November Reading/Writing Project
Theme: Biographies
This month, our book report project will be on biographies. Each student has chosen a historical person and
provided a biography on loan from our class/school library to read. Students will be given three assignments
to complete for this project. The first, writing a biography on their historical person. This will be partially
completed at home, and partially completed in school. The second, creating a “hanger person” of their
historical person. This will need to be fully completed at home. The third assignment, is presenting their
project to the class. Please review the following timeline, along with all attached directions for this project with
your child, and sign & return the bottom portion of this sheet to school no later than Friday, November 6th.
Biography Project Timeline
November 4 – Biographies & project packets handed out
November 6 – Biography Contract due back to class.
November 18 – Materials for “Hanger people” handed out
November 30 – Biographies should be finished, and all rough drafts/graphic organizers are due.
December 1-4 – Students will work on final drafts of their written biographies in school.
December 4 – Biography books due back to class library, Hanger people due.
December 7-10 – Biography presentations
IMPORTANT NOTE: Work that is submitted late may receive a reduced grade. (Ex: If the work should have
received a 10 out of 10, the grade may be reduced to a 9). If a special circumstance arises and more time
is needed to complete any portion of this project, a note must be submitted to Mrs. Jerrell at least 2 days
prior to the due date.
*Please Sign and return the bottom portion tomorrow.
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Biography Project
Student Name:_____________________________________________________
Chosen Historical Figure:____________________________________________
I have read & reviewed the biography project timeline and directions with my child. My child and
I both understand that work that is submitted late may receive a reduced grade unless other
arrangements have been made with Mrs. Jerrell.
Parent Signature:____________________________________________________
Student Signature:___________________________________________________
Project Information
Part 1: Biography
For this part of the project, each student will read a biography on their chosen person. Students should
also complete all of the rough draft/graphic organizer sheets as they read or after they have read their
book.
The rough draft/graphic organizer sheets are due on December 1, and will count as a grade for this
project.
Students will use their completed rough draft/graphic organizers to complete their final drafts in class
from December 1-4.
Part 2: Hanger Person
Materials for the hanger person will be distributed on November 19. The completed hanger person is due
on December 8.
The following materials will be provided for each student’s hanger person by Mrs. Jerrell:
 1 wire or plastic hanger
 3 large white pieces of paper
The following materials will be needed to complete the hanger person, but need to be obtained by parents:
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scissors
tape
glue
art supplies (ex: construction paper, markers, crayons, colored pencils, felt, yarn for hair, foil,
metallic paper for buttons or eyeglasses, anything that would help to decorate the hanger person)
To make the hanger person follow these steps:
1. At the top of one of the pieces of white paper, place the hanger so that the “neck” is hanging off.
2. Trace the outline of the hanger. This will come in handy for the next few steps.
3. Remove the hanger. The shape that is drawn is the basis of the shoulders/arms for the person. From
there, create the torso, the legs, and feet. Draw the torso first, imagining that the shoulders, arms and
chest are where the hanger is.
4. If you wish, draw extended arms coming off the hanger. Otherwise, we will attach hands later in school.
5. Cut out the body outline completely.
6. Begin to decorate it to look like your person.
7. Attach the hanger to the back of the shoulder area with tape.
8. Create a head, using a circle and some art supplies, and attach that to the neck of the hanger.
9. Make sure your name is written on the back of your hanger person
Here is a picture of what some completed hanger people look like:
Part 3: Biography Presentations
Each student will present their project. Presentations will be from December 7 – December 10. There will
be 6-8 students who present each day. The date and time for each student’s presentation will be sent
home to parents so that they may make arrangements to come and see their child present their project if
they would like.
Students will prepare their presentations on December 4, using their completed biography as a guide.
They will write their presentation on index cards and will be allowed to read from them when they present.
Each presentation should include the following information:
1. Who their person is
2. When & where the person lived
3. 1 fact from the person’s early life, 1 fact from the middle of the person’s life, and 1 fact from the late
part of the person’s life.
4. Why they are an important person (ex: what they did/discovered/invented)
Students will be presenting their report as the person they read/wrote about, and should dress in costume
as that person for the presentation. More information on this will be sent out on November 13.
If you have any questions about any part of this
project, please do not hesitate to send in a note, or
email me at jennifer.jerrell@somersetnv.org