biography video for second grade

Biographies

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The BEST Elementary Biography Project

Looking for a fun, new research and writing project for your elementary kiddos? This living wax museum is a great way to tie together reading, writing, social studies and speaking and listening skills all in one fun project. I have done this project with second through fourth graders and they have all loved it.

Start this project off by having your students select what famous figure they want to research, or by assigning them a famous figure. My ABSOLUTE favorite books for us to conduct our research are the “Who Was” Series by Jim Gigliotti. They are perfect for on-level/higher second graders, and are most appropriate for third and fourth grade students.

Typically, I will introduce the project, show the students my example, and then briefly introduce all of the famous figures that they can pick from. I then let them go one by one and pick which person they want to research.

For my second graders, I always have one group (my lower level readers) that work together to collect our research all on the same person, but then I release them to each write their own reports.

We spend about one week reading our books and researching our influential figure. While they work, they take notes on important aspects of that person’s life. There are also a ton of great books on Epic ! that students can use for additional research and ideas.

After our notes are compiled, students begin writing their drafts for their research reports. I have students write 6 total paragraphs about their famous figures. We do an introduction, a paragraph about their early life, a paragraph about why they are famous, fun facts, a paragraph about a character trait that best describes them and why, and then a closing.

We spend about 1-1 & 1/2 weeks working on our writing. We write about a paragraph or 2 per day, then take our writing through the revising/editing/publishing process. I then give students a good 2-3 days to spend a TON of time publishing their work to the best of their capability, using their best handwriting and best pictures that they can.

Wax Museum: Speaking & Listening

We end this project by inviting parents and other classes to come watch us present our reports. This is a fun time where the students get to dress up like their famous person, bring in props and practice speaking in front of an audience. We always get amazing feedback from the parents and from other classroom teachers. This component is totally optional, but completely worth it!

I always send home a student letter at the beginning of the project so that parents have ample time to help students gather materials for their costumes and to help them get a good understanding of who their influential figure is.

Distance Learning / Digital Learning :

Is your school closed for an extended period of time due to this crazy virus? This project is a GREAT way for students to continue learning at home. Simply send the PDF to parents to print at home (or print at school if you still have access), and send students to Epic or your local online library to find biographies on the person of their choice. Then, add a digital component by having students upload their videos to Google Classroom, SeeSaw or the digital platform of your choice. This is a great way to provide a few weeks of reading/writing plans to parents, while incorporating choice in student learning still.

Recommended Resources :

Snag everything you need for the biography research and writing reports in this Biography Writing Resource .

Click here for a compilation of all of my favorite “Who Was” characters to research for this project. These books are the perfect level for 2nd-4th graders, and are really affordable (between $2-4 each by following my Amazon affiliate link.)

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Teaching Biographies To Elementary Students (Grades 1-5) in 2024

Teaching biographies can feel intimidating at first, but once you have a solid understanding of the genre, a roadmap of how to teach it, and teaching resources and activities, it’s easy! This post will equip you with all of that and more! You’ll feel prepared (and maybe even excited) about teaching biographies (especially if you are using this biography project and these biography activities )!

The Benefits Of Students Reading Biographies

There are so many benefits of teaching biographies and autobiographies! Readers are transported into that person’s life. They learn all about the person’s achievements, struggles, culture, life lessons, and personality. Biographies can also teach us about the world through the eyes of the subject while allowing the reader to make connections to them. Most students can find biographies they enjoy when they find people to read about that connect with their likes and dislikes to top it off. 

How To Introduce The Biography Genre To Students

The easiest way to introduce and teach biographies is by gathering as many biographies and autobiographies as possible from your classroom library, school, and public library. Make sure that all the books you collect are around your student’s reading levels. This idea works for any theme.

Then, set out the books you collected on each of your students’ tables and have them explore. Ask them to write down what they notice. What do all the books have in common? Have students write down their findings on chart paper. 

Next, have each table share with the class what they noticed. They should come up with some ideas like: 

• They are all about people.
• The person accomplished something big.
• They all include essential dates or a timeline of the person’s life.
• They included real pictures or illustrations of the person.
• The books all tell factual information, and there are no made-up stories.

Lastly, tell students that books with these characteristics are called biographies or autobiographies. Be sure to tell students the difference between biographies and autobiographies too. Create an anchor chart to hang up for students to reference throughout your biography unit! 

4 Ideas For Biography Mini Lessons

After introducing biographies, try one of these mini-lesson ideas for teaching biographies! 

• Have students pick a person they are interested in learning more about. Then have them find books about the person and complete a research project about that person to present to the class. You could even take it a few steps further and have students share what they learned in costume as the person they researched in a wax museum activity! 
• Have students create a social media page of the person they learned about in their biography
• Have students read about a person of interest, and then write journal entries as that person. 
• You could make it seasonal! Around fall, have students paint a pumpkin like a person they read about and present important events or accomplishments as they share their pumpkin. In spring, students could make biography flowers where the center was a photo of the person, and the petals are important events and accomplishments. 

Strategies For Using Mentor Texts To Model Reading Biographies

Teaching biographies is simple when you use these strategies!

First, pick any biography or autobiography mentor text and read it aloud. Ok, maybe not ANY. Be sure to choose one that will be engaging to your students. Think about the things they enjoy and go from there. I love picture books because students can generally read them in one session. (Make sure you preview the text first and mark with sticky notes to remember to stop and discuss during the read-aloud!)

