Faces of History Timeline

Faces of History 

A five-paragraph research paper

Phase 1: Choose historical figure. 

February 2nd

Gather books that discuss your historical figure. Use library books, timeline cards, the Story of the World books, history books, or the Internet. 

You will need a minimum of 3 books/sources. 

Phase 2: Brainstorm, Research

February 9^th:

Review your sources. Brainstorm to decide on the 3 topics/themes you’d like to discuss in your paper.

Have your mom or dad approve these topics before proceeding.

Here are some suggestions:

Their childhood, family, education

Special skills/knowledge

The thing that they are famous for doing or accomplishing

The thing that they invented or discovered

Their adult life/unusual things they did or things that happened to them

How this person affected the rest of history or science / how people think of him/her today

The three themes or topics that I think I will write about are:

________________________, __________________________________, and _____________________

Phase 3: KWO

February 23rd:

Next, take notes on the first theme or topic. This will become body paragraph #1. Take notes from at least 3 sources. Stop and think: what bit of info would be interesting to start off with? What should you save for last? What notes are about the same kind of thing? Is there anything that isn’t really related to this theme? Now, thoughtfully arrange the notes into the best order you can work out. This will be your Fused Outline. 

Continue Research and KWO, Thesis Statement

March 9th:

Repeat the process for your 2^nd and 3^rd themes or topics. 

Stop and Think. Do you still think these are the best 3 choices? If not, or if one is really short, you can change the theme or topic.  Do you need to find more information? You can look again for more info if you need it. Think about the order…what order would be most exciting? Save the biggest and best for the last.

Now, write a sentence that mentions each of the three themes or topics. This is called a thesis statement. Be sure to mention the 3 themes in the order in which they will appear in your report.      

Ex: Archimedes (insert their name) experienced a unique education, lived a life full of accomplishments, and died a tragic death (insert Topic A), (insert Topic B), and (insert Topic C).

Thesis statement: ______________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________.

Phase 4: Write the Rough Draft of the Body Paragraphs

March 23rd:

Look at the fused outline for Topic A. Next, brainstorm and use the thesaurus to get some good adjectives and –ly words and metaphors and similes. Add these into your KWO. Write a rough draft of this paragraph. 

Repeat this process with theme/topic B and C. The third theme is the most exciting theme, so spend some extra time on this one.  Make sure you brainstorm some good adjectives and –ly words and metaphors or similes. Write the rough drafts.

Go back through all 3 body paragraphs and make sure all paragraphs have all the dress ups according to the FOH Checklist 

provided by your tutor.

Phase 5: Introduction/Conclusion, Openers

March 30^th:

Read your paper aloud to your mom or dad and see if they understand it. If anything is confusing, re-work the sentence until it is just right.

Follow the directions from Lesson 23 in MHBW for writing Introduction and Conclusion paragraphs. Add a dramatic opener (hook) to your introduction.

Create a title from the last sentence of the conclusion.

Type or write out the paper very neatly. 

Begin thinking of a way you can dress to help us remember something about the character. Make a shield, a hat, a costume, carry something symbolic of the person, bring in something that he/she invented. Get creative, but it shouldn’t cost a lot of money. Use poster board for hats or shields or swords.

Phase 6: Bibliographies and Reviewing Checklist

April 6^th

Using Lesson 30, type up a bibliography page. Use page 249 as a guide.

Complete and polish your final paper. (You don’t have to label the dress-ups on the final…you can use your rough draft to check off dress-ups and complete checklist.) 

Prepare your speech to perform for the class on April 20th. Students may choose to read their research reports directly from their papers, or they may choose to present their report as a first person narrative. This is a more advanced step.  Either way is fine. We will be devoting most, if not all, of our Essentials time to hearing the “Faces of History.”

Complete your costume. Practice your presentation.

Phase 7:  Present “Faces of History”

April 20^th, the Big Day!

Everyone will be sharing (in costume) his/her Faces of History oral presentation.

Checklist: Faces of History

Structure (overall)

Composition is neat and double-spaced with name in upper left corner.
Title reflects words from Final Clincher

Introduction 

Anecdotal or Dramatic Opener
Subject & Background info
(2 or) 3 topics (Label A, B, C in left margin)
Any 4 dress-ups
Any 2 openers

Body Paragraphs (Topics A, B, and C)

Structure	A	B	C
Topic sentence with key words highlighted
Clincher with key words highlighted

Dress-Ups (Underline 1 of each per paragraph)	A	B	C
-ly word (ly)
Who/which clause (w/w)
Strong verb (v)
Quality adjective (adj)
www.asia.wub clause (clause)

Sentence Openers (# in left margin)	A	B	C
#2 Preposition
#3 -ly word
#5 www.asia.wub clause
#6 VSS (2-5 words)

Decorations (Choose 2 & use each once, anywhere. Dotted underline)

Alliteration, Simile/Metaphor, 3sss, Personification,

Conclusion

Restate the (2 or) 3 topics (Label A, B, C)
Most significant and why
Any 4 dress-ups
Any 2 openers
Final Clincher (highlight words that reflect the opening)

Other

No banned words  1st person, go/went, say/said, get/got, come/came, see/saw/look, good/bad, nice/mean, pretty/ugly, big/a lot, interesting

Challenge (Optional unless your teacher requires them of you.)

Vocabulary words (voc) Label all.
Additional Decorations (Dotted underline)
Bibliography
Illustration