y04793 tg.qxd:rulesatschool 2/24/11 3:12 pm page 1 teacher...

™

Level O/34 Level K/20

Genre Workshop titles are designed to accommodate a combination of whole- and small-group instruction.Use the suggested timetable below to help you manage your 90-minute literacy block. You may also conductthe entire lesson within small-group reading time by adjusting the length of time needed per group.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Days 6–15

Whole Group(25 minutes)

Prepareto Read

Before Reading Before Reading Before Reading Analyze andSynthesize

Write abiography.

Use thetimetableand dailysuggestionsprovided.

Small Group #1*(15 minutes)

Read “MichelleObama”

Read “BarackObama”

Reread “BarackObama”

Literature CircleDiscussion











Whole Group(20 minutes)

After Reading After Reading After Reading Reinforce Skills

*Select the appropriate text to meet the range of needs and reading levels of your students.

While you are meeting with small groups, other students can do the following:• Read independently from your classroom library• Reflect on their learning in reading response journals• Engage in literacy workstations or meet with literature circles/discussion groups

B E N C H M A R K E D U C A T I O N C O M P A N Y

Reading Objectives• Comprehension: Identify sequence of

events; Analyze character• Tier Two Vocabulary: See book’s Glossary• Word study: Adverbs• Analyze the genre• Respond to and interpret texts• Make text-to-text connections• Fluency: Read with varied speed/pacingWriting Objectives• Writer’s tools: A strong lead• Write a biography using

writing-process stepsRelated Resources• Comprehension Question Cards• Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart• Using Genre Models to Teach Writing• George Washington; Abraham Lincoln

(Levels P/38 and K/20)

Michelle Obama

Barack Obama

TEACHER’S GUIDE: BIOGRAPHY

Y04793_TG.qxd:RulesatSchool 2/24/11 3:12 PM

• Ask students to turn to pages 4–5. Say: Thebiographies in this book tell about two people, ahusband and a wife, who are making a difference inpeople’s lives. Let’s read a time line about their lives.

• Have a student read aloud the time line informationwhile others follow along.

• Say: The time line shows important events in theObamas’ lives. What do these events suggest abouttheir values? Allow time for responses. Promptstudents to understand that both Michelle andBarack Obama value education and serving others.

Introduce the Tools Writers Use: A Strong Lead• Read aloud “Tools Writers Use” on page 4.• Say: Nonfiction writers often use a strong lead.A strong lead helps writers capture readers’attention. Let’s practice identifying strong leadsso we can notice them in the biographies we read.

• Distribute BLM 1 (A Strong Lead). Read aloudsentence 1 with students.

• Model Identifying a Strong Lead: All thesentences in this paragraph are about ThomasJefferson. I know that he is the subject of thebiography. The paragraph lists many of hisachievements: He helped found our country. Hebecame the third President of the United States.He wrote the Declaration of Independence. Theseare important achievements. They show Jeffersonwas a great man whom we should learn about.

• Ask students to work with a partner or in smallgroups to identify other examples of importantinformation about Jefferson in the paragraph andto decide what they think will be the focus of thebiography. Then have students write a strong leadparagraph for a biography about a subject of theirchoosing. Invite students to “hook” their readersby telling why the subject is important or by givingan interesting piece of information.

• Bring the groups together to share their findings.Point out that writers try to interest their readers inthe subject by beginning with a strong lead sentencethat draws them into the text.

• Ask each group to read the paragraph they wrote.Use the examples to build their understanding ofhow and why writers use a strong lead paragraph.Remind students that how an author uses a stronglead paragraph can help the reader identify the focusof a biography and predict the kinds of information itwill include.

• Ask groups to hand in their lead paragraphs. Transferstudent-written paragraphs to chart paper, title thepage “A Strong Lead,” and post it as an anchor chartin your classroom.

TWO BIOGRAPHIES2

Prepare to ReadBuild Genre Background• Write the word genre on chart paper. Ask: Who canexplain what the word genre means? (Allow timefor responses.) The word genre means “a kind ofsomething.” Things are grouped in genres becausethey are all alike in some ways. For example, onegenre of music is electronic music. Examples ofelectronic music are alike because they are producedon a computer. As readers and writers, we focus ongenres of literature. As readers, we pay attentionto the genre to help us comprehend. When werecognize the genre, we can predict what traits thetext will have. We can anticipate how it will bepresented. As writers, we use our knowledge of genreto help us choose a way of presenting our ideas.

