Topics

Topics are learning objects that include a "chunk of electronic content that can be accessed individually and completely accomplishes a single learning objective". (Horton, 2012)  In this Topics activity, students are creating an autobiography from researched information about a Famous American who helped shape our great country.  In the tab McCoy’s Classroom Wiki, the autobiography lesson and activities can be accessed by following the Famous American tabs. 

Asking questions such as:

What makes someone famous?

What are the common attributes of a famous person?

Discuss the difference between a biography and an autobiography.  What makes them the same?  What makes the different?

Each student will choose a Famous American from the list provided.  Links to each person will guide students to facts, video clips and games they can use to understand what makes their chosen Famous American famous.

Using the Fact Page, students are to answer the questions, in complete sentences, and find additional facts about their Famous American that show leadership and striving to make our country a better place for future generations.  Paraphrasing each fact by using the word "I" and "me" personalizes this project. 

A grading rubric is given to show the expectations of effort expected by each student.  Along with facts, writing, and an oral presentation, an audience behavior measure will be assessed.  The students, as audience members, will be required to jot down two facts about each Famous Person presented as well.

A half page Famous Americans booklet will be handed out to students for the purpose of jotting down two facts for each presentation.  The booklet will contain a page per student.  Information on each page will include: presenter, Famous American, birthday, a fact on why this person is famous, and one additional interesting fact.