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Unit Plan Cover Page

Name: Kara Parsons

Unit Topic: Biographies

Subject: Library

Grade Level: 3rd grade

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Student Population

A. Description of the School, Student Population, Economics:

Located in the rural countryside of Foxburg, Pennsylvania, Allegheny Clarion Valley Elementary School is

a medium sized building designed serve students, preschool – 6th grade, in the school district. Overall, the students

seem to come from lower to upper middle class families.

B. Age/Grade Level:

The students are in 3rd grade, and as a result, their ages range from approximately 8-9 years of age.

C. Number of Students by Gender:

Class A: There are 9 girls and 9 boys.

Class B: There are 8 girls and 9 boys.

Class C: There are 10 girls and 8 boys.

E. Background Skills and Knowledge:

The students should already have experience with reading nonfiction text, as well as skimming nonfiction

text for relevant information. Additionally, they should understand the concepts of fiction and nonfiction. They

should understand that the library is composed of many different sections, in order to better organize information.

They should understand that each book in a library has a call number, used to locate that book.

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Unit Rationale

A. Why and How the Unit Topic Was Chosen

A library is generally composed of different sections; this way, the library’s resources are organized in a

way that makes it easy to access information. In the elementary school library, there are a variety of sections, such as

the easy reader or “everybody” section, fiction section, nonfiction section, reference section, and biography sections.

In order to find information effectively in the library, students should have familiarity with each section.

Furthermore, they should understand how the information in each particular section is organized. For example, the

fiction section is in alphabetical order, while the nonfiction section is organized by the Dewey Decimal System. If

the students understand the different resources available to them, they are more likely to find the information that

they need. As a result, it is important to expose students to biographies, and the biography section of the library. In

the future, students may need to research an important person. If they know about biographies, then this is a resource

that they could use.

B. Explanation of How it Fits into the Curriculum

Throughout the year, the third graders have been learning about the different sections of the library, and

how to find materials within each section. In my unit, the students will continue to learn about a section of the

library, and how to find resources within the section. That is how my unit fits into the rest of the curriculum.

C. Projected Student Interest:

At first glance, a unit on biographies may not seem thrilling for the majority of students. However, this unit

is designed to spark their interest. Biographies are generally written about important people, and their affect on

society. As a result, it is important to learn about these people, and a great way to do so is by reading a biography.

To show students that biographies are interesting, we will be spending time exploring biographies. Students will

even be able to choose a biography to investigate in further detail for the unit project, making a Wordle about an

important person. Since students will be able to choose a biography from a selection, I think this will keep them

interested and involved in the unit. Additionally, I think that the students will enjoy the final project.

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STAGE ONE – Desired Results

I. Common Core State Standards

Reading: Informational Text

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

Writing

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.

II. Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions

A. Enduring Understandings – Broad, in-depth statements that capture the big ideas of the unit

B. Essential Questions – Open ended questions that encourage the students to think in-depth about the big ideas

Enduring Understandings Essential Questions

1. The students will understand that people use biographies to find an account of a person’s life and achievements.

2. The students will understand that biographies have a special location and call number in the library.

1. What is the purpose of a biography?

2. Where do biographies belong in the organization of the library?

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STAGE TWO – Assessment Evidence

I. Formative Assessment

Content: Objectives: The students will – Formative Assessment:

Day 11. Biography a. Definition 1.a Define “biography” in their own

words1.a Questions: What is a biography?

.Day 2 2. Biography a. Definition

b. Physical Access

c. Intellectual Access

2.a Define biography in their own words.

2.b Locate a biography 2.c Gather meaningful information from a biography.

2.a Questions: What is a biography?

2.b Biography Find Activity

2.c Graphic Organizer – Explore a biogrpahy

Day 33. Biography a. Definition

b. Intellectual Access

3.a Analyze a book synopsis to see if the book is biography or not.

3.b Gather meaningful information from a biography.

3.a Questions: “Is this a biography?” Review Game

3.b Biography Quest Worksheet – Find and record descriptive words a bout a person, using a biography

Day 44. Biography a. Physical Access

b. Intellectual Access

4.a Create call numbers for biographies.

4.b Gather meaningful information from a biography.

4.a “Name that Call Number!” Review Game – Create call numbers for biographies.

