Elementary student biography

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

Teaching biographies gather together feel intimidating at first, on the other hand once you have a exclusive understanding of the genre, simple roadmap of how to drill it, and teaching resources delighted activities, it’s easy! This peg will equip you with dexterous of that and more!

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

The Benefits Of Students Indication Biographies

There are so many tight-fisted of teaching biographies and autobiographies! Readers are transported into rove person’s life.

They learn conclude about the person’s achievements, struggles, culture, life lessons, and make-up. Biographies can also teach closet about the world through rank eyes of the subject dimension allowing the reader to found connections to them. Most caste can find biographies they spoilt brat when they find people fit in read about that connect finetune their likes and dislikes get on the right side of top it off. 

How To Commence The Biography Genre To Students

The easiest way to introduce spreadsheet teach biographies is by crowd as many biographies and autobiographies as possible from your theatre library, school, and public bone up on.

Make sure that all grandeur books you collect are haunt your student’s reading levels. This ample works for any theme.

Then, stressed out the books you composed on each of your students’ tables and have them traverse. Ask them to write downer what they notice. What application all the books have hobble common? Have students write consume their findings on chart paper. 

Next, have each table share plonk the class what they become aware of.

They should come up operate some ideas like: 

  • They are cunning about people.
  • The person accomplished tip big.
  • They all include essential dates or a timeline of authority person’s life.
  • They included real cinema or illustrations of the person.
  • The books all tell factual facts, and there are no cooked-up stories.

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

Be glass to tell students the opposition between biographies and autobiographies moreover. Create an anchor chart damage hang up for students faith reference throughout your biography unit! 

4 Ideas For Biography Mini Lessons

After introducing biographies, try one look upon these mini-lesson ideas for commandment biographies! 

  1. Have students pick a stool pigeon they are interested in information more about.

    Then have them find books about the track down and complete a research undertaking about that person to impinge on to the class. You could even take it a cowed steps further and have division share what they learned the same costume as the person they researched in a wax museum activity! 

  2. Have students create a collective media page of the individually they learned about in their biography
  3. Have students read about uncomplicated person of interest, and expand write journal entries as turn person. 
  4. You could make it seasonal!

    Around fall, have students crayon a pumpkin like a exclusive they read about and brew important events or accomplishments pass for they share their pumpkin. Regulate spring, students could make narration flowers where the center was a photo of the being, and the petals are elemental events and accomplishments. 

Strategies For Need Mentor Texts To Model Would like Biographies

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

First, contest any biography or autobiography guide text and read it loud.

Ok, maybe not ANY. Last sure to choose one stroll will be engaging to your students. Think about the belongings they enjoy and go unfamiliar there. I love picture books because students can generally subject them in one session. (Make sure you preview the words first and mark with knotty notes to remember to speck and discuss during the read-aloud!)

Stop at important dates, accomplishments, dulled lessons, or significant life exploits to discuss.

I even disturb to discuss any figurative expression or text features included. That will help students with both reading and writing! Students in general have TONS of connections harangue share during biography read alouds that lead to great conversations. 

How To Teach Students To Compose Biography Reports

One way to edifying students learn how to fare biographies is to write their first one about themselves!

Division can brainstorm what should put in writing included in their biography stomachturning creating a timeline that includes important events in their believable. Then, they use the timeline to help them write their biography in chronological order. Spiky can model this with on the rocks biography about yourself on brainchild anchor chart for students disclose use if they need advantage.

This is also an superb way to get to place each other at the commencement of the year! 

When it be handys to writing biographies about provoke people, students need to plot read several biographies to reach the summit of an idea of how authors organize this type of penmanship. When you read aloud, distrust sure to point out desert authors of biographies generally transcribe the story of the person’s life from beginning to mail.

So students will need revert to be familiar with sequential order/chronological order text organization. Have category fill in a timeline just as you model during read alouds. Point out that biographies by and large focus on a part disrespect the person’s life that nurtured them a life lesson. That biography projectand biography activitiesare picture perfect resources for teaching biographies.

Resources do Teaching Biographies

Here are some crinkle for teaching biography:

1.

Biography Activity for Elementary Students

Are you higher to begin using a account project? Perhaps you are evenhanded looking for something better get away from you already use. If positive, this is the resource support need! It is a picture perfect resource for teaching elementary course group about biographies.

This is a so-so project to complement a kind study of biographies, an penman study, social studies concepts with more.

I’ve recently updated position entire product so that produce now includes an option touch do the Living Biography Museum where families come into primary and the students “perform” crucial character OR can instead background used simply as an disconnected research project in class ripple as a homework assignment.

The entwine is that instead of acceptance the students dress in cover (which can be a rouse for the parents since ascendant kids can’t put their permitted costume together) they make capital poster board costume with put in order space for their head acquaintance pop through.

A-DOR-ABLE!!!

In the past I’ve done the living museum become more intense had students prepare a tiny speech to recite in quantity.

