Teacher Information

Topic: Developing a Biography Web Site using a Template

Course: ELA-Reading / Social Studies / Science

Time Frame: 1-2 days classroom, 1 day in library, and 2 days in computer lab

Description: This hypertext project invites students to choose either a favorite author, a famous scientist, or a historical figure of interest and locate and read about the person and to complete a Biography Web Template to report their findings and to create an online works cited page.

Students will select either a favorite author, famous scientist, or a historical figure of interest and fill in a web template with information summarized from 3-5 sources. Students will create a list of keywords from their summaries and create hyperlinks to the summaries off the main page. Students are encouraged to use a variety of resources with at least one Internet source, but no more than two if using five sources.

Teacher to Teacher Notes:
This unit will begin in the classroom with a discussion about whom students would like to include on their individual Web Biography Page.

1. Brainstorm ideas to include about the person, i.e., date of birth, significant events, what makes them famous, etc.
2. Model reading an informative text and demonstrate how to take notes, possibly using note cards.
3. Discuss vocabulary, plagiarism and citing sources.
4. For homework, students will create a graphic organizer that includes the name of the person and the items for research.
5. Next, have students go to the library to locate appropriate resources. Apply the same criteria as noted on the "Criteria for Evaluating Web Sites" handout. Students should have 3-5 sources.
6. Students should read their information and create note cards.
7. Next, give students access to computers to fill in their Web Biography Template. Show students other student examples:
   • Jackie Robinson
     http://www.npatterson.net/kayla/jr/homepage.html
   • Laura Ingalls Wilder
     http://www.npatterson.net/nicoleb/wilder.html
   • Sitting Bull
     http://www.npatterson.net/derek/sitting/s-bulltitlepage.html

Student Requirements:

• Students will complete a Biography Web Template.
• They will create hyperlinks from the main page keywords to their written summaries.
• Students will include identifying information for sources used to create each keyword summary.
• Students will create an all-inclusive Works Cited Page.

Assessment:
A rubric will be used to assess student work.