4.b Biography Quest Worksheet – Find and record descriptive words a bout a person, using a biography

Day 55. Biography a. Intellectual access

5.a Gather meaningful information from a biography.

5.a.1 Use information from a biography to create a product, reflecting an understanding of the person in the biography

5.a Biography Quest Worksheet – Find and record descriptive words about a person, using a biography.

5.a.1 Wordle – Display of words chosen to represent the subject of a biography

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II. Summative Assessment

Biography Quest Worksheet and Biographic Wordle

The students will demonstrate the ability to gather meaningful information about a person from a

biography by completing the Biography Quest Worksheet. On this worksheet, the students will write

down adjective or nouns that correspond to the person in their biography. Additionally, there is another

column specifically for descriptive words about their person’s physical appearance. After completing the

worksheet, the students will turn their words into a Worlde, in order to display their work in a creative

and fun manner.

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Stage III – Learning Experiences

Lesson Plan – Day 1

Unit: Biographies

Topic: Introduction to Biographies

Grade Level: 3rd

Leaning Objectives:

The students will –

1. Listen to a biography2. Define “biography” in their own words3. Name the difference between a biography and an auto biography

Relation to the Standards:

Reading: Informational Text

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.


Writing


CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from print and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort evidence into provided categories

Enduring Understandings:



Essential Questions:



Specific Content:

1. Biography a. Definition

Specific Objectives:The students will -


Specific Formative Assessments:


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Teaching Strategies – Procedures:

The students will enter the library quietly and take their assigned seats in the classroom area.

I. Lesson Beginning

Review

The librarian will remind students that they have been learning about the different sections of the library (i.e. fiction and nonfiction), as well as how to locate books in the library.

II. Lesson Development

The librarian will read a short biography, Mrs. Harkness and the Panda by Alicia Potter.

To better display the detailed images of the book, the librarian will show a power point of the illustrations while reading.

While reading, the librarian will ask comprehension questions to make sure that students understand the story.

Possible Comprehension Questions:

a. After she learned that her husband had died, what did Mrs. Harkness decide to do?b. In your own words, what does “expedition” mean?c. Why do you think Mrs. Harkness decided to continue her husband’s dream after he died?d. How did Mrs. Harkness travel to China?e. Why do you think Quentin Young decided to help Mrs. Harkness find a panda?

After reading the biography, the librarian and the students will discuss the topic of biographies in relation to the book, Mrs. Harkness and the Panda. The following questions can guide the discussion.

Questions:

“What was the subject of the story we just read?”

“What are stories about important peoples’ lives called?”

The librarian will stress that a biography is an account of a person’s life, written by someone else, and that an autobiography is an account of a person’s life, written by that person.

The librarian will add that biographies are typically written about famous or important people.

The librarian will show students where biographies are located in the library.

The librarian will explain the call number given to biographies: 92, followed by the first 3 letters of the last name of the person who is the subject of the biography. The librarian will make sure to stress biographies are organized in alphabetical order by the last names of the biographies’ subjects.

III. Conclusion

Review

The librarian will ask a few quick review questions.

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Questions:

1. What is a biography? What is an autobiography?2. Where are biographies located in the library?3. What is the call number for a biography?

Closure

Students will have the last 10 minutes of class to select and check out books for personal reading.

Materials and/or Equipment:

Mrs. Harkness and the Panda by Alicia Potter PowerPoint containing book’s illustrations

Guided and/or Independent Practice:

Questions: The librarian will ask questions to check the student’s understanding of the topic.

Class Discussion: The class will use an example of a biography to better understand the definition of a biography.

Assessments:

Questions: The librarian will ask questions to check the student’s understanding of the topic.

Observations: The librarian will look to students for signs of confusion, etc., to see if students are grasping the topic.

Modifications and/or Adaptations:

Technical Difficulties – If the power point does not work, the librarian will take students to the pit and simply read the story and show students the pictures in the book.

Self-Assessment/Reflection:

Using a short and interesting biography in the form of a picture book proved a motivating way to start out a unit on biographies. Additionally, the indirect instruction strategy helped students to actively construct meaning during the lesson. Overall, this introduction showed students that biographies are interesting and useful. To improve this lesson, I would display different examples of biography call numbers for the students to see. Based on the selection of call numbers, I would ask students what they call numbers had in common, and lead students to discovering how to make a call number for a biography. Then, I would have had students try creating a few call numbers for biographies.