• Ask: Who can name some literary genres? Let’s makea list. Allow time for responses. Post the list on theclassroom wall as an anchor chart.

• Draw a concept web on chart paper or the board.Write Biography in the center circle of the web.

• Say: Biography is one example of a literary genre.Think of any biographies you know. How would youdefine what a biography is?

• Turn and Talk: Ask students to turn and talk to aclassmate and jot down any features of a biographythey can think of. Then bring students togetherand ask them to share their ideas. Record themon the group web. Reinforce the concept that allbiographies have certain common features.

Introduce the Book• Distribute the appropriate-level book (O/34 or K/20)

to each student. Read the title aloud. Ask students totell what they see on the cover and table of contents.

• Ask students to turn to pages 2–3. Say: This weekwe are going to read biographies that will help uslearn about this genre. First we’re going to focuson this genre as readers. Then we’re going to studybiography from a writer’s perspective. Our goalthis week is to really understand this genre.

• Ask a student to read aloud the text on pages 2–3while others follow along. Invite a different studentto read the web on page 3.

• Point to your biography web. Say: Let’s compareour initial ideas about biography with what we justread. What new features of this genre did you learn?Allow time for responses. Add new information tothe class web.

• Display this chart in your classroom during yourbiography unit. Say: As we read biographies thisweek, we will come back to this anchor chart. We willlook for these features in each biography we read.

©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. Teachers may photocopy the reproducible pages for classroom use. No other part of the guide may be reproduced or transmitted in wholeor in part in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1-60859-862-5

Day 1


3TWO BIOGRAPHIES©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Reflect and Review• Turn and Talk: Write one or more of the following

questions on chart paper.What are some literary genres besides biography?What can you tell me about one of these genres?What did you learn today about the biographygenre?Why do you think biographers use a strong lead tobegin a biography?Ask partners or small groups to discuss their ideasand report them back to the whole group as a wayto summarize the day’s learning.

Before ReadingIntroduce “Michelle Obama”• Reread the biography anchor chart or the web

on page 3 to review the features of a biography.• Ask students to turn to page 6. Ask: Based on thetitle and photos, whom do you predict this biographywill be about? Allow time for responses.

• Invite students to scan the text and look for theboldfaced words (softly, nearby, very, hard). Say:As you read, pay attention to these words. If youdon’t know what they mean, think about whatthey tell about the word next to them to help youunderstand. We’ll come back to these words afterwe read.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the biography and to focus on

the genre elements they noted on their anchor chart.They should also look for an example of a stronglead and think about how the author’s use of astrong lead draws their interest and helps thempredict what the biography will include.

Read “Michelle Obama”• Place students in groups of three or four based

on their reading levels. Ask students to read thebiography silently or whisper-read. If studentsneed more support, you may have them readwith a partner.

• Observe students as they stop and think about thebiography. Confer briefly with individual studentsto monitor their use of fix-up strategies and theirunderstanding of the text.

Management TipAsk students to place self-stick notes in the marginswhere they notice a strong lead or features of thegenre when they are reading.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Identify Sequence of Events• Use the following steps to provide explicit modeling

of how to identify the sequence of events in abiography.

• Explain: We learned yesterday that biographiesprovide facts about the life of someone noteworthy.The writer includes details of the subject’s lifeexperiences and achievements. When you read abiography, notice the sequence of events and howone event led to or caused another event. You alsoneed to notice what the subject is like and what heor she does that helps you connect with the personand understand why the person influences others.

Day 2

Management Tips• Throughout the week, you may wish to use some

of the reflect and review questions as promptsfor reader response journal entries in addition toturn and talk activities.

• Have students create genre study folders. Keepblackline masters, notes, small-group writing,and checklists in the folders.

• Create anchor charts by writing whole-groupdiscussion notes and mini-lessons on chartpaper. Hang charts in the room where studentscan see them.


• Distribute copies of BLM 2 (Identify Sequence ofEvents) and/or draw a chart like the one below.

• Model: When I read a biography, I pay closeattention to the sequence of events in the person’slife. I analyze why each event happened and how itaffected the person. I also decide what the events tellme about the person. I will think about the sequenceof events in Michelle Obama’s life. First she grew upin a small home in Chicago with a close family. Thefamily had little money but lots of love. This explainswhy Michelle feels that family and hard work arevery important.

• Guide Practice: Work with students to list andanalyze other events in Michelle Obama’s life. Helpthem see why each event happened and understandits effect on her character and goals.

