Biography in a Box
The Quarter 1 project is Biography in a Box, where students will create a biography about a person involved in the American Revolutionary War. They will choose someone from the list below (or a person OK’d by Ms. Edlund) to research.
American Patriot Military
Ethan AllenBenedict Arnold
Horatio Gates
Nathanael Greene
Nathan Hale
Alexander Hamilton
John Hancock
John Paul Jones
Thaddeus Kosciuszko
Marquis de la Fayette
Henry Lee III
James Monroe
Daniel Morgan
Paul Revere
Baron Von Steuben
George Washington /
Government officials
King George III of Great BritainFrederick North, Lord North
Commanders in chief in North America
Thomas GageWilliam Howe, 5th Viscount Howe
Henry Clinton
Naval leaders
Thomas Graves, 1st Baron GravesSamuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe
Other military officers
Benedict ArnoldJohn Burgoyne
Charles Cornwallis
American Patriot politicians and Writers
John AdamsSamuel Adams
Benjamin Franklin
John Hancock
Patrick Henry
John Jay
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
Robert Morris
Thomas Paine / Women
Abigail Adams
Mary Ludwig
Betsy Ross
Mercy Otis Warren
Martha Washington
Phyllis Wheatley
For this project all students will complete the Biography (Cereal) Box Conversion (20 pts) and then choose three (3) additional pieces from the list below:
o Biographical Card (Baseball Card) on 9x12 piece of tag board (15 pts)
o Postcard from the Past on 9x12 piece of tag board (15 pts)
o Song Rewrite (15 pts)
o Biographical Prezi (15 pts)
o Super Hero Comic Strip (15 pts)
The entire project is worth 65 points.
I have chosen to complete the above checked components of this project. I understand that this project is a large part of my 1st quarter grade and is due October 14, 2015. You can turn in the project prior to this date but only when all chosen components are completed. As you have been given ample time to complete this assignment no late work will be accepted after October 14. Most work on this project will be completed on your own, outside of normal class time.
______
Student Signature Parent/Guardian Signature
Biography Box (Required)
Your task: Find an empty cereal box (the bigger the better) and create a new kind of cereal based on your focus person. All sides of the box are required to be covered.
Front of box requirements:
-Title (name of your focus person).
-Picture/Portrait of focus person (large, but not covering the whole box).
-Motto or Slogan (catchy phrase that describes the role your focus person played in the Revolutionary War).
-A brief statement about the prize included in the box. The prize, although not really in the box, would be something small (must fit box) that your focus person may have cherished or may have been an important part of their life.
______
Back of box requirements:
-Quote by or about your focus person.
-Top five list of contributions this person made for his/her side during the Revolutionary War.
-Smaller pictures of your focus person in action or pictures of “something” that are connected to your focus person’s role in the Revolutionary War.
-Three descriptive words about your focus person. Included with the words you need to include an explanation of why you think these words describe the person.
______
Side 1 of box requirements:
-Timeline of focus person’s life. This will start with birth and end with death and must include at least ten (10) other significant events in this person’s life.
______
Side 2 of box requirements:
-Trivia about your person. This will be the last side of the box you create and will include ten (10) self written questions (almost like a quiz) for which the answers can found somewhere on the box. Answers (upside down) should be included at the bottom.
______
Box top:
-Name of focus person and slogan you used on the front of the box.
Box bottom:
-Your name.
Baseball Card (Choice)
I will supply you with a 9x12 piece of tag board and you will need to cut it down to a size that fits nicely into your box.
The front of your card should include:
ü The name of your focus person
ü The position of your focus person during the war (soldier, governor, writer, etc.).
ü A large picture (try to find one that is not already on your Biography Box).
ü The name of your focus person’s team (Patriots, Loyalists, Son’s of Liberty, etc.)
ü A team logo or mascot (hand drawn). You need to design this to match something signicant about their involvement in the Revolutionary War.
The back of your card should include:
ü Year of birth / year of death
ü Place of birth
ü Circumstances of death
ü A description of any physical characteristics available (height, weight, unique physical features, etc.).