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Name: Kara Parsons

Title of Lesson: Location and Exploration of Biographies

Strategy: Indirect/Direct

Grade Level: 3rd

Common Core State Standards:

Reading: Informational Text:


Writing:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge about a topic. * We will be working toward this standard, although it will not be accomplished in this lesson.








Specific Content:

1. Biography a. Definition

b. Physical access

c. Intellectual access



1.b Locate a biography in the library.

1.c Gather meaningful information from a biography.



1.b Biography Find Activity

1.c Graphic Organizer – Explore a Biography Activity

I. Procedures

A. Lesson Beginning


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Review

The librarian will ask the students review questions about biographies in order to prepare them for the lesson.

Potential Questions:

1. What is a biography?2. Why do we use biographies?3. Where can we find biographies in our library?4. What is a call number for a biography?5. How are the biographies organized?

Overview

The librarian will explain that the students are going to practice finding biographies in the library by doing a “Biography Find”.

B. Lesson Development

Activity 1: Biography Find

The librarian will give each student a Biography Find Information Sheet, which will contain the title, author, and subject of a specific biography to be found in the library.

The librarian will ask students to use the Biography Find Information Sheets to locate a biography.

The students will find their biography, and return to their seat with it.

The librarian will check to see that each student has located the correct biography.

Activity 2: Explore a Biography

The librarian will give each student a graphic organizer to use while they look at their biographies. This will be a brief graphic organizer, used to draw students’ attention to certain features of biographies.

For example, a biography often contains the date of birth, childhood information, reason for importance, and late life information of the biography’s subject.

The librarian will give students time to investigate the biographies. Then, she will ask students to share information that they found.

For example, the librarian could ask, “Who found information about the person in their biography’s family?” etc.

The librarian will collect the graphic organizers and ask students to leave their biographies in a pile before giving them time to check out books.

C. Lesson Ending

Preview

“Next week, we will discuss a project that we are going to do about biographies!”

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Closure

During the last ten minutes of the lesson, the librarian will give students the opportunity to select and check out books.

The librarian will encourage students to check out a biography, if they would like.

II. Meaningful Student Involvement

Questions – The librarian will ask questions to make sure that students are actively constructing meaning instead of passively absorbing information.

Authentic Task – During the Biography Find, students will have to use the knowledge they have learned about biographies to find a specific biography. Since students will be applying what they have learned, they will be more involved in the lesson.

III. Special Adaptations/Modifications

Visual Scaffolding – During the Explore a Biography Activity, the students need to prove that they can use a biography to find information. To help them begin finding information, the librarian will give the students a graphic organizer, so that they can write down the information that they find in a structured way.

IV. Anticipated Difficulties and Modifications

Off task students – During the Biography Find, some students may want to socialize instead of attending to the task at hand. Thus, the librarian will observe the students while they look for their biographies, and check up on students that do not seem to be participating in the activity.

V. Physical Structure

Instruction will take place primarily in the classroom section of the library. When students initially enter the library, they will take their assigned seats in the classroom area, which consists of several rectangle tables (approximately 5 chairs at each table) facing a bulletin board/dry erase board. After reviewing information from the previous week’s lesson, students will move to the biography bookshelves in the library. The biography section is located on two bookshelves to the near left of the classroom section. After finding their biography, students will return to the classroom section.

VI. Materials and/or Equipment

Biography Find Information Sheets: Title, Author, and Subject of a biography Graphic Organizers

VII. References:

1. Connell, G. (2013). Introducing biographies. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/introducing-biographies-getting-know-you

VIII. Reflection

This lesson will give students practice in finding biographies, as well as in using them. Overall, I hope that the students will gain an understanding that biographies are a tool they can use to find information. However, the effectiveness of this lesson depends on what students learned in the previous lesson. As a result, a review at the beginning of class is crucial. If students have trouble answering my review questions, then I will need to make sure

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to go over essential information and check for understanding before we can move on to the learning activities. If this were the case, then there would not be as much time to complete the learning activities, so I will need to manage my instructional time carefully.


