Biographies of the Civil War

Biographies of the Civil War

WHAT DO WE WANT TO KNOW:

You've been studying the Civil War and have come across many people who played large and small parts. Now it's time to focus on a single person who you found interesting. You'll be writing the biography of that ONE individual so that others can learn more about him or her.

FORMULATE THE QUESTIONS:

Your biography should give some background about the person such as where he or she was born, where he or she lived and what his or her familty was like. Then you can move on to a few important questions about your person. Choose several from here or create some of your own. Record the questions you'll be researching on your worksheet.

In what ways was this person's life remarkable?
Was the individual someone to be admired or feared?
How did this person make a difference?
What did the individual believe in?
What other people did the individual affect? Was the effect positive or negative?
Who do you think this person looked up to? Why would you say that?
Was the individual a hero? What things did he or she do to make you believe that?

RESEARCH YOUR ANSWERS:

Now it's time to find some answers to the questions. You can use any of these sites to find out more about the individual you've chosen or about the time of the Civil War. As you find answers, make sure to write down the sites where you found them.

BIOGRAPHY SITES	Biography.com The Biographical Dictionary - Search Page Encarta Online
CIVIL WAR SITES	America's Story: The Civil War Time Line of The Civil War American Memory Timeline of the Civil War

WRITING YOUR BIOGRAPHY:

With all your information in hand, it's time to write your biography. Use this rubric to make sure you are staying on track.

	Organize	Develop	Sentences	Words
4	My writing is an order that makes sense. I use words to connect the beginning, middle and end. I always stay on topic. My piece's beginning tells about the topic in an exciting way. My writing has an effective ending.	My details are all about my topic. My details are important to my topic. I use many details to tell about my topic.	I use complete sentences. I use different words to start my sentences. I use long and short sentences.	I use many exciting, sparkling words. I use many powerful action words.
3	My writing is mostly in an order that makes sense. My writing has a beginning, middle and end. I usually use words to connect the beginning, middle and end. My writing has a good ending.	My details are mostly about my topic. I use some details to tell about my topic. My details are good.	I usually use complete sentences. I usually use different words to start my sentences. I use long and short sentences.	I use some exciting, sparkling words. I use some powerful action words. I use a lot of different words.
2	My writing might be in an order that is confusing. My writing might be missing a beginning, middle or end. My writing might include sentences that are not about the topic. My ending is just "The End."	I use just a few details to tell about my topic. Some of my details might not tell about my topic.	I sometimes use complete sentences. I start most of my sentences the same. My sentences are short.	I use a few exciting, sparkling words. I use few powerful action words. Many of my words are the same.
1	My writing is in an order that is confusing. I might have written about more than one topic. My writing may be missing a beginning, middle or ending.	I have few or no details. My piece is very short.	My sentences might not be complete. I might use the same words to begin my sentences. My sentences are short.	I do not use exciting, sparkling words. I do not use powerful action words. I often use the same words. I leave out words.
Rubric source: Jennie Smith Elementary School, Newark, Delaware

Send comments to Pat Sine at sine@udel.edu.
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Worksheet in PDF format