Daily Student Biographies
Daily Student Biographies
Embedded Files
Most of my lessons contain a five-minute student-presented biography of an historical figure. The student gives us three minutes on a historical figure connected to the day’s topic, followed by two minutes of questions from classmates. The bio gives every student practice presenting and answering questions in front of their peers, and it positions students as sources of knowledge in the room rather than only recipients of it.
It also puts a person at the center of each lesson. Events are easier to understand and remember when they’re attached to someone who lived through them, and the bios bring another perspective and experience into every lesson. I choose figures deliberately, often picking people the standard story leaves out. Students practice finding and verifying sources, and their classmates practice asking good questions.
Assignment Details:
At the start of each quarter, every student chooses a historical figure from a list tied to upcoming lessons. On the day of that lesson, the student gives a five-minute biography: three minutes presenting, followed by two minutes of questions from classmates.
Format rules:
Four slides: three you present, plus a sources slide.
No font smaller than 32 point.
Note cards are allowed. Reading a prepared speech is not.
AI may be used to get oriented, but every fact you present must be confirmed in a real source, including at least one primary source.
The four slides:
Who and when (about 30 seconds): the person and the world they lived in.
One key moment or experience (about 2 minutes): what they did or lived through, and what was at stake. This is the heart of the presentation.
What their life shows us (about 30 seconds): what we learn about their world through them. End with one question you still have about this person, or something you couldn't figure out.
Sources (not presented): the sources you used, including at least one primary source. This slide stays up during Q&A, and classmates may ask about it (smaller fonts are allowed on this slide).
How you tell the story is up to you, and the first three slides don't have to come in this order. You might open in the middle of the key moment and fill in who the person was afterward. What matters is that all three parts are there and the key moment gets most of the time.
Sample Materials
BioRubric.pdfPresentation Rubric
Presentation Rubric
civil_rights_bios.pdfStudent Bio Choices: Civil Rights Unit
Student Bio Choices: Civil Rights Unit
Colonial_America.pdfStudent Bio Choices: Colonial America Unit
Student Bio Choices: Colonial America Unit
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