Unit: Biographies

Topic: Start of Biography Project

Grade Level: 3rd

Learning Objectives:

The students will –

1. Determine if a book is a biography or not2. Gather meaningful information from a biography

Relation to the Standards:



Writing:



Teaching Strategies – Procedures


I. Lesson Beginning

Review

“Is this a biography?” Review Game:

The librarian will use a PowerPoint presentation to display several book covers on the screen.

For each book, the librarian will provide a brief synopsis and ask, “Is this a biography?”

The librarian will call on volunteers to answer, and briefly explain their answers.

Overview/Motivation

The librarian will tell the students that they are going to pick a biography and use the biography to find out information about a person.

II. Lesson Development

On each table where students are sitting, there will be several biographies from the titles that students pulled the previous week. Additionally, there will be a Biography Quest Worksheet for each student on the

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table.

The librarian will ask students to look at the worksheet, while giving directions for completing it.

The librarian will ask the students to pick a biography from the choices on their table.

The librarian will visit each table in order to write down the biography each student has chosen, as well as to make sure students are on the write track in filling out the worksheet.

Worksheet Details:

1. Students will need to find 10 adjectives and/or nouns about the person in their chosen biography.

2. Additionally, students will write 10 descriptive words specifically related to the physical appearance of their person.

The librarian will give students the rest of instructional time to read their biographies and fill out their worksheets.

The librarian will flow through the classroom to answer questions and make sure that students are on task.

III. Lesson Ending

Closure


Materials and/or Equipment:

“Is This a Biography?” PowerPoint Biography Quest Worksheets Selection of Biographies

Guided and/or Independent Practice:

Review Game – During the review game, the students will practice using what they have learned about biographies in order to determine if a book is a biography or not.

Worksheet – The students will practice using biographies to find information about a person.

Assessments:

Observations – The librarian will look to students for signs of confusion, etc., to see if students are grasping the topic.

Worksheet – The librarian will look at the students’ worksheets to see if they can gather meaningful information from a biography.

Self-Assessment/Reflection:

To help students review what they have learned about biographies, we will play a quick review game. Since the review game requires students to decide if a book is a biography, they will be applying information they have learned to make a decision. “Applying” is a higher level on Bloom’s Taxonomy than “Remembering”, so I hope this will keep students more engaged in the lesson.

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As for the rest of the lesson, the majority of the students should stay on task, since they will be choosing a biography, and then using it to find information. I think that this will be an interesting activity, since the biographies might be about people the students have never heard of before, or know much about their life stories.


Name: Kara Parsons

Title of Lesson: Continuation of Biography Project

Strategy: Indirect




Writing:









Specific Content:

1. Biography

a. Physical access


1.a Create call numbers for biographies.


1.a “Name that Call Number!” Review Game – Create call numbers for

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b. Intellectual access 1.b Gather meaningful information from a biography.

biographies

1.b Biography Quest Worksheet – Find and record descriptive words about a person, using a biography

I. Procedures

A. Lesson Beginning

Review/Motivation

“Name that Call Number!” Review Game:

The librarian will use a PowerPoint to display the covers of several biographies on the screen.

The students will write down a call number for each book in the presentation, recording it on a piece of paper.

The librarian will ask for volunteers to say the call number that they created.

The librarian will provide feedback. At the end of the game, the librarian will collect all of the students’ papers.

Overview

The librarian will tell the students that they are going to finish the Biography Quest worksheets.


The students will resume reading their biographies and filling out their worksheets.

The librarian will flow through the classroom and make sure that the students are on task.

C. Lesson Ending

Closure



Review Game – During the review game, students will be creating call numbers for specific biographies. In order to do this, they must use higher level thinking skills. As a result, they will be actively involved in the lesson.


Quick workers – Some students may complete the Biography Quest Worksheet sooner than the rest of the class. This could be for two reasons: either the students work at a faster pace and still understood the assignment, or the assignment was rushed in order to be finished. The librarian will check over the

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worksheets to make sure they contain quality work. If the students did well, then the librarian will give them instructions to start typing their words into Microsoft Word. If the students need to revise their work, the librarian will provide constructive feedback, and help them get started.

IV. Anticipated difficulties and Modifications

Off task students – Some students may not attend to the work at hand. As a result, the librarian will flow through the classroom and encourage students that do not seem to be working.


Instruction will take place in the classroom section of the library, which consists of several rectangle tables (approximately 5 chairs at each table) facing a bulletin board/dry erase board.