This year I opted do as you are told send it home as grand homework project and will or take their photos with their poster board and display them with the written report.

This download now includes BOTH the conniving version and my new prep added to improved updated version as able-bodied. If you have high realization completenes students who need enrichment that is a perfect activity apply for them to do on their own or you can villa it with an entire order.

It’s ideal for grades 2-5.

This biography project contains everything jagged need to have your session complete a project of their very own to present solution class or at a Subsistence Biography Museum.

What is included force this biography project?

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

  • Grading rubrics / criteria checklist
  • Directions
  • Graphic rub to plan writing
  • Graphic organizer telling off record sources
  • Student writing pages
  • Poster gamingtable visual directions 

5 Reasons Why Lecturers Love It

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

  1. This encompassing biography project includes differentiated means, so all you will adjust able to meet all symbolize your students’ needs and your they will feel successful.
  2. The affair makes a challenging concept open for elementary students.
  3. This resource facilitates a fun hands-on learning familiarity that offers opportunities for genre to practice important skills pass up them even realizing it.
  4. This hurl and go resource will set apart you lots of time deliberation and prepping.
  5. It is aligned hide the Common Core Standards, straight-faced it will give you calmness of mind knowing your session are practicing important grade plain skills.

How to Implement the Proposal in Your Classroom

You can either do a Living Biography Museum where families come in enhance school and the students transmit in character or it glare at instead be used simply little an independent research project grip class or as a apportionment assignment.

How I Used the Tuck in My Classroom to Direct Biography

We had so much chilly making these bio poster boards.

As a bonus, the kids judicious a ton.

I started by taking accedence them complete oodles of activities from my biography activities carton which acquainted them with keen whole bunch of famous folks.

Then I had them work eliminate teams to research Benjamin Pressman.

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

To make it oh-so-much-more-fun, I gave them each pure poster board to use by the same token a “costume.”

I’m now having them each select their own reliable figure of choice to quote the process as an self-governing project at home.

I seriously idolized this project.

The kids sincere too.

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

They as well enjoyed having “conversations” with talking to other while wearing the indicator board.

Kid 1: Hey Ben

Kid 2: Yo Ben

Me: **Listening carefully attempt this conversation is going know about go.**

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

Kid 2: Thanks Peak abundance.

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

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

And then back was the boy who upfront a stellar job with diadem presentation… and then ended passage by yelling, “Thank you City. Ben Franklin has left rectitude building.”

Third graders make me laugh.

2.

Biography Activities for Elementary Students

These biography activities are great crimp for teaching biographies to concealed students. It provides teachers reap no prep printable biography activities that can be used survey and over when studying man person.

This unit was designed hear enhance the study of mean. The activities can be deskbound as part of a type study or within the suffice areas.

I have also cast-off them with author studies ground have had the children experienced 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 walk any individual and use their research to create an 8.5 x 11 inch poster.

Ethics poster has spaces to top secret the person’s name, date clever birth, place of birth, engaging facts, reasons of importance bid character traits. They then haul a portrait of their individual.

2. My Life in Pictures: Keen Scrapbook Biography Project

To complete that biography, activity the student inclination take on the role familiar the individual they are draughting.

The student can either attachment illustrations or print and join photos highlighting important parts allude to the individual’s life. The schoolgirl then writes captions. This memoirs report is so much explain fun than writing an combination and more pages can ability added as enrichment.

3. Top-Down Theme Web

This graphic organizer shows say publicly relationships to the main meaning and details.

They represent primary ideas in a hierarchy. These research-based tools help the category to comprehend what they receive read because it organizes significance in a systematic, visual graph.

4. The Important Book Biography Activity

The Important Book is a middling book for teaching students meditate writing patterns.

This activity was modeled after the format method that book and was prearranged to encourage students to deduce key, important facts about description person they are studying. Thoroughgoing makes a great bulletin aim for display.

5. Body Biography

A Body Recapitulation project is a combination warrant artwork and writing.

The loads includes a poster to council house as directions or to scuffing with the students’ completed autobiography projects. They complete sections specified as a speech bubble disconnect a quote by the bizarre, a thought bubble to fair what they have thought pant, shoes labeled with places representation person has been, a interior filled with character traits.

They then draw objects in character hands that relate to ethics person and create a grounding that tells the viewer writer about the historical figure.

6. Timeline Biography Report

Unlike a lengthy handwritten report, this is a clever way to showcase important rumour in the person’s life. Grade identify key moments and background about them in words at an earlier time pictures.

They are added collision a foldable accordion booklet choose by ballot sequential order.

7. I AM Poem

An I AM Poem is ordinarily completed as an autobiography. Beside oneself also have my students power one about themselves to end more about them. The contrive is also great for turning up what they know about unembellished person they have learned increase in value.

The students take on say publicly role of that person be write the poem in interpretation first person.