Stop at important dates, accomplishments, life lessons, or significant life events to discuss. I even stop to discuss any figurative language or text features included. This will help students with both reading and writing! Students generally have TONS of connections to share during biography read alouds that lead to great conversations. 

How To Teach Students To Write Biography Reports

One way to help students learn how to write biographies is to write their first one about themselves! Students can brainstorm what should be included in their biography by creating a timeline that includes important events in their life. Then, they use the timeline to help them write their biography in chronological order. You can model this with a biography about yourself on an anchor chart for students to use if they need help. This is also an excellent way to get to know each other at the beginning of the year! 

When it comes to writing biographies about other people, students need to have read several biographies to get an idea of how authors organize this type of writing. When you read aloud, be sure to point out that authors of biographies generally write the story of the person’s life from beginning to end. So students will need to be familiar with sequential order/chronological order text organization. Have students fill in a timeline when you model during read alouds. Point out that biographies usually focus on a part of the person’s life that taught them a life lesson. This biography project and biography activities are great resources for teaching biographies.

Resources for Teaching Biographies

Here are some resources for teaching biography:

1. Biography Project for Elementary Students

Are you looking to begin using a biography project ? Perhaps you are just looking for something better than you already use. If so, this is the resource you need! It is a great resource for teaching elementary students about biographies.

This is a great project to complement a genre study of biographies, an author study, social studies concepts and more. I’ve recently updated the entire product so that it now includes an option to do the Living Biography Museum where families come into school and the students “perform” in character OR can instead be used simply as an independent research project in class or as a homework assignment.

The twist is that instead of having the students dress in costume (which can be a hassle for the parents since most kids can’t put their own costume together) they make a poster board costume with a space for their head to pop through.

A-DOR-ABLE!!!

In the past I’ve done the living museum and had students prepare a brief speech to recite in character. This year I opted to send it home as a homework project and will instead take their photos with their poster board and display them with the written report.

This download now includes BOTH the original version and my new and improved updated version as well. If you have high achieving students who need enrichment this is a perfect activity for them to do on their own or you can use it with an entire class. It’s ideal for grades 2-5.

This biography project contains everything you need to have your students complete a project of their very own to present in class or at a Living Biography Museum.

What is included in this biography project?

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

• Grading rubrics / criteria checklist
• Graphic organizer to plan writing
• Graphic organizer to record sources
• Student writing pages
• Poster board visual directions 

5 Reasons Why Teachers Love It

Below are 5 reasons why teachers love using this resource for teaching biographies.

• This comprehensive biography project includes differentiated materials, so all you will be able to meet all of your students’ needs and your they will feel successful.
• The project makes a challenging concept accessible for elementary students.
• This resource facilitates a fun hands-on learning experience that offers opportunities for students to practice important skills without them even realizing it.
• This print and go resource will save you lots of time planning and prepping.
• It is aligned to the Common Core Standards, so it will give you peace of mind knowing your students are practicing important grade level skills.

How to Implement the Project in Your Classroom

You can either do a Living Biography Museum where families come in to school and the students perform in character or it can instead be used simply as an independent research project in class or as a homework assignment.

How I Used the Resources in My Classroom to Teach Biography

We had so much fun making these bio poster boards.

As a bonus, the kids learned a ton.

I started by having them complete oodles of activities from my biography activities packet which acquainted them with a whole bunch of famous folks.

Then I had them work in teams to research Benjamin Franklin. They had discussions about why he was famous. They talked about his accomplishments. Finally, they each wrote about him in the 1st person and performed a monologue as if they were Ben.

To make it oh-so-much-more-fun, I gave them each a poster board to use as a “costume.”

I’m now having them each select their own historical figure of choice to repeat the process as an independent project at home.

I seriously loved this project. The kids did too.

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

They also enjoyed having “conversations” with each other while wearing the poster board.

Kid 1: Hey Ben

Kid 2: Yo Ben

Me: **Listening carefully how this conversation is going to go.**

Kid 1: Ben, I really liked how you proved lightning was electricity.

Kid 2: Thanks Ben. You know you’re awesome, right? I mean, you signed the Declaration of Independence and all.

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

And then there was the boy who did a stellar job with his presentation… and then ended it by yelling, “Thank you Philadelphia. Ben Franklin has left the building.”

Third graders make me laugh.

2. Biography Activities for Elementary Students

These biography activities are great resources for teaching biographies to elementary students. It provides teachers with no prep printable biography activities that can be used over and over when studying any person.

This unit was designed to enhance the study of individuals. The activities can be used as part of a genre study or within the content areas. I have also used them with author studies and have had the children complete 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 about any individual and use their research to create an 8.5 x 11 inch poster. The poster has spaces to record the person’s name, date of birth, place of birth, interesting facts, reasons of importance and character traits. They then draw a portrait of their individual.

2. My Life in Pictures: A Scrapbook Biography Project

To complete this biography, activity the student will take on the role of the individual they are studying. The student can either draw illustrations or print and attach photos highlighting important parts of the individual’s life. The student then writes captions. This biography report is so much more fun than writing an essay and more pages can be added as enrichment.

3. Top-Down Topic Web

This graphic organizer shows the relationships to the main idea and details. They represent main ideas in a hierarchy. These research-based tools help the students to comprehend what they have read because it organizes ideas in a systematic, visual graph.