• Have students keep BLM 2 in their genre studyfolders.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Remind students that when they answer questions

on standardized assessments, they must be able tosupport their answers with facts or with clues andevidence directly from the text.

• Use the appropriate-level Comprehension QuestionCard (O/34 or K/20) with small groups of studentsto practice answering text-dependent comprehensionquestions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer FindIt! questions. The answer to a Find It! question isright in the book. You can find the answer in oneplace in the text.

TWO BIOGRAPHIES ©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC4

• Model: Read the first Find It! question on theComprehension Question Card. Say: When I readthe question, I look for important words that tellme what to look for in the book. What words in thisquestion do you think will help me? (Allow studentresponses.) Yes, I’m looking for the words Michelle,was, and born. On page 6, I read, “Michelle wasborn January 17, 1964.” This sentence has the wordsI’m looking for. This sentence answers the question.

• Use the Comprehension Power Tool Flip Chart todevelop other Find It! questions to use with students.

Focus on Vocabulary: Adverbs• Explain/Model: Adverbs are words that modifyverbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. In the sentence“Junior laughed hysterically,” the word hystericallyis an adverb that tells how Junior laughed. In thesentence “Tania was terribly angry,” terribly is anadverb that tells to what degree Tania was angry.Readers can identify adverbs by observing whatquestion they answer: how, when, where, how often,to what extent, and so on.

• Practice: Ask students to think of adverbs theyalready know. List the adverbs along with wordsthey might modify on the board. (for example:ran quickly, arrives today, stands up, alwayscheerful, really hard)

• Say: Let’s find the boldfaced words in this biography.How can you understand what words these adverbsmodify and how they add information to thesentence? (Allow time for responses.) You can lookat the word before or after the boldfaced word.Then you can ask yourself, “What does this wordtell me about that verb (or adjective or adverb)?”

• Ask students to work with a partner to completethe “Focus on Words” activity on page 13 using BLM3 (Focus on Adverbs). Explain that they should readthe words around the boldfaced word to understandwhat information the adverb adds to the sentence.They should be able to explain what word theadverb modifies and what question it answers.

• Transfer Through Oral Language: Pair studentsand have them share their findings with theirpartners. Then challenge students to write newsentences using each adverb. Have them take turnsreading the sentences to their partners. The listeneridentifies the adverb, the word it modifies, and thequestion it answers. Continue until all students haveused and identified all four adverbs.

• Ask students to save their work in their genre studyfolders to continue on Days 3 and 4.

Event Why Event Happened Effect on Person

grew up in small homein Chicago and hadclose, happyrelationship to family

lots of togetherness;hard-working fatherwho had MS; manyrelatives nearby

values family asmost important;working hardimportant, too

became a lawyerand worked to helpyoung Chicago peopleand communities

wanted to give back,bring jobs, show valueof volunteer work

cares about others;provides a lovinghome for family;understands mustwork for goals

married and had twodaughters

chose someone whocared about making adifference; focused onraising kids

build a life thatwill be loving andfulfilling whilehelping others

helped husband winpresidential election

believed in husband andwanted to help himachieve his dream

has confidence;is determined tohelp working momsand militaryfamilies, and getpeople to volunteer

Day 2 (cont.)



Reflect and Review• Turn and Talk: Ask partners or small groups to

reread the “Features of a Biography” on page 3 anddecide if all of these features were present in“Michelle Obama.”Ask groups to share and supporttheir findings.

Fluency: Read with Varied Speed/Pacing• You may wish to have students reread the biography

with a partner during independent reading timeto focus on varying the pace of their reading. Modelslowing the pace for important sentences such as“Family has always been important to Michelle”and speeding up the pace for a paragraph that listsmany examples, such as the second paragraph onpage 7. Ask students to read slower or faster tomatch what the text says or to help listenersunderstand difficult text.

Before ReadingIntroduce “Barack Obama”• Ask students to turn to page 14. Say: Today weare going to read “Barack Obama.” This biographyis written in a different format from the otherbiography we read. Notice how in the margins thereare notes to you, the reader. The first time we readthe text, we will read to understand the biography,focusing on the details that explain major lifeexperiences and help us understand the subject as anindividual. Tomorrow, we will read this biography likea writer and think about the notes in the margin as amodel for how we can write our own biographies.

• Say: Let’s look at the title and photos in thisbiography. What information do you predict it willinclude? Give students time to share their predictions.

