Research Skills and Biography Writing in 3/4

Sara Keller, Admissions and Communications Associate

Over the past several weeks, the 3rd and 4th graders have been deeply engaged in researching prominent historical figures as part of their biography writing unit. This unit is not repeated in the curricular cycle each year, so it is new for all 3/4 students this year. While honing their writing skills is a primary goal, the project encompasses much more than just crafting paragraphs. Throughout the unit, students have been developing a solid foundation of research and planning skills, equipping them to write biographies that are both credible and compelling.

During the research phase, the 3/4 classes discussed several factors that go into selecting useful sources of information. In Michael Sabala’s class, Michael facilitated a lesson on the types of credible sources and non-credible sources. First, the students examined the difference between primary and secondary sources. Michael challenged them to evaluate their own sources, which were curated by him and FCS school librarian Carol, and determine whether they were working with primary or secondary sources. In a whole-class discussion, students deliberated on how sources can reflect different perspectives based on how the author experienced the event. Michael expanded the conversation but asking the students to consider why analyzing an event or situation from multiple perspectives is helpful. They also briefly discussed how some sources may not be credible or may contain disinformation, and why it is important to make sure you’re getting your information from a trustworthy source.

The 3/4 classes also emphasized the importance of academic integrity and taking ownership of only their own writing. While conducting research, Cynthia encouraged her students to take notes in a variety of ways—tagging book pages, jotting down shorthand notes in mini notebooks, or creating self-designed tables with targeted questions to guide their research. This flexibility allowed each student to organize their information in a way that made sense to them. Since biographies in themselves are a factual retelling about someone’s life, and the students are working with mostly secondary sources, Cynthia made it a priority to teach about plagiarism. She led discussions on intellectual property and the implications of plagiarism in the real world, and helped students practice paraphrasing. Students will even practice citing their sources at the end of their biographies.

In addition to practicing technical writing, the 3rd and 4th graders will have gained invaluable skills from this unit on biographies. They will know how to analyze their sources for credibility and perspective, they will have honed their ability to take notes, and they know the importance of academic integrity and the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism. The biography unit not only allowed them to learn about a person of their interest, it has also nurtured their ability to thoughtfully and critically engage with information and create original, authentic work—necessary skills that will benefit them throughout their academic journeys and beyond.

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