Description
Students will first learn how to use the text features in informational text including the table of contents and index. Then, students will be assigned an author to study and, optionally, a partner or group to work with. Students will have an Author Research Journal that they will use as a guide as they research about their assigned author. Editable sections have been added to the research journals so you may add your own questions!
Once students have completed their research, they will use it to complete their culminating activity: a biography booklet for their assigned author. While the research journal serves as a “rough draft”, the biography booklet serves as the “final draft”, just like a writer completes drafts before the final version in the writing process. The template is included for students to create a biography about their author. The students will also create a bibliography of the works of their author- including illustrating the covers of their work within the template. (See the “preview” for a peek at the biography booklet!)
Finally, other classes and parents will be invited to see their 3D models and what they’ve learned about their author.
Contents:
- Teacher Info Pages: This includes a sample unit outline, grading rubric, and lesson plans for internet research, intro lesson, research journals, and final projects.
- Book research/ text features worksheets: Students will review other text features including: glossary, titles, headings, photos, captions, graphs/charts, and special print. They will also compare and contrast the table of contents and index.
- Internet research worksheets: These worksheets will familiarize your students with how to find credible sources on the internet for research.
- Author Cards Cards with clip art of 18 popular authors are included which you can use to assign authors. You may also add up to 6 additional authors, if you wish. (You could add authors from class read alouds, etc.)
- Research Journals: The research journals will guide the students throughout their research. There is one question on each page for the students to find the answer to. Pre-written pages are included, plus blank ones to add your own questions. Full page and half page versions are BOTH included in this resource. Choose which version is best for your students.
- Biography Booklet Instructions Lesson plan for the student’s final project
- Parent Letter & Invitation: Keep the parents in the loop! Let them know what is going on with the unit, and invite them to see the student’s hard work. Both of these are editable.
- Final Report Pages and info: A final report page is included as well as examples and lessons for their final project.
- **BONUS! ALL PAGES in the document are included in both vivid color AND Ink Friendly Black & White for your convenience**
You can also grab this resource as part of a bundle! Save 30% with the Science and Social Studies Research Unit Mega Bundle!
Need only Social Studies? You can save 20% with the Social Studies Research Unit Bundle.
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tarafarah7 (verified owner) –
Wow! This is incredibly thorough! Thank you so much! I love the pages for finding credible sources, and I really appreciate you including so many amazing authors. 🙂 It’s awesome I will be able to add more authors to the blank pages so everyone can have someone different. I cannot thank you enough – this is wonderful! 🙂 Yay!
Kelsey –
So glad you love it! Thank you, Tara! 🙂