4. The Important Book Biography Activity

The Important Book is a great book for teaching students about writing patterns. This activity was modeled after the format of that book and was designed to encourage students to identify key, important facts about the person they are studying. It makes a great bulletin board display.

5. Body Biography

A Body Biography project is a combination of artwork and writing. The packet includes a poster to use as directions or to display with the students’ completed biography projects. They complete sections such as a speech bubble with a quote by the individual, a thought bubble to show what they have thought about, shoes labeled with places the person has been, a heart filled with character traits. They then draw objects in the hands that relate to the person and create a background that tells the viewer more about the historical figure.

6. Timeline Biography Report

Unlike a lengthy written report, this is a creative way to showcase important events in the person’s life. Students identify key moments and tell about them in words and pictures. They are added to a foldable accordion booklet in sequential order.

7. I AM Poem

An I AM Poem is typically completed as an autobiography. I also have my students do one about themselves to learn more about them. The format is also great for showing what they know about a person they have learned about. The students take on the role of that person to write the poem in the first person.

• These biographies activities are high-interest for students, so they’ll be motivated to learn through reading and researching.
• This comprehensive resource includes differentiated materials, so all you will be able to meet all of your students’ needs and your students will feel successful.
• Your principal, colleagues and school librarian will be impressed by the creative methods of sharing learned information and the integrated learning that takes place.
• The resources can be used with an biography study and be used over and over again.

How to Implement it in Your Classroom

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

I read several picture books and the students buddy read a free printable reader from A to Z.

We created a top-down web listing information that we learned about MLK.

Then I read The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown, and the students completed an activity I created for my biography packet that was inspired by the book. They used the same format as Brown’s book to compose their own version, “The important thing about Martin Luther King Jr. is…”

Finally, each of my friends made a portrait of MLK using the directions from TLC. They came out crazy cute. I hung each of them up even though I’ll probably take them down and send them home soon. They were just too adorable not to display.

Today, we did another activity (The I Am Poem) from the biography activities packet and a craftivity to go with it. I really feel like I am able to get to know my students on a completely different level through projects like these. They really open up and share such sweet ideas and insight into who they are.

3. Biography Picture Books

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

1. Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport

Martin’s Big Words by Doreen Rappaport is a nonfiction picture book that teaches children about the life and dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Students will learn what life was like for Martin growing up and how he became a leader in the fight for equal rights.

Throughout the book, the author includes actual quotes from Martin Luther King Jr. This book explains how Martin Luther King Jr. encouraged people to use their words to make change and the impact he had on the country. This story follows Martin all the way from childhood through the end of his life.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these Martin’s Big Words activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

2. The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles

The Story of Ruby Bridges details the struggles that six-year old Ruby Bridges endured when she was chosen to attend an all-white, segregated school as a black girl.

All of the other students’ parents pulled their children out of school because of her, and so she was forced to attend class all alone. She was escorted by U.S. Marshalls every morning, as she had to listen to jeers and insults being thrown at her while she was entering the school.

Despite these hardships, Ruby’s courage through non-violent actions did so much for the civil rights movement, and later that year, two white boys started to attend school with her. This inspirational true story teaches children that, no matter what age you are, anyone can be a trailblazer for change.

I liked this book so much I will be adding it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Story of Ruby Bridges activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

3. The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca

The story The Girl Who Thought in Pictures follows the life of Temple Grandin. The story starts off with Temple being born, and the doctors thinking that she needed to be sent away because she was different. Temple liked to watch things spin, did not like loud noises or crowds, anything that was itchy, or big squeezy hugs. She also did not talk until she was three. Temple got diagnosed with Autism. Her mom said that Temple was “different, not less.”

When Temple goes to school, the children there would tease her relentlessly. One day, Temple’s mom thinks that it would be better for Temple to stay on her aunt’s ranch. There, Temple finally feels comfortable and explores ways to help animals. Temple goes to college and gets three degrees! Now she travels the world giving speeches and spreading hope. She spreads the message that the world needs brains of all kinds.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Girl Who Thought in Pictures activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

4. Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre by Anika Denise

The sixth picture book on the list of books that are great for teaching biographies is Planting Stories . It is a biographical picture book about Pura Belpre, who was the first Puerto Rican Librarian in New York City. When she started working the library, she realized that there weren’t any of the stories and folktales that she was familiar with in Puerto Rico. She decides to share her stories during story hour and through puppet shows, and eventually publishes a book.

Pura travels across the country and from classroom to classroom planting her story seeds and educating about her homeland. When she returns to the library, she sees that her story seeds have bloomed and everyone is telling her stories. Students will love learning about Pura and how she shared her stories with children everywhere.

I liked this book so much I added it to my Starts With a Story collection! Grab these Planting Stories activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful interactive read aloud!

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• --> BIOGRAPHIES

Biographies for Kids

A biography is a true story written about someone's life. There are many biographies for kids about famous people that students can read. These are written on a variety of reading levels to meet the needs of all types of readers. Famous people that children enjoy reading about can be people from long ago, such as George Washington or Betsy Ross, or from more recent times, such as Neil Armstrong or Ronald Reagan. Reading and learning about biographies of famous people is essential in school. Children enjoy reading about renowned people's lives, and really learn a lot of life lessons by reading them. Some children can even make life connections to the people they read about, and certainly relate to them. We have short biographies for kids to let children explore the joys of this genre. This type of genre is read during class as a read-aloud activity by the teacher, or in small reading groups facilitated by an instructor.

