Grade 1 Fall History — Then and Now, Family Histories, and How We Know What Happened
Lesson 15 35 min hist.g1.f.lesson_15

Build my biography board - pick a significant individual to feature

Skills targeted
Objectives
  • Students can produce a biography board featuring 1 chosen significant individual.
  • Students can articulate one legacy of their chosen individual.
Vocabulary
biographyboardfeaturelegacybecausetodayportraitcaption

Lesson plan

Warm-up

4 min

Calendar Circle. Then: 'Today you PICK ONE significant individual to feature on YOUR biography board. You can choose from the 6 we've met - OR a hero from your own family or community.'

Teacher moves
  • Display all 6 portraits
  • Affirm 'no wrong choice' - including a family hero (community canon move)
  • Show sample completed boards
Media
M-1-F-CIV-15-C Chart
Visual array of 8 portrait+name cards arranged on classroom wall for children to peruse before selecting: MLK, Helen Kel

Visual array of 8 portrait+name cards arranged on classroom wall for children to peruse before selecting: MLK, Helen Keller, Rosa Parks, Wangari Maathai, Sojourner Truth, George Washington Carver, Johnny Appleseed (folkloric), Jane Goodall. Plus 1 blank 'YOUR FAMILY OR COMMUNITY HERO ___' slot at the end.

Direct instruction

10 min

A BIOGRAPHY BOARD is a poster that tells about a significant individual. Your board has 4 zones: PORTRAIT (drawing or photo), NAME and DATES, CONTRIBUTION (1 sentence), and LEGACY (1 sentence with 'Because of ___, today we ___').

Key examples
  • Notice - the LEGACY sentence makes a clear connection: 'Because of Jane Goodall, today scientists understand chimpanzees better.'
    model Read aloud each of the 4 zones
    prompt Show teacher's sample board featuring (e.g.) Jane Goodall
  • Pick the ONE you remember most. Use the books for help.
    model Ask: 'which individual interested you most?'
    prompt Walk children through choosing
Checks for understanding
  • What 4 zones go on your board?
  • What does LEGACY mean?
Sourcework
Source type
secondary sources for research
Routine
SOURCE-AND-DRAW: read or revisit the chosen biography; sketch one detail; pull one quote (with adult help)
Details
Library of children's biographies: Martin's Big Words, A Picture Book of Helen Keller, Rosa, Wangari's Trees of Peace, Sojourner Truth's Step-Stomp Stride, plus alternates The Story of Johnny Appleseed and The Watcher: Jane Goodall.
Media
M-1-F-CIV-15-B Illustration
Sample completed board: Portrait = teacher's pencil sketch of Jane Goodall with chimpanzee; Name & Dates = JANE GOODALL

Sample completed board: Portrait = teacher's pencil sketch of Jane Goodall with chimpanzee; Name & Dates = JANE GOODALL (1934 - present); Contribution = 'She studied chimpanzees in Tanzania for 60+ years and taught us how to respect animals.'; Legacy = 'Because of Jane Goodall, today scientists understand chimpanzees better and many wildlife parks protect them.' Demonstrated as wall exemplar.

Guided practice

15 min
Tasks
  • Each child fills in biography board
    scaffold Pre-printed zones; sticker option for portrait
  • Use book to find one specific detail to include
    scaffold Sticky-flag the page
Media
M-1-F-CIV-15-A Manipulative Physical / non-image

12x18 inch poster-board template with 4 zones outlined in 0.5-inch black border: TOP-LEFT zone (5x7) PORTRAIT (drawing or photo); TOP-RIGHT zone (5x4) NAME & DATES; BOTTOM-LEFT zone (5x4) CONTRIBUTION sentence; BOTTOM-RIGHT zone (5x7) LEGACY 'BECAUSE OF ___, TODAY WE ___' sentence. Pre-printed in 24pt with dictation lines.

Formative assessment

3 min
Exit ticket
  • Show me your board. Read the LEGACY sentence.
  • Why did you pick this individual?
scoring All 4 zones present + legacy sentence + reason = mastery; 3 of 4 zones = practicing; 0-2 = re-teach next day

Closure

2 min
Moves
  • Boards displayed for gallery viewing
  • Preview: tomorrow we draft our family-history book pages

Homework

5 min
Tasks
  • Tonight, tell ONE family member which individual you picked and WHY.

Exercises in this lesson

hist.g1.f.civ.contribution_legacy.ex_01
Match each significant individual to a NOW image showing their legacy: MLK -> diverse classroom; Helen Keller -> braille library books;...
 match then to now · diff 3

Differentiation

Scaffolds
  • Pre-printed contribution card
  • Sticker-based portrait
  • Pre-printed legacy template
Extensions
  • Add a 'one quote from the person' zone
  • Add a 'where to find more' zone
English Learners
  • Bilingual board template
  • Quote in home language with English translation
Ieps 504s
  • Pre-cut and assembled zones
  • Adult-scribed text
  • Open extra session if needed

Teacher notes

The 'open canon' move - inviting children to add their own family or community hero - is critical for cultural responsiveness. A child might pick a grandparent, a local nurse, a refugee elder, a Buddhist nun, an Indigenous knowledge-keeper. All of these are real significant individuals. Honor every choice. Lesson is 35 minutes (longer) because of the production task.