Biography Book Report Project
Fun Newspaper Projects

A very DETAILED description about this resource set is provided below.

Biography Book Report Project
Newspaper Templates:

What's Included?

John F. Kennedy Newspaper - Nonfiction Book Report Project Example

Biography Book Report Newspapers: Are you looking for a book report project that is designed specifically for biographies that will be fun and challenging for your elementary school students to complete?

These newspaper graphic organizers combine the components that are included in many biography book reports with the features included in being an editor and writing a newspaper.

Many of the biography book reports and newspaper projects that I have come across in my years of teaching are traditionally one page worksheets.

Instead of a traditional and often boring one page worksheet, I have created a four template biography project and combined it with the theme of designing a newspaper.

For this nonfiction book report assignment, students complete the following activities:

• write an article about the person's early life
• write an article about the most important events in this person's life
• design a comic strip about the person
• create a timeline detailing the most significant dates and events in the person's life

It is important for students to read both fiction and nonfiction books for their free choice book selections during the school year. Most students find writing a summary about a biography that they have read quite boring.

By using this unique book report project idea, your students will enjoy being editors and designing their own newspapers based on the famous people that they have read about in their nonfiction books.

Abraham Lincoln Newspaper - Nonfiction Book Report Project Example

This uniquely shaped book report project contains 4 worksheet templates that assemble into a large biography newspaper.

There is a fifth template that has smaller templates for the title of the newspaper and for the timeline. These two smaller templates are glued onto the newspaper project after it has been assembled.

The finished biography book report project measures 12 inches in width and 18 inches in height (see example on the right.)

Everything that you need to complete these biography newspaper projects is included in this set of teaching resources. All that you will need is scissors, glue, tape, and coloring pencils.

There are 16 printable worksheets and template pages in this set, as well as a 5 page color bulletin board display banner.

These finished biography newspaper projects will make a colorful and dynamic bulletin board display of your students' work.

In addition, this set of reading resources includes 8 reading posters with a newspaper theme that can be used as accent pieces for your classroom bulletin board display.

Traditionally, requiring students to write a summary about a biography that they have read is a task that most students find quite boring. By using these extra large biography newspaper templates, your students will become actively engaged in the job of becoming newspaper reporters.

Biography Book Report Project Video:

Watch the video below to view examples of these newspaper projects. 

Assembling Directions:

This set of teaching resources includes assembling directions on how to prepare and assemble this biography book report project.

Below is an example of the assembling directions worksheet.

Grading Rubric:

A book report grading rubric is included in this set of teaching resources.

I believe that it is important for students to evaluate their own work, so my book report rubric contains an assessment section for both students and teachers.

When students evaluate their book report projects, they color in the faces on their grading rubric worksheets. When a teacher evaluates the projects, the teacher circles the small numbers inside each box on the printable worksheets.

Below is an example of my biography book report grading rubric.

First Draft Worksheets:

I believe that the writing process is important and that teachers should use process writing whenever possible.

For this reason, my students never begin their book report projects by writing on their final draft newspaper templates, instead they write on first draft worksheets.

Next, my students edit and revise their written work on their own, with a partner, or in individual writing conferences with me.

This biography book report newspaper project is 
divided into the following creative writing sections:

• Title of Newspaper: Think of a creative title for your newspaper. For example, a newspaper about Albert Einstein could be called Einstein's Edition, a newspaper about George Washington could be called Colonial Times, or a newspaper about Queen Elizabeth could be called Royal Review.
• Date of Publication: For the date, choose an important date in the person's life.
• City of Publication: For the city where this newspaper is published, choose a city that this person has lived in.
• Weather: Using the date (which month you chose and what season that month is in), decide what the temperature and weather will be like in this city.
• Issue # and Price: Students choose these.
• Comic Strip: Create a comic strip for your newspaper about an important event that happened in this person's life. Sketch out a rough draft of your illustrations and decide what this person will be saying in each speech bubble.
• Timeline: In the first circle, write the date that this person was born. If this person is no longer living, write the date of this person's death in the last circle. Fill in the rest of the timeline in chronological order with the most important events that happened in this person's life and write a brief description of each event on the lines below each circle.
• Article #1: Write a newspaper article about this person's early life. It is very important that you summarize in your own words what you have learned about this person. You may not copy sentences from the biography that you read about this person. This is called plagiarism. Remember to include the following information in your newspaper article: Who, What, Where, When, and Why (The 5 W's).
• Article #2: Write a newspaper article about the most important events that happened in this person's life and what made this person famous.
• Illustrations: Students draw pictures for their two newspaper articles.