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Digital Learning

How to use biographies in your reading & writing lessons.

Biography is an important genre in literature, offering readers the unique opportunity to gain insight into someone else’s life and experiences. They are a great way for students to learn about historically important and inspiring people. But it is not only an interesting and important genre to read. It is an important genre to learn about. Introducing the genre of biographies to students can help them become better readers, more critical thinkers, and more reflective writers. So, today I am going to talk about some effective tools for teaching the genre.

Introduce the Genre

First, you will want to introduce the genre to students and explain why it is important. This can be a simple anchor chart where you list the characteristics of the genre. Use the free biography header pieces to create your own!

*Activity Idea For Biography Header- Print two of each letter. Distribute them to your students to color and cut out as early finishers or morning work. The two people who received the same letter can research the person connected to the letter later as a partner project.

Additionally, you can have students read and write about the genre. You can add a printable comprehension passage, fact or research sheet, or a cut-and-paste activity to their morning work or as an independent activity following your mini-lesson!

Provide Examples

Next, you will want students to understand what a biography is by providing examples. When teaching any genre, it is important to introduce the concept in such a way that students understand its significance.

Books and digital biographies can be used for a variety of activities throughout your unit! Make biographies available for students’ independent reading time, add biography-based prompts to students’ morning work or centers, assign biographies as partner reading, etc.

My Recommendations for Biography Book Series: (These are affiliate links to Amazon’s website).

• Who Was? Biography Series
• The Story of Biography Series
• Mini Movers & Shakers
• Ready to Read: You Should Meet

Digital and Online Biographies

• BrainPop, Jr. Biographies
• BrainPop Famous Historical Figures
• PebbleGo Biographies

Taking a Closer Look

Now, it is time for students to read and analyze biographies. This is an important part of teaching the genre.

Teaching students how to read and analyze biographies helps develop their ability to look beyond the surface. During this time, you will want to work on critical thinking skills, close reading, determining importance, and evaluating source reliability.

Skills that can be incorporated with Biographies:

• Main Idea & Important Details
• Inferring & Drawing Conclusions
• Chronological Order
• Cause & Effect
• Problem & Solution
• Text Features + Images in Nonfiction
• Research Writing

Connect Other Content

Integrating biographies with other subjects has many benefits. It helps to draw connections between iconic figures of the past, and how they influenced our current society. Biographies teach us more than just the history of an individual: they bridge gaps in our knowledge and appreciation for subjects like social studies and history by introducing us to very real people who have been able to shape both the world and our understanding of it. This can be done with more subjects than social studies, though. You can study biographies of people who have impacted math, science, art, technology, music, etc.

Nonfiction Narrative & Research Writing

Finally, you can include important writing skills in your instruction. Of course, they can work on narrative nonfiction by writing their own autobiographies. Unlike a personal narrative, students will be focused on all of the impactful events in their life thus far. So, I would start by having students create a timeline of the events in their lives. Then, taking their timeline, they can craft paragraphs for each event, connecting them with transitions and details in the next draft.

Autobiographies are great for peer editing and revision. Students will learn from one another as they exchange and edit each other’s autobiographies. Allow for several drafts and revisions with this!

Not only can students develop their narrative nonfiction writing skills by writing their own autobiographies, but they can also practice and improve their research writing skills. Research writing skills are so essential to a student’s writing development.

Some Tips & Tricks for Research Writing:

• Allow some level of student choice when assigning research writing topics/people
• Link reliable and safe search engines to your online class dashboard
• Provide a graphic organizer or note-taking guide for students so that they can collect and organize their research
• Incorporate multimedia project elements, like PowerPoint, Prezi, Video, Audio, etc. to keep students engaged and offer opportunities to use technology skills
• Provide several exemplars of a variety of presentation types if you are doing an end-of-unit project

Would you like free biography anchor chart pieces?

FREE BIOGRAPHIES HEADER! 

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No-Prep Biography Resources You May Enjoy:

If you’re looking to teach biographies and don’t want the added prep, I have resources for you! Each bundle contains individual biography units. If you’re interested, you will find them in the links under the bundle. Click the links for a closer look!

Want to read more about teaching with biography?

• President’s Day Activities
• Techy Ideas for Biographies
• Women’s History Month Activities
• Read more about: Reading Blog Posts

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ELA  /  2nd Grade  /  Alternate Unit 4: People Who Changed the World

People Who Changed the World

In this unit, students improve reading and writing standards and skills as they explore biographies of famous leaders and change agents.

Alternate Unit 4

• Text and Materials

Unit Summary

In this biography-based unit, students explore biographies of changemakers around the world. The unit has three main sections. In the first section, students research and learn about people who have changed the world by inventing or discovering something new. In this section, students will explore how inventions or discoveries can change the world and what it takes to turn an idea into action. 

In the second section, students research and learn about people who have changed the world by making the world and environment a better place for everyone. In the third section, students research and learn about people who have changed the world by standing up for what they believe in and fighting for what others think is impossible. In this section, students will explore the ways some leaders have persevered in the face of obstacles and stood up for themselves or their ideas when many had stopped believing in them. Additionally in this section, students are asked to compare and contrast two biographies about the same person. Compare and contrast in this unit should go deeper than text features and structures. Although students can note differences in text features, the main focus should be on comparing and contrasting the different points and the reasons the authors use to support the points in two texts about the same person.

