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Autobiographies
An Investigation into Ourselves and Our World
Teacher Page
Mrs. Haley's Fifth Grade
Dawson Elementary
Austin Independent School District

Background
Information

Setting Up
For Learning

Daily
Activities

Setting Clear
Expectations

Closure and
Assesment

Resources

TEKS

Background
Information

This project is an introduction to autobiographies and US history for fifth grade students. Students will use timelines, graphic organizers, web resources and class discussions to produce an autobiographical paper and presentation. By the end of the process, students will understand what an autobiography is and how they are living history.

Students should be comfortable with computer technology. They should have experience working independently and in small group and whole class situations. Classroom management should allow for movement and "accountable talk."

Ideally, you would have daily access to a computer lab. However, this unit can be completed using the computer as a center station. If this is the case, you may want to print hard copies of some information for students to use at another center station.

This project is designed to take two weeks.

Setting Up
For Learning

To begin this unit, create a T chart with your students (link to the site and then look at graphic organizers.)

Biographies	Autobiographies
birth date	birth date

Discuss the similarities and differences between a biography and autobiography.
Read to your students exerpts from Helen Keller's autobiography, The Story of My Life, and biography. Have the students talk about how they are alike and how they are different. Have them adjust the T chart if necessary.

Explain to the students that they, like Helen Keller, are living in history. Today is tomorrow's history. They will be documenting their history in their own autobiography. Explain that each student will be exploring their birth date, and the years to follow, not only from what happened in their lives, but by discovering what was happening in the world around them.

Each student will produce an autobiographical paper, a timeline and decide on some sort of presentation of the material to the class. Encourage students to interview family members and friends throughout their discovery journey.

Daily
Activities

The teacher will read daily from a variety of autobiographies and biographies highlighting reading strategies.
Students book baskets for SSR time will have an ample supply of biographies and autobiographies for students to read.
Word Wall Words will be practiced daily using fingerspelling.
Students will use foods and toys of the 90s in a phonics activity called Brand Name Phonics ( Month by Month Phonics for the Upper Grades, Pat Cunningham and Dottie Hall, Carson-Dlellosa Publishing Company, Inc.) during the Working With Words Block.

Brand Name	Capri Sun	Mountain Dew	Orbit	String Cheese
One syllable words to read			spit, sit, bit
One syllable words to spell			slit, hit
Longer words to read			profit
Longer words to spell			permit

Setting Clear
Expectations

Everyday meet with students as a whole group to discuss how they can do quality work on their project. With the students, develop a list of criteria they need to meet. This criteria is what you will use to develop a rubric to evaluate each project. I have included a sample rubric, however, I feel it is imperitive for students to have ownership of their learning to make this project meaningful to them. By having them help create the Criteria Chart, and developing the rubric from that chart, each student will know what is expected and have the tools to succeed.

Here is a sample start to a Criteria Chart. Please remember, these should be student generated.

1.	Information should be accurate. Quote your source.
2.	Always use complete sentences
3.	Keep your notes neat and orderly.

At the end of the day, meet with your students. Have your students check their work against the Criteria Chart.

Closure and
Assessment

At the end of the project, the students will have created an autobiographical paper, a timeline of their lives and of the world during their lives, and be ready to present their material to the class. Encourage creativity by suggesting various ways students can present their projects. Some ideas may include a dramatic reading, a powerpoint presentation, a poster, or a diorama. Make sure your students know what is expected of them by using a Criteria Chart.
I have included some sample rubrics, I encourage you to create your own with your students.

Writing Rubric

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplarary 4	Score
Topic	Totally unrelated	Remotely related	Somewhat relevant	Directly relevant
Organization	Not organized, events make no sense	Some organization, events jump around, start and end are unclear	Organized, events are somewhat jumpy	Good organization, events are logically ordered, sharp sense of beginning and end
Quality of Information	Unable to find specific details	Details are somewhat sketchy	Some details are non-supporting to the subject	supporting details specific to subject
Grammar and Spelling	Very frequent grammar and/or spelling errors	More than two errors	Only one or two errors	All grammar and spelling are correct
Interest Level	Needs descriptive words	Vocabulary is constant, details lack "color"	Vocabulary is varied, supporting details need work	Vocabulary varied, supporting details vivid
Neatness	Illegible writing, loose pages.	Legible writing, some ill formed letters, print too small or too large, papers stapled together	Legible writing, well-formed characters, clean and neatly bound in a report cover, illustrations provided	Word processed or typed, clean and neatly bound in a report cover, illustrations provided
Timeliness	Assignment handed in more than two days late.	Assignment handed in two days late.	Up to two days late	Report handed in on time