• Ask students to scan the text and look for theboldfaced words (outside, later, unfairly). Ask:What do you notice about these words? Why do youthink they appear in boldfaced type? Allow time forresponses. Encourage students to notice that all ofthese words are adverbs modifying verbs, adjectives,or other adverbs.

• Say: As you read, try to figure out what informationthese words add to the sentences in which theyappear. Ask yourself what question each wordanswers about another word in the sentence. Afterwe read, we will talk about how context clues andthe location of each adverb help you understandwhat information it added to the sentence.

Set a Purpose for Reading• Ask students to read the biography, and to focus on

what the subject achieved and what character traitshelped him to accomplish these goals. Encouragethem to notice the author’s use of a strong lead.

Read “Barack Obama”• Place students in groups based on their reading

levels. Ask students to read the biography silently orwhisper-read. If students need more support, youmay have them read with a partner.

• Observe students as they stop and think about thebiography. Confer briefly with individual studentswho have difficulty understanding the text tomonitor their use of fix-up strategies.

After ReadingBuild Comprehension: Identify Sequence of Events• Say: Yesterday we identified the sequence ofevents in Michelle Obama’s life. An event that hada profound effect on her value of family was aclose, loving relationship with her own parentsand relatives in Chicago. What are some importantevents in Barack Obama’s life that you learned fromthis biography?

Day 3

Page PhraseWord the AdverbModifies

Question theAdjective Answers

6 says softly says (verb) how

7 lived nearby lived (verb) where

10 worked hard worked (verb) how or how much

11 very excited excited (adjective) to what degree

Note Regarding This Teacher’s Guide

The genre models in the Bridges books areadapted for a lower reading level. To facilitatewhole-group instruction, citations from the Bridgesversion of this book are shown in square brackets.


TWO BIOGRAPHIES6

stated main idea. I know because the question askswhat sentence states the main idea. Now I need tolook for other important information in the question.These words tell me what to look for in the book.What information do you think will help me? (Allowresponses.) Yes, I’m looking for a sentence that statesthe most important idea in the paragraph. Now I willlook at the first [second] paragraph on page 19. Thefirst sentence tells that Barack was elected to theSenate. All the other sentences tell what he did whilehe was Senator. The first sentence tells the main idea.I have found the answer in the book. I looked inseveral sentences to find the answer.

• Guide Practice: Use the Comprehension Power ToolFlip Chart to develop other Look Closer! questions.

Focus on Vocabulary: Adverbs• Ask students to work with a partner to complete

the “Focus on Words” activity on page 21 usingBLM 3 that they started on Day 2. Have groupsshare their findings.

• Transfer Through Oral Language: Invite pairs ofstudents to act out the meaning that each adverbadds to the phrase by creating and modeling acontext. Then have students model a second adverbthat tells where, when, how much, and how thesame action takes place.

Reflect and Review• Turn and Talk: Ask partners or small groups to

discuss the following questions and report their ideasto the whole group:What is one event that you believe had a biginfluence on Barack Obama’s life? Explain what theevent caused to happen next.Do you agree or disagree with Obama’s quote that“We are one people”? Tell how your experiencesshape your view.


with a partner during independent reading time tofocus on varying the pace of their reading. Modelslowing the pace for an important quotation such as“We are one people . . .” and speeding up the pacefor sentences in a long paragraph that lists manyexamples, such as the second paragraph on page 18.Ask students to vary their pace to match what thetext says or to help listeners understand difficult text.

How did these events affect his decisions and actions?Allow time for responses. As students sharetheir answers, synthesize their responses into awhole-group chart like the one below.

• Discuss Events Across Texts: Lead a discussionusing the following questions:How does Barack’s early life experiences compare toMichelle’s? How are they different?What achievements do Barack and Michelle have incommon? What evidence do you have that they are agood team?How are Barack and Michelle similar in their views offamily? How are they different?

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Use the appropriate-level Comprehension Question

Card (O/34 or K/20) with small groups of students topractice answering text-dependent questions.

• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer LookCloser! questions. The answer to a Look Closer!question is in the book. You have to look in morethan one place, though. You find the different partsof the answer. Then you put the parts together toanswer the question.

• Model: Read the first Look Closer! question on theComprehension Question Card. Say: I will show youhow I answer a Look Closer! question. The questionsays, “Look at the first [Bridges: second] paragraphon page 19. What sentence tells the main idea forthat paragraph?” This question asks me to identify a

Day 3 (cont.)

