LITERACY lesson plans – Biography on an Influential

Person

Lesson 1:
Learning Intentions: ACARA Links:
 Students will read written texts and Text Structure and organisation:
respond to inquiry questions (ACELA1491 - Scootle )
regarding the structure of Expressing and developing ideas:
biographies (ACELT1794 - Scootle )
 They will identify the key elements Examining literature:
of a biography and practice (ACELT1610 - Scootle )
sorting/classifying information into
each category of their biographies
Teacher practice: Student practice:
 PowerPoint presentation ‘what is a  Engage in discussion, what is a
biography?’ biography?
 Video on a biography of Steve Irwin  Engage in interactive video on Steve
to set the context Irwin’s biography
 Hand students Steve Irwin short  Read Steve Irwin’s biography in full
biography  Respond to question - ‘What are
 Pose question – ‘What are some key some key elements that most
elements that most biographies biographies include?’
include?’  Suggest elements to be
 Brainstorm on the whiteboard brainstormed on whiteboard
regarding Steve Irwin’s biography regarding Steve Irwin’s biography
Evaluation/homework:
 Students hand back written biography of Steve Irwin
 Write a short bio (biography) of a family member that includes at least 4 elements
that are included in biographies
Lesson 2:
Learning Intentions: ACARA Links:
 Students will respond to inquiry Text Structure and organisation:
questions regarding the elements (ACELA1491 - Scootle )
within a biography Expressing and developing ideas:
 They will use brainstorming (ACELT1794 - Scootle )
techniques to find an array of ideas Examining literature:
to compare and contrast the (ACELT1610 - Scootle )
elements in a biography
 They will identify the key elements
of a biography and practice
sorting/classifying information into
each category of their biographies
Teacher practice: Student practice:
 Biography homework sharing  Students share their short
 What does influential mean? biographies of a family member
 Who is influential in your life? with their table partners
 Video of Usain Bolt
LITERACY lesson plans – Biography on an Influential
Person
 Brainstorming - Who is influential in  Students will turn to their shoulder
your life? THINK, PAIR, SHARE partners and discuss inquiry
 Explore ideas of how to find questions such as – ‘What does
important biography elements influential mean?’ and ‘Who is
 Brainstorm – ‘What are some key influential in your life?’
elements that most biographies  Brainstorm – ‘What are some key
include?’ elements that most biographies
include?’
 Choose ONE influential person in
their lives
 Start researching the background of
their chosen person to start filling in
the template
Evaluation/homework:
• If not complete in class, they are to choose ONE influential person in their life
• Start researching the background of the chosen person and start filling in the
biography elements template
• The first column of the task needs to be complete before next lesson
Lesson 3:
Learning Intentions: ACARA Links:
 Students will form cohesive rapport Text Structure and organisation:
with their table partners when (ACELA1491 - Scootle )
discussing the details of their Expressing and developing ideas:
biography (ACELT1794 - Scootle )
 Students will use research Examining literature:
techniques to locate relevant (ACELT1610 - Scootle )
information that will be used in Creating literature:
their biography writing (ACELT1794 - Scootle )
Teacher practice: Student practice:
 Discussion - Turn to your shoulder  Students discuss who they have
partner and tell them: chosen to write their influential
- The influential person you have person’s biography on, and 4 facts
chosen to write a biography on about this person
- 4 facts about this person (you  Students are to continue their
should have completed many more research
for homework)  Extension - When complete, they
 Instruct students to continue with are to find 1x portrait photo of their
their research and complete column influential person
2 and 3  THEN, they will start trying to put
the information collected on their
charts into sentences!
Evaluation/homework:
• Find 1x portrait photo of the influential person
• Fill in the homework sheet – How/why are they influential to you?

Teacher – MARK ELEMENTS OF A BIOGRAPHY WORK SHEET

LITERACY lesson plans – Biography on an Influential
Person
Lesson 4:
Learning Intentions: ACARA Links:
 Students will form cohesive rapport Text Structure and organisation:
with their shoulder partners when (ACELA1491 - Scootle )
discussing the structure of a Expressing and developing ideas:
biography (ACELT1794 - Scootle )
 Students in interpret biographies to Examining literature:
determine the key elements that (ACELT1610 - Scootle )
need to be included in a biography Creating texts:
 Students will start writing their (ACELY1694 - Scootle )
biographies, keeping in mind (ACELY1704 - Scootle )
language techniques such as third
person tense and correct pronouns
Teacher practice: Student practice:
 Run through the structure of a  Students will turn to their shoulder
biography partners are say 1 or 2 sentences of
 Run through the correct use of third how/why their chosen person is
person pronouns influential to them
 Teacher will use student’s  Students are handed the paper on
suggestions to scaffold a short the biography of Steve Irwin
biography of Steve Irwin on the  Student’s will suggest elements of
board how to structure a biography of
 After scaffolding - the teacher will Steve Irwin for the teacher to write
hand back students their marked on the board
‘elements of a biography’ work  Students will use their completed
sheet ‘elements of a biography’ work
 Hand out student self-assessment sheet to start writing their
task and explain what it will be used biography of an influential person in
for their life
Evaluation/homework:
• Write an additional 2x sentences of the biography of the influential person they
have chosen
Lesson 5:
Learning Intentions: ACARA Links:
 Students will finish Text Structure and organisation:
planning/drafting/writing their (ACELA1491 - Scootle )
biographies on an influential person Expressing and developing ideas:
in their life (ACELT1794 - Scootle )
 Students look at the characteristics Examining literature:
of personality traits to determine (ACELT1610 - Scootle )
which ones are the best fit for their Creating texts:
influential person (ACELY1694 - Scootle )
(ACELY1704 - Scootle )
Teacher practice: Student practice:
 Assist any students that may be  Students will use their completed
struggling with the work ‘elements of a biography’ work
LITERACY lesson plans – Biography on an Influential
Person
 Hand out personality traits task to sheet to continue writing their
the students who finish early biography of an influential person in
 Scaffold any inquiry questions that their life
the students come up with to make  Students need to complete their
them more personal and symbolic biography writing
 Re-read their work and fix any
mistakes
Extension:
 Complete personality traits task
 Write down one question they
would like to ask their influential
person if they see/meet them
Evaluation/homework:
• Complete their biography writing
• Complete personality traits task
• Write down one question they would like to ask their influential person if they
see/meet them
Lesson 6:
Learning Intentions: ACARA Links:
 Students will design and create their Text Structure and organisation:
poster presentation on a person (ACELA1491 - Scootle )
who is influential to them, using the Expressing and developing ideas:
information they have collected to (ACELT1794 - Scootle )
write their biographies Examining literature:
 Use a range of materials to create (ACELT1610 - Scootle )
their poster presentations to ensure Creating texts:
they are engaging (ACELY1694 - Scootle )
(ACELY1704 - Scootle )
Teacher practice: Student practice:
 The teacher will scaffold the making  Students will start to create their
of the biography posters, setting poster presentations on the
clear examples of how they want influential person they have chosen
the posters to be laid out to write the biography on
 They will address everything that  Students use all their written work
needs to be included in their to display the information on the
biography posters and ensure the posters, whilst also including an
students refer to their self- image of the influential person they
assessment checklist when finalising have chosen
their work  Students can use a variety of
engaging materials to design and
create their posers such as card
paper, pencils, textas and craft
supplies
Evaluation/homework:
• Evaluation of their poster presentation needs to be completed