Picture Me Famous: Portraits of Famous
Americans Unit Plan
Unit Author
First and Last Name:
Susan Henry
School District:
Etiwanda School District
School Name:
C.P. Lightfoot Elementary
School City, State:
Alta Loma, CA
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Unit Overview
Unit Plan Title:
Picture Me Famous: Portraits of Famous Americans
Curriculum-Framing Questions
Essential Question
How have historical heroes made a difference in our lives?
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Unit Questions
Students will investigate and report on the following facts
about a famous American:
* Biographical data (birth date, birth place, etc.)
When was this famous person born?
Where was this famous person born?
Is there important information about this famous
person’s family?
When did your famous person die?
* Important life events
Did this person do anything special when he/she was a
child?
What kind of work did this person do?
Was this famous person married? When?
Did this person have children?
* Inventions and/or Contributions
Why is this person famous?
* Additional Facts of Interest
What other facts are important about this famous
person?
* Effect on your life today
How have this person’s inventions and/or contributions
had an effect on your life today?
Unit Summary:
This unit is to be used as a way to introduce 2nd grade students to basic report writing while
also investigating social studies concepts. Students will choose a famous American of
interest to them. They will research biographical data, important life events, inventions and/or
contributions, and that person’s effect on our lives today.
Subject Area(s): Click box(es) of the subject(s) that your Unit targets
Business Education
Engineering
Home Economics
Language Arts
Music
School to Career
Social Studies
Drama
Foreign Language
Industrial Technology
Math
Physical Education
Science
Technology
Other: Visual &
Performing Arts
Other:
Other:
Grade Level: Click box(es) of the grade level(s) that your Unit targets
K-2
6-8
ESL
Gifted and Talented
3-5
9-12
Resource
Other:
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Targeted State Frameworks/Content Standards/Benchmarks:
2.5 Social Studies - Students understand the importance of individual action and character and explain how heroes from
long ago and the recent past have made a difference in others' lives (e.g., from biographies of Abraham Lincoln, Louis
Pasteur, Sitting Bull, George Washington Carver, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Golda Meir, Jackie Robinson, Sally Ride).
2.0 Reading Comprehension
Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They draw upon a variety of comprehension strategies as needed
(e.g., generating and responding to essential questions, making predictions, comparing information from several sources).
1.0 Writing Strategies
Students write clear and coherent sentences and paragraphs that develop a central idea. Their writing shows they consider
the audience and purpose. Students progress through the stages of the writing process (e.g., prewriting, drafting, revising,
editing successive versions).
Organization and Focus
1.1 Group related ideas and maintain a consistent focus.
Research
1.3 Understand the purposes of various reference materials (e.g., dictionary, thesaurus, atlas).
Evaluation and Revision
1.4 Revise original drafts to improve sequence and provide more descriptive detail.
1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies
Students listen critically and respond appropriately to oral communication. They speak in a manner that guides the listener to
understand important ideas by using proper phrasing, pitch, and modulation.
Comprehension
1.3 Paraphrase information that has been shared orally by others.
Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication
1.5 Organize presentations to maintain a clear focus.
1.6 Speak clearly and at an appropriate pace for the type of communication (e.g., informal discussion, report to class).
1.7 Recount experiences in a logical sequence.
1.8 Retell stories, including characters, setting, and plot.
1.9 Report on a topic with supportive facts and details.
2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
Students deliver brief recitations and oral presentations about familiar experiences or interests that are organized around a
coherent thesis statement. Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American English and the organizational and
delivery strategies outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0.
2.2 Report on a topic with facts and details, drawing from several sources of information.
5.0 Visual and Performing Arts - Connections, Relationships, Applications
5.2 Select and use expressive colors to create mood and show personality within a portrait of a hero from long ago or the
recent past.
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Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes:
Teachers may choose to have students complete all of the following projects in one year or complete one proje
each year over a three year period:
* Each student will complete a final famous person MS PowerPoint presentation
* Each student will create an informational postcard in MS Publisher
* Each student in the class will be a part of creating a classroom website to display student learning.
* This unit will expose students to research skills (library and on-line), basic report writing (topic sentence, mult
paragraphs to display information), letter writing, and using technology as a tool for research, presentation, and
communication
Procedures:
1. Introduce the subject of famous Americans who have made contributions to our world. Brainstorm a lis
notable individuals.
