Biography Templates for Research and Writing

Do you need biography templates that students can use to research historical people in American History? Then use these use graphic organizers and a biography template to research and write biographies of important or famous people in American history. Using these 38 biographies templates, students can conduct independent short-term research projects. Finding facts about historical figures is made easy using the included QR codes.

Extensive teacher notes provide ideas for mini-lessons and steps needed for students to complete each section of the 4-page biography. Scoring is easy by using either the pre-printed checklist OR the 4-point rubric that analyzes four components.

HOW IT WORKS

The student

• chooses a person to research
• uses the supplied QR codes that link to trusted, reliable, and kid-friendly websites
• takes notes on a graphic organizer to list specific information required for each biography (pre-printed on the graphic organizer)
• uses the paragraph organizer to write a mini-biography
• begins filling in the 4 pages of the biography template to publish
  • Each biography template consists of 4 pages.
  • On page 1 is a b/w photograph/portrait of the famous person, which serves as a cover.
  • On page 2, the student will find essential facts, and a famous quote and infer or find character traits of the famous person.
  • On page 3, the student writes a mini-biography of the famous person (the ability to add more paragraphs is available in the Extras pages)
  • On page 4, the student will create a timeline with 6 important dates and their significance.

• The pages are then cut and trimmed and stapled together as a book. The book resembles an electronic tablet, hence the term iPortrait.
• The iPortrait book can be shared in many ways, including an oral presentation, audio recording, class library, etc.
• Some of the template pages of the iPortrait include the QR codes on them so others can also scan the code and find out more about the historical figure.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

38, four-page templates for the following important people in US History

• Early America Christopher Columbus, Anne Hutchinson, Pocahontas, Captain John Smith, Squanto
• American Revolutionary Era Abigail Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Paul Revere, Betsy Ross, George Washington
• Civil War Era Clara Barton, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth
• Civil Rights and Human Rights Era Cesar Chavez, Helen Keller, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Fred Korematsu
• Suffragettes and Women Pioneers Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary McLeod Bethune, Amelia Earhart, Kamala Harris, Dr. Sally Ride, Sacagawea
• Modern Era US Presidents George H. W. Bush, Lyndon Baines Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Richard M. Nixon, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Also included

Notes to the Teacher

• step by step procedures for each part of the biography project
• ideas for supporting English Language Learners
• ideas for supporting Students with Disabilities
• note-taking mini-lesson
• expository paragraph writing mini-lesson
• ideas for using the completed biography booklets
• 5 essential questions that guide the research

Student Research Packet

• Due Dates Page
• Essential Questions
• What I Know/What I Need to Find Page
• Fact Finder Note Taking Page
• Paragraph Graphic Organizer Page
• Bibliography Page
• QR Codes

Rubric and Checklist

• Rubric with descriptors
• A rubric that is blank but is a fillable form to create your rubric
• Checklist with requirements
• A checklist that is blank but is a fillable form to create your checklist

QR Codes

• 3 QR Codes per famous person
• links to reliable sites with verified information
• kid-friendly sites
• that require no signup or accounts
• have few or no ads
• have related hyperlinks
• are trusted by educators

Extras

• additional biography page for more paragraphs
• blank template pages
• Essential Questions add-on pages

Why Use These Templates?

• These biography templates are a great way to get students started on short-term research projects that include sufficient scaffolds such as graphic organizers and questions to stir critical thinking and integrate technology.
• Teachers can integrate the research project with the social studies and writing curriculum. Once students have completed one biography, they can continue to research another from the packet or use the blank templates to pick any one of their choosing.
• They make great Open House projects! Students and parents will enjoy scanning the pre-printed QR codes on each completed biography project to learn even more about the person!

TEACHERS, LIKE YOU, SAID…

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rebecca Z. says, "I used this as a research project and it was great! It is a good resource for teaching your students about famous people in history."

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ La'Keesha Hunter says, "My students loved using the QR codes!"

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Susan Halpert says, "Fabulous collection of information based organizers. Product literally leaves nothing to the imagination. Well researched, kid friendly and wonderful teaching tool. Kids finally understand what a biography is and should look like."

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Copyright © Two Boys and a Dad Productions

All rights reserved by the author.

Permission to copy for single classroom use only.

Permission to use on secure digital learning management system platforms (such as Google Classroom, Teams, Canva, etc.)

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