Biography

Stage 3 | English, Technology

Duration
Term 1 2016
10 weeks
Detail: 1 lesson per week 45 mins- 1 hr

Unit overview
This is a unit of learning focusing on the biography. It also considers self and what we are. Students will read and examine a number
of autobiographies and biographies as well as complete their own text in response.

Outcomes
English K-10

EN3-2A composes, edits and presents well-structured and coherent texts

EN3-8D identifies and considers how different viewpoints of their world, including aspects of culture, are represented in texts

Technology

Content

Resources

Stage 3 - Writing and representing

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Content

Resources

Respond to and compose texts

compose imaginative and informative texts that show evidence of developed ideas
create literary texts that experiment with structures, ideas and stylistic features of selected

authors

(ACELT1798)

compose increasingly complex print, visual, multimodal and digital texts, experimenting

Scootle resources
Timeline: Nhu Minh's story TFL-ID
L1282
http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/resolve/v
iew/L1282

with language, design, layout and graphics

use a range of software, including word processing programs, learning new functions as

required to create texts

(ACELY1707, ACELY1717)

Stage 3 - Expressing themselves

Respond to and compose texts

Timeline: the Chiu family's story

TFL-ID L6196
http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/resolve/v
iew/L6196

compose a variety of texts, eg poetry, that reflect their understanding of the world around

them
discuss aspects of literature from a range of cultures to explore common experiences and

ideas as well as recognising difference

Shaping meaning in texts - unit of

work TFL-ID R11571
http://www.scootle.edu.au/ec/resolve/v
iew/R11571

http://biographiesstage3.weebly.com
/

Week
2

Learning Activity

Library Skill
Review library use including borrowing and returns, lunchtime activities,
select library monitors, write authors onto covers of personal library books-

Resources
Library books
Watercolour paints

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watercolour wash

Literacy Skill
Read Little Refugee as Autobiography
Read The peasant prince
Webquest
introduce to Project
Set up Book Creator Learning Journal
Show how to create and use
Write tasks into journal.
Paste copy of assessment rubric into library book.
Biographies Webquest
In this Webquest, you will learn about biographies and create a
"BTN News report" about someone.

The little refugee

The Peasant Prince

A biography tells about another person's life.

The person is usually a famous or well-known person.
For this quest, it may be someone you know...
BTN wants you!
BTN wants you to contribute a special episode that is a biography and is all
about someone you know or you research.
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s1737720.htm
The video on the right is an example of the quality and production you will be
expected to create.
You may want to watch the video a few times to see what is included, what
order events are included and what types of shots are taken. You can keep
coming back and watching this video as you learn more about biographies and
videos.
Picture
THE MAJOR TASK
Working as a news reporter, you will research, write, produce, interview, role
play, direct and film a 3-4 minute segment for TPS Behind the News (BTN).

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As a journalist you have a responsibility to know the background information

and facts about your topic.
This Webquest will guide you as you discover the facts, explore information and
understand how to create a biography.
You will research and explore biographies as you complete the tasks in this
Webquest.
Over the term you will complete 3 tasks in preparation for your final task, which
is the production of your BTN segment.
These tasks are:
1 - Discover information about a famous person
2 - Explore what biographies need
3 - Interview someone to get information for your biography or use research
4 - Edit and present your news story
Evaluation and Assessment
You will be observed as you undertake this project but the final evaluation and
assessment form can be found here.
Use this rubric to guide you as you seek and present information.
4

Webquest
Task 1

The biography of Gilbert

Alexander Pig

Finding out about biographies

Read a biography from http://gardenofpraise.com/leaders.htm or one
of the other sites listed in More Resources (at the bottom of this page)
to choose.
You only need to pick one biography to read, but you may look at
several biographies to select one.

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VISIT BIOGRAPHY WEBSITE HERE

Finding Out
After you choose a biography to read and are finished reading it,
answer the following questions in your Book Creator learning journal.
You just need to write out the answers, not the questions, in Book
Creator.
a. What is the persons name?
b. When were they born?
c. Why are they famous?
d. What are three things they accomplished?
e. When did the person die?
What are the important parts of a biography?
How do you know?
Write this question and then an answer to it in your learning journal.
THINK ABOUT PRESENTATION.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE THE INFORMATION APPEAL TO
OTHERS?
More resources to look at to find out about biographies
http://www.ducksters.com/biography/

Another American based site

http://www.aussieeducator.org.au/reference/famousaustralians.html
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Biographies of Australian people

Webquest
Discover and share your stories

Sally's story / Sally Morgan ;

edited by Barbara Ker Wilson
(1990)

Share your biographies with a few people.

NON 994.1 MOR

Task 2

Did they answer all the questions?

Do they have information you think is important?
Does their presentation enhance the information or is it hard to understand?
If you had to mark it out of 10, what mark would you give and why?
their page about things you like or improvements you think they could make.
Becoming experts
Use popplet to create a mindmap of your learning for the next task. You will then save a
copy to your book creator journal.
What does a Biography need?
Visit the following websites to get information about biographies.
Write relevant information about what you should include in a biography on your
popplet.
Biographies
How to write a biography
REMEMBER
DO NOT JUST CUT AND PASTE THE INFORMATION> WRITE DOWN ONLY THE
INFORMATION YOU NEED IN YOUR OWN WORDS.
6

Webquest

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Task 3
You now need to gather facts on the person whose biography you are creating. If you
are doing the task based on someone alive, follow the left column for planning your
interview. If you are researching someone already dead or someone you cannot
interview, follow the right column. Of course, you should read both side to get ideas for
how to do your own research.

Helen Keller / Nina Morgan ;

illustrated by Gavin Rowe
(1995)
NON 362.4 KEL

Planning your interview

Using your mindmap of what a biography needs, plan some questions based on these.
For example, biographies need when someone was born. Your questions might be;
When were you born?
Where were you born?
Create a list of questions and write them in your book creator journal..
Now Think!!
How are you going to record the answers?
If possible you should film your interview. This will allow you to use some of the footage
in your BTN report.
It is better to record each video segment separately to make it easier to piece the video
together. Remember you can retake scenes if needed.
Researching the person
Using your mindmap of what a biography needs, plan some questions based on these.
Write these questions in your book creator journal and add the answers as you find
them.
Use these questions to guide your research.
For example, if your question is, "Where were they born?"
You might try Googling things such as, "place of birth", "where born?"
Now Think!
How are you going to record your findings? You can write, record or video in book
creator. Don't forget to include your references as you go so you can go back to

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websites when you need to.

7

Webquest
Task 3 Continued

Shark man / Rodney Fox

(2001)
NON 597.3 FOX

Webquest
Task 4
Creating your own news story about someone.
It is time! You've gathered information on what biographies need. You've gathered
information about a person and it is now time to put it all together in your own story.

The short and incredibly happy

life of Riley / Colin Thompson
& Amy Lissiat (2005)
JF F THO

BTN have some ideas for what you need to do here and some of these ideas may help
you more.
Take a look again at the video about Colin Thiele and consider what does the story
contain and what makes it interesting.
Use iMovie to create your news report.
The Presenter
When you present you have to talk professionally. Here is some information about being
an effective Television Presenter.
Filming Ideas
When you film, it is important to remember some of the important roles of a Camera
Operator.
Check your final product
9

Webquest
Life, starring me! / by Robin

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Task 4 Continued

Wasserman (2009)
F F WAS

webquest- final presentations

10

Our world : Bardi Jaawi : life at

Ardiyooloon / [One Arm Point
Remote Community School]
(2010)
NON 371.03 OUR

webquest- final presentations if needed

11

Me, Oliver Bright / Megan de

Kantzow & Sally Rippin (2009)
JF F DE

Assessment
Behind The News Biography Assessment Criteria
You will be assessed by the rest of the class and the teacher on the following rubric:

Criteria
Completion of
Tasks

Below expected level

Only 1 or 2 tasks completed

Expected level

Above expected level

Task 1- Answers to questions

All tasks completed and to a high

standard. Plus inclusion of extra
information or tasks.

Task 2- Popplet mindmap

Task 3- Data Collection (interview &/or
research)

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Task 4- BTN news report

Presentation

Engagement

Evidence of
preparation

Evidence of a
depth of
understanding

Range of
information
covered
Used class
time
effectively

The BTN segment shows no

evidence of editing and/or
professional form. Elements of
sound, text, colour, graphics,
contrast, neatness, etc. are
minimally effective.

The BTN segment shows evidence of

editing and appears professional.
Elements of sound, text, colour,
graphics, contrast, neatness, etc. are
used to give the presentation meaning.

The BTN segment is edited to a high

standard and has a professional finish.
Elements of sound, text, colour,
graphics, contrast, neatness, etc. are
combined to provide creative
expression to the presentation.

Techniques used to engage

audience were minimal, or mainly
ineffective.

The segment involved techniques such

as visual aids and props, and surprising
facts to engage the audience.

The segment involved techniques such

as visual aids and props, anecdote,
humour, and surprising facts to engage
the audience.

No clear evidence of a script,

rehearsal or preparation. BTN
presentation is unorganised and
disjointed.

Presentation flows methodically and

speakers show evidence of rehearing
using a script.

The presentation is well organised and

timing is faultless. Speakers have
clearly practiced and show evidence of
rehearing using a script.

Some understanding of topic

shown. Some links and connections
made between ideas. Points are
usually developed with minimum
detail. Information is usually
relevant.

Good understanding of topic shown.

Links and connections between ideas
made clear. Information was relevant
and expressed in own words. Points
were developed with sufficient and
appropriate details.

A very good understanding of the topic

shown. Links and connections between
ideas made clear. Information was
relevant and well expressed in own
words. Points were well-organised and
developed with sufficient and
appropriate details.

Information about the person was

very limited. (Name, date of birth
and one or two facts)

Information about the person was

limited. (Name, date of birth and five or
six facts)

Information about the person was well

developed and had more than six facts,
supported by images.

Class time was clearly not used

effectively. Some work was not
finished.

Class time was used effectively and all

work was completed.

Class time was used effectively and

efficiently. All work was completed to a
high standard and finished on time.

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Evaluation

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