Want to help your students connect with their learning in any subject? These engaging biography activities will bring life into your lessons as students investigate the movers, shakers, and clever creators of our world. Spark students’ curiosity and leave them wanting more with this fun collection of biography tips and resources from some of my favorite teacher-bloggers.
Powerful Texts for Biography Activities from Carla at Comprehension Connection
Carla from Comprehension Connection enjoys celebrating people in history with biography studies. There is a plethora of fantastic biographies to choose from, so no matter what time of year, you can work them into your lessons and biography activities. In her post, 22 Diverse Texts for Black History Month and Beyond, she shares some of her favorite titles including Martin’s Big Words, Wilma Unlimited, When Marian Sang, Salt in His Shoes, and The Story of Ruby Bridges. She also has a blog post about great titles for Women’s History Month. When studying biographies, she enjoys having students write autobiographies and memoirs.
Creative Biography Activities from Susan at Keep’em Thinking
Susan from Keep ’em Thinking! loves using biographies throughout the year, not just during Women’s History and Black History Month. In her blog post, Creative Ideas For Teaching Biographies, she shares some of her favorite graphic organizers and activities for learning about achievers who have made a difference. She also has blog posts about Teaching Activities for Women’s History Month and Teaching About Lesser Known Figures in Black History.
Biography Activities for Black History Month from Janet at Fishyrobb
Black History Month is the perfect opportunity to dive into some amazing biographical studies. In her post, Black History Month Activities for Elementary Students, Janet of Fishyrobb shares some of her favorite biographies to read aloud as well as excellent primary sources older students can use for research and biography writing projects.
Using Biographies to Teach Math with Amanda from Party in the Art Room
Amanda over at Party in the Art Room loves integrating art into math class! In this Decomposing Fractions lesson, she introduces the art of Bridget Riley to teach students to decompose fractions in an engaging way that promotes critical thinking and directly addresses the math and art standards. Using art and the biographical context around an artist’s work is a great strategy to help students make connections to the real world as they engage with their math content!
Digital Biography Activities from Sandy at Sweet Integrations
Sandy with Sweet Integrations says using Digital Brochures is an easy way for students to present their research about a person or place. In her post, you’ll learn more about Using Digital Brochures With Nonfiction and Research. For a professional look, try using Canva templates that are so easy to use. Sandy has also designed her own biography templates with Google Slides. They are perfect for biography presentations.
Studying Historical Figures with Amy from Amazing Materials for You
Amy of Amazing Materials for You is excited to share 7 Fantastic Activities for Engaging Your Students in the Study of Historical Figures with you. Join her as she shares some of her favorite narrative nonfiction stories and the discussion questions, graphic organizers, and more that will keep your students excited as they learn about some phenomenal change-makers.
Biography Research Projects from Teacher Trap
I love using biography research projects to get students excited about their learning. These hands-on biography activities make it easy to integrate reading and writing into any content area and can be used for independent, partner, or group work. In 5 Fun Biography Research Projects: Easy Research and Writing Templates, I’ve included my favorite projects, both digital and print, to get students actively investigating the figure of their choice.
That wraps up our collection of biography activities to enhance learning in any subject! Investigating the real people behind achievements, inventions, and important events in history helps students connect to their learning and engage with the subject matter in new and meaningful ways.