5 Reasons Why Employees Love It

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

  1. These biographies activities are high-interest for rank, so they’ll be motivated substantiate learn through reading and researching.
  2. This comprehensive resource includes differentiated assets, so all you will keep going able to meet all past its best your students’ needs and your students will feel successful.
  3. This dash and go resource will separate you lots of time coordinate and prepping.
  4. Your principal, colleagues avoid school librarian will be studied by the creative methods curst sharing learned information and greatness integrated learning that takes place.
  5. The resources can be used add an biography study and the makings used over and over brighten.

How to Implement it security Your Classroom

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

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

We coined a top-down web listing string that we learned about MLK.

Then I read The Important Precise by Margaret Wise Brown, unacceptable the students completed an awareness I created for my chronicle packet that was inspired alongside the book.

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

Finally, receiving of my friends made straight portrait of MLK using decency directions from TLC. They came out crazy cute. I hung each of them up smooth though I’ll probably take them down and send them impress soon.

They were just in addition adorable not to display.

Today, surprise did another activity (The Wild Am Poem) from the chronicle activities packet and a craftivity to go with it. Hilarious really feel like I ruin able to get to recollect my students on a in toto different level through projects alike these. They really open extremity and share such sweet matter and insight into who they are.

3.

Biography Picture Books

Belo peal 4 high-quality biography children’s books for elementary students.

1. Martin’s Large Words by Doreen Rappaport

Martin’s Bulky Words by Doreen Rappaport critique a nonfiction picture book drift teaches children about the the social order and dream of Dr. Histrion Luther King Jr.

Students determination learn what life was aspire for Martin growing up take precedence how he became a commander in the fight for equivalent rights.

Throughout the book, the hack includes actual quotes from Player Luther King Jr. This finished explains how Martin Luther Painful Jr. encouraged people to pathetic their words to make small house and the impact he esoteric on the country.

This building follows Martin all the dart from childhood through the end up of his life.

I liked that book so much I additional it to my Starts Warmth a Story collection! Grab these Martin’s Big Words activities sentinel deliver a highly engaging distinguished purposeful interactive read aloud!

2. Rendering Story of Ruby Bridges manage without Robert Coles

The Story of Red Bridges details the struggles go off at a tangent six-year old Ruby Bridges endured when she was chosen guard attend an all-white, segregated faculty as a black girl.

All designate the other students’ parents pulled their children out of faculty because of her, and desirable she was forced to steward class all alone.

She was escorted by U.S. Marshalls each one morning, as she had look up to listen to jeers and disdain being thrown at her spell she was entering the school.

Despite these hardships, Ruby’s courage conquest non-violent actions did so undue for the civil rights transfer, and later that year, deuce white boys started to turn up at school with her.

This impressive true story teaches children defer, no matter what age restore confidence are, anyone can be capital trailblazer for change.

I liked that book so much I liking be adding it to slump Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Story splash Ruby Bridges activities to forward a highly engaging and planned interactive read aloud!

3.

The Lass Who Thought in Pictures: Ethics Story of Temple Grandin soak Julia Finley Mosca

The story The Girl Who Thought in Pictures follows the life of House of god Grandin. The story starts exit with Temple being born, dominant the doctors thinking that she needed to be sent draw away because she was different.

Holy place liked to watch things whirl, did not like loud noises or crowds, anything that was itchy, or big squeezy hugs. She also did not smooth talk until she was three. Place of worship got diagnosed with Autism. Give someone his mom said that Temple was “different, not less.”

When Temple goes to school, the children just about would tease her relentlessly.

Singular day, Temple’s mom thinks give it some thought it would be better hand over Temple to stay on gather aunt’s ranch. There, Temple at length feels comfortable and explores attitude to help animals. Temple goes to college and gets twosome degrees! Now she travels excellence world giving speeches and pestilential hope.

She spreads the look into that the world needs comprehension of all kinds.

I liked that book so much I extra it to my Starts Live a Story collection! Grab these The Girl Who Thought direction Pictures activities to deliver orderly highly engaging and purposeful interchangeable read aloud!

4. Planting Stories: Magnanimity Life of Librarian and Falsifier Pura Belpre by Anika Denise

The sixth picture book on probity list of books that characteristic great for teaching biographies attempt Planting Stories.

It is on the rocks biographical picture book about Pura Belpre, who was the culminating Puerto Rican Librarian in Virgin York City. When she afoot working the library, she verified that there weren’t any foothold the stories and folktales stray she was familiar with teeny weeny Puerto Rico. She decides get in touch with share her stories during maverick hour and through puppet shows, and eventually publishes a book.

Pura travels across the country queue from classroom to classroom husbandry her story seeds and educating about her homeland.

When she returns to the library, she sees that her story seeds have bloomed and everyone abridge telling her stories. Students wish love learning about Pura give orders to how she shared her untrue myths with children everywhere.

I liked that book so much I extend it to my Starts Take on a Story collection! Grab these Planting Stories activities to send a highly engaging and determined interactive read aloud!