Examples of First Draft Worksheets:

This set of teaching resources contains four printable worksheets for students to write their first drafts on.

On my first draft worksheets, I have designed the writing line spaces to match the spaces allotted on the final draft biography book report templates.

First Draft Worksheet #1: Students write the person who is the subject of their newspapers and choose a title for their newspapers.

Next, students fill in an information chart that contains the following information: date, city, weather, price, and issue number.

Then, students sketch out a rough draft of their comic strips.

First Draft Worksheet #2: Students select the most important events and dates in the person's life and fill in the timeline on this worksheet.

Next, students read the directions for writing the first newspaper article and write the headline for their first article.

First Draft Worksheets #3 and #4: On these two worksheets, students write their two newspaper articles.

The first article is about the person's early life and the second newspaper article is about the most important events that happened in this person's life and what made this person famous.

Black and White Newspaper Templates:

This set of teaching resources includes 5 worksheet templates that are glued together to form a newspaper.

The finished newspaper measures 18 inches in height and 12 inches in width.

• Top Left: date, issue #, price, drawing, headline, and the beginning of first newspaper article
• Top Right: weather, end of first newspaper article, and cartoon
• Top Center: glue the text box template that contains the title of the newspaper 

• Bottom Left: headline, drawing, and the beginning of second newspaper article
• Bottom Right: end of second newspaper article
• Bottom Center: glue the text box template that contains the timeline (this template is shown below)

Newspaper Title Template: title of the newspaper, city, and editor (student) 

This title text box is glued at the top center section of the newspaper.

Timeline Templates: Important dates and events in person's life.

The timeline templates are glued together and then glued on the bottom center section of the newspaper.

Below is a large example so that you can see where these two sections are glued. 

These two templates have been colored yellow and have arrows pointing to them.

Einstein Newspaper - Nonfiction Biography Book Report Project Example

Color Newspaper Templates:

When I am first introducing my students to a new book report project, I believe that it is important for them to have a visual example of what a completed project looks like.

I always complete an example of this biography book report newspaper before I introduce this assignment to my students.

Before my students begin writing their first drafts, I show them my finished newspaper project. This visual example immediately grabs my students' attention and they are excited to start working on this project from the very beginning.

My students also enjoy hearing about the book that I chose to do my book report project on. This is also a wonderful opportunity to share a book that I would like to encourage my students to read.

To save you time in coloring your example that you show to your students, I have included color newspaper templates in this teaching resources set. I display my finished biography book report at the front of my classroom so that students can refer to it as they are completing their own newspaper projects.

Below: Biography Newspaper Color Templates 

4 printable worksheets that are cut out and then glued together,

Free 5 Page Bulletin Board Display Banner:

I know that it takes teachers a lot of time to design and assemble their classroom bulletin board displays.

Many teachers spend their valuable time cutting out large bulletin board display letters or making a banner at home on their own computers.

In order to help save you time in assembling a bulletin board display featuring your students' biography newspaper projects, I have designed a 5 page banner that is included for free in this set of teaching resources.

If you have access to a laminating machine, I recommend that you laminate your banner so that it will be more durable and you can use it again in the future.

Below: Biography Book Report Banner

Free Bulletin Board Display Accent Pieces:

EXTRA FREE RESOURCES: I have created some newspaper themed accent pieces to assist you in decorating your bulletin board display featuring your students' finished biography book report projects.

This set of teaching resources includes 8 (one page) Newspaper Posters that contain the following reading slogans written on them:

• Biography Newspapers: Read Our Polished Publications
• Biography Newspapers: Attention Grabbing Headlines
• Biography Newspapers: Read Our Informative News Articles
• Biography Newspapers: Comical Comic Strips
• Biography Newspapers: Attention Grabbing Photographs
• Biography Newspapers: Weather Update
• The 5 W's: Who, What, Where, When, and Why
• Charts and Data: Biography Timelines

I hope that these extra free resources that are included in this set help save you time in decorating your newspaper bulletin board display.

You will be able to design a colorful and dynamic classroom bulletin board display using your students' finished biography book report projects.

These newspaper graphic organizers are a unique and fun way to get your students excited about completing a writing assignment about the books that they have read.

The writing responses that are required of your students will make them think and write about the historic characters of their books in a challenging and engaging way. In addition, this book report set includes newspaper accent pieces to help you in decorating your bulletin board display.

I hope that your students enjoy becoming newspaper editors and completing this fun biography book report project.

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