Event Why Event Happened Effect on Person

grew up in Hawaiiand Indonesia;parents divorcedand remarried

parents and stepfatherfrom different countriesof the world

learned differencesand similarities ofpeople around theworld

lived withgrandparents whoencouragededucation

grandparents able toprovide stable home

had fun; learned towork hard, valueeducation

went to college anddecided to enterpolitics and to helpthe poor

chose to get the besteducation; felt a need tomake a difference

worked in poorcommunities;learned leadershipskills

met Michelle;worked as civilrights lawyer tohelp others

fell in love; chose to givethe poor a voice andpower as citizens

became moredetermined tomake a differencethrough politics

elected to IllinoisSenate, then toU.S. Senate

chose to run; had plansfor how to improvegovernment

became excellentspeech-maker;further developedleadership skills

elected U.S.President

chose to run; workedvery hard; wanted toshare ideas for change

became more surehe could helpcountry meetdifficult challenges

Page PhraseWord the AdverbModifies

Question the AdjectiveAnswers

14 stood outside stood (verb) where

15 later divorced later (verb) when

17 treated unfairly treated (verb) how

©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC


TWO BIOGRAPHIES©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC 7

Before ReadingSet a Purpose for Rereading• Have students turn to page 14. Say: Until now, wehave been thinking about biographies from theperspective of the reader. Learning the features ofbiography has helped us be critical readers. Now weare going to put on a different hat. We are going toreread “Barack Obama” and think like writers. We’regoing to pay attention to the annotations in themargins. These annotations will help us understandwhat the author did and why she did it.

Reread “Barack Obama”• Place students in groups of three or four based

on their reading levels. Ask students to read thebiography silently or whisper-read. If studentsneed more support, you may have them readwith a partner.

• Observe students as they stop and think about thebiography. Confer briefly with individual students tomonitor their use of fix-up strategies and theirunderstanding of the text and annotations.

After ReadingAnalyze the Mentor Text• Explain to students that the text they have just read

is a mentor text. A mentor text is a text that teaches.This text is designed to help them understand whatwriters do to write a biography and why they do it.

• Read and discuss each mentor annotation withstudents. Encourage them to comment on thewriter’s sequence of events, use of personal as wellas career details, focus on important events, and useof literary techniques such as a strong lead.

Practice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Use the appropriate-level Comprehension Question


• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer ProveIt! questions. The answer to a Prove It! question isnot stated in the book. You have to look for cluesand evidence to prove the answer.

• Model: Read the first Prove It! question on theComprehension Question Card. Say: I will show youhow I answer a Prove It! question. The question asks,“What clues on page 16 tell you that Barack likessports?” This question asks me to analyze a character.I know because the question says “what clues tellyou.” Now I need to look for other importantinformation in the question. What information doyou think will help me? (Allow student responses.)Yes, I need to find out details about sports Barackplayed. On page 16, I read that Barack liked tobodysurf and play basketball. He had fun doing thesethings. Basketball is still a favorite activity for Barack.

Barack likes sports. I have located the clues andevidence I need.

• Guide Practice: Use the Comprehension PowerTool Flip Chart to help you develop other Prove It!questions and support students’ text-dependentcomprehension strategies.

Analyze the Writer’s Craft• Ask students to turn to page 22. Explain: In thenext few days, you will have the opportunity towrite your own biography. First, let’s think abouthow the author wrote “Barack Obama.” When shedeveloped this biography, she followed certain steps.You can follow these same steps to write your ownbiography.

• Read step 1 with students. Say: When you writeyour biography, the first thing you’ll do is decideon a person to write about. Let’s turn back to pages6 and 14 and reread the lead paragraphs of thebiographies to decide why the author believed thesepeople were important. Write the subjects’ namesand the reasons students offer on chart paper. Ask:What person would you like to write a biographyabout? For example, I might write a biography aboutEleanor Roosevelt because she was a well-loved FirstLady who helped many people. What other peoplewould be good subjects for a biography? Why?(Allow time for responses. Write students’ subjectsand reasons on chart paper.)

• Read step 2 with students. Say: In the twobiographies we read, both subjects have otherpeople in their lives who shaped them and made adifference. What other people could have an impacton the subject of our biography? Let’s list peoplewho influenced our subject by teaching, inspiring, ormotivating him or her to succeed. (Allow time forresponses. Write students’ ideas on chart paper.)