Presentation Rubric

	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Exemplarary 4	Total
Grammar	Seldom speaks in complete sentences.	Sometimes speaks in complete sentences.	Mostly speaks in complete sentences.	Always speaks in complete sentences.
Topic	Seldom mentions topic.	Often wanders from the topic.	Stays on topic most of the time.	Stays on topic.
Language	Uses inappropriate language.	Uses some appropriate language.	Uses appropriate language most of the time.	Uses appropriate language.
Volume	Speaks too softly or not distinctly.	Speaks clearly and distinctly some of the time.	Usually speaks clearly and distinctly.	Speaks clearly and distinctly.
Body Posture	Uses inappropriate body posture or no eye contact.	Uses appropriate body posture and eye contact some of the time.	Uses appropriate body posture and eye contact most of the time.	Uses appropriate body posture and eye contact.
Visual Elements	No visual elements present.	Visual elements present, but unorganized. The product is not improved by their addition.	Visual elements present and organized. The product is slightly improved by their addition.	Visual elements present, organized and fully developed. The product is improved by their addition.

Resources

I have tried to make links available within the lesson for students. However, you may want to add a few of more. I have looked at these sites, but not all of the links from the site. You should always preview sites listed in any activity to make sure it is appropriate and at grade level. Be aware!
If you find a site you like, but are unsure of the links, I use it as a whole group activity with an LCD or Averkey.

Information on the 90s
http://www.multied.com/20th/index.html
A list of years and what was popular.

http://www.southernmusic.net/1990.htm
Happenings in southern music in1990.

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1988/3/88.03.11.x.html
A paper on teaching autobiographies.

http://www.nhmccd.cc.tx.us/contracts/lrc/kc/decade90.html
Interesting information about the 1990s.

Information on Helen Keller
http://www.tlc.ai.org/kellerh.htm
Links to other lessons on Helen Keller.

TEKS

Social Studies

Grade Five

5.22) Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which they were created. A, B .

5.23) Culture. The student understands the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to the United States. A,B,C.

5.25) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. A,B,C,D,E.

5.26) Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. A,B,C,D,E.

English Language Arts and Reading

Grade Five

(1) Listening/speaking/purposes. The student listens actively and purposefully in a variety of settings. A,B,C.

(2) Listening/speaking/critical listening. The student listens critically to analyze and evaluate a speaker's message(s). A,D.

(3) Listening/speaking/appreciation. The student listens to enjoy and appreciate spoken language. A,B,C.

(4) Listening/speaking/culture. The student listens and speaks to gain and share knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. A.

(5) Listening/speaking/audiences. The student speaks clearly and appropriately to different audiences for different purposes and occasions. A,B,C,D,F

(6) Reading/word identification. The student uses a variety of word identification strategies.A,C.

(7) Reading/fluency. The student reads with fluency and understanding in texts at appropriate difficulty levels. A,B,C,D,E,F.

(8) Reading/variety of texts. The student reads widely for different purposes in varied sources. A,B,C.

(9) Reading/vocabulary development. The student acquires an extensive vocabulary through reading and systematic word study. A,B,C,E,F,G,H, I,L.

(11) Reading/literary response. The student expresses and supports responses to various types of texts. A,C,D.

(12) Reading/text structures/literary concepts. The student analyzes the characteristics of various types of texts (genres). D,G,J.

(13) Reading/inquiry/research. The student inquires and conducts research using a variety of sources. B,C,D,E,F,G.

(14) Reading/culture. The student reads to increase knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. A.

(15) Writing/purposes. The student writes for a variety of audiences and purposes, and in a variety of forms. A,C,F.

(16) Writing/penmanship/capitalization/punctuation. The student composes original texts, applying the conventions of written language, including capitalization, punctuation, and penmanship, to communicate clearly. A,B.

(17) Writing/spelling. The student spells proficiently. A,C,D.

(18) Writing/grammar/usage. The student applies standard grammar and usage to communicate clearly and effectively in writing. B,C,D,E,F.

(19) Writing/writing processes. The student selects and uses writing processes for self-initiated and assigned writing. A,B,C,D,E,F,G,I.

(20) Writing/evaluation. The student evaluates his/her own writing and the writing of others. A,B,C,D.

(21) Writing/inquiry/research. The student uses writing as a tool for learning and research. B,C,D.

(25) Viewing/representing/production. The student produces visual images, messages, and meanings that communicate with others . A.

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