VI. Materials

“Name that Call Number!” PowerPoint Biography Quest Worksheets Selection of Biographies Pencils

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Name: Kara Parsons

Title of Lesson: Biography Project: Word to Wordle

Strategy: Direct




Writing:









Specific Content:

1. Biography a. Intellectual access

Specific Objectives:The students will

1.a Gather meaningful information from a biography.

1.a.1 Use information from a biography to create a product, reflecting an understanding of the person in the biography


1.a Biography Quest Worksheet – Find and record descriptive words about a person, using a biography

1.a.1 Wordle – Display of words chosen to represent the subject of a biography

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I. Procedures

A. Lesson Beginning

Review

The librarian will ask the students what they have been learning about for the past few weeks.

The librarian will ask the students, “What is the purpose of a biography? Why do we use them?”

Overview/Motivation

The librarian will tell the students that they are going to turn their lists of words into a Wordle.

The librarian will display an example of a Wordle for the students to see.


The librarian will demonstrate how to create the Wordle, by walking the students through each step. The librarian will be using a computer connected to a screen so that the students can follow along.

For further visual scaffolding, the students will also have a worksheet with step-by-step directions.

Directions:

a. Log on to a computerb. Open Microsoft Wordc. Type the name of your person into a new document.d. Choose 5 of the 10 words form Column 1 of the Biography Quest Worksheete. Rank these 5 words from most important to least important, and type them into the Word Document.f. Copy the most important word, and past it 4 more times.g. Copy the 2nd most important word, paste it 3 more timesh. Copy the 3rd more important word, past it 2 more times i. Copy the 4th most important word, past it 1 more time. j. Copy all of the words in the document.

k. Go to http://www.wordle.netl. Click on “Create”, which is the second tab at the top of the home page.m. Paste the words from the Word document into the box and click “Go.”n. Your words will be turned into a Wordle. o. Customize your Wordle by clicking “Randomize,” which is the 3rd option underneath the Wordle.p. Print the Wordle to the printer in the computer lab.

C. Lesson Ending

Closure



Creativity – The students will finally be able to turn their hard work into a fun, colorful display during this lesson. When they are choosing their Wordle, they have the opportunity to think creatively by carefully evaluating their options. This should be motivating and rewarding for the students.


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Use of Computer Lab – If at all possible, this lesson would be easier to finish in a timely manner by having the class work on the computer lab. When using the library computers, the librarian cannot show the entire class how to do something. As a result, the librarian generally has to answer the same questions repeatedly, which slows down productivity.

IV. Anticipated Difficulties and Modifications

Technical Difficulties – Sometimes the computers in the library freeze, especially if students accidently log into the computers at the same time. To prevent this, the class could work in the computer lab, or the librarian could log onto all the computers ahead of time.


Instruction will take place primarily in the classroom section of the library. When students initially enter the library, they will take their assigned seats in the classroom area, which consists of several rectangle tables (approximately 5 chairs at each table) facing a bulletin board/dry erase board. The students will move to the area of the library with computers for the body of the lesson, unless it is possible for the entire class to move next door and work in the computer lab.

VI. Materials

Biography Quest Worksheets Microsoft Word Wordle.net Printer Computers

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Write a Mini Biography!In library class, we have been learning about biographies: what they are,

how to find them, and how to use them. Lets take what we have learned to

the next level!

Your task, if you choose to accept it, is to write a mini biography. Here’s how to do it:

1. Choose someone to interview.

You can interview anyone that you know. Here are some ideas of who you can ask: mom, dad, brother, sister, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, cousin, or friend.

2. Interview the person that you chose.

Ask them about their childhood.

Ask them about the different things they’ve done in their life.

Ask them some interesting questions of your own.

Write down the answers to the questions

3. Write the biography.

Take the answers to the questions you asked, and use them to write a paragraph about the person you interviewed.

4. Put together the biography.

Write your biography on a piece of notebook paper, or try typing it onto a computer.

Draw a picture of the person you wrote about, or use a real photograph. Put the picture with a final copy of your finished biography.

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I hope that you have fun with this optional activity. I would love to see and/or hear about your biography! If you bring your biography back to the library by April 2nd, Mrs. Whitling will put it on display.

Sincerely,

Miss ParsonsStudent teacher in the library

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