Social Studies: People, Places and Environments

Pre-K-12: Standard 3

• Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places and environments. The study of people, places and human-environment interactions assists learners as they create their spatial views and geographic perspectives of the world.

Social Studies: Power, Authority and Governance

Pre-K-12: Standard 6

• Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance. Understanding the historical development of structures of power, authority, and governance and their evolving functions in contemporary U.S. society, as well as in other parts of the world, is essential for developing civic competence.

National Council for the Social Studies, Expectations of Excellence: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (Washington, D.C.: NCSS, 1994). This book may be purchased by calling 800-683-0812. Electronic copies of it are not available.

Source: Curriculum Standards for Social Studies

English Language Arts: Communication Strategies

K-12: Standard 5

• Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

English Language Arts: Evaluating Data

K-12: Standard 7

• Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

Standards for the English Language Arts, by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, Copyright 1996 by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with permission.

Source: NCTE/IRA Standards for the English Language Arts

Make report writing fun with various report writing formats to engage students and inspire creativity. Guide students as they research open-ended questions regarding their famous figures. Allow students to develop their own questions to stimulate higher-level thinking. Students may share their reports with partners and even play a trivia game about famous figures based on questions in their report.

Supplies Used: Brads, Cardstock, Construction Paper, Glue, Marker (Black), Pens, Scissors, Tape (Double-Sided)

The teacher will die-cut the materials for student use prior to the lesson.

1. Die-cut the Report Cover from cardstock or construction paper.
2. Die-cut half of the Report Cover from white cardstock or construction paper. Trim down to 5 x 7 1/2 inches. Align the hole punches along the left side of the Report Cover and adhere.
3. Die-cut the Report Cover from several sheets of writing paper for the inside report.
4. Assemble the Cover and pages with brads.
5. Die-cut Barack Obama from several colors of cardstock. Keep one color whole and cut away highlights from other colors. Layer and adhere to embellish.
6. Center the image onto the cover and adhere.
7. Highlight the images with colored pencils.
8. Add a title to the report to complete the cover (see Main Photo).