• Read step 3 with students. Say: Before you’re readyto write a biography, you must list the importantevents in the subject’s life and the time and placewhere they happened. Barack Obama lived in Hawaiiand Indonesia. Different family members in differentplaces taught him to value education and his identity.He was a good leader, helped people, and wonelections to the Senate and to the presidency. Whenyou write your biography, think about what eventsand setting best represent your subject. Choose oneof the subjects and some of the influential peoplethe class has brainstormed, and work as a group tooutline important events in the subject’s life and thetime and place where they occurred.

Build Comprehension: Analyze Character• Explain: The author of a biography usually triesto give a sense of what the subject is like andwhat shaped him or her. The author describes theperson’s personality and characteristics, and showshow the person made an impact on others.

Day 4


Analyze and SynthesizePractice Text Comprehension Strategies for ELA Assessment• Use the appropriate-level Comprehension Question


• Say: Today I will help you learn how to answer TakeIt Apart! questions. The answer to a Take It Apart!question is not stated in the book. You must thinklike the author to figure out the answer.

• Model: Read the first Take It Apart! question on theComprehension Question Card. Say: This questionsays: “Why did the author begin the biography witha quote from Barack Obama’s speech?” This questionasks me to evaluate the author’s purpose. I knowbecause the question says “why did the author.”Now I need to look for other important informationin the question. What information do you think willhelp me? (Allow student responses.) Yes, I need toreread the opening paragraph of the biography. Ineed to read the quote and look for details thatsuggest why the quote is important. I notice theauthor begins with the quote, “We are shaped byevery language and culture, drawn from every endof this Earth.” The paragraph explains that Barackspoke these words when he became president. It alsoexplains that the words describe both the UnitedStates and Barack Obama. The quote makes a strongbeginning because it is interesting and makes uscurious. The author has used it to “hook” the reader.

• Use the Comprehension Poer Tool Flip Chart to helpyou develop other Take It Apart! questions to usewith students.

Summarize and Make Connections Across Texts• Engage students in a discussion about the two

biographies in this book. Invite a different student tosummarize each biography. Encourage other studentsto add their ideas and details.

• Ask students to turn to the inside back cover of thebook. Say: Good readers think about how literaryworks are related. We know, for example, that bothof these biographies share certain features. Theyprovide personal details of the subject’s life so wefeel a connection to the person. They show how thesubject has made an impact. What else do they havein common? (Allow time for responses.) Today wewill think about the similarities and differences inthese two biographies. We will summarize why wethink people should learn about each subject’s life.

• Ask students to work individually or in small groupsto complete BLM 4 (Make Connections Across Texts).

In these biographies, the author shows the characterof Michelle and Barack Obama by describing theirpersonalities, telling about their experiences, andshowing what decisions they made and actions theytook. As readers, we think about these details so wecan understand what formed the subjects andrecognize how the subjects had an impact on others.

• Model: The author quotes Michelle as saying “Ourgirls . . . are the light of our lives.” This shows howimportant family is to Michelle and Barack. Theauthor describes their hard work to help others andachieve their goals. For example, Barack decided incollege that he would make a difference in poorpeople’s lives by going into politics. He became alawyer and worked hard to help people who weretreated unfairly. He spoke out about his beliefs andconvinced voters to elect him. These actions showthat he is caring, ambitious, dedicated, and unselfish.As readers, we think about these qualities and howthey helped Michelle and Barack make a difference.I see that they worked very hard as a team to makelife better in their city, their state, and their country.It is clear they have had an impact on others.

• Guide Practice: Invite students to work in smallgroups to identify details that show the characterof Michelle Obama. Then have them work togetherto list the personal qualities they think are mostimportant to her achievements. Ask each group toshare and support its ideas with examples from thebiography.

Reflect and Review• Ask and discuss the following questions:How is thinking about a biography as a readerdifferent from thinking about a biography as awriter? How is it similar?What have you learned about adverbs this week?Have you used any new adverbs?What actions or events in the life of Michelle orBarack Obama did you find most impressive orinspiring? Why?How can you use a strong lead or adverbs as awriter?


with a partner during independent reading time tofocus on varying their speed or pacing. Ask studentsto read more slowly to help listeners focus onimportant points and to vary their speed to matchwhat the author is saying.


Day 4 (cont.) Day 5


Reinforce SkillsIf time permits, choose from the following activitiesto reinforce vocabulary and fluency.

Reinforce Vocabulary: Answer the Question• Place students in small groups.• Have each group make five word cards with

strong verbs, such as paced, flew, bought, andgobbled. Make word cards for each of thequestions that adverbs can answer: How? When?Where? Why? In what way? How much? Howmany? How often? Place the question cards andthe verb cards face down in stacks on a table.

