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ORC Resource Number #2759
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Biography Project: Research and Class Presentation
Best Practice
PROFESSIONAL COMMENTARY

This lesson sets the stage for high-interest reading with a purpose. As a class, students brainstorm a list of famous people and each student then selects an individual to research. Students locate information about the famous person by reading a biography and doing Internet research. Information gathered from research is compiled on a graphic organizer and used to teach other students in the class about the famous person's life. Students think critically as they use rubrics and written feedback to evaluate the work of their classmates and themselves. A rubric to assess an oral presentation and a sample student feedback form are available at the website. This lesson provides detailed procedures and many links to sites for online research. (author/ncl)

CAREER APPLICATION

The lesson can be adapted to require career-technical students to research biographies of people instrumental to the development of a particular career field. With minor changes, any career technical teacher can use this lesson plan to have students research the biographies of members of the field who were instrumental in developing the industry or who are keeping it up to date. Students can use this information to understand the history of their field of study and perhaps predict what direction the industry will take in the future. Using the information gained, students may also gain a better understanding of how their fields evolved into their present forms. (dam)

OHIO STANDARDS
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English Language Arts Standards
Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies Standard
Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text Standard
Research Standard
Communications: Oral and Visual Standard
NATIONAL STANDARDS
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Standards for the English Language Arts
Reading strategies, language use, and conventions
Write, speak, and visually represent to create text
Research and inquiry
RESOURCE TYPE
Instructional Resource
PRACTICE LEVEL
Best Practice
STANDARDS ALIGNMENT
Grades 6–8
CAREER FIELDS
Education & Training;
Government & Public Administration;
Law & Public Safety;
General Career Skills
TOPICS
English Language Arts --
Reading;
Strategies - Informational Texts;
Communication;
Listening;
Speaking;
Research & Inquiry;
Literature;
Nonfiction;
KEYWORDS
biography;
Internet research;
oral presentation;
graphic organizers;
note taking;
research skills
Publisher: IRA/NCTE
Author: Loraine Woodard