In each of the sections, students read biographies that expose them to a wide variety of themes, content, and history. Because of this, it is incredibly important that the necessary framing is done before reading a text so that students can deeply engage with the biographies and fully understand the challenges and successes of the different people being studied. Without framing or context, students may miss why each person’s actions are inspirational. It is our hope that this unit will open students’ eyes to the multitude of ways in which a person, regardless of race or gender, can influence and inspire change. 

This unit is a combination of Read Aloud and shared/independent reading. While engaging with the text, students continue to notice the connection between events and how noticing connections helps the reader better understand a person’s actions and influence. Students also build on the work they did in previous units by continuing to explore the author’s purpose for writing a text, and how the author’s purpose influences the types of details they include in the text.

Finally, this unit helps students recognize how reading multiple texts about the same topic helps them learn more about a topic, especially because authors include different facts and details depending on their purpose for writing. When discussing the text, students use all of the strategies they have learned in previous units to participate in partner, small group, or whole class discussions. When building on others’ talk in conversations, students continue to work on linking their comments to the remarks of others and asking questions for clarification or further explanation if needed. Students may also begin to critique and analyze the reasoning of others as they build on and respond to their classmates’ comments. 

Students continue to build their writing fluency by writing daily in response to the Target Task question using subordinating conjunctions to write more complex sentences. Students also have multiple opportunities to continue to build their informational writing skills, with an emphasis on crafting strong paragraphs. Students will learn how to brainstorm and write a paragraph using a single-paragraph outline, crafting strong topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding statements. The unit culminates with students having a chance to continue to refine their research and writing skills by participating in a research project about a local changemaker.

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Texts and Materials

Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click and make a purchase, we receive a small portion of the proceeds, which supports our non-profit mission.

Core Materials

Book:  Honda: The Boy who Dreamed of Cars by Mark Weston (Lee & Low Books, 2014)   —  AD870L

Book:  How to Build a Hug: Temple Grandin and Her Amazing Squeeze Machine by Amy Guglielmo and Jacqueline Tourville (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2018)   —  AD770L

Book:  Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson (Sterling Children's Books; Illustrated edition, 2019)   —  AD960L

Book:  Buzzing with Questions: The Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner by Janice N. Harrington (Calkins Creek; Illustrated edition, 2019)   —  1010L

Book:  Sharuko: Peruvian Archeologist by Monica Brown (Lee & Low Books; Bilingual edition, 2020)

Book:  Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope by Nikki Grimes (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2012)   —  AD630L

Book:  National Geographic Readers: Barack Obama by Caroline Crosson Gilpin (National Geographic Kids; Illustrated edition, 2014)   —  680L

Book:  Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx by Jonah Winter (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2009)   —  NC840L

Book:  National Geographic Readers: Sonia Sotomayor by Barbara Kramer (National Geographic Kids; Illustrated edition, 2016)   —  750L

Book:  Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words by Karen Leggett Abouraya (StarWalk Kids Media, 2014)   —  870L

Book:  Malala Yousafzai: Champion for Education by Jodie Shepherd (Children's Press; Illustrated edition, 2016)   —  520L

Book:  The Watcher: Jane Goodall's Life with the Chimps by Jeanette Winter (Schwartz & Wade, 2011)   —  AD630L

Book:  Mama Miti: Wangari Maathai and the Trees of Kenya by Donna Jo Napoli and Kadir Nelson (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books; Illustrated edition, 2010)   —  AD610L

Book:  Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved our Planet by Elizabeth Rusch and Teresa Martinez (Charlesbridge; Illustrated edition, 2019)   —  730L

Book:  Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and Eric-Shabazz Larkin (Readers to Eaters, 2013)   —  AD620L

Assessment Text:  “Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parad” by Melissa Sweet (Clarion Books)   —  AD1000LL

Supporting Materials

• Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading

These assessments accompany this unit and should be given on the suggested assessment day or after completing the unit.

Download Content Assessment

Download Content Assessment Answer Key

Download Cold Read Assessment

Download Cold Read Assessment Answer Key

Intellectual Prep

Suggestions for how to prepare to teach this unit

Before you teach this unit, unpack the texts, themes, and core standards through our guided intellectual preparation process. Each Unit Launch includes a series of short videos, targeted readings, and opportunities for action planning to ensure you're prepared to support every student.

Essential Questions

The central thematic questions addressed in the unit or across units

• What does it take to change the world?
• Why is it important to speak up for those without a voice?
• Why is it important to ask questions about the world around you?

Reading Focus Areas

Noticing the connection between events helps a reader understand a person's actions.

Authors always have a purpose for writing a book. They use the details in the book to convey their purpose.

Reading multiple texts about the same topic helps readers learn lots of different details. Authors include different details depending on their purpose.

Writing Focus Areas

Informational writing.

Participate in shared research and writing projects.

Brainstorm and outline using a Single Paragraph Outline.

Introduce the topic with a strong topic sentence

Provide a strong concluding statement.

Use facts and definitions to support a point.

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

Build on others' talk in conversations by linking their comments to the remarks of others.

Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed about topics and texts under discussion.

Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text

"dark times" "her roots" Indigenous aghast ambition archeologist atom autism catastrophe cautious champion courageous compost dedicated disobey discouraged diabetes empower encourage federal flinched grueling heritage honor hope indefatigable irrigation judge mechanic nagging nominate ozone layer physics poverty prove prejudice precise resourceful reputation right scholarship scarce textiles thrive unsuspecting

compare contrast

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 4, view our 2nd Grade Vocabulary Glossary .

Supporting All Students

In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the intellectual preparation protocol and the Unit Launch to determine which support students will need. To learn more, visit the Supporting all Students teacher tool.

Content Knowledge and Connections

Fishtank ELA units related to the content in this unit.

• A biography is a text about a person's life that is written by someone else. An autobiography is a text about a person's life written by the person.

Bend 1: You can change the world by inventing or discovering something new.

• Soichiro Honda worked relentlessly to build motorcycles and cars that were safe and better for the environment.
• Temple Grandin, who has autism, built a “huge machine” that allows people to control the force and length of a hug.
• Julio Torres, or Sharuko, was a Peruvian archaeologist who made revolutionary discoveries at archaeological sites around Peru, proving that the country’s Indigenous cultures had been established thousands of years ago and celebrating their brilliant accomplishments.
• Wu Chien-Shiung was a Chinese physicist who made important discoveries in the field, despite never being recognized because of her gender and race.
• Charles Henry Turner was the first Black entomologist, teaching us that insects and small animals were thinking beings. 

Bend 2: You can change the world by making the world and environment better for everyone.

• Wangari Maathai empowered the people of Kenya to take care of themselves and their environment by encouraging them to plant trees.
• Jane Goodall studied chimps in Tanzania, discovering they were more like humans than we realized. She spoke out against the destruction of their habitats and continues to do so.
• Mario Molina was a chemist who discovered that CFCs were destroying the earth’s protective ozone layer. He was adamant about warning the public and putting a stop to it.
• Farmer Will Allen turned an abandoned city lot into an urban farm that would feed people across the city.

Bend 3: You can change the world by standing up for what you believe in and fighting for what others think is impossible.

• Sonia Sotomayor was the first Latinx Supreme Court justice.
• Barack Obama was the first Black President of the United States.
• Malala Yousafzai spoke up for girls and women who were being denied an education.

Previous Fishtank ELA Connections

• Kindergarten ELA - What is Justice?
• 1st Grade ELA - Inspiring Artists and Musicians

Future Fishtank ELA Connections

• 4th Grade ELA - Politics and People: U.S. Government
• 4th Grade ELA - Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans

Describe what steps Honda took toward making his dream come true and why by identifying and explaining details an author uses to support an idea.

RI.2.3 RI.2.8

Describe how Honda changed the world by identifying and explaining details an author uses to support an idea.

RI.2.3 RI.2.6 RI.2.8

Explain why Temple did not like hugs and what solution she invented and its impact by describing the connection between a series of events.

RI.2.3 RI.2.6

Describe why Julio devoted his medical skills to the study of the Indigenous history of Peru by explaining details an author uses to support an idea.

Explain what “and now Peruvians tell their own stories” means by describing how specific reasons support specific points an author makes.

L.2.5.a RI.2.3 RI.2.6 RI.2.8

Use subordinating conjunctions to write more interesting and complex sentences.

Explain why a classmate called Charles “indefatigable” by identifying and explaining details an author uses to support an idea.

L.2.6 RI.2.3 RI.2.6 RI.2.8

Explain how Charles Henry Turner filled the world with “questions, questions, questions” and why it is important.

Explain how Wu Chien Shiung lived up to her name by identifying and explaining details the author uses to support an idea.

Explain why Wu Chien Shiung was called the “Queen of Physics” and defend whether others thought so or not by describing the connection between a series of events.

Discussion & Writing

• How to Build a Hug
• Buzzing with Questions
• Queen of Physics

Write an informational report describing how a person made the world a better place by stating a claim and including supporting details from the text.

L.2.6 SL.2.1 SL.2.6 W.2.2 W.2.7 W.2.8

Explain how Wangari changed the country by identifying and describing the connection between a series of events.

Explain why the author describes Jane as a brave woman who was not afraid to do something that had never been done before by describing how specific reasons support specific points an author makes.

RI.2.6 RI.2.8

Describe Mario’s nagging question and why it was important by describing the connection between a series of events.

Explain what Mario means when he says, “We saved our planet once. We can do it again” and why it is important.

Explain how Will Allen can “see what others can’t see” by describing how specific reasons support a specific point an author makes.

• The Watcher
• Mario and the Hole in the Sky
• Farmer Will Allen...

L.2.6 RI.2.8 SL.2.1 SL.2.6 W.2.2 W.2.7

Describe Sonia’s childhood by identifying and describing the connection between a series of events.

Explain what the author means by “You never know what can happen—especially when you water a flower” by describing how specific reasons support specific points an author makes.

Describe how Sonia learned the lesson “You have to get up and try again. That is something really hard to do…” by describing the connection between a series of events.

RF.2.3 RF.2.4 RI.2.3

Describe Sonia Sotomayor’s career as a judge by describing the connection between a series of events.

• Sonia Sotomayor

Compare and contrast Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx with Sonia Sotomayor by identifying and explaining points presented by two texts on the same topic.

RI.2.9 SL.2.1 SL.2.6

Explain how Hope helped Barack Obama make his dreams come true by describing how specific reasons support a specific point an author makes.