• Have groups take turns drawing one card fromeach stack. They must make a sentence using theirchosen verb and an adverb that answers theirchosen question. Correct use of both the verb andthe adverb earns a point.

• Play can continue until all cards have been usedwith several different questions. The team withthe most points wins the game.

Reread for Fluency: Oral Reading Performance• Discuss with students how each biography

included details about exciting as well as difficulttimes in the subject’s life.

• Say: The author describes how the subject feels,acts, and makes decisions. When you read thebiographies aloud, you can demonstrate yourunderstanding of the emotion that each eventreveals through your expression. This helps yourlisteners better understand the importance ofevents and make a connection to the subject.

• Invite individual students to read a sectionof one of the biographies with expressionthat helps listeners understand the importanceof an event or the emotion behind a decision.

• Encourage students to have fun with theirreadings and to make them as dramatic aspossible.

• As a whole class, discuss each reader’sinterpretation. Think about alternate ways toexpress the emotions or to show the importanceof different passages.

Review Writer’s Tools: A Strong Lead• Ask students to look for other examples of a

strong lead in biographies from your classroomlibrary or the school’s library. Each student shouldselect one title at his or her independent readinglevel. Ask students to read pages specifically tofind an example of a strong lead.

• Invite students to share their examples with theclass. Point out that the openings of biographiesvary. Some biographers use a single paragraph tointroduce their subject. Others may take severalparagraphs or even a whole chapter.

• Class Discussion or Literature Circles: Facilitate awhole-class discussion or keep students in their smallgroups for a literature-circle discussion. If you chooseto conduct literature circles, share the rules for gooddiscussion below. Each group should discuss and beprepared to share its ideas about the followingprompts:Which details did you find most interesting abouteach subject? Why?What types of information were included in bothbiographies?What are some different ways each subject hasaffected the world?Which subject did you admire more? Why?

• Tell students that at the end of their discussion, youwill ask them to share the important text-to-text,text-to-world, and text-to-self connections theyhave made.

• While each small group of students discusses thebook, confer with individuals or small groups ofstudents. You may wish to revisit elements of thegenre, take running records, or model fluentreading skills.


Rules for Good Discussion• Pay attention to the person who is talking and

do not interrupt him or her.

• Think about what others are saying so you canrespond and add to their ideas.

• Allow and encourage everyone in the groupto speak.

• Be respectful of everyone’s ideas.


Write a Biography• Use this suggested daily schedule to guide students

through the steps of process writing. Allowapproximately 45 to 60 minutes per day. As studentswork independently, circulate around the room andmonitor student progress. Conference with individualstudents to discuss their ideas and help them moveforward. Use the explicit mini-lessons, conferencingstrategies, and assessment rubrics in Using GenreModels to Teach Writing for additional support.

• Before students begin planning their biographiespass out copies of BLM 5, the Biography Checklist.Review the characteristics and conventions of writingthat will be assessed. Tell students that they will usethis checklist when they complete their drafts.

• This daily plan incorporates the generally acceptedsix traits of writing as they pertain to biographies.

Days 6–7: Plan• Ask students to use BLM 6, the Biography Planning

Guide, to identify a subject (person) for thebiography, and as a place to record the importantpeople, places, and events in the subject’s life.

• Encourage students to refer to the “Features of aBiography” web on page 3, and to the steps in “TheWriter’s Craft” on pages 22–23 of the book.

• Confer with individual students and focus on theirideas. Did each student begin the biography with astrong lead? Did students include facts about thesubject, and quotes from or about the subject?

Days 8–9: Draft• Tell students that they will use their completed

Biography Planning Guide as they begin draftingtheir biographies.

• Say: Remember that when writers draft a biography,they focus on getting their ideas on paper. Theycan cross things out. They can make mistakes inspelling. What’s important is to focus on the person’searly life, growing up, and showing his or heraccomplishments. You will have an opportunityto make corrections and improvements later.

• Conference with students as they complete theirdrafts. Use the Biography Checklist to draw students’attention to characteristics of the genre that theymay have overlooked. Focus on how students haveorganized their ideas and on the voice of the writer.Did students tell where and when the subject wasborn at the beginning of the biography? Did theyinclude other people that impacted the subject?Does the biography have a strong voice? Will thevoice keep readers interested?

• Pair students for peer conferencing.

Days 10–11: Edit and Revise• Based on your observations of students’ writing,

select appropriate mini-lessons from Using GenreModels to Teach Writing.

