Dear Second Grade families,

By now we hope that your second grader is excited to learn about the person he or she has chosen to read about. This note will give you more detailed information and a tentative timeline for our history project. To help keep all items together I am asking that students bring a folder to school to be used solely for our research project. Please have this folder at school by Tuesday, February 21^st. You could send information you print from online sources in this folder to school on this day. Then we will continue to use it for the remainder of our research report writing.

A brief description of the three parts of the project is as follows:

The Research Report: During the next few weeks note taking, writing, and revising will be done at school as part of our grammar curriculum. Then the report will be typed or neatly handwritten at home. Some searching for information, final proofreading, typing, and printing of the final copy will need to be done at home with your assistance.

The Oral Presentation: At home students will put together an outfit or some items they can wear that represent the person they are researching. We are not expecting elaborate or expensive costumes. Please be creative and keep it inexpensive. Students will practice how they will present their information in school using their display board as a visual aid on Monday, March 26^thand Tuesday, the 27th. They will present their information dressed in their outfits to our class on Wednesday, March 28th.  I will send a more detailed schedule in March so you may attend when presentations are given.

The Tri-Fold Display Board: Boards can be purchased at Michaels or from BLS, as a mass order will be sent in this month. (More information about this will be sent home soon.) You may want to start a folder to save quotes, pictures and other pieces of information that you might use. A basic timeline will be started in schoolso the students understand what a timeline could look like. When this is sent home you will use this information to help create a picture timeline for the board. Other required elements for the board are as follows: 

1.      Timeline of life events with pictures for several events (at least 6)

2.      Picture of the person

3.      Title and name of person posted so it can be read from 6 feet away

4.      Quotes or portions of famous speeches

5.      Map that includes several places person lived or important events

6.      Other information or pictures may be added to help portray your person’s life

 Tentative Timeline:

*Thursday, February 9^th--Select historical figure. Read first book and complete biography book report. 

February 10-21 - Visit your public library and start to look for at least two different sources of information.

Tuesday, February 21-- Biography book report is due.  Folder for this project needs to be at school.  Have at least two other sources for research at school in addition to the biography book read for the report (If source is an online source, print out information and have your child bring this to school.) 

February 21- March 9*-- At school we will work on bibliography, organize information, write rough draft, revise, and edit rough draft.  (*=tentative goal date to finish report)

March 10-25 – Work on typing or handwriting report

March 10-25 –Put display board together and plan oral presentation outfit

Monday, March 26 – Hand in completed research report.  Bring Completed Display Board to School. Begin practicing oral presentations.

Tuesday, March 27- Bring outfit to school for presentations.

Wednesday, March 28 – Oral Presentation Day

Thursday, March 29 – Science/History/Art Fair

 

In His service,

Mrs. Bastian