ü A paragraph summary of your focus person’s involvement in the Revolutionary War.
-In your own words summarize what it is that your person did that made him/her famous or a hero during the war. Your summary should be no less than six (6) sentences long.
ü Be sure to fill up the space
Be creative!! Make it look as much like a baseball card as possible.
Postcard from the Past (Choice)
Your Task: To create postcard that depicts a scene from this person’s life and write a message on the back as if you were your focus person sending the card to some one significant in his or her life.
I will supply you with a 9x12 piece of tag board and you will need to cut it down to a size that fits nicely into your box.
The picture (front) needs to:
ü Be hand drawn (Remember, I am not an artist either, but your drawing should show some effort.).
ü Be a scene from a significant event in your focus person’s life.
The description (back) needs to:
ü Be written in the first person format (written from your focus person’s perspective).
ü Be handwritten.
ü Be at least two paragraphs long.
ü Describe your involvement in the scene you drew on the front of the postcard.
ü Be brief but descriptive.
ü Addressed to the person you are writing (be creative with the address).
ü Include a brief description of the scene you drew (ex. Battle of Bunker Hill, The Green Mountains, Independence Hall, etc.)
Song Rewrite (Choice)
Your Task: Take any popular song (with school appropriate lyrics) and rewrite the lyrics to include information about your focus person. You must rewrite the entire song and match its tempo and rhyme (if appropriate). Include the lyrics to the original song as well. Mary had a Little Lamb and other older nursery rhyme songs cannot be used. The information must be complete and accurate. Please have your song choice approved by me before you begin.
Your song must:
² Use the entire length of the original song.
² Be specifically written about your focus person.
² Include any key events or significant facts related to your focus person.
Bonus: If you sing your song in front of the class I will reward your effort with extra credit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Prezi (Choice)
Your Task: To create Prezi that presents a snapshot of the timeline of your focus person’s life.
Your Prezi must include the following:
____Title (the name of your person); this should be the largest item (font) in your Prezi.
____A motto (A crafty statement created by you) that sums up the person’s life.
____10 events in their life with a brief (two or more sentences) explanation of each event.
-birth ______
______
-significant event 1 ______
______
-significant event 2 ______
______
-significant event 3 ______
______
-significant event 4 ______
______
-significant event 5 ______
______
-significant event 6 ______
______
-significant event 7 ______
______
-significant event 8 ______
______
-death ______
______
____A variety of pictures or photos (at least 5) scattered and linked throughout your Prezi.
____Paths linking all components.
____Edit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
____emailed to Ms. Edlund ()
Superhero Comic Strip (Choice)
Your Task: To create comic strip that depicts your focus person involved in their most historic event. In this case your focus person becomes a super hero fighting against a notorious villain during the Revolutionary War period.
I will supply you with a variety of different cartoon templates all at least 6 panels in length. You may also create your own six panel layout, but please be sure to have it approved by me first.
Ø Plan out each of your panels carefully. Make sure you can tell the whole story!
Ø Each panel should include at least one text bubble, but most will have two.
Ø At least four of the panels must include dialogue between your focus person and a companion or notorious villain.
Ø All panels should include a background to indicate where it is taking place.
Ø Drawings should be neat, no stick people!
Ø Preplan your comic strip by determining the event your focus person was involved in.
Make sure you understand your focus person’s role in the event. Begin by creating the dialogue for your comic strip panels. Plan each scene carefully. Write your dialog for each character. When you finish, use the templates provided to begin drawing the panels for your rough draft. You should have enough dialogue to get the point across but not so much that it overwhelms the reader.
Pre-draw everything in pencil first. Start with your word balloons, followed by background and characters. Once you have created everything in pencil trace the material with colored pencil, fine point markers or paint. Keep the lettering in your word balloons legible.
Possible websites to use for creating your comic strip online:
readwritethink.org (comic maker)
toondo.com
ugo.com (hero Machine 2.5)
makebeliefscomix.com