Describe two times that Obama “got up and did something” by describing the connection between a series of events.       

• Barack Obama: Son ...
• Barack Obama

Compare and contrast Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope and Barack Obama by identifying and explaining points presented by two texts on the same topic.

Explain why Malala is a warrior with words by describing how specific reasons support specific points an author makes.

Describe Malala using two examples from the text.

L.2.6 RF.2.3 RF.2.4 RI.2.3

• Malala Yousafzai: Champion...
• Malala Yousafzai

Compare and contrast Malala Yousafzai: Warrior with Words and Malala Yousafzai: Champion for Education by identifying and explaining points presented by two texts on the same topic.

L.2.6 SL.2.1 SL.2.6 W.2.2 W.2.5 W.2.7 W.2.8

Informative Writing  – 4 days

Research a local changemaker and describe how they changed your community.

L.2.2.a SL.2.3 SL.2.4 SL.2.5 W.2.2 W.2.5 W.2.7 W.2.8

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Common Core Standards

Core standards.

The content standards covered in this unit

Language Standards

L.2.1 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.2.1.f — Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The action movie was watched by the little boy).

L.2.2 — Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

L.2.2.a — Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names.

L.2.5.a — Identify real-life connections between words and their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy).

L.2.6 — Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).

Reading Standards: Foundational Skills

RF.2.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

RF.2.4 — Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Reading Standards for Informational Text

RI.2.3 — Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

RI.2.6 — Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.

RI.2.8 — Describe how reasons support specific points the author makes in a text.

RI.2.9 — Compare and contrast the most important points presented by two texts on the same topic.

Speaking and Listening Standards

SL.2.1 — Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

SL.2.2 — Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

SL.2.3 — Ask and answer questions about what a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.

SL.2.4 — Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in coherent sentences.

SL.2.5 — Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

SL.2.6 — Produce complete sentences when appropriate to task and situation in order to provide requested detail or clarification.

Writing Standards

W.2.2 — Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop points, and provide a concluding statement or section.

W.2.5 — With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.

W.2.7 — Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record science observations).

W.2.8 — Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.

Supporting Standards

Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit

L.2.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2 reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of strategies.

L.2.4.a — Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

L.2.4.b — Determine the meaning of the new word formed when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g., happy/unhappy, tell/retell).

L.2.4.d — Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly; bookshelf, notebook, bookmark).

L.2.5 — Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.

RI.2.1 — Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

RI.2.4 — Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.

RI.2.5 — Know and use various text features (e.g., captions, bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently.

RI.2.7 — Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a text.

RI.2.10 — By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 2—3 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

W.2.6 — With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Belonging and Friendship: Pinky and Rex

Finding Your Power: Freddie Ramos

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Effective Instruction Made Easy

Access rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free

Biography Lesson Plan: An Introduction to Biographies

Submitted by: stacey lopez.

In this lesson plan which is adaptable for grades 1-5, students will use BrainPOP and/or BrainPOP Jr. resources to learn about biographies. Students will then select a person whose biography they would like to read (or watch a short video about on BrainPOP). Finally, students will write their own biography on a selected person.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:.

• Define and explain what a biography is.
• Read or watch an example of a biography.
• Compose a biography.
• Computer with internet access for BrainPOP
• Interactive whiteboard (or just an LCD projector)
• Chart Paper
• Markers--variety of colors
• Sticky notes and pencils for students
• Biography template (optional)

Preparation:

Lesson procedure:.

• Explain to students that a biography of a famous person includes many facts. Ask them to take notes while they are watching either the BrainPOP Biography movie or the BrainPOP Jr. Biography movie. Explain that they will contribute to a class anchor chart about biographies.
• After the movie has finished, ask each student for a fact to add to the anchor chart. Alternate the colors to make it exciting. Students will be able to identify their contribution to the class anchor chart.
• Ask to students to read or watch a biography for a selected person in order to gather more information. Students could watch any of the BrainPOP topics in the Famous Historical Figures Unit or BrainPOP Jr. Biographies Unit , or read about the person's life in a book or online. Instruct students to take more notes while reading.
• Talk with students about the common features their biographies shared. What makes a good biography? Add to the anchor chart as needed.
• Each student may then write their own biography of another person using some of the facts that the class gathered.

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Writing Biographies! {FREEBIE}

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53 Comments

I will be teaching biographies later in the school year. I love that your pack includes interviewing and writing biographies about a friend/classmate. Thanks for the chance to win it 🙂 Storie [email protected] Stories by Storie

I love the idea of combining genre study, writing, and social studies! My firsties would love this pack!

I love all the cute choices for people to write biographies about!

Teacher at Heart Teachers Pay Teachers [email protected]

This pack looks amazing! We are getting ready to learn about Washington and Lincoln and I think this cute pack will be perfect for my class! I LOVE it! Lori Teaching With Love and Laughter [email protected]

We are starting informational writing this quarter and this would be the perfect resource to use! I love that you made it printer friendly! Thank you for the chance to win. Teacher Gone Digital [email protected]

Love your units…I own SEVERAL…would love to add this one!!! Thanks for helping make my job easier with all of your wonderful packs! [email protected]

This looks like such a great unit for teaching little ones about biographies! I would love to add this to my classroom library!!! 🙂

Jennifer [email protected]

Fantastic! And this pack works with our mini biography unit coming up! Jennifer you are truly amazing!! 🙂 [email protected]

This looks great! I would love to win! [email protected]

It's funny that you just created this pack because we just added the word biography to our "wow words" wall! I deleted the previous comment because it didn't make sense!