Days 6–15• Remind students to use the Biography Checklist as

they edit and revise their biographies independently.• Conference with students focusing on sentence

fluency, word choice, and conventions. Did studentsinclude both long and short sentences? Do thesentences read smoothly? Have students usedinteresting words and phrases? Did they useappropriate spelling, punctuation, and grammar?

• You may want students to continue their editing andrevision at home.

Days 12–13: Create Final Draft and Illustrations• Ask students to rewrite or type a final draft of their

biographies.• Invite students to illustrate their final drafts with one

or more drawings or photographs that depict specificevents in the lives of their subjects.

• Conference with students regarding their publishingplans and deadlines.

Days 14–15: Publish and Share• Explain: Authors work long and hard to develop theirworks. You have worked very hard. And one of thegreat joys of writing is when you can share it withothers. Authors do this in many ways. They publishtheir books so that people can buy them. They maketheir work available on the Internet. They holdreadings. We can share our writing, too.

• Use one or more of the ideas below for sharingstudents’ work:Make a class display of students’ completedbiographies.Hold a class reading in which students can read theirbiographies to one another and/or to parents.Create a binder of all the biographies and loan it tothe library so that other students can read them.

• Create a binder of all the biographies for yourclassroom library.


Days 6–15


Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

A Strong LeadDirections: Read the lead paragraph for a biography.

Answer the questions.

Choose a subject. In the space below, write your ownlead paragraph for a biography on the subject. Makesure you use a strong opening sentence.

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Thomas Jefferson was one of the most talented individuals inUnited States history. He was one of the country’s founders. Later,he became the third President of the United States. Jefferson gaveus the Declaration of Independence, the University of Virginia,and the Louisiana Purchase. Most Americans know about theseachievements. Fewer people know about Jefferson’s talents forarchitecture, science, writing, and inventing.

1. What is the subject of thelead paragraph?

2. What important informationdo you learn about thesubject?

3. What does this paragraphsuggest you will learn aboutthe subject?

BLM 1TWO BIOGRAPHIES ©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Y04793_TG.qxd:RulesatSchool 2/24/11 3:12 PM Page BLM1

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Identify Sequence of EventsDirections: Use the chart below to identify sequence

of events.

Person Event Why Event Happened Effect on Person

MichelleObama

BarackObama



TWO BIOGRAPHIES ©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Name _________________________________________________ Date ___________________

Focus on AdverbsDirections: Reread each biography. Find the phrase with

an adverb, and then list the word the adverbmodifies and the question it answers.

Page Phrase Word theAdverb Modifies

Question theAdverb Answers

MichelleObama

6

7

10

11

BarackObama

14

15

17

BLM 3


Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Make Connections Across Texts

Biography Michelle Obama Barack Obama

Why People ShouldLearn About HerLifeand His Life

1. How are the biographies alike? How are they different?__________________________________________________________

2. Which person do you admire more? Why?__________________________________________________________

3. What could readers learn from these biographies?__________________________________________________________

Directions: Use the chart to answer the questions below.

TWO BIOGRAPHIES ©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLCBLM 4


Name _________________________________________________ Date __________________

Biography Checklist

Features of the Genre Checklist YES NO

1. My biography has a strong lead. � �2. My biography is logically sequenced. � �3. My biography includes the person’s date

and place of birth. � �4. My biography includes important events

from the person’s life. � �5. My biography includes people who have influenced

the person. � �6. My biography describes the person’s personality. � �7. My biography quotes the person. � �8. My biography quotes people who knew

or know the person. � �9. My biography explains why the person

is worthy of a biography. � �10. My biography has a strong ending. � �

Quality Writing Checklist YES NO

I looked for and corrected . . .

• run-on sentences � �• sentence fragments � �• subject/verb agreement � �• correct verb tense � �• punctuation � �• capitalization � �• spelling � �• indented paragraphs � �


Title _______________________________________________________________________________


TWO BIOGRAPHIES ©2009 Benchmark Education Company, LLC

Name _________________________________________________ Date ____________________

Biography Planning Guide

Directions: Use the steps below to plan your own biography.

1. Decide on someone to write about.

2. Decide on who else needs to be in the biography.

3. Recall events and setting.

Subject Setting Important Events

Personor Group

Relationshipto the Subjectof the Biography

Impact on the Subject’s Life

BLM 6


y04793 tg.qxd:rulesatschool 2/24/11 3:12 pm page 1 teacher...

Documents