containing items from the listing in step 2) to take notes and gain information about his/her biographical subject, finding and writing one interesting or important idea in each piece of the wheel.
Students may get additional information from other resources such as the Internet, Encyclopedia CD-ROMS,or library books.
4.)DAY 3 (30-45 min.)
Students will take notes from the wheel to organize content into a written summary.
The class will use the following format:
OPENING SENTENCE-One notable contribution during the 20th century came from _________________.
Paragraph 1: include birth, early education, family life
Paragraph 2: include career/job, a least one major contribution
Paragraph 3: include death, one reason to be thankful for this person's contribution
CLOSING SENTENCE-So you can see, ______impacted the lives of others and history.
5.)DAY 4 (30-45 min.)
Students will bring 3-5 objects that represent the life, contributions, personality, etc. of the notable personalities to be scanned, placing objects on the scanner and then placing a cloth over the top.
The teacher will guide students through the scan project, saving to a disk, and printing.
The student will take the picture and his/her written (or typed) essay and place the two together on a two-page spread.
6.)Day 5 (30 min)
The students will present their biographical findings using the 2-page spread during a 1-3 minute oral class report.
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| Attachments:**Some files will display in a new window. Others will prompt you to download. |
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| Assessment Strategies: |
Completion of written biographical essay and 3-D scan picture on a 2- page spread.
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| Extension: |
Teacher may compile student 2-page spreads and bind them into a book titled: Notable Alabamians in the 20th Century.
Have student present essay as a monologue with a costume or prop.
Use biography format to apply to another content area such as scientists or authors.
Make and play a Jeopardy-type game using the categories from the attribute grid in the beginning and have each student write Jeopardy-type answers about his/her person. |
| Remediation: |
Teacher may model one research/ inquiry lesson and biographical writing activity with a small group or whole class. |
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Each area below is a direct link to general teaching strategies/classroom
accommodations
for students with identified learning and/or behavior problems such as: reading
or math performance below grade level; test or classroom assignments/quizzes at
a failing level; failure to complete assignments independently; difficulty with
short-term memory, abstract concepts, staying on task, or following directions;
poor peer interaction or temper tantrums, and other learning or behavior problems.
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| Presentation of Material
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Environment |
| Time Demands |
Materials |
| Attention |
Using Groups and Peers |
| Assisting the Reluctant Starter
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Dealing with Inappropriate
Behavior |
Be sure to check the student's IEP for specific accommodations. |
| Variations Submitted by ALEX Users: |
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