Jennifer, this biographies pack looks AMAZING! I would love to win a copy!

Christy [email protected]

This is adorable! I love all of the things you create!

Tawna [email protected]

I love your units and we also teach about biographies especially at this time of year. We also use Storytown! [email protected]

You're a winner! I am emailing you the pack now!

I am do biographies in a few weeks. This looks like an amazing resource! Jen [email protected]

Wow! This looks great! I would love to win. [email protected]

This would be great. Looks just perfect and I would love to win it.

Marybeth Cialinichat

What a great packet…I would love to win it to use with my first graders! Thanks for the opportunity!

[email protected]

I would love to use this with my first graders. I would be perfect. [email protected]

This looks amazing! I love the fonts and graphics you used. The pages are SUPER cute! Hope I win 🙂 [email protected]

Melissa First Grade Smiles

This is perfect! I would love to use this in my classroom. Fingers crossed!! [email protected]

[email protected]

This is my first year in First. I would love to win this!

This would also work great for my second graders. We have a mini-bio unit coming up later in the year. FIngers crossed!

tokyoshoes at hotmail dot com

Wow! Would love to win this!

[email protected]

I would love to use this in my classroom. This is a fun way to work on biographies. [email protected]

Adorable pack!! Would love a chance to win it :). [email protected]

We are dedicating the month of February to learning about the lives of some very special people. This would make a great addition to their learning!! Hoping….

I would really love to win this unit! It would fit in perfectly in February! Thanks…..

I love your biography unit! What a great addition to our nonfiction unit and would fit in perfectly with Presidents' Day . I would love to win it! [email protected]

Thank you so much for the shout out and for visiting my sad little neglected blog. 🙂 I love this biography pack and am so happy to have found something like this for my kids who LOVE biographies. I'd love a chance to win before I buy! [email protected] . Thanks again for the link! Jeremie Applescrayonsandcaffeine.blogspot.com

Love, love, love this pack! Such cute ideas. Thanks so much for spending the time to create such a great resource for teachers. [email protected]

This is such a helpful packet, and it would be so useful, too! I would love to share this with my first graders. Thank you so much! Kris [email protected]

You make so many cute papers and activities. I only wish my school gave us more copies!

I teach a 1/2 combo class and would so love this packet… it fits perfectly with both grade level's curriculum at this time of year at that is a rarity! Maybe I will be lucky this time. Thanks for the opportunity! [email protected]

I would love to use this with my first graders! [email protected]

Wow what a wonderful unit! I love your stuff!

This looks fabulous! Having this resource would bring a little blue skies to my classroom.

Forgot to mention my email, [email protected]

What a great unit. It would be a great unit to win or buy! [email protected]

Would love this!! [email protected]

Love, love, love this! Thank you for the chance to win! [email protected]

This is SO cute!! Would love to win! :o)

Cindy [email protected]

oh this looks so fun…

[email protected]

This looks wonderful! Would love to win this pack! [email protected]

love this! what a great-looking unit!

rachel [email protected]

I will be doing biographies (and autobiographies) soon. Love this

Love this! Can't tell if you've already picked a winner. If not, my email is [email protected] . Thanks for the freebie!

Oh please tell me you haven't already picked a winner! I SO NEED THIS! My student teacher and I are getting ready to do a unit on biographies and this would be so helpful! When you pick me, my email is [email protected] I love it! So awesome, thanks for your hard work on it!

I really liked the idea! Mirna Merie

[email protected]

I would love to teach my first graders more about biographies as part of our informational texts analysis. I think this product will help me accomplish my goal.

Thank you I was looking for something like this for my 1st graders.

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biography passages for 2nd grade

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Biography passages for 2nd grade

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2nd Grade Reading Passages Free Sample

women history month Comprehension Passages bundle | activities | 1st & 2nd Grade

Reading Comprehension Passages and Activities- Biographies - Inspiring Kids

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The 2024 nfl draft promises to be a wild night.

The 2024 NFL Draft is upon us. After months of putting college football's best and brightest prospects under the microscope, it's time for teams to make their selections and 257 players are on the doorstep of hearing their names called, which will officially usher them into the NFL . 

First up will be the Chicago Bears . While they currently have the fewest overall picks (four) in this draft, they carry tremendous weight. The franchise owns the No. 1 overall pick which is earmarked for USC phenom Caleb Williams, who is billed as a generational quarterback prospect. Meanwhile, they also have the No. 9 overall pick. While the Bears could end up stealing the show with their two top-10 picks, there's plenty of intrigue elsewhere on the board. With as many as six quarterbacks potentially coming off the board in the first round, it sets the stage for pandemonium in Detroit. 

As we gear up for the three-day spectacle to unfold, here's everything you need to know to watch the 2024 NFL Draft . 

How to watch 2024 NFL Draft

• When:  Thursday, April. 25 (8 p.m. ET), Friday, April 26 (7 p.m. ET), Saturday, April 27 (12 p.m. ET)
• Where:  Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza (Detroit)
• TV:   NFL Network, ESPN, ABC |  Stream:  fubo  (try for free)  
• Follow:   CBS Sports App

NFL Draft order (first round)

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