2. Students select a famous person to research.
3. Students research famous Americans using the following resources:
* Computer Lab – online, age-appropriate web sites previously book marked by teacher
* Library – informational books
* Classroom – encyclopedias and Scholastic biographies
4. Students will use the “Picture Me Famous” research guide to help them formulate answers to key quest
as they research.
5. Students will choose three interesting facts to create a postcard in MS Publisher. This assignment will
used as the “friendly letter” sample for the district’s writing portfolio.
6. Students will take facts that they have gathered on their research guide to create a storyboard for their
PowerPoint presentation. This storyboard is provided in “student support”.
7. Students will create an outline of important facts in MS PowerPoint. The outline will follow the question
and organization of the research guide.
8. Students will draw graphics in the Kid Pix drawing program (or MS Paint) to support the MS PowerPoin
presentation created during a previous session. Drawings will take several computer lab sessions to
complete.
9. Students will add backgrounds and Kid Pix (or MS Paint) drawings to their PowerPoint presentations.
10. Students will create cardboard art portraits of their research person as part of their art project titled “Pic
Me Famous”. The portrait will have the head cut out. Students will create an oral presentation to be sh
at Open House. This presentation will require the students to “become” the famous person by using “I”
“Me” as they present important information about their famous person. They will place their face throug
cut-out hole in the art portrait to “become” the famous person. This will allow students to address visual
performing arts standards.
11. Each student will present their PowerPoint presentations as an end to the unit. Students will also be
assessed on information learned during other students’ presentations (Listening and Speaking). Final
PowerPoint presentations and cardboard portraits will be shared with parents during Open House.
12. Students will create a web page to show interesting facts that they have learned about famous America
history. This web page will be linked to our current class web page as a sample of student learning:
http:www.leopards8.homestead.com/highlights.html
No student names or pictures will be listed – instead students will be represented by computer “nicknam
selected by student and parent. The teacher will also reference the District Technology Use permission
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before work is displayed.
Approximate Time Needed:
Time will vary if teacher chooses to complete only one project a year rather than all three projects in one year.
Approximate Time : 5 Months
1. Famous person introduction, selection, and research – 3 weeks
2. MS Publisher postcard – 3 one-hour sessions in the computer lab
3. PowerPoint presentation storyboard – one week
4. PowerPoint presentation outline – one computer lab session
5. Kid Pix (or MS Paint) drawings – 3 one-hour sessions in the computer lab
6. PowerPoint presentation background and insertion of graphics – 4 one-hour sessions in the comput
7. Creation of cardboard cut-out portraits – two weeks in class during “center” time
8. Student PowerPoint presentations – one week
9. Web site creations – 4 one-hour sessions in the computer lab
Prerequisite Skills:
* Basic keyboarding skills
* Basic use of Kid Pix (or MS paint) drawing program
* Basic use of MS Word
* Inserting pictures
* Saving to the server
* Basic reading skills
Materials and Resources Required For Unit
Technology – Hardware: (Click boxes of all equipment needed)
Camera
Laser Disk
Computer(s)
Printer
Digital Camera
Projection System
DVD Player
Scanner
Internet Connection
Television
Technology – Software: (Click boxes of all software needed.)
Database/Spreadsheet
Image Processing
Desktop Publishing
Internet Web Browser
E-mail Software
Multimedia
Encyclopedia on CD-ROM
VCR
Video Camera
Video Conferencing Equip.
Other:
Web Page Development
Word Processing
Other: Kid Pix Drawing
Program or MS Paint
Printed Materials:
* Informational books and other printed materials written at a
primary level
* Encyclopedias
Supplies:
* Printed research guide for fact gathering
* Printed PowerPoint storyboard
* Art supplies for creation of famous person portraits
* Floppy disks or CDs for saving projects
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Internet Resources:
http://www.yahooligans.com
Others:
Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction
Resource Student:
* Resource students will complete a modified version of this
unit based on the student ability
* The student will conduct research with the aid of the
resource teacher during RSP pull-out time
Non-Native English
Speaker:
* PowerPoint presentation, postcard, and web page may
include fewer facts based on the ability of the student
* Student will receive support from district LED teacher
Gifted Student:
* Student will complete all assignments and will also include
in-depth research about the famous person’s contributions
on our lives today
*Student will complete an extension project to accompany
this unit (a diorama, model of invention, display, etc.)
Student Assessment:
Key Word Search:
Assessments will include:
1. Evaluation of student research
2. Rubrics for final projects (see evaluation folder)
3. Comprehension questions at the end if each student
PowerPoint presentation
1.
2.
3.
4.
Inventions
Famous Americans
American history
Specific person’s name
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