Krysta Stenzel ELA Fourth Grade

Biography Project

Focus
Students will be applying their new skills in taking notes, categorizing notes, writing nonfiction paragraphs,
and speaking and listening into a final project. They will put all of the pieces together of their past learning to
create a product that shows they are able to research and present their findings.

Standards

RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject
knowledgeably.
W4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
W4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
W4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
W4.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take
notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.
SL4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts
and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.

Know Understand Able to Do

- how to take telegram notes W4.8
- elements to note regarding
famous people
- facts about one person’s life
- how to categorize notes W4.8
- how to integrate facts into a
paragraph W4.2
- how to present using technology
W4.4
- speak knowledgeably about a
topic SL4.4
- We focus on early life, challenge,
success, and later life when
learning about a famous person.
- We are interested in learning
from famous people that changed
the world in a big way.
- We take notes and categorize
them in order to learn the most
important information.
- We integrate new knowledge in
order to share it with others.
- We use our research to present
our learning to others.
- Read and comprehend nonfiction
text.
- Take notes.
- Write organized nonfiction
paragraphs.
- Speak in front of a group.
- Present organized information
about a person.
- Use technology to enhance a
presentation.

Differentiation Elements

Strategy​: Learning Contract

I plan to give each student a learning contract to guide their work with their final biography project. This
project will combine their new skills in taking notes, categorizing notes, writing nonfiction paragraphs, and
speaking and listening. They will choose from different areas of the contract in order to receive differentiated
content, process, and product options.

Content Process Product

Content will be differentiated as The process will be differentiated Product will be differentiated as
students are allowed to choose as students will be able to choose students choose a way to present
from a list of people to research. several different activities to their learning with the rest of the
They will be completing the same complete the work. class.
work, but they will be learning
about different people. I will
provide different levels of
resources for students to use in
their research, to match each
student’s reading readiness.

Student Learner Elements

Readiness Interest Learning Profile

I will provide a collection of
resources at different levels to
match the reading readiness of
each student, while still allowing
choice in who they choose to
study.
Students will be able to choose
from a list of people. I will provide
options from a variety of interest
areas.
Throughout their work, students
will have the opportunity to work in
different areas of the classroom,
utilize resources for visual and
auditory preferences, and work
with different student groupings.

Instructional Groupings

Students will be working independently on research. They will meet several times throughout the process
with a peer to share their work and receive feedback. They will also meet twice in continuum groups (4
students) to share and receive constructive feedback. These groupings will be comprised of students at
differing abilities.

Assessment

PreAssessment Formative Assessment PostAssessment

Leading up to this project,
students will have completed work
in taking notes, categorizing notes,
and writing nonfiction. Their work
in each of these mini-units will
serve as a skills pre-assessment.
This project will be giving them the
opportunity to apply these skills
into one final product.
Students will be formatively
assessed daily. Feedback will be
given as appropriate throughout
the process. I will check in with
them at a few different
checkpoints in the process. Peers
will provide feedback several
times throughout the process.
Students will present their product
to the class. They will provide
information orally and in an
organized manner. They will
utilize technology to enhance their
presentation.

Teacher Resources

- Class Handouts