ALEX Classroom Resource

  

Writers' Workshop: The Biographical Sketch

  Classroom Resource Information  

Title:

 Writers' Workshop: The Biographical Sketch

URL:

 http://readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/writers-workshop-biographical-sketch-1039.html

Content Source:

 ReadWriteThink
Type: Lesson/Unit Plan

Overview:

While engaging in the processes of researching, writing, and evaluating short biographical sketches, students can master essential writing skills and enhance their content area learning. In this unit, students discuss standard elements in a biography and examine the characteristics of the genre in a workshop setting. After selecting and researching a contemporary or historical figure using online databases, students practice writing short biographies. They then offer feedback on others' compositions and publish final drafts for reading aloud and displaying in class.

Content Standard(s):
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 3
R5. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R5.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres
Knowledge:
R5. Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.
Skills:
R5. Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.
Understanding:
R5. Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 3
34. Write informative or explanatory texts about a topic using sources, including an introduction, facts, relevant details with elaboration, and a conclusion.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
34.
  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Sources
  • Topic
  • Introduction
  • Facts
  • Relevant details
  • Elaboration
  • Conclusion
Knowledge:
34. Students know:
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaboration means to supply additional information about a detail by using academic, content-specific vocabulary or by including text features.
Skills:
34. Students are able to:
  • Gather information from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text that begins with introducing the topic, provides facts and details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaborate on details included in the text.
Understanding:
34. Students understand that:
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from a research source.
  • Informative or explanatory writing can be used to tell facts about a topic.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using academic, content-specific vocabulary and text features.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 3
39. Gather and evaluate information about a topic from a variety of sources, including digital sources, and utilize it to create a project, report, or presentation.

a. Avoid plagiarism by using their own words and utilizing digital sources ethically.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
39.
  • Gather
  • Evaluate
  • Information
  • Topic
  • Sources
  • Digital sources
  • Utilize
  • Project
  • Report
  • Presentation
39a.
  • Avoid
  • Plagiarism
  • Utilize
  • Digital sources
  • Ethically
Knowledge:
39. Students know:
  • Information can be gathered from print or digital sources.
  • Strategies to gather and evaluate information.
  • Relevant information about a topic should be added to a project, report, or presentation.
39a.
  • Plagiarism is presenting someone else's words or ideas as their own without crediting the source.
Skills:
39. Students are able to:
  • Gather information about a topic from a variety of print and digital sources.
  • Evaluate the relevance of the information to the topic.
  • Use information to create a project, report, or presentation.
39a.
  • Use their own ideas and words in writing and/or presenting information.
  • Behave ethically when using digital sources by appropriately crediting original creators.
Understanding:
39. Students understand that:
  • The first step in creating a project, report, or presentation is gathering and evaluating information from a variety of sources.
39a.
  • Plagiarism is using someone else's ideas and/or words without giving credit, and it should be avoided both in written and digital work.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 4
R4. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R4.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres
Knowledge:
R4. Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.
Skills:
R4. Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.
Understanding:
R4. Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 4
33. Use research to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

a. Introduce a research topic clearly and group related ideas.

b. Integrate and cite evidence to present research findings in written form.

