Grade 5 –
People in US History
Students will choose a prominent person from United
States History. Students will identify the major historic
period the person was from. Students will conduct
research about the life of their person and about their
prominence in US history. Students may use books,
periodicals, the internet, and reference materials.
Students will identify their sources as primary or
secondary sources. Students will create a timeline of
their person’s life and major events in US history during
their lifetime. Students will write a summary about what
they have learned in a brochure about their person.
Students will prepare a 4-5 minute talk as their person
about their life. Students will dress as their person and
use appropriate props as they participate in a class Wax
Museum.
Social Studies Standard 5.1 : Research Capabilities
Social Studies Standard 5.1 : Chronological Thinking
Social Studies Standard 5.1 : History
Social Studies Standard 5.5 : Individuals, Society, and
Culture
Language Arts Standard 5.1 : Reading/ Decoding
Language Arts Standard 5.2 : Reading Comprehension
Language Arts Standard 5.4 : Writing Process
Language Arts Standard 5.5 : Writing Applications
Language Arts Standard 5.6 : Writing Conventions
Language Arts Standard 5.7 : Listening and Speaking
Information Literacy Standard 1 : Access information
Information Literacy Standard 2 : Evaluate information
Information Literacy Standard 3 : Uses Information
Information Literacy Standard 4 : Personal Interest
Information Literacy Standard 6 : Strive for Excellence
Information Literacy Standard 7 : Importance of
Information
Information Literacy Standard 8 : Ethics
Information Literacy Standard 9 : Cooperative Work
Goals:
 Students will research and learn about a famous
American from History.
 Students will use the writing process to write a
summary of what they have learned.
 Students will create a brochure about their person.
 Students will create a timeline of their person’s life.
 Students will participate in a Wax Museum as their
person.
 Students will work cooperatively with a partner.
Outline:
*Note* Those student materials that are underlined are provided
through links.
Step
Leadership
Student
Materials
Watching
Role and
Responsibility
Activities
In the classroom
with the
classroom
teacher.
Students will be
introduced to the
tasks – Learning
about a famous
American from
history, creating a
timeline about their
person’s life,
creating a brochure
about their person,
and participating in
a Wax Museum.
Students will be
introduced to the
student page for
the project. They
will use this
throughout their
work to guide their
process.
Student Page
Students will be
introduced to the
checklist to guide
their work.
Checklist
Students have been
studying US History
throughout the
school year.
Students will
brainstorm a list of
the different
famous Americans
from History that
they can think of.
Students may look
into their History
text or other
outside resources
to choose a person..
Students will
choose a famous
American from
history to learn
about.
Wondering
In the classroom
with the media
specialist
Students will
complete a KWL
chart about the
things they know
about their teacher
as a sample.
Students will
complete the KWL
For the things they
already know about
the person they
have chosen.
Sample class KWL
chart
KWL Chart
Focus Lesson
Students will
discuss questioning
during our focus
lesson.
Webbing
In the media
Students will list
questions about
their teacher on the
class KWL.
Sample class KWL
chart
Students will list
questions that they
wonder about the
person they have
chosen.
KWL Chart
Students will work
Sample keyword
center with the
media specialist
as a class to make a
list of keywords to
look for information
about their teacher.
list for teacher.
Students will
identify the major
historical period
that their person
comes from.
Students will
brainstorm a list of
keywords that they
could use to search
for resources about
their person,
including the
historical time
period they are
from.
Keyword List
Forms
Students will review
the possible
resources listed on
the keyword page.
Students will begin
their search by
visiting the links
provided on the
student page.
Students will be
introduced to the
use of our
electronic resources
for research, and
how to search them.
Students will search
print materials,
periodicals,
Student Page
electronic
resources, and
reference materials
in our media center
for information
about the person
they have chosen.
Wiggling
In the media
center with the
media specialist
Students will review
the concept of
primary and
secondary sources,
and the advantages
of each.
Students will
identify each of the
resources they have
found as primary or
secondary.
Students will
examine the
resources they have
chosen and choose
those that will best
meet their need for
this task.
Students will review
the ideas in
completing a
bibliographic
references for a
sample web page,
book, reference
book, and periodical.
Students will learn
how to complete a
reference for an
electronic resource.
Students will
complete a
bibliographic
reference sheet for
the materials they
have chosen.
Bibliographic
reference sheets
Students will read
their materials!
Weaving
In the computer
lab with the
teacher and media
specialist
Students will work
to create a web on
the board as a class
for information
about their teacher.
Students will see a
sample web on
Kidspiration
Sample Kidspiration
Web for a teacher
based on student
Students will create
input
a web of the things
that they have
learned about the
person they have
chosen.
Weaving
(continued)
In the classroom
with the
classroom teacher
Students will add
the things they
have learned to
their KWL chart.
Wrapping
In the classroom
with the
classroom
teacher.
Students will
discuss the
importance of using
their own words,
and understand the
concept of
plagiarism.
Each student will
use their web to
KWL Chart
write a summary
about their person.
Students will follow
the writing process
to complete their
summary.
Wrapping
(continued)
Students will word
process their final
draft.
Students will define
a time line and
discuss their use.
In the computer
lab with the media
specialist and the
classroom
teacher.
Students will look at
some sample
timelines on the
website,
Timelines for Kids
Website
Students will look at
the timeline frame.
Timeline Frame
Students will
complete a sample
timeline for their
teacher’s life.
Sample teacher
timeline.
Students will work
to create a timeline
of their person’s
liofe. Students may
choose to usee the
template given, or a
different format.
Students have an
option of adding
pictures.
Wrapping
(continued)
In the computer Students will look at
lab with the media
sample brochures.
specialist and the
classroom
Students will
Sample Brochures
teacher.
examine the
Brochure Template
brochure template –
one slide for the
front side and one
for the backside.
Students will use
their summary and
timeline to create a
brochure about
their person. They
may use the
template or create
their own.
Wrapping
(continued)
In the classroom
with the
classroom
teacher.
Students will
develop a 3-5
minute speech about
their person.
The speech will be
spoken as if the
student IS their
famous historical
person.
Students may
choose to make
notecards for their
speech.
Students will
practice and
memorize their
speech.
Students will plan a
costume to dress as
their famous
person.
Students will create
invitations to invite
other faculty
members and family
to their wax
museum.
Waving
In the classroom
classroom teacher
and the media
specialist
Students will
present their
speech at a class
wax museum,
dressed as their
person.
Students will have a
“button” for visitors
to push to hear the
speech.
Students will use
their brochure as
handouts for the
visitors to the
museum.
Wishing
In the classroom
with the
classroom teacher
Students will
reflect on the
process and note
things they did well
and things they
could improve on.
Students will
complete rubrics to
assess themselves.
Reflection
8 W’s Rubric
Content Writing
Rubric
Mechanical
Writing Rubric
Timeline Rubric
Brochure Rubric
Wax Museum
Rubric