Activity Overview
Researching real people helps students to gain a more concrete understanding of the culture, lives, and diverse perspectives of people who lived in ancient times. It helps them go beyond simply memorizing dates and names to acquire a more substantial, empathetic, and realistic view of the period.
Teachers can assign students a specific person or they may give students a choice. Teachers may wish to provide resources such as books or the online encyclopedia Britannica for students to read about their person.
Giving students a graphic organizer to fill in as they read is helpful to pick out the most important facts and details. After students conduct their research and fill out a note-taking sheet or graphic organizer, students can create a Biography Poster using a template from StoryboardThat with images and text that highlight the key events and accomplishments of their person.
These posters can be printed out, laminated, and hung around the room as a visual reminder of notable people from the time of ancient China. Students can also present their posters to their classmates, sharing their knowledge about their person, thus combining research, writing, and public speaking skills into one powerful assignment.
Find more biography poster templates to add to this assignment if desired!
Some examples of people to research:
- Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi
- Empress Wu Zetian
- Emperor Gaozu of Han
- Emperor Wu of Han
- Emperor Taizong
- Kublai Khan
- Hongwu Emperor
- Kangxi Emperor
- Genghis Khan
- Marco Polo
- Confucius
- Laozi
- Buddha
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Research a person from ancient China. Create a poster that includes important details and engaging imagery.
Student Instructions:
- Choose a famous person.
- Using school resources, conduct research on a famous person and take notes using a graphic organizer.
- On the poster, include your person’s name and dates of birth, death, and major accomplishments in sequence.
- Add appropriate scenes, characters and items to illustrate the poster. To find images related to ancient China, type “China” into the search bar.
Requirements: Person’s image, name, dates of birth/death, major accomplishments
Lesson Plan Reference
- [ELA-Literacy/W/7/2] Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
- [ELA-Literacy/W/7/6] Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.
- [ELA-Literacy/W/7/7] Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Needs Improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Description | The description includes at least five important facts about the famous or historic figure. | The description includes less than five important facts or it includes information that is not pertinent to the famous or historic figure. | The description is incomplete and does not contain important information about the famous or historic figure. |
| Artistic Depictions | The art chosen to depict the scenes, characters and items that are appropriate to the famous or historic figure. They enhance the poster by symbolizing or illustrating important facts about the figure. Time and care is taken to ensure that the scenes are neat, eye-catching, and creative. | The art chosen to depict the scenes, characters and items are mostly accurate, but there may be some liberties taken that distract from the assignment. Scene constructions are neat, and meet basic expectations. | The art chosen to depict the scenes, characters and items is too limited or incomplete. |
| English Conventions | Ideas are organized. There are few or no grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors. | Ideas are mostly organized. There are some grammatical, mechanical, or spelling errors. | Storyboard text is difficult to understand. |
How To Use a Poster To Teach About a Biography
Offer Age-Appropriate Sources to Learn About Ancient Chinese People
Many students struggle with finding an appropriate source, so if you are doing a biography project it is a good idea to offer students a reliable source to start with. Whether an encyclopedia entry or an article, having the information ready to go takes a huge burden off the students.
Utilize a Graphic Organizer
As students read through the biographical information, help them understand and classify what they are reading by offering a graphic organizer. Whether a spider map or a storyboard, these visual cues aid in understanding.
Help Students Place Important Biographical Elements
Even with a graphic organizer, students will still need help with placing the key elements of a person's life onto a poster. Assist them in creating bullet points, adding illustrations, and making everything fit nicely on the page.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ancient China Biography Poster
How do visual aids help students learn?
Many students can get overwhelmed by too much text in a book or article, but can learn just as much information by reading it on a visual aid such as a poster. Illustrations and other graphics also help students learn and are an added benefit of posters.
What are the important elements of a person's biography?
Although each person lives their lives differently, there are some key elements when looking at someone's life. Early life and education are important, as well as any family connections and life accomplishments. These unique qualities in each individual are important to highlight in a biography.
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