c. Paraphrase portions of texts or information presented in diverse media and formats.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
33.
  • Research
  • Clear
  • Coherent
  • Development
  • Organization
  • Task
  • Purpose
  • Audience
33a.
  • Research
  • Topic
  • Group
  • Related ideas
33b.
  • Integrate
  • Evidence
  • Cite
  • Research
33c.
  • Paraphrase
  • Diverse media
Knowledge:
33. Students know:
  • Research happens when you look up information about a topic.
  • Clear and coherent writing is organized into a text structure and develops ideas with the addition of details.
  • Writing styles can vary depending on the task, the purpose, and the intended audience.
33a.
  • Informative writing should begin by introducing the topic of the text.
  • Writing can be organized into a structure by logically grouping ideas to support the writer's purpose.
33b.
  • Integrate means to combine information from multiple research sources.
33c.
  • Paraphrasing means to express the same meaning of the original source, but use different words or phrases.
Skills:
33. Students are able to:
  • Gather research information about a topic.
  • Create writing that is clear, coherent, and appropriate to the task, the purpose, and the audience.
  • Organize writing into a particular structure and develop ideas using details.
33a.
  • Clearly introduce a research topic in their writing.
  • Logically group related ideas to support explanation of the topic.
33b.
  • Integrate research findings from multiple sources in writing.
  • Cite evidence from research sources in writing.
33c.
  • Paraphrase portions of texts or presented information in writing.
Understanding:
33. Students understand that:
  • Before writing an informative text, they should gather information through research.
  • There writing should always be clear and coherent, but the style may change depending on the task, purpose, and audience.
33a.
  • Focusing on the topic of a text by providing a clear introduction and grouping related ideas draws the reader's attention to important points and supports the meaning of the text.
33b.
  • They must combine multiple sources of information and cite the source of the information when presenting research findings in their writing.
33c.
  • Paraphrasing can demonstrate they understand the source information well enough to write it in their own words.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 4
36. Write informative or explanatory text about a topic using sources, incorporating academic vocabulary, and including an introduction, facts, details with elaboration, and a conclusion.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
36.
  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Topic
  • Sources
  • Academic vocabulary
  • Introduction
  • Facts
  • Details with elaboration
  • Conclusion
Knowledge:
36. Students know:
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaboration means to supply additional information about a detail by using academic vocabulary or by including text features.
  • Academic vocabulary is more formal and specific than spoken language.
Skills:
36. Students are able to:
  • Gather information from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text that begins with introducing the topic, provides facts and details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaborate on details included in the text using academic vocabulary.
Understanding:
36. Students understand that:
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from a research source.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic vocabulary and text features.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 5
R4. Utilize a writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish writings in various genres.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
R4.
  • Writing process
  • Plan
  • Draft
  • Revise
  • Edit
  • Publish
  • Genres
Knowledge:
R4. Students know:
  • The writing process steps are to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish.
  • Various genres of writing.
Skills:
R4. Students are able to:
  • Plan writings in various genres.
  • Draft writings in various genres.
  • Revise writings in various genres.
  • Edit writings in various genres.
  • Publish writings in various genres.
Understanding:
R4. Students understand that:
  • The writing process is a set of steps that make writing easier.
  • There are different categories, or genres, of writing that can be used for different purposes.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 5
35. Write informative or explanatory texts using multiple sources to examine a topic, conveying ideas and information clearly and incorporating a strong organizational structure, relevant details, and elaboration.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
35.
  • Informative text
  • Explanatory text
  • Sources
  • Topic
  • Organizational structure
  • Details
  • Elaboration
Knowledge:
35. Students know:
  • Informative or explanatory text is a piece of writing that provides factual information that was gathered from multiple research sources.
  • Informative or explanatory text begins by introducing the topic, provides facts and relevant details, and ends with a conclusion.
  • Elaboration means supplying additional information about details by using academic vocabulary or including text features.
Skills:
35. Students are able to:
  • Gather information from multiple sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text using information gathered from sources.
  • Write an informative or explanatory text with a clear, organized structure.
  • Elaborate on details included in the text using academic vocabulary or text features.
Understanding:
35. Students understand that:
  • Informative or explanatory writing follows a predictable text structure that includes introducing the topic, providing facts or additional details about the topic, and ends with a conclusion.
  • They must gather their facts about the topic from multiple research sources.
  • Writers elaborate details included in the text by using formal academic vocabulary and text features.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 5
37. Write about research findings independently over short and/or extended periods of time.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
37.
  • Research findings
  • Independently
  • Short periods of time
  • Extended periods of time
Knowledge:
37. Students know:
  • Researching a topic begins by finding information from multiple sources.
  • Independent writing skills.
Skills:
37. Students are able to:
  • Find information on a particular topic from a variety of research sources.
  • Independently write about research findings over short and extended periods of time.
Understanding:
37. Students understand that:
  • They can share information they have learned about a topic through writing.
  • Some writing projects will last a short time, while others may take longer to complete.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 5
38. Gather information on a topic or question, and share the results through various modes of writing, including projects and presentations.

a. Locate information in print and digital sources.

b. Summarize, quote, and paraphrase information in notes and finished work, providing a list of sources.

c. Integrate information from several texts on the same topic into presentations of research.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
38.
  • Topic
  • Question
  • Results
  • Modes of writing
  • Projects
  • Presentations
38a.
  • Print
  • Digital
38b.
  • Summarize
  • Quote
  • Paraphrase
  • Notes
  • Finished work
  • List of sources
38c.
  • Integrate
  • Topic
  • Presentations of research
Knowledge:
38. Students know:
  • Effective research skills.
  • Transferable writing skills applicable to many modes of writing.
38a.
  • Information can be found in both digital and print sources.
38b.
  • Summarizing is putting the main idea(s) of the source into their own words.
  • Quoting is using direct evidence from the source material.
  • Paraphrasing is condensing the original source by broadly explaining the content.
  • Summarizing, quoting, and paraphrasing are important note taking skills, but they can also be used in formal writing pieces.
  • Credit must be attributed to the original creator of the work by including a list of sources.
38c.
  • Research presentations should include information that is incorporated from several sources.
Skills:
38. Students are able to:
  • Research information from a variety of sources to explain a topic or answer a question.
  • Share information learned through research in various modes of writing, including projects and presentations.
38a.
  • Locate information in print and digital sources.
38b.
  • Summarize, quote, and paraphrase information in written notes and finished work.
  • Include a list of sources with written summaries and paraphrases.
38c.
  • Combine information from several texts on the same topic into one piece of work.
Understanding:
38. Students understand that:
  • They can share their research findings through multiple modes of writing, including presentations and projects.
38a.
  • An effective writer uses multiple sources of information, including print and digital sources.
38b.
  • Including a list of sources with their writing ensures they are giving the original creator credit for their work.
38c.
  • Effective research presentations include multiple sources of information that are integrated in one coherent project.
Tags: bio cube, biographies, collaboration, cube creator, evaluating, feedback, publication, researching, revisions, writing
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Author: Cassie Raulston
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