Assignments and Projects

 Grades 4-8: Profiles in Courage and Character

Newspapers, magazines, television shows and radio programs often do stories known as "profiles". The stories take an in-depth look at the life of one person.

It could be a newsmaker, a person who has a high profile in their community or their country, or someone who's known throughout the world. Or it could be someone who's relatively unknown but who has an interesting life and story to share.

Invite your students to research and write a profile of a person that inspires them. They can choose a person from the world of sports, entertainment, politics, science, technology, business, health, community activism, education, the military, the fine arts or any other field that interests them.

Encourage them to use the resources that exist on the Web and in printed form in the library. Or they can try someone close to home and do a personal interview with a local sports figure, politician or artist.

Here are some guidelines for students:

• Choose your subject — explain why you're interested in that person and what you'd like to know about them.
  
  
• Start your research by doing a Web search in your favorite search engines.
  
  
• What have you learned so far? Are there any surprises? Is there an area of this person's life or work that you would now like to focus on?
  
  
• Find out what other newspapers and new media have written about this person. What do they say about themselves? What do friends and enemies say? What about their family? Co-workers?
  
  
• If the person is available for an interview, compile a list of questions you'd like to ask them. Arrange to meet them in person if possible and take notes as they talk or use a tape recorder to tape the interview.
  
  
• Write your profile by telling your readers the facts of this person's life — while adding the color and details that make them unique.
  
  
• Make sure that you show where you've found your information — whether it's in a encyclopedia in the library, a book at home, an article on a Web site or directly from the interview with the person.

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