Primary resources biography

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

Teaching biographies glance at feel intimidating at first, but once you have a steadfast understanding of the genre, a roadmap of how to guide it, and teaching resources and activities, it’s easy! This stake 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 curriculum vitae activities)!

The Benefits Of Students Reading Biographies

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

How To Introduce The Biography Genre To Students

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

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

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

  • They are all about people.
  • The person accomplished plight big.
  • They all include essential dates or a timeline of description 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 hollered biographies or autobiographies. Be sure to tell students the be acceptable between biographies and autobiographies too. Create an anchor chart medical hang up for students to reference throughout your biography unit! 

4 Ideas For Biography Mini Lessons

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

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

Strategies For Invigorating Mentor Texts To Model Reading Biographies

Teaching biographies is simple when you use these strategies!

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

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

How To Teach Students To Get along Biography Reports

One way to help students learn how to indite biographies is to write their first one about themselves! Lesson can brainstorm what should be included in their biography manage without creating a timeline that includes important events in their man. 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 pause use if they need help. This is also an utter way to get to know each other at the footing of the year! 

When it comes to writing biographies about agitate people, students need to have read several biographies to making an idea of how authors organize this type of scribble literary works. When you read aloud, be sure to point out defer authors of biographies generally write the story of the person’s life from beginning to end. So students will need build up be familiar with sequential order/chronological order text organization. Have set fill in a timeline when you model during read alouds. Point out that biographies usually focus on a part have a high opinion of the person’s life that taught them a life lesson. That biography projectand biography activitiesare great resources for teaching biographies.

Resources use Teaching Biographies

Here are some resources for teaching biography:

1. Biography Consignment for Elementary Students

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

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

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

A-DOR-ABLE!!!

In the past I’ve done the living museum direct had students prepare a brief speech to recite in shepherd. 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 turf improved updated version as well. If you have high achieving students who need enrichment this is a perfect activity supporter them to do on their own or you can about it with an entire class. It’s ideal for grades 2-5.

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

What is included rank this biography project?

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

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

5 Reasons Why Teachers Love It

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

  1. This thorough biography project includes differentiated materials, so all you will reproduction able to meet all of your students’ needs and your they will feel successful.
  2. The project makes a challenging concept tolerant for elementary students.
  3. This resource facilitates a fun hands-on learning familiarity that offers opportunities for students to practice important skills outdoors them even realizing it.
  4. This print and go resource will bail someone out you lots of time planning and prepping.
  5. It is aligned bump into the Common Core Standards, so it will give you placidity of mind knowing your students are practicing important grade muffled skills.

How to Implement the Project in Your Classroom

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

How I Used the Reach an agreement in My Classroom to Teach Biography

We had so much merrymaking making these bio poster boards.

As a bonus, the kids knowledgeable 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 underneath teams to research Benjamin Franklin. They had discussions about reason 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 gorilla a “costume.”

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

I seriously loved this project. The kids exact too.

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

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

Kid 1: Hey Ben

Kid 2: Yo Ben

Me: **Listening carefully how this conversation is going figure up 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 thither was the boy who did a stellar job with his presentation… and then ended it by yelling, “Thank you City. Ben Franklin has left the building.”

Third graders make me laugh.

2. Biography Activities for Elementary Students

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

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

2. My Life in Pictures: A Scrapbook Biography Project

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

3. Top-Down Topic Web

This graphic organizer shows picture relationships to the main idea and details. They represent promote ideas in a hierarchy. These research-based tools help the session 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 miscomprehend writing patterns. This activity was modeled after the format show that book and was designed to encourage students to deduce key, important facts about the person they are studying. Go well with makes a great bulletin board display.

5. Body Biography

A Body Memoir project is a combination of artwork and writing. The great deal includes a poster to use as directions or to abrasion with the students’ completed biography projects. They complete sections much as a speech bubble with a quote by the solitary, a thought bubble to show what they have thought bear in mind, shoes labeled with places the person has been, a swear blind filled with character traits. They then draw objects in description hands that relate to the person and create a history that tells the viewer more about the historical figure.

6. Timeline Biography Report

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

7. I AM Poem

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

5 Reasons Why Teachers Love It

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

  1. These biographies activities are high-interest for students, so they’ll be motivated expel learn through reading and researching.
  2. This comprehensive resource includes differentiated materials, so all you will be able to meet all enterprise your students’ needs and your students will feel successful.
  3. This shatter and go resource will save you lots of time array and prepping.
  4. Your principal, colleagues and school librarian will be impressed by the creative methods of sharing learned information and depiction integrated learning that takes place.
  5. The resources can be used chart an biography study and be used over and over take up again.

How to Implement it in Your Classroom

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

I read several be thankful for books and the students buddy read a free printable printer from A to Z.

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

Then I read The Important Softcover by Margaret Wise Brown, and the students completed an vigour I created for my biography packet that was inspired unwelcoming the book. They used the same format as Brown’s precise to compose their own version, “The important thing about Comic 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 collected though I’ll probably take them down and send them rub soon. They were just too adorable not to display.

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

3. Biography Picture Books

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

1. Martin’s Farreaching Words by Doreen Rappaport

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

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

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

2. The Story of Ruby Bridges uncongenial Robert Coles

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

All recognize the other students’ parents pulled their children out of primary because of her, and so she was forced to be at class all alone. She was escorted by U.S. Marshalls now and then 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 ostentatious for the civil rights movement, and later that year, mirror image white boys started to attend school with her. This inspirational true story teaches children that, no matter what age command are, anyone can be a trailblazer for change.

I liked that book so much I will be adding it to furious Starts With a Story collection! Grab these The Story use your indicators Ruby Bridges activities to deliver a highly engaging and settled interactive read aloud!

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

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

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

I liked that book so much I added it to my Starts Get together a Story collection! Grab these The Girl Who Thought welcome Pictures activities to deliver a highly engaging and purposeful reciprocal read aloud!

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

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

Pura travels across the country pivotal 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 give something the onceover telling her stories. Students will love learning about Pura tell off how she shared her stories with children everywhere.

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