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Publishing the Living History

Grades: 
3, 4, 5
Subjects: 
Language Arts
Philanthropy
Social Studies
Keywords & Concepts: 
Biography
Chronology
Historical Biographies
Interview
Listening
Poetry
Writing Process

The children write and publish their Living History books, following their interview notes and book format traditions.

Duration 
PrintOne to Three 45-Minute Sessions
Objectives 

The learners will:

  • use writing skills to write a biography.
Materials 
  • publishing materials, including paper, art materials, and binding materials
Home Connection 

Ask for volunteers to help with editing and publishing the final book.

Related Resources 

Instructions

Print

  1. Anticipatory Set: 

    Tell the children that today they are working as authors with a real audience. They are writing a “Living History” book about their senior friend using their notes and experiences. When the books are published and look great, they will be shared with their senior friends.

  2. The following guidelines may help the children organize and write their books:

    • Write a first draft and get revision feedback from peers and volunteer helpers. They use appropriate language arts writing skills to compose this book.
    • Write with quality, knowing that this is for a valued audience and purpose: to publish a biography to be presented to that person.
    • Use story boards to organize their material and plan sketches of the illustrations (see handout Living History Story Board). Include the author autobiographies.
    • The rough draft may be edited by a family member.
    • Type the final copy neatly with illustrations.
    • Draft, edit, and neatly design a final version of a name poem describing their senior friend to include in the book. (See handout Living History Name Poem)
    • The color copy will be given to the senior friend in bound version. Make second copies to keep.
Assessment 

Children evaluate their own work using the Living History Rubric (handout). The facilitator evaluates the books using the same rubric.

Philanthropy Framework

  1. Strand PHIL.IV Volunteering and Service
    1. Standard VS 05. Integrating the Service Experience into Learning
      1. Benchmark E.1 Describe the process of program evaluation.
      2. Benchmark E.2 Evaluate progress on the service-learning project before, during, and after the project.
      3. Benchmark E.3 Identify outcomes from the service.