Cooperative Biography
What is a Cooperative Biography?
It is reading and composing a biography of an outstanding citizen. It is absorbing and doing history. It is an authentic way to integrate history, geography, civics, and language arts.
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How to start a cooperative biography project:
· Learn about the person
a. Reflect: How did/does this outstanding citizen help shape history for the next generation? How did/does the geographic setting influence his/her life? What type of citizen is/was your outstanding citizen? Who are/were the people that influence(d) his/her life? What is your outstanding citizen’s legacy to the United States and/or the world?
b. Research: Consult videos, books, children’s literature, magazines, articles, and/or the Internet to learn about your outstanding citizen
c. Identify your audience – Who will read this biography (grade level – early childhood/ primary level or intermediate level)?
d. Objective: What do you want the reader to learn?
· Consider your format
Your cooperative biography can take on any format/medium. Let your imagination and creative guide you in constructing your project. Here are some examples:
a. Book/booklet e. Song h. Time capsule (containing artifacts)
b. PowerPoint/Prezi presentation f. Video/movie i. Artifacts
c. Scrapbook g. Facebook page j. Radio Broadcast/TV show
· Develop biographies alone or in small groups (2-4) and use the Jigsaw method (each group member having a significant role) to compose your biography. Your Cooperative Biography is required to include the following:
a. Write five chapters or sections: Each chapter/section will be a description of one event in your outstanding citizen’s life.
2 events before their historical/memorable act in history
the historical/memorable act in history
2 events after their historical/memorable act in history.
b. Illustrations for each chapter/section
Original drawings
Primary/secondary documents
Clip art
c. A timeline of events not already included in project (Placed at the end or embedded within project)
Events of your outstanding citizen
Global events (things that were happening around the world)
d. Map (Embedded within your project)
Provides a geographical setting
Should connect to your biography
e. Glossary of terms (Placed at the end of your project)
A glossary of terms you highlighted/emphasized in your biography, at least 5
Words students may need to know in order to grasp the content
Do NOT literally highlight these words
Underline, italicize, or bold
f. Tribute page
Describe (at least one paragraph) why your person is an outstanding citizen
Should be embedded within your project (not a sheet of paper separately submitted)
List sources (bullet points) used to learn about this person (APA not needed)
COOPERATIVE BIOGRAPHY CHECKLIST
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The following are tasks you and your group members should complete to stay on track in creating your cooperative biography.
1. Pre-writing activities (working in groups of 3-4)
a) Identify your outstanding citizen (does not have to be a U.S. citizen)
Known/unknown (Examples are listed below)
· Rosa Parks
· Lady Diana
· Blake Mycoskie (founder of TOMS)
· Amelia Earhart
· War veteran
· Local hero/community activist
b) Build your background knowledge of your outstanding citizen
Read children’s literature, articles, non-fiction books
Revisit content knowledge paper (if building from your lesson plans)
Consult websites
· History.com
· Scholastic.com
· not Wikipedia
View videos
Conduct interviews
c) Consider/identify events to include in chapters and timeline
d) Decide on the grade level this project is geared towards
e) Discuss the format of the project
2. Begin to write chapters/sections
a) Describe the 5 events to highlight in the biography
b) Make text developmentally appropriate for target grade level
c) Check for grammar, spelling, and sentence structure
d) Keep a running list of glossary (use developmentally appropriate definitions) AND sources
3. Compile biography
a) Put sections/chapters together ( if working in groups, each section should easily flow together)
b) Illustrations are neatly inserted in biography (primary/secondary documents, original artwork, Clip Art, etc.)
c) Even distribution of illustrations and text
4. Final step/Before submitting
a) Review your project to check for errors
b) Compare your project to grading rubric
It is reading and composing a biography of an outstanding citizen. It is absorbing and doing history. It is an authentic way to integrate history, geography, civics, and language arts.
****************************************************************************************************************
How to start a cooperative biography project:
· Learn about the person
a. Reflect: How did/does this outstanding citizen help shape history for the next generation? How did/does the geographic setting influence his/her life? What type of citizen is/was your outstanding citizen? Who are/were the people that influence(d) his/her life? What is your outstanding citizen’s legacy to the United States and/or the world?
b. Research: Consult videos, books, children’s literature, magazines, articles, and/or the Internet to learn about your outstanding citizen
c. Identify your audience – Who will read this biography (grade level – early childhood/ primary level or intermediate level)?
d. Objective: What do you want the reader to learn?
· Consider your format
Your cooperative biography can take on any format/medium. Let your imagination and creative guide you in constructing your project. Here are some examples:
a. Book/booklet e. Song h. Time capsule (containing artifacts)
b. PowerPoint/Prezi presentation f. Video/movie i. Artifacts
c. Scrapbook g. Facebook page j. Radio Broadcast/TV show
· Develop biographies alone or in small groups (2-4) and use the Jigsaw method (each group member having a significant role) to compose your biography. Your Cooperative Biography is required to include the following:
a. Write five chapters or sections: Each chapter/section will be a description of one event in your outstanding citizen’s life.
2 events before their historical/memorable act in history
the historical/memorable act in history
2 events after their historical/memorable act in history.
b. Illustrations for each chapter/section
Original drawings
Primary/secondary documents
Clip art
c. A timeline of events not already included in project (Placed at the end or embedded within project)
Events of your outstanding citizen
Global events (things that were happening around the world)
d. Map (Embedded within your project)
Provides a geographical setting
Should connect to your biography
e. Glossary of terms (Placed at the end of your project)
A glossary of terms you highlighted/emphasized in your biography, at least 5
Words students may need to know in order to grasp the content
Do NOT literally highlight these words
Underline, italicize, or bold
f. Tribute page
Describe (at least one paragraph) why your person is an outstanding citizen
Should be embedded within your project (not a sheet of paper separately submitted)
List sources (bullet points) used to learn about this person (APA not needed)
COOPERATIVE BIOGRAPHY CHECKLIST
************************************************************************************************************
The following are tasks you and your group members should complete to stay on track in creating your cooperative biography.
1. Pre-writing activities (working in groups of 3-4)
a) Identify your outstanding citizen (does not have to be a U.S. citizen)
Known/unknown (Examples are listed below)
· Rosa Parks
· Lady Diana
· Blake Mycoskie (founder of TOMS)
· Amelia Earhart
· War veteran
· Local hero/community activist
b) Build your background knowledge of your outstanding citizen
Read children’s literature, articles, non-fiction books
Revisit content knowledge paper (if building from your lesson plans)
Consult websites
· History.com
· Scholastic.com
· not Wikipedia
View videos
Conduct interviews
c) Consider/identify events to include in chapters and timeline
d) Decide on the grade level this project is geared towards
e) Discuss the format of the project
2. Begin to write chapters/sections
a) Describe the 5 events to highlight in the biography
b) Make text developmentally appropriate for target grade level
c) Check for grammar, spelling, and sentence structure
d) Keep a running list of glossary (use developmentally appropriate definitions) AND sources
3. Compile biography
a) Put sections/chapters together ( if working in groups, each section should easily flow together)
b) Illustrations are neatly inserted in biography (primary/secondary documents, original artwork, Clip Art, etc.)
c) Even distribution of illustrations and text
4. Final step/Before submitting
a) Review your project to check for errors
b) Compare your project to grading rubric