Famous Tarheels
Genre: Biography and Autobiography
Project: Timeline, Trading Card, Wax Museum
During the month of December you will be reading biographies and autobiographies about famous NC people. You will also use the internet to gather information. While researching your famous Tarheel try to collect as much information as possible about this person’s life and why they are an important part of NC history.
This project will have 4 main parts:
- Trading card (25 points)
- Timeline (25 points)
- Wax Museum Costume (25 points)
- Oral Presentation (25 points)
Timeline
Choose 6-8 major events(or more) in your famous person’s life, which you will write and illustrate in a timeline.
You will need to include a picture/graphic (either drawn or from the internet) for each event along with a brief description of what took place on that date or in that year.
The famous person’s name should be somewhere on the timeline – large and neat enough to read –with your name underneath.
The way in which you create your timeline is up to you, but must show creativity. Try making a timeline that creatively represents the person you are portraying. (Ex.A guitar-shaped timeline for a musician). Your timeline will be displayed behind you during the Wax Museum, so make sure it is something you are proud to show others.
Trading Card
Just like a sports-figure trading card, you will create a super-sized trading card for your famous person using 8 ½ x11 size paper.
On the front side, you will print a picture from the internet. You also need to decorate the border with pictures or designs that relate to your famous person.
On the back side, you will neatly write or type facts and information about your famous person. You will write important facts or details in paragraph or bullet form, but be sure to write in complete sentences.
Wax Museum Costume
On Thursday, December 19th, we will have a Living Wax Museum, where you will get the chance to dress up as your famous person. Your parents and classes from the school will be invited to attend so try to represent your person as accurately as you can. If you need something you don’t have, let me know as soon as possible so I can attempt to find it. You shouldn’t have to buy anything for this project.
Living Wax Museum/Breakfast with family
The Living Wax Museum will be on Thursday, December 19, 8:30-9:30. Please come out and support your child and enjoy breakfast with us afterwards. Mrs. Macomson and Mrs. Reich’s class will do their Living Wax Museum in the cafeteria. Mrs. Small and Ms. Greto will do their
Living Wax Museum in the gym. At 9:30 all 4th grade classes will go back to their classrooms for a breakfast with their parents. We are asking that each student bring in $3.00 to cover the cost of breakfast. Please send in the $3.00 by Friday, December 6th. Again, please come out and support your child and enjoy breakfast with us afterwards. The $3.00 covers you and your child.
Oral Presentation
You will prepare a 1 minute speech about your person’s life written in the first person. In other words, you should talk as if you are really the famous person. (“Hello, I am Orville Wright”). Your speech should cover important information about your famous person and what makes him/her important part of history.
Your speech needs to be written on index cards. Practice saying your speech several times so that you won’t have to rely on the index cards when you are performing for your audience. Practice saying your speech with personality and expression. You want your audience to “believe” you are that famous person. Remember, good speakers speak loudly and clearly, and they look up at their audience. Eye contact is important!
Guiding Questions for Oral Presentation
You do not have to answer all of these questions, but they may help you plan out your speech.
- When and where was he/she born? Describe his/her childhood and family.
- Did he/she get married? If so, to whom did he/she marry and did he/she have any children? What was his/her family like?
- What kind of education did he/she receive? Where or did he/she attend college?
- Did they have to overcome any challenges or obstacles in his or her life?
- Why is he/she famous? How did he/she become famous?
- Who are his/her friends?
- What are the other interesting facts about the person and his/her life?
- How did they affect or influence other people in NC?
- Who